Galaxy Z Flip 4 vs Galaxy Z Flip 3: Samsung’s listening to feedback

The world's most successful foldable phone series – the Galaxy Z Flip – is expanding with the release of a new model. The Galaxy Flip 4 was revealed at Unpacked earlier today, one year after the Galaxy Z Flip 3, but what difference can one year make for the best-selling foldable phone lineup? How does the new Galaxy Z Flip 4 compare to the Z Flip 3? Is the new model a worthy sequel to the foldable phone that defined Samsung's success in this emerging segment?

There's a lot of pressure on Samsung to live up to the expectations set by the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and improve upon the formula as any other sequel should. However, it doesn't take long to realize that the Galaxy Z Flip 4 doesn't look all that different from the Galaxy Z Flip 3, which must mean that Samsung improved the sequel in other ways that aren't so obvious.

Galaxy Z Flip 4 vs Galaxy Z Flip 3: Design and Bespoke Edition colors

The Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Flip 3 may look alike, but dimensions are not identical, and the new model offers almost twice as many Bespoke Edition colors. Where available, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 Bespoke Edition boasts 75 color combinations, up from 49. The new Bespoke model offers five colors for the back panel, five for the rear panel, and three for the frame and hinge.

Samsung also appears to have tightened up its tolerances a notch, and the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is slightly smaller than the 2021 model. It measures 165.2 x 71.9 x 6.9mm when open, as opposed to 166 x 72.2 x 6.9mm. The new model weighs around 187 grams and has an IPX8 rating for water resistance.

Galaxy Z Flip 4 vs Galaxy Z Flip 3: Improved camera system

The Galaxy Z Flip 4 combines new and upgraded components with hardware and design principles borrowed from the Galaxy Z Flip 3. The new model may seem like it has the same dual 12MP camera system as before, but upon further inspection, it carries a different wide-angle sensor.

Although the 12MP resolution remains the same, Samsung claims that the Galaxy Z Flip 4's primary wide camera has 1.8-micrometer pixels and an f/1.8 aperture, which should allow the sensor to capture more light and deliver better photos. According to the company, the new sensor is 65% brighter and has enhanced OIS (optical image stabilization)

The new foldable also elevates the user experience for mobile photographers through advanced Flex Mode features, including FlexCam — which now offers better support for third-party social media apps — and Quick Shot.

Galaxy Z Flip 4 vs Galaxy Z Flip 3: Displays and better UTG

Like the 2021 model, the new Galaxy Z Flip 4 is equipped with a 6.7-inch foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity Flex display featuring a resolution of 2640 x 1080 pixels, 425ppi, and a 120Hz refresh rate.

The cover display has a 1.9-inch diagonal, same as before, and it's protected by Gorilla Glass Vicus+. However, the foldable display claims to have an improved UTG (ultra-thin glass) substrate with higher durability.

Galaxy Z Flip 4 vs Galaxy Z Flip 3: More power, battery life and storage

Lastly, let's take a closer look under the hood and see what the Galaxy Z Flip 4 can do better than the model it's succeeding. Firstly, the Z Flip 4 ships with the 4nm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset rather than the 5nm Snapdragon 888. The new solution from Qualcomm is more powerful and energy efficient.

Then, the new variant is available with 8GB of RAM and 128GB, 256GB, or 512GB of built-in storage, whereas the Z Flip 3 lacks a 512GB model.

More importantly, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 sports an upgraded dual-battery system with a combined capacity of 3,700mAh, up from 3,300mAh. Battery life was one of the biggest issues surrounding the previous Galaxy Z Flip models, and it looks like the Galaxy Z Flip 4 might finally address it.

More so, the larger 3,700mAh battery supports 25W super-fast charging, up from 15W, which should help alleviate the feeling of battery anxiety even further.

In conclusion, is the Galaxy Z Flip 4 a better phone than the Galaxy Z Flip 3? It certainly looks like it is, and more importantly, Samsung seems to have followed customer feedback and addressed some of the critical areas that were holding back the user experience the most. Granted, the new Galaxy Z Flip 4 doesn't look like much of an upgrade at first glance, but the design is proven, and Samsung probably doesn't want to fix what's not broken.

The Galaxy Z Flip 4 starts at $999 and will ship to customers in select countries starting August 26. It's now available for pre-order online at Samsung.

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Galaxy Z Flip 4

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Galaxy Z Flip 3

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