Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 still palpate like a futuristic smartphone a year after launch , but with the creation of the Z Fold 5 with an improved flexible joint , in force carrying into action and a brighter showing , it ’s not quite as tempting an selection as it once was .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
Samsung ’s Fold serial has derive a foresighted means since its disastrous debut , which saw the first - generation model all but fall apart in my script .
The Z Fold 4 make up the pinnacle of Samsung ’s folding tech at launch in 2022 . Even though it was n’t a huge change from the Z Fold 3 , it boasted key improvements that made it finger more reined .
The problem is that theZ Fold 5is now here , offering even more improvements to the Christian Bible - panache designing , admit a much - improved flexible joint mechanism that ’s both more durable and all but transfer the gap when close up and boosted operation in the form of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy . That make the Z Fold 4 a little less enticing than it did at launch in 2022 .
Still , if you’re able to find the Z Fold 4 at a rebate and you ’re happy to accept the svelte technical departure , the Fold 4 stay a tempting option .
Screen and Design
Samsung has support firm in what it believes a flagship foldable smartphone should expect like , and the Z Fold 4 concurs on that front .
While theZ Flip4and newerZ Flip5are for people that want a foldable but for the fact that the concept take a standard smartphone and wee it small , the Z Fold 4 and 5 actually make the most of the fold display technical school in my mind . This is both a speech sound and a tablet , deliver a large screen for those times you desire to take in a video or play a game , and becoming smaller for everything else .
The design for this Z Fold 4 is the same as all the previous edition of the earpiece . The speech sound is home to a belittled outer gore and a larger , 7.6 - inch internal show that folds out . Samsung has made the screen slenderly wider this time round , with a 23.1:9 aspect ratio on the interior . The change is n’t massive , but it does make the experience of watching wide content a little better .
Having a wider outer display is a bonus too , since using the Z Fold 4 feels like using a regular phone . You wo n’t be playing games or watching video recording here , but it ’s handy for WhatsApp and Google Maps – or only answer sound call .
It ’s an experience that Samsung continues with the Z Fold 5 , with no difference to the size of either display , so you ’re not missing out on much by going with the year - old model .
The Fold 4 is marginally light than theZ Fold 3 , weighing 263 g instead of 271 g. That might look like a minor reduction , but I noticed the light frame immediately . The Z Fold 4 remains a deep earphone , however . more or less the heaviness of the twoiPhone 13s , it can be wily to tally in small pockets or bags .
It ’s worth take note that Samsung has wield to reduce the Z Fold 5 ’s heaviness , measuring in at 13.5 millimetre thick when folded , and unlike the Fold 4 , there ’s no annoying gap between the two halves of the fold either . These are n’t massive changes but they do make the telephone set appear more premium .
The inner screen itself is packed with all the common high - closing characteristic you ’d find on a phone at this Mary Leontyne Price . Samsung claims it can murder 1000 nit of peak brightness inHDRsituations , pack a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate for liquid scrolling , bear out the S Pen stylus , and has a camera tucked beneath .
It ’s comely to say that the under - showing camera ( UDC ) on the Z Fold 3 was fearsome , and I ca n’t say there ’s been much of an improvement here . It ’s hard to discern the sensor unless you ’re actively search for it – or you ’re on a white page – but the overall quality of snap is murky and washed out . I think the purpose of this camera is more for basic video recording margin call rather than centering of yourself , and as such , its quality is n’t overly important to me .
The biggest issue with the display remains , though – and that ’s the seam . While other foldables from the like of Oppo and Xiaomi have superintend to influence at removing the annoying line down the middle of the screen , Samsung does n’t seem to have bothered . It ’s as distracting as it was on the very first Fold gimmick – and that ’s disappointing .
It ’s also not something that has improved much with the newer Z Fold 5 .
Nevertheless , the quality of real content reproduced on the filmdom is great . I ’ve observe countless hr of Netflix on the Tube and read two books through the Kindle apps through the review process – something I ’d never have done on a distinctive Android speech sound . Yet , the aerofoil of the blind is very unlike to something like the SamsungGalaxy S22 Ultra . The use of radical - thin glass offers up a plasticky , too reflective finish that I ’ve found becomes raunchy a mint quick than normal glassful .
The Z Fold 4 remains one of the only folding earpiece around with anIPX8water - electric resistance rating , and it has Gorilla Glass Victus Plus covering the front display . Tough aluminium stay around the sides and Samsung says it ’s fine-tune the flexible joint slightly this year , too .
It ’s quite incredible how far Samsung has come in such a unforesightful amount of time in full term of lastingness here , especially when you consider how terrible the first version was . You still call for to be measured , of track , but I do n’t find oneself myself taking any more care of the Z Fold 4 than I ’d do with other phones .
Camera
Samsung spent a batch of time forrader of launching hype up the improvement it ’s made to the tv camera , and while the company does n’t descend close to the timber on display in the Galaxy S22 Ultra in all place , it ’s on par with the S22 andS22 Plus .
This is n’t thebest camera phonegoing , then , but the cameras no longer feel like a reason to avoid a Z Fold gimmick .
On the back of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 you ’ll find three cameras : a main wide 50 - megapixel unit , a 12 - megapixel ultra - broad , and a 10 - megapixel zoom lense with 30x digital rapid growth and 3x optical . There ’s also a 10 - megapixel camera on the front and , as cite , that 4 - megapixel under - display tv camera inside the inner display . You ’re certainly not short of Chrysophrys auratus here .
Samsung told me before of the launch that the main sensor offers 23 % vivid pixels , and this plays into the focus on abject - light carrying out in the Nightography photography modes . The society also said that grim - brightness level video recording should be more unchanging .
Both of those claims are perfectly valid ; I ’ve been instill by the low - light public presentation of the Z Fold 4 . It can bring out the brightness in dreary bar scene and landscapes , with the package doing much of the heavy - lifting . It is n’t as up to as the Pixel 6 Pro , which I found reproduced skin quality better , exhibit greater naturalistic detail ; but most of the snaps were usable and this was n’t something I ’d have said about previous Fold phones .
For snap taken in bright , well - lit surround , I think you ’ll be severely - pushed to enjoin the results from the 50 - megapixel main photographic camera aside from the competition .
Colours bulge out with a small more saturation than the same shot take on an iPhone 13 Pro Max , which might be more pleasing to those who see most of their photograph on a earpiece .
megrims in shot of the sky , or the Green River in plants expose plenty of clout , although not to the extent that they expect lurid . Skin tones are n’t as natural as those on snaps taken with the Pixel 6 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro , with some detail lost – that ’s just me nit - pick , though .
The most obvious area where the Z Fold 4 lose ground to the Galaxy S22 Ultra is with the zoom . The 3x optical crystalline lens here is just adequate , and the AI - assisted 30x Space Zoom ordinarily depart me with a gritty epitome . This is n’t on-key zoom in the way the S22 Ultra has a organization build for rapid growth photography , but rather a keen extra that you may switch to when you really require to get close to a subject and are happy to accept some loss in character .
Importantly , Samsung has included the same camera computer hardware in the Z Fold 5 , so you wo n’t see any meaningful boost to television camera quality by opting for the newer role model .
Performance
Powering the Galaxy Z Fold 4 , across all region , isQualcomm ’s 8 Plus Gen 1chipset . There is n’t a version of the machine with an Exynos alternative available – a change from Samsung ’s release scheme with mho - serial phone .
This is a supremely up to fleck – in fact , it was the top - end bit usable at launch . It ’s efficient , pumps out strong score in our rooms of bench mark tests , and has n’t felt slow or laggy at all during my week with the phone . Considering the cost of the Z Fold 4 , I would n’t really look anything less .
play on the inner display is a delight , especially with a controller attached . The Qualcomm chip has no difficulty handle even the most intensive title on high graphic setting . The 12 GB of RAM is also more than sufficient for the multiple apps I use on a daily basis to remain in remembering , not need never-ending reloading .
It ’s deserving noting that the Z Fold 5 is even more potent with Snapdragon ’s sole Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy , making the Fold 5 one of the most potent smartphones around in 2023 , not just in term of foldables . However , you ’re not likely to notice a remainder in day - to - Clarence Day purpose , with both smartphones present a comfortably knock-down , smooth experience .
The base model comes with 256 GB of warehousing , but the deficiency of Coyote State expansion means you might need to spend even more if you ’re plan on loading this twist with contentedness .
Many of the more significant changes are focused on the software . The Z Fold 4 runs a form ofAndroid 12L – a version of Google ’s OS designed specifically for big phones and tab – alongside the One UI computer software . This is the first gimmick I ’ve used to be running Android L and it certainly feels like a strong start .
One of the most obvious additions is a desktop - mode taskbar . This sits at the bottom of the CRT screen and display more apps than the typical Android dock . It can also be pulled up when you ’re in other apps , allowing you to open multiple apps at once without having to jump out back to the homescreen . While this idea is n’t anything new , feeling similar to the setup on iPadOS , it score such a deviation in real enjoyment .
Throughout my time with the Z Fold 4 , I ’ve rule myself multitasking far more than I have on a phone before . With the screen unroll , you may have three apps seeable at once , with the squared - off display making each one usable . you’re able to pull apps out into floating , resizable window too .
The situation with apps is less of a winnings – particularly in term of third - company service . All of Samsung ’s own apps are heavy , making excellent economic consumption of the video display , as do most of Microsoft ’s . Spotify defaults to a tablet - like state that crams more info into view , piss it finger like the bigger screenland is really a benefit .
When I initially live on hands - on , the majority of the apps I used on a day-to-day basis appeared to be just stretched speech sound apps that reckon o.k. on the prohibited display but remaining on the inside . Instagram dilute pictures out far too much , as did BBC Sport and Audible . These apps were n’t design for a square screen of this size and it really evince .
However , the state of affairs has transfer somewhat in 2023 , with more big - name apps like Instagram and Reddit now pop the question consecrate full - sieve design for the Z Fold 4 and newer Fold 5 . It ’s still not perfect but it ’s a vast improvement in just a year , and it ’s a much well experience than you ’ll encounter from the like of theGoogle Pixel Fold .
Battery Life
There ’s a 4400mAh battery inside the Z Fold 4 – which is identical to the unit of measurement in the Z Fold 3 , and the newer Z Fold 5 – along with fast pumped up and wireless charging . This remains a fairly lowly cellular telephone considering the motive to power two screens . shelling life is slimly good than we achieved with the Z Fold3 , likely due to the more efficient chipset tuck inside .
Throughout my week with the Z Fold 4 , I ’ve wield to always get through until bedtime with at least 15 % battery life story remain . This is with around five 60 minutes of blind - on time per mean solar day . you could get more with other Android handsets , and surely with theiPhone 13 Pro Max , but moot I used the inside presentation plenty for Kindle reads and watching YouTube on the train each dayspring , I ’m actually fairly impressed with the endurance on crack here .
evidently , the battery will drain far more quickly if you ’re play games on the inside display , but it ’s also easy to eke it out by using just the out panel .
This is largely what you ’ll get from the Z Fold 5 too , with our reviewer encounter it ’d get to bedtime with at least 20 % charge leave in the tank – and that ’s with multiple hour of habit during the day .
Usually , I would n’t bemoan the lack of a battery charger inside a earpiece box , but when a earpiece cost this amount , it really should get with the fastest - possible unit .
dissolute charging has never been a key acquirement of Samsung ’s phones , and that does n’t change here . The Z Fold 4 supports a maximal 25W , and using a capable cud it top out up from 0 - 50 % in 30 minutes . That ’s all right , but it then took on fair a further 60 minutes to get through 100 % . Having recently used the OnePlus 10 T , a phone that can be charged from 0 - 100 % in just 19 minute , I felt I was expend a lot of metre give ear around for this phone to charge .
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Should you buy it?
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the only gadget around that fuse both a tablet and a telephone set . The inner display is better for reading , watch and graze than any other speech sound I ’ve used .
Even though The Z Fold 4 is lighter than the late model , it stay a chunky , weighty telephone set that wo n’t comfortably fall away into lowly pockets .
Final Thoughts
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is a minor raise in many ways – Samsung has taken an already good phone and added finesse to some area to make it slightly better .
The encompassing blind is welcome , if not a biz - auto-changer , and the improved crisp and camera are also welcome . Samsung has done its best with the software program , too , although until developers and Google really start up push this screen size , you ’re leave with a majority of apps that do n’t sense quite right .
It ’s also hard to brush aside the Mary Leontyne Price . At the high price , this twist will be out of range for many – while also being a ludicrous amount to spend on a phone that is n’t necessarily better in any single area than a equipment costing half the cost . The office is . a little more beguiling with the reveal of the Z Fold 5 however .
While the Fold 5 boasts key improvements to the flexible joint , chipset and show , the Z Fold 4 is now cheaper than ever , making it a tempting buy regard just how similar the two are .
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We test every mobile phone we review thoroughly . We habituate industry standard psychometric test to compare features properly and we use the phone as our main machine over the review period . We ’ll always tell you what we find out and we never , ever , accept money to critique a product .
FAQs
There ’s no battery charger included ; there ’s just a USB - atomic number 6 cable length in the box . The phone put up up to 25W charging .
While the Z Fold 4 supports S Pen input for bill or doodles , you ’ll have to grease one’s palms it severally .
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