Do you recall your very first crush? Maybe you had a crush on someone even if you had no idea what a crush was? I experienced something similar with the Galaxy Z Fold 4. It’s also difficult to explain why we are pulled to it, especially given how similar it is to Fold 3 from the previous year. Our adoration for the Fold 4 is partially a result of its numerous minor improvements over the Fold 3. It has a slightly thinner hinge. It is a little lighter than before. On the cover screen, the bezels are slightly thinner. When closed, the broader body makes it more pleasant to use. The Fold 4 feels more individualized in every way, including the software. On the Fold 4, Samsung made multitasking friendly and simple. In fact, the Samsung Fold 4 is our favorite Android tablet after using a review unit for two weeks. It serves as an excellent reminder that foldable phones are still in their infancy and demonstrates Samsung’s engineering and software advancements. you read our article on Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 review.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 review: Design
The Fold 4 utilizes a unique hinge mechanism that runs down the Centre of the gadget to open and close like a book, just like its predecessors. Although it initially appears to be the same as the Fold 3, a closer look reveals tweaks that make the latest model the most advanced one yet. The hinge is cleaner, and the lip that once ran along one side of the primary screen has completely disappeared. We could see a little difference when holding both devices in our hands because the phone is also a little lighter. Although we did discover that the corners of the screen are quite dust-prone, the hinge is easy to open and shut, and we never felt that it was particularly vulnerable to breakages due to the strong build quality of the frame and display. Let’s get this out of the way right away: there is a crease visible when the device is in tablet mode, especially when viewed from an angle. However, the more brightness we increased, the less noticeable this crease became. For better or worse, the foldable design of the Fold 4 attracts attention. It was ideal for lounging on the couch and watching YouTube, skimming Instagram, and reading text-heavy websites like Reddit. We nearly always preferred using it with the screen open. We didn’t like using it on a crowded train during the morning commute, either, as you lose all possibility of privacy when texting or browsing social media, just like with all tablets. Using the front display is functional but rarely enjoyable. Although we appreciated that it could be used one-handedly, the body is thick when folded, and the typing experience feels uncomfortable. As a result, we were prone to making mistakes when messaging while using this method. Additionally, we didn’t like bringing it to the gym since we never felt completely at ease taking our eyes off of it. The front screen is good for checking notifications quickly (and we’d miss it if it weren’t there), but after a few days we realized that opening the device frequently to access our apps was more of a nuisance than a step we always wanted to take.
Display
Before we unfurl this beast, let’s start with the smaller outside display (often known as the “cover display”). We feature a big 6.2-inch dynamic AMOLED screen with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. What does that mean exactly? It shows that Samsung didn’t cut corners on the outside display, which is incredibly smooth and has AMOLED technology for deep blacks, brilliant colors, and an overall gorgeous user experience. What use does the cover display serve? Basically anything you wouldn’t bother unfolding the phone for, such as returning calls, responding to texts, and surfing social networking apps. Even though the display is still quite tall and not very wide, we wouldn’t describe it as crowded. It’s not difficult to use the on-screen keyboard, and once more, it’s big enough for most things you could want to complete without really unfolding the Z Fold 4. But now let’s do just that, unfold it, and show off its stunning, enormous 7.6-inch flexible display. Once again dynamic AMOLED, 120Hz-capable, and stunning. It is a complete joy to watch YouTube videos and movies, play games, navigate through social media apps, or browse the web on this display. How fantastic it is to remove a phone from your pocket and go-go-gadget it into a square-ish tablet with a large display cannot be overstated. Which, by the way, is incredibly easy to carry because to its smaller size, lighter weight, and somewhat square aspect ratio, especially when compared to a tablet. But let’s focus on the display experience. As we might have predicted, the Z Fold 4’s flexible display still feels slightly softer than a typical glass screen, but it’s still important to note. It does support the S Pen Fold edition and the S Pen Pro styluses, therefore it is clear that it won’t be easily scratched, for example, by your fingernails. You won’t have any problems pressing it or poking it. you will enjoy our article on Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 review.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 review: Software
Thanks to the latest Android 12L operating system built inside the Galaxy Z Fold 4, the software has undergone some of the biggest advancements. For large-screen devices, such as foldable phones, there is a customized version of Android. A new Taskbar that displays your most recent apps automatically appears at the bottom of the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s display to make multitasking simpler. And by just rearranging the main home row on the home screen, you can choose which favorites show up on the taskbar. The huge 7.6-inch display allows you to run up to three programmes simultaneously, exactly like previously, though we typically just use two. We enjoy that we can open an app by just dragging it from the taskbar to the left or right side of the screen. If you want to add another app next to the one you’re in, you can also simply swipe up with two fingers while inside the app. Drag and drop is one advantage of being able to run apps concurrently. So, for instance, we could drag a picture from the Gallery app into a Gmail message that is being sent. Additionally, Chrome now has drag and drop capability for items like images and URLs. With the Galaxy Z Fold 4, Flex mode has also enhanced, placing app content at the top and controls at the bottom when the screen is folded in half. To make the most of the foldable display, Samsung is collaborating with a number of developers, including Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom.
Performance
The Z Fold 4 performs as smoothly as its top-tier specifications would indicate. Once more, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor and 12GB of RAM are inside, and they appear to be sufficient for stutter-free multitasking. You’ll be delighted to know that even demanding 3D games run smoothly on this phone’s maximum settings if you’re a gamer, and since it has a 120Hz AMOLED display and dual stereo speakers, those games will look and sound even bigger. This phone is ideal for gamers. Here is how the Z Fold 4 compares to both its sparse competitors and some of the current popular flagships: This is the exciting part. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is, in my opinion, a power user phone above all else, made for tech aficionados and heavy multitaskers who want to get the most out of just one gadget. Samsung gave us all the things we would require after taking it into consideration. With Android 12L and OneUI 4.1.1 installed by default on the Z Fold 4, you initially receive a fairly standard Android / OneUI phone experience. We have a recognizable home screen with widgets and app icons, but when you launch a programme like Chrome, you’ll see that a fixed taskbar has replaced it. The convenient small taskbar contains a start button similar to Windows that allows you to quickly access all of your apps. In addition, the navigation keys and your favorite and most used apps are stored there (home, back, recent apps). The fixed taskbar on a large phone is quite helpful for rapidly switching between apps or dragging some of its content over to your active app to open both of them in split-screen mode. To run three apps across the screen, you may even drag a third one over.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 review: S Pen and Note factor
We proclaimed the Fold 3 to be the rightful heir to the Note throne last year. There’s no doubt that many Note enthusiasts will prefer the Galaxy S22 Ultra because the S Pen really has a holster, even though we still believe the Fold is the superior Note device because to the larger display. Samsung now produces a better Note-style case with a S Pen holster on the back, but the Fold 4 still lacks any form of S Pen holster. Aside from that, case makers like Caseborne and Spigen produce cases with S Pen holsters integrated into the spine, the back, or even the right side. The Fold 4 will undoubtedly offer an experience that comes the closest to the ideal of having one device that does it all than any other smartphone now on the market, even though these cases all add heft to an already enormous and heavy phone. We used Spigen’s Thin Fit P case for the duration of the evaluation period, which allowed me constant access to the S Pen. We found that utilizing the S Pen was increased significantly as a result of the extra convenience, and we wholeheartedly advise anyone who enjoys using the S Pen to have one of these cases. This year, Samsung is also producing the S Pen Fold Edition in two new hues that coordinate with the Fold 4’s palette. It’s a wonderful tweak that matches the Note’s design better and looks prettier. S Pens that match the colour of the phone they are holstered in have long been standard on Note phones, and the Fold is no exception. What is the S Pen on the Fold 4’s biggest drawback? The cover display still doesn’t function properly. We repeatedly found ourselves attempting to tap on it before remembering that this isn’t feasible. Only the foldable inner display is compatible with the S Pen. We hope Samsung includes this in a future Fold iteration.
Camera
The Fold 4 includes a total of five cameras: a new triple system on the back, a 10MP selfie camera up front, and a second 4MP selfie camera tucked away behind the internal screen’s top right corner. The back cameras are largely identical to those of the S22+ and are a significant improvement over the Fold 3 from the previous year. The 50MP primary camera is fantastic, producing top-notch pictures in a range of lighting situations with superb low-light performance. The ultrawide camera is fantastic for landscapes and group photographs, and the 3x optical zoom is helpful. The video captured by all three of them is excellent, however for some reason the ultrawide can only capture 30 frames per second. The under-display selfie camera is innovative, but it only works well for video calls because the photographs it takes are of poor quality. The outside 10MP selfie camera is one of the best, but you can use the primary cameras and the outside screen as a viewfinder to take even better selfies and group photos. Although a little difficult to grip, it is worth the effort. you can check our article on Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 review.
Battery life
The Fold 4’s battery life is superb and significantly outperforms expectations for such a powerful tablet. A 4400 mAh (non-removable) battery is provided, and a 25W fast charger (adapter not included) can charge it to around 50% capacity in 30 minutes. In our tests, the Fold 4 typically had a battery life of two days or even a little longer. The phone had a 100% charge at 6 p.m. on a Sunday, and by 10:30 p.m. the following night, it still had 20%. After a day of moderate to heavy use, which included watching videos, reading applications, and listening to Spotify, it didn’t switch off until Tuesday about midday. It took less than 1.5 hours to reach full power using a 25W wall adapter, and we liked how a short charge of 10-15 minutes offered a couple hours of juice. The Fold 4 uses USB-C and is compatible with any 10W or greater Qi wireless charger.
Price and availability
With a starting price of a rather steep $1,799 for 256GB of storage, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is now readily accessible in retailers. You can upgrade to 512GB or 1TB, though. The price of the 512GB model is $1,919, while the 1TB model is an outrageous $2,159. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is available from all three of the country’s major wireless providers as well as major retailers. Even though the phone is now available for purchase, several of the top Galaxy Z Fold 4 pre-order discounts are still active as of this writing. For instance, trade-in offers from Samsung and AT&T both offer savings of up to $1,000. With a new line, you can also receive discounts of up to $800 from Verizon and $1,000 from T-Mobile.
Conclusion
Although the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 was a good foldable device, its ergonomics, battery life, cameras, and notably its high price prevented us from giving it our highest endorsement. With its new Galaxy Z Fold 4, Samsung claims to have intensified its efforts to enhance these areas this year. Along with this, we have additional beneficial changes including a SoC and a display that uses less power. It’s time to find out if all these minor adjustments result in a better user experience and if it’s finally time to give this foldable smartphone some serious thought as your main smartphone.
