Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Fold 4 on August 10, at the Galaxy Unpacked event. At the event, the company also revealed the brand new Galaxy Z Flip 4, the latest Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro smartwatches, as well as the new Galaxy Buds 2 Pro wireless earbuds. The new devices feature significant upgrades over their predecessors, and the new phones are now powered by the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 SoC, feature a better hinge mechanism, and are also slightly more lightweight and smaller.
I have been using the Galaxy Z Fold 3 since last year August, and those who caught some of my Tweets will know it’s my favorite device. I’ve never had as much fun as I do with the Fold 3, and it has dramatically improved the quality of my life by increasing my productivity and making specific tasks easier – especially when multitasking. I understand that some might call it a gimmick, but once you wrap your head around the way you intend to use it, and you find the best practical use case for it, it instantly becomes one of the best and most fun devices you’ll ever own.
POCKET NOW VIDEO OF THE DAY
Display size matters
Pun intended. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is slightly shorter and wider than the Galaxy Z Fold 3. The difference in the width is only about 0.3mm, but it makes all the difference. The bezels are smaller, and the aspect ratio and width are closer to a standard smartphone than the last generation.
I can’t tell you how often I used popular and well-known applications and websites, only to discover that some UI elements are cut off. Sometimes the only way to comfortably use services, apps, and websites was to unfold the device and use the large display. It’s not the most ergonomic or user-friendly thing to do, but it’s something that I managed to get used to over the past 12 months.
The wider display should eliminate all of these problems, and typing on the keyboard will also be much easier due to the added screen estate. I loved how easy it was to use the Fold 3 with one hand, but I think that will still be possible on the Fold 4, since it’s still narrower than most traditional smartphones.
I’m hoping to see a better battery life
The 4,400 mAh battery in the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is small, and while it gets me through a whole day, it often causes me to have battery anxiety. I always pack a portable charger with me when I go on a road trip, since I can’t trust myself not to play games to make time fly faster.
So far, early impressions indicate that the new Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 and the improved Android 12L might yield better efficiency results, but we’re yet to see the final results in our full review. I’m hoping that the Fold 4 will live up to expectations and provide a much better battery life that doesn’t require as much thinking before going out.
Better camera on the back
Many people complained that Samsung didn’t make any significant changes to the Fold 3’s camera setup, and while I can completely agree with that statement, the results were still flagship worthy. There was some noise in low light and at night, and it wasn’t quite a Pixel 6 Pro level of quality, but it was adequate and still very good. Of course, when you factor in the high price tag, you’ll see why so many people complained, but I found the camera on the back really good for capturing moments and important memories.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is equipped with a near identical camera setup to the one found on the Galaxy S22 Plus. So far, it shows a significant boost in the quality of photos when using the primary camera and the 3x optical telephoto sensor. The 30x Space Zoom also seems impressive looking at a few early samples, but we’re yet to comment on the images in our final review.
Conclusion
These reasons alone might not be enough for a lot of people to spend another $1,799.99 on a brand new foldable, but let’s not forget that you can trade-in your previous, or old smartphones at Samsung and receive an insane amount of credit to reduce the overall costs. Carriers are also stepping in with some ridiculously amazing deals, and the Samsung Upgrade program is also a great way to spread the cost over a two-year period, while having the option to upgrade annually.
I decided that the upgrades were enough for me to justify spending the extra money. As a Samsung Upgrade customer, I decided to upgrade to the Fold 4, given how much better the experience can be on the new generation. The Fold 3 was a small, but mighty upgrade compared to the Fold 2, and while it’s the same this time around, I think the changes are well worth the money.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
The latest Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 comes with the most powerful Qualcomm SoC, a wider display, a better hinge mechanism, and many significant upgrades over its predecessor. You can pre-order it now and receive the Standing Cover with S Pen, up to $1,000 off with eligible trade-in, and up to $100 Samsung Credit.
What are your thoughts about the Galaxy Z Fold 4? Did you buy it, upgrade, or decide it’s not for you and skip it? Let us know in the comments!
