Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is still a capable foldable a year after release , but with the newer Z Flip 5 offering better performance and a young big 3.4 - inch cover show for the same terms , the Flip 4 does n’t sense as arrant as it once did .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is the Korean brand ’s 2022 endeavor at creating a foldable impudent phone , melding together a futurist foldaway screen with retro charm .
While theZ Fold 4is Samsung ’s way to really force foldaway smartphone tech onward , I have always preferred the more meek Flip line .
The original loop had its fair share of issues , as did its revision , but Samsung really impinge on its pace with the Z Flip 3 . After spending a workweek reviewing the latest exemplar , it ’s clear that Samsung ’s positive trajectory is continuing .
The problem is that the trajectory continued in 2023 with the improvedZ Flip 5and its redesigned cover showing , which makes the valiant twelvemonth - one-time Z Flip 4 a less tantalising alternative , even when available at a deduction .
Screen and Design
The Z Flip 4 , like the Z Fold 4 , does n’t err too much from the design set by its predecessors . This is basically identical from the Z Flip 3 , away from a few very nonaged differences . For that , you ’ll have to prefer for the new Z Flip 5 .
For example , the bezels around the inner display are slimmer . You would n’t observe this unless you had the two phone side - by - side , though a thinner bezel is always welcome . The overall proportion are marginally smaller too , even if the Flip 4 is somewhat heavier . Samsung has tweaked the hinge too , make it somewhat humble . Again , I ca n’t see anyone notice these unless they go looking .
A couple of design change are slightly more detectable . The rims are now glossy , rather the flatness , giving the whole telephone more of a sheen . The back and front now have a satin coating , which not only depend skillful than a shiny alternative but it signify the Z Flip 4 does n’t slue around on flavorless surfaces – something that really badger me about the Z Flip 3 . The glossy regaining made a return on the Z Flip 5 , make the Z Flip 4 ’s finish unique in the collection .
The charm of the Z Flip 4 is in its clamshell design . rather of using a folding screen to change state a smartphone into a pill , the Flip uses it to turn over the 6.7 - inch gimmick into one of the most pocketable smartphones around . It ’s incredibly satisfying to pop the petite grapple into a minor air pocket or bag , and then unroll it into a distinctive smartphone .
While it ’s a low phone in stature and when opened , it is rather chunky when shut . It ’s about the same heaviness as two iPhones on top of each other , which is also equivalent to the Galaxy Z Fold 4 . It ’s not a altogether flat close , however , with a slight gap between the two half . This is n’t present on the new Flip 5 , give way it an instantly more premium feel compared to the Flip 4 .
Like any skillful grapple speech sound , a big draw is the outside screen – or Cover Screen as Samsung squall it . On the Z Flip 4 , the outer display remain visually the same as before , but a phone number of software tweaks have been add to improve functionality . theme set on the phone now transfer across to the Cover Screen , adding more personality , and quick background can be accessed for activity like enabling Wi - Fi or Airplane musical mode . These additions are nonaged but it ’s prissy to see the Cover Screen get more or less smarter each twelvemonth .
The larger outer display on theMotorola Razrand newer Z Flip 5 persist higher-ranking though , as this can in reality bury inner apps like Spotify to perform more in - depth tasks . With the Z Flip 4 , the good you’re able to do is skip song or ascertain on a timer . You ’ll still be opening up the telephone set a mickle .
Samsung is n’t just tilt into customisation on the software , but with the actual hardware too . It ’s bringing its Bespoke service back , allowing you to dilate beyond the four generic semblance . you’re able to pick off the front and back respectively , along with the rim to create a very personal gimmick .
The privileged presentation remains very much the same as the one you ’ll observe on the Flip 3 . It ’s a 6.7 - inchOLEDpanel , with a 2460 x 1080 resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate . The middle fold remains too and while I do n’t chance it quite so annoying as the line on the Z Fold 4 , you may clearly palpate it when you scroll or swipe . The narrow display is n’t fantastical for cognitive content like videos , as you get pretty healthy calamitous bars on either side but it ’s smashing for improbable apps like Instagram and Twitter .
As I allege in my Z Fold 4 followup , I am disappoint Samsung has n’t fixed the crease issue yet . The want of wide available contest seems to have stopped Samsung from focusing on major improvements .
The magnanimous issue with the other foldable earpiece from Samsung was their durability , or miss thereof . The first Galaxy Fold was delayed due to an eruption of broken displays and while the issue did n’t affect the Flip series as much , it was n’t until the Z Flip 3 that I felt comfortable recommending these phones to anyone who was n’t quick to take extra care . The Z Flip 4 retains the sameIPX8water resistant rating as the Z Flip 3 , which means it can resist getting wet but has no resistance to dust . There ’s Gorilla Glass Victus Plus covering the Cover Screen , a level of extremist - thin deoxyephedrine ( UTG ) on the interior and what Samsung phone Armor Aluminium on the exterior .
I ’ve been using the Z Flip 4 for a week now and while I ca n’t make any judgements about its long - condition durability , I do n’t sense the need to treat this headphone otherwise to any others . In fact , the clamshell design mean it ’s arguably going to be more tolerant to exhibit scribble . However the fact that the video display covering is much thinner than a distinctive phone could conduct to increased dents when it ’s open .
Camera
I do n’t reckon I have had quite as much playfulness survey the camera on a speech sound than I ’ve had with the Z Flip 4 . It ’s not thebest camera phonefor pure tone ( not even close ) , but it offers so many innovative shooting methods that I have barely been able-bodied to put it down .
Samsung ’s innovative habit of the foldaway presentation is at the centre of the phone ’s camera skills . you’re able to fold up the phone half opened and bulge out it down on a savourless surface , mime a tripod . This is a fantastic direction of get chemical group photos that actually front good . you’re able to also defend the telephone set like an old - school camcorder for immortalize stable video . These are far more than just gimmicks as they changed how I use a smartphone camera .
The snaps themselves are distinctive Samsung fare . They ’re not on par with the S22 Ultra but they do a good job at rival both the S22 andGalaxy S22 Plusin day conditions and not falling too far behind when it gets dark . The want of a dedicated zoom camera means the frame-up is n’t quite as advanced as the other phones in Samsung ’s reach .
Two 12 - megapixel sensors sit down on the hat of the phone . One is the independent wide detector , and the other an ultra - wide that ’s ideal for landscape shots . There ’s also another , low-pitched tone 12MP sensor inwardly . Due to the ability to take selfies with the main cameras when the phone is fill up , the quality of the actual selfie tv camera is n’t important for me , as I have only used it for face unlock and the queer Zoom call .
sampling scene I film in bright , day weather condition looked big . Colours pop with Samsung ’s trademark saturated style and they look especially good on the phone ’s bright OLED display . blue , reds and green are in particular vivid here , even more so than I find on the Z Fold 4 . This can negatively pretend hide look , particularly compared to thePixel 6 Pro .
In dispirited - weak situations the bigger main sensing element improves results over the Z Flip 3 , however it ca n’t check the honorable camera phone around here . The headphone does n’t have quite the acquisition to equally uncover tougher situation and all too often a bright light spot drift out the whole picture .
The ultra - wide tv camera similarly place the focus on punchy , saturated snaps . Samsung has done a good job at ensuring colours do n’t vary wildly between the two cameras . The extremist - encompassing struggles even more in low - brightness , but then that ’s to be expected from the small-scale sensor .
The deficiency of a zoom lens means you ’re restricted to very basic digital cropping , which rarely grow good issue .
Interestingly , it seems Samsung was so happy with the camera performance that it determine not to interchange a single thing for the Z Flip 5 . This means you could potentially save yourself a bit of cash on the year - old fashion model without a downside to photographic camera quality .
Performance
The Z Flip 4 is far less about the specs and features than the Z Fold 4 , with the focal point here being the nostalgic shape factor . That ’s not to say there ’s not a reach of mellow - end specs included though .
Powering the telephone is theSnapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1chip . This was Qualcomm ’s late chip at launch in 2022 , and performance - knowing it ’s on equality with some of the fastestAndroid phonesof the period , like theOnePlus 10T. That ’s paired with 8 GB random memory ( more than enough for easygoing multitasking ) and storage options kitchen stove from 128 GB to 512 GB .
The newer Z Flip 5 sports the more muscular usage Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy , along with the same 8 GB of RAM , though I ’d wager you would n’t be able-bodied to tell the difference between the two in real - world conditions .
There ’s no expandable computer storage here , so take your reposition option sagely . debate the price jump is n’t too much from the 128 GB to the 256 GB model , I would commend going for the latter .
This is n’t the best speech sound around for gambling – even though it ’s more than adequate to of running any game on the App Store , even the wildly intensive Genshin Impact . It just does n’t feel comfy enough to be hold for recollective plot periods .
As is the typesetter’s case with the Z Fold 4 , a lot of the improvements here are software base . Samsung has padded out the feature - set of its Flex mode , allow you to do peachy tricks by half - folding the phone . Some of these were present before , like the power to shore it assailable to watch a video recording , whereas a heap of the tweaked camera tricks mentioned above are new .
Samsung ’s computer software is as hemipteran - innocent as I have ever establish it here , with One UI mostly being a joy to use . There are a lot of pre - installed Samsung apps , but at least poor services like Bixby can mostly be handicapped and replaced with Google ’s ranking oblation .
Battery Life
One of my big issues with the Z Flip 3 was its meager endurance . As I noted in my follow-up last year , I was often struggling to make it through a hectic daylight without get through for the charger and even quieter twenty-four hours would see it hit single digits by late eve .
Samsung clearly agreed that survival was an issue and rectifying it is one of the few notable upgrades the Flip 4 has over its predecessor .
Not only has the barrage fire been boost from 3300mAh to 3700mAh , but the 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset is a lot more effective than the 888 it is replace .
Even with those battery gains however , you should n’t expect a multi - day earpiece . This remains a machine you ’ll need to charge every day , but there ’s a famous improvement this year . If I was terminate the Clarence Day with 5 % on the Flip 3 , I am now finishing it with 15 % on the Z Flip 4 .
That ’s enough of a boost to give that extra turn of self-confidence in it getting through a interfering sidereal day , or a busy night . It ’s more efficient , too . An minute of Netflix on the Z Flip 3 took the battery down 15 % , whereas now it ’s 11 % .
deplorably , that ’s not an experience that ’ll be improved by choose for the newer model , with the same 3,700mAh stamp battery as the Flip 4 , though now with a larger 3.4 - inch cover display to power . That enjoin , battery animation is very much in - line with the Z Flip 4 , if not somewhat tough in general use .
Samsung encourage the max send speeds with the Z Flip 4 , though you will need to provide your own charger able of high - wattage turnout . The Z Flip 4 charges at 25w , rather than 15w , and this makes it faster to get to 50 % . I filled up half the battery in 30 minutes , and a full charge takes around 80 minute . Qi wireless charging is an selection if you prefer to go wire - free .
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Should you buy it?
The fact the Z Flip 4 folds in half makes it the little , most powerful earpiece on the securities industry . If that ’s what you need , this is a perfect pick .
The endurance here is an improvement over the Flip 3 , however , it ’s still very much a earpiece that ’ll only just make it to the end of a busybodied solar day .
Final Thoughts
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is an exciting folding with muckle of improvement compare to its predecessor . cheaper price ma
They may be minimum , but the bigger bombardment and slightly better camera make it an overall more rounded machine . Plus the additions to the package , especially those in the camera , make the Z Flip 4 one of the more fun phones I have reviewed .
The job is that the release of the Z Flip 5 and its gravid 3.4 - inch cover version display , meliorate carrying into action and gapless close make the Z Flip 4 a less enticing option than it once was , even at a discount .
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