We finally have the Galaxy Z Flip 4 in-house! Almost a year ago I came to a conclusion that out of all the foldable devices on the market, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 was the best one to buy, I liked the form factor, the design, an amazing folding display, great performance, and flagship cameras, however, in my review, I expressed, in quite a few paragraphs the things I didn’t like.
Many months later and we have the newest Flip, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 announced just over a month ago, has the Korean manufacturer flushed out the problems and made the best foldable even better? Here are my two cents.
Design and Build
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is built more or less just like its predecessor, the only differences I could tell were the flatter edges, more prominent buttons, larger camera lenses that protrude a little more, and a slimmer hinge. The device also looks to be a little narrower.
Displays & Audio
Again the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 has the same 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED display with a 2640 x 1080 pixel resolution when unfolded. However, the new Z Flip 4’s display has a variable refresh rate between 1Hz and 120Hz. There’s also HDR10+ support and a centralized punch hole camera at the top on the Z Flip 4 just like on the Z Flip 3.
Again, Samsung didn’t change its 1.9-inch Super AMOLED Always On Display with a resolution of 512 x 260 on both devices. The Z Flip 4 does have more options and themes that run on the outside screen.
In terms of audio the Galaxy Z Flip 4 maintains stereo surround sound with Dolby Atmos technology (Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus included).
Performance & Camera
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset with 8GB of RAM support. The Z Flip 3 by comparison, runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 platform.
Coupled with the fast refresh rate, I didn’t notice any lag or problems with the performance of the device, from light tasks like scrolling Tiktok to heavy gaming like some Genshin Impact. The Z Flip 4 stands its ground.
The camera is also upgraded on this new flip, while the camera is the same in terms of specifications – front and back, the main rear sensor is supposed to be 65 per cent brighter, moving from 1.4µm pixels to 1.8µm pixels. There’s also a Super Night Solution mode on the Z Flip 4 so there are improvements on a software level too.
The main camera still offers the features we liked in the previous flip like the Dual Pixel Auto-focus, optical image stabilization (OIS), HDR10+ video recording, and Tracking AF support. Expect flagship level Camera shots, the stabilization is also on another lever with the OIS and camcorder shots.
This time I put the flip against the iPhone 12 and while the comments on Twitter were divided, the device won the blind camera test in the poll.
Quick one. Both point and shoot (no pro ness) which do you prefer? pic.twitter.com/6yR4urNzkR
— OoF (@NigelJr_) September 14, 2022
Does the Z Flip 4 Address What we Didn’t Like on the Z Flip 3?
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 offers internal upgrades more so than design updates, but this is good news because what we didn’t like was more software and internal upgrades than design.
For a flagship price, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 retains 128GB as the base storage which is still on the lower side, you can also get up to 256GB only with the device which is still a bummer.
The new Galaxy Z Flip 4 is easier to open with one hand than on the Z Flip 3 so that is a welcome hinge upgrade.
It is super hard to open the Z Flip 3 with one hand if not impossible, I feel like the nostalgic feel would demand you smoothly and quickly open and shut the phone with one hand, no?
The noticeable groove running horizontally across the exact center of the display is still as noticeable as ever, you can also clearly see the disconnect while using the phone, however, I don’t mind it as much.
The battery on the new flip is upgraded which was my biggest dislike of the device, the new Z Flip 4 has a 3700mAh battery which offers significantly better battery life, this is literally a good enough reason to pick the new iteration over the older one.
Conclusion.
Ultimately, the driving force behind buying the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is the form factor, if you want a smartphone that folds, the Z Flip 4 is the best in the segment. Personally, I think it is the best foldable device to buy, yes, I choose it over the fold.
The Galaxy Z Flip 4 which comes with 12GB and 256GB internal storage is retailing at Kshs 142,999.
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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3: Specifications
| Specification | Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 |
|---|---|
| Build |
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| Dimensions & Weight |
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| Display |
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| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 |
| RAM & Storage |
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| Battery & Charging |
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| Security | Side-mounted fingerprint scanner |
| Audio | Dual stereo speakers |
| Rear Camera(s) |
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| Front Camera(s) | 10MP f/2.4, 1.22µm pixel size, 80-degree FoV |
| Port(s) | USB Type-C |
| Connectivity |
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| Software | One UI 4.1.1 based on Android 12 |
| Colors |
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