Samsung’s fourth-generation foldable phones are here, and we got to take a look at them a few days prior to the actual launch. Here’s the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and our initial thoughts on this hands-on.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 specs:
- 6.2-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display
2316 x 904 pixels
120Hz refresh rate - 7.6-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity Flex Display
2176 x 1812 pixels
120Hz adaptive refresh rate - Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1
- 12GB LPDDR5 RAM
- 256GB, 512GB, 1TB UFS 3.1 storage
- Triple rear cameras with LED Flash:
50MP f/1.8 OIS, dual-pixel main camera
12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide
10MP f/2.4 Space Zoom, OIS, PDAF, 3x optical, 30x Space Zoom - 10MP f/2.2 cover camera
- 4MP f/1.8 Under Display Camera 3.0
- 5G, Dual nano SIM w/ e-SIM
- WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, BDS, Galileo, NFC
- USB-C
- Fingerprint scanner, Face Unlock
- IPX8 water resistance
- Armor Aluminum body
- Android 12L with One UI 4.1
- 4,400mAh dual battery
23W fast charging
Fast Wireless Charging - Colors: Phantom Black, Beige (Samsung.com exclusive), GrayGreen
The Korean tech juggernaut touts the new foldable to have a large-screen experience for productivity feature advanced innovations alongside its improved camera setup, a more precise construction, and multitasking abilities including S-Pen capability.
The design of the Fold 4, from the get-go, doesn’t differ much from last year’s Fold 3, sans some changes that contribute to the overall user experience.
The edges now feature a flatter design that contributes to a familiar grip. Antenna bands are still all over to aid in overall mobile signal reception. The bottom part, has 1/2 of the stereo speaker setup and the USB Type C port, while the sides feature the SIM tray, the volume key, and the power and lock button.
Up top are noise cancellation microphones, and the other half of the loudspeakers bring a stereo sound experience to the device.
The hinge construction still features the Armor Aluminum material introduced last year. When folded, the gap near the hinge still remains and can be visible when you look at it from any of its vertical ends. Samsung touts this year’s hinge design, though, to be more durable as they rate it at 200,000 folds.
The front-facing Super AMOLED display at the front is bright and gorgeous with well-saturated colors, great contrast, and the right amount of brightness to watch your content even at angles like this. We’re also treated with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus here, withstanding against scratches.
The back has a triple rear camera setup, with a new 50-megapixel lens that is said to be 23% brighter than the predecessor’s setup. There’s also a Space Zoom lens that offers a 3x optical zoom and 30x digital zoom.
Opening the device is this Flex Super AMOLED display. More of the improvements in this area come from the software side — One UI 4.1.1 based on Android 12L baked right in these devices feature a more robust option for consumers to actually navigate through the phone without the hassles of switching apps.
For one, the biggest improvement is the app taskbar, which is now stickied at the bottom of the display along with the navigation buttons and a new button that opens your app drawer directly. My only concern here is probably how it will burn in with prolonged use, so I hope Samsung has some tweaks to have an auto-hide feature.
There’s also a new Flex Mode, which optimizes how you use the phone to call in some of the world’s most used video conferencing and media apps including Teams, Zoom, Google Duo, and YouTube. We were not able to test this feature as we had the phone in a controlled environment where we cannot connect it to the Internet at the time of shoot, so we’ll look forward to testing it as we get our retail unit.
An improvement also seen here is the Under Display Camera 3.0, where the camera is almost unseen to the naked eye now compared to the Z Fold 3. You’re now getting an unhindered whole-screen experience with the setup, though the camera area may still be noticeable at some angles.
The photos we’ve taken using all of the Fold 4’s cameras offer great dynamic range, brightness, and saturation. Contrast is good, too, and the under display camera tucked at the flex display also takes decent shots in good-lighted environments. Here are some sample shots:
Other additional features include a faster charging speed via QuickCharge 2.0, and Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, IPX4 water resistance, and support for S-Pen for a more intuitive experience.
The Galaxy Z Fold4 will be priced at PHP 98,990 and PHP 105,990 for the 128GB and 256GB variants, respectively, plus, a 1TB samsung.com exclusive priced at PHP 119,990, in Gray Green and Phantom Black. Customers can also get the 256GB variant in Beige, exclusively released on samsung.com.
Pre-orders will be available until September 1 with freebies including a Standing Cover with S Pen holder, a Super Fast Wireless Charger, and a year of Samsung Care for screen replacement. You can also trade your current phone in and get up to 40% in total discount off your new Fold 4 purchase. You’re also entitled to a 50% discount on the Galaxy Buds Pro 2, and a 30% price markdown on Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 and 5 Pro.
