The Galaxy Z Flip 4 is shaping up to be a fantastic foldable phone, and early pre-order figures in South Korea seemingly prove its quality and appeal. It's a great all-around device with many attractive characteristics, not to mention a bonkers flip phone design. But although the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is almost perfect in my eyes, I don't seem to be able to convince myself to leave the Galaxy S22+ behind in favor of Samsung's gorgeous foldable phone. The price has little to do with it, given Samsung's attractive trade-in deals. So, what gives?
Long story short, two main aspects prevent the Galaxy Z Flip 4 – and possibly future Z Flip models – from becoming my go-to mobile device(s). One is the lack of a zoom camera, and the other is the absence of Samsung DeX. And as much as I'd like to look past at least one of these missing features, the other tips the scale in favor of me keeping the Galaxy S22+ and waiting another year for the Galaxy Z Flip series to catch up. But will it ever?
You may think that I'm “selling out” for Samsung by praising the Galaxy Z Flip series, but the reality is that I have always been a fan of flip phones, and I've been waiting for this design to make a comeback in the smartphone world for many years. Why? Because flip phones are compact, they protect the main display from scratches when carrying them in your pocket, and they have a higher cool factor.
For me, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is almost a dream come true, save for the missing zoom camera and Samsung DeX. Had it not been for these missing features, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 would've become a strong contender for “the best phone of 2022” in my book. And it still is, but I probably won't exchange my Galaxy S22+ for it.
Is there any hope for the future for the Galaxy Z Flip series and me?
Although I'm not the most dedicated mobile photographer by any stretch of the imagination, I would probably miss the telephoto camera if it was missing from my phone. And if I not, then I'd surely miss Samsung DeX.
As a side note, I haven't given up on Samsung DeX ever since I switched to this platform months ago. I haven't talked much about DeX lately because I seem to be one of the very few DeX enthusiasts out there. It's pretty lonely, but I honestly grew fond of the platform. I'm using it daily, and it has 100% replaced my Windows PC. With that in mind, having a Galaxy smartphone capable of running DeX is “a must” for me.
Sadly, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 doesn't support Samsung DeX, even though it has a top-tier chipset and enough RAM. The even bigger issue is that the Galaxy Z Flip series may never get DeX support or a zoom camera because, as we discussed before, Samsung doesn't view the Z Flip series as a premium high-end smartphone. Its model and firmware numbers say as much.
And this is where I think the Galaxy Z Flip series' highest chance of failure resides. If Samsung won't address the lack of a zoom camera and advanced software features like DeX with future models, the popularity of the Galaxy Z Flip series may start declining rather than rising. And that would be a real shame. We've already seen pre-order figures between the Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4 in South Korea getting closer to equilibrium as more customers turned to the book-like foldable for an upgrade.
Samsung worked hard to make the Galaxy Z Flip series as successful as it is today, and I feel that the lineup is in danger of losing its momentum if the company won't do something about it. I still believe that the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is a fantastic phone, but for the series to continue succeeding, I think Samsung needs to step up its game and start treating the Galaxy Z Flip as a proper flagship lineup. Giving it a zoom camera and access to Samsung DeX would be the next logical step.
For now, as much as I would love to own the Galaxy Z Flip 4, I feel like my hands are tied, and I have no other choice but to keep the Galaxy S22+ for a while longer and hope that the Galaxy Z Flip series will reach its full potential next year.
