Samsung said that it takes several generations to perfect a foldable phone.
Yesterday, Samsung revealed the successor to the Galaxy Z Fold and Flip 3. These new devices were ready for pre-orders even before the day of the unveiling. Several rumors circulated around about what the device might look like, and they were going crazy about it too.
The previous generation focused mainly on better durability. For the Z Fold 4, Samsung focused on better comfort and ergonomics. This new phone is slightly shorter, about 3.1mm. However, it retained the same width as the Z Fold 3 but now, the screen has been somewhat expanded, so there are fewer bezels on the cover display. The company added 2.7mm more screen to it. The aspect ratio of the display is now more even, at 23:9.
Going with the specs, opening up the Z Fold 4 will reveal a 7.6″ display measured diagonally. The phone, when closed, will reveal a 6.2in. smartphone screen. The material used for this display is a flexible dynamic AMOLED and has a 120Hz refresh rate. This type of screen applies to both the cover and the inner main display. The resolution for the inner display has a resolution of 1812x2716px while the outer screen has a resolution of 904x2316px. Both are protected with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ and also have an IP68 dust/water resistance rating.
The phone features a 4MP in-display selfie camera while the cover screen has a 10MP punch hole shooter. These resolutions are considered low so we’re hoping Samsung improved their capabilities, as the ones last year have abysmal performance.
There are three cameras at the back. The primary camera features a 50MP sensor which Samsung said could capture 23% more light than its predecessor. Alongside it is a 10MP telephoto with OIS and 3x optical zoom. The last camera is a 12MP ultrawide with 123 degrees field of view.
The chipset of choice here is none other than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 manufactured by TSMC. The Exynos 2200 just doesn’t cut it and Samsung may not release a version with their own Exynos chipset due to its lackluster performance. The chipset is paired with 12GB RAM and a choice between 256, 512, or 1TB internal storage. The latter is only available to selected regions as well as Samsung’s website.
The phone carries the same 4400mAh battery pack from last year’s. However, the optimization from the chipset as well as Samsung’s own algorithms allows it to last longer than its predecessors. And in spite of the 25W fast charging, the phone charges much faster. It can now reach 50% in just 30 minutes.
The phone runs OneUI 4.0 optimized for foldable phones. There is a Windows-like taskbar at the bottom where users can easily access their favourite applications. As the tablet is foldable, you can have two apps running simultaneously. So you can now watch YouTube while also scrolling on your Facebook feed at the same time. It is a feature that has been available since the first Fold.
Some apps like Microsoft Teams, Disney+, YouTube, and Netflix are optimized for use on the Galaxy Fold. These apps take advantage of both the cover screen and the larger inner screen. For example, you can now view comments while also watching videos on YouTube at the same time.
Another feature added is the Flex Mode where you can use your Z Fold 4 like a laptop. One screen is folded 90° towards you and the other is lying down. The S-Pen also has a new trick up its sleeve, its own version of copy-paste called Text Extraction. Drag and select over a wall of text to another app to copy and paste it.
While the phone has magnets to store the S-Pen, Samsung considers it an accessory so it’s not going to be included with your purchase and you have to buy one separately.
In the Philippines, you can pre-order the tablet starting at Php98,990 for the 12/256 configuration. You can pay in installments with 0% interest. Per month, this would cost you Php 4,124.58. The next configuration, 12/512 is priced at Php105,990, and finally, Samsung is generous enough to include the Philippines for its 12/1TB configuration but it will cost your arm, leg, kidney, and a year’s worth of lunch as it starts at Php119,990. It has three colours to choose from Greygreen, Phantom Black, and Beige. The latter is only available for the 12/512 version.
SPECS:
- 7.6in. 2K (1812x2716px) Dynamic AMOLED 2x, 120Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, 1200nits peak brightness, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+
- Cover display: 6.2in. FHD+ (904x2316px) Dynamic AMOLED 2x, 120Hz refresh rate, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+
- IP68 water/dust resistance, armoured aluminium frame (claimed)
- Pen/stylus support
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 (4nm)
- CAMERAS:
- 50MP (main), f/1.8, 24mm, 1.0µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS
- 10mp (telephoto), f/2.4, 1.0µm, 3x optical zoom, PDAF, OIS
- 12mp (ultrawide), f/2.2, 12mm, 123°, 1.12µm
- FRONT:
- 4MP (in-display), f/1.8, 26mm, 2.0µm
- 10MP (cover display, punch-hole), f/2.2, 24mm, 1.22µm
- 4400mAh, 25W fast charging
- 15W fast wireless charging
- 4.5W reverse wireless charging
- OneUI 4.1.1 based on Android 12L
- 5G services, Wi-Fi 6/6E, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC (Samsung Pay)
- USB-C, Samsung DeX (desktop experience), Side-mounted fingerprint scanner, AKG stereo speakers
- Greygreen, Phantom Black, Beige (for the 12/512 variant)
- PRICE:
- 12/256: Php 98,990
- 12/512: Php 105,990
- 12/1TB: Php 119,990
Source: Samsung