Introduction
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 has big shoes to fill. Its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Fold 3, was one of Samsung's best foldable phones yet. It brought meaningful improvements with features like water resistance and support for the S Pen.
Samsung fans had high expectations from the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and the device has delivered on them. This is Samsung's most powerful and durable flagship foldable smartphone yet.
Design
The design is more or less similar to its predecessor with only minor changes being made this year. The hinge is a bit smaller and so are the bezels for the cover display. Samsung has also made the device lighter. At 263g, it's the lightest Galaxy Z Fold handset so far.
Samsung's tough Armor Aluminum has been used in the frame. The company has also used Gorilla Glass Victus+ on the cover display and rear panel for enhanced durability. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 retains the IPX8 water resistance rating of its predecessor.
Displays
The 6.2-inch 2316 x 904 pixel resolution Dynamic AMOLED display has a wider 23.1:9 aspect ratio with slim bezels for ease of one-handed use. The panel doesn't support the S Pen but does have a 120Hz refresh rate.
Samsung has also trimmed the bezels for the internal foldable display. The 7.6-inch 2176 x 1812 pixel resolution Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity Flex display has a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate with support for the S Pen. The under-display camera has been improved so it's not as noticeable as before.
Specifications
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is powered by the 4nm Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor paired with 12GB of RAM. The chipset delivers considerable improvements in CPU, NPU, and GPU performance. It's paired with up to 1TB of internal storage. There's no microSD card slot for external expansion.
Stereo speakers are present for an elevated audio experience. The device's fingerprint sensor is embedded in it power button. It has the same 4,400mAh battery like its predecessor with support for 25W fast charging. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 doesn't come with a charger in the box.
Cameras
The camera setup on the Galaxy Z Fold 4 includes a 50-megapixel primary sensor with Dual Pixel AF and OIS. It's paired with a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera as well as a proper 10-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical and 30x digital zoom.
The cover display houses a 10-megapixel selfie camera whereas the UDC has a 4-megapixel sensor. Samsung's Nightography camera software improvements coupled with the improved sensors deliver a much better low light photography experience.
Software
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the first smartphone to ship with Android 12L out of the box. Android 12L is a version of the mobile operating system that Google has developed for large screen devices like foldables. It brings additional features that aid in productivity and multitasking.
Samsung supports the Galaxy Z Fold 4 for four years of software upgrades. Since it launches with Android 12L, the device is good for updates until 2025. The Android 13 update for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 should be out before the end of 2022.
Price and Availability
Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 4 at its Unpacked event on August 10 with the release set for August 26. Pre-orders began after the Unpacked event. Prices start at $1,799. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is available in Phantom Black, Graygreen and Beige colors. A Burgundy color is available exclusively through Samsung.com