Both the Fold 4 and the Flip 4 seem to be about making small improvements over and over again. This is especially true for the Flip. At first glance, it looks and works almost exactly like the one that came before it.
Samsung, on the other hand, has been quick to point out how user feedback affected what parts of the Z Flip formula the company worked on to make the still-attractive Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 better in 2021.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 looks and feels the same as its predecessor, but it has a few small changes that show how well Samsung can listen to customer feedback.
People who already own a Z Flip 3 shouldn’t feel left behind by the new features and improvements that its successor offers. Even though the price has gone up a little from one year to the next in some markets, the Z Flip 4 seems to be the best folding phone for the money.
Samsung has given the Flip 5 (or whatever it will be called) a lot of room for change, though. And it would be great to see improvements in hardware for bigger cameras, displays with a higher resolution, resistance to dust, and faster charging.
PRICE AND AVAILABILITY OF THE SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FLIP 4
- Pre-orders start on August 10, 2022, and sales start on August 26, 2022.
- Prices begin at $999.99, £999, or AU$999.
- In the UK, the price went up by £50 ($149) compared to Z Flip 3.
Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Flip 4 on August 10, 2022, at an event called “Unpacked.”
Pre-orders started on the same day in most markets, except Australia, where they didn’t start until the next day. The game went on sale on August 26 in many places, including the US, UK, and Europe (September 2 in Australia).
The Flip 4’s prices have gone up a little bit (at least in some markets, like the UK), which is likely due to the global economy and supply chain problems that many companies are facing right now. This is why prices are going up for a wide range of products.
- 128GB = $999.99 / £999 / AU$1,499
- 256GB = $1,059.99 / £1,059 / AU$1,649
- 512GB = $1,179.99 / £1,199 / AU$1,849
If the Z Flip 3 hadn’t come out with an even lower starting price, there would be no doubt that the Z Flip 4 is a good deal for the money. Still, it gives you the most for your money compared to the few other clamshell foldable on the market right now.
This time around, Samsung has also made a new version with more storage space. You can get up to 500 GB of space, which wasn’t an option with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 from 2021.
As with the Z Flip 3, fans can choose their own frame and back colors for the Z Flip 4 Bespoke Edition in some markets. There are 75 different ways to mix and match that can be found on Samsung.com and in Samsung Experience Stores. Bespoke Edition models come with 256GB of storage space and are priced that way, no matter what combination you choose.
Want to learn more about Flip 4’s price and availability in your area? Check out our list of the best deals on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 to find the right specs, color, and price for you.
Value score: 4/5
SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FLIP 4 DESIGN
- Z Flip 3 has a smaller hinge and thinner bezels.
- Armor Aluminum frame with Victus Plus Gorilla Glass back
- Water resistance to IPX8 standards
If you’ve seen the Z Flip 3, you might not even notice that the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 looks different at first.
It has a familiar straight-sided design, but this time the edges are a little less rounded. Along the top edge of the back, there is a black “visor” that holds two rear camera sensors and the external cover display. The rest of the back is made of Gorilla Glass Victus Plus, which is set against an Armor Aluminum frame that matches the color of the glass.
Launch colors include graphite, pink gold, boreal purple, and blue. If you buy the Bespoke Edition, you can also mix and match back colors and frame finishes in some markets. One small change between generations is that the frame, which was lightly textured on the Flip 3, is now highly polished, and the back glass is now diffused instead of glossy, except for the “visor” section. We think it looks more elegant and makes it harder to see fingerprints. All in all, it’s a good change.
Even though the Flip 4 has the same size main screen as the Flip 3, Samsung has made it smaller overall. When the phone is folded closed, the logo-engraved hinge doesn’t stick out as much as it did on the last model. The folded height is 1.5mm shorter than it was on the last model, in part because the bezels are thinner (this has also made more room for a bigger battery).
From the side, there is still a gap where the screen folds in half, and dust could still get in there. Even though the Flip isn’t certified to protect against dirt, it still has the same IPX8 water resistance as last year’s model, which is still incredibly impressive in a market where more and more foldable phones don’t have this kind of protection. In real life, the Flip 4 was strong enough to resist scratches and scuffs on its glass and metal body during the review period. The real problem was dust.
After a few minutes in a pocket, that tiny space between the edge of the non-removable screen protector and the raised edge of the bezel is sure to get filled with lint and fluff.
Samsung added T-shaped caps to the original Galaxy Fold to make it stronger. These caps also tend to catch fine hairs. During testing, the phone never felt especially fragile, but it always felt like dust could get in, even though the Flip 4 isn’t rated against that. Just be ready to wipe down the main screen every time you open the phone.
Clamshell foldable like the Galaxy Z Flip line is a strange kind of compact phone. The Flip 4 doesn’t stick out of the top of a pocket as much as most traditional candy bar phones, but it is a little thicker (17.1mm at its thickest point), so the value of its small size depends on where you’re likely to keep it. We’d probably put it in a back pocket instead of a side pocket. Just remember to take it out again before you sit down.
- Design score: 4.5/5
SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FLIP 4 DISPLAY
- 6.7-inch AMOLED screen with Full HD+ resolution and variable refresh rate (1Hz to 120Hz)
- UTG (ultra-thin glass) (ultra-thin glass) 2.0 = Flip 3 is 20% more durable
- 1.9-inch Super AMOLED display on the outside cover
Like the Flip 3, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 has a 6.7-inch “Dynamic AMOLED 2X” screen with a Full HD+ (2640 x 1080) resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate that can drop to 1Hz in certain situations to save battery life.
For the resolution, the picture quality is great. The crease can’t be seen from the front, and you can barely feel it with your finger. This makes the phone almost as easy to use as a regular candy bar phone, even though it has an unusual 22:9 aspect ratio.
The shape does mean that you have to use it with two hands a little more often, but it is also great for split-screen multitasking and playing games or watching videos in ultra-widescreen.
A new version of Samsung’s ultra-thin glass (UTG) 2.0 also protects the main screen. The company says it’s 20% stronger than before, and as we talked about in the design section, it seems to be surprisingly good at keeping scratches away (although there are subtle indents visible in the top-layer screen protector when viewed against the light). Even though it may sound strange, the folding screen of the Flip 4 feels like glass, which doesn’t make sense given how much pressure it must be under when folded shut. In a nutshell, we’re impressed by how well everything works. The engineers and material scientists who worked on this technology deserve a pat on the back.
Moving to the front, the external cover display seems to have been carried over from the Galaxy Z Flip 3, which was made bigger between generations. It has the same 1.9-inch Super AMOLED panel, 260 x 512 resolution, and 60Hz refresh rate as before.
The Flip 4’s default use as a clock and its small size when closed make it look like a futuristic pocket watch. This is a quirk of the hardware that gives the closed form of this clamshell a unique charm.
- Display score: 4/5
SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FLIP 4 SOFTWARE
Samsung’s One UI 4.1.1 is already installed on top of Android 12.
Flex Mode: Optimized software for folding form factor
Four years of OS updates and five years of security updates.
Samsung has kept the Cover Display and made it more useful between generations. When setting Galaxy Themes on the main display, the themes match, and there are a lot of new and better widgets, like a SmartThings smart home control panel, access to Samsung Wallet, more quick replies, and more general quick settings.
Flex Mode also comes back. This lets you move the sturdy-feeling hinge of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 through its full range of motion to get a variety of split-screen experiences.
The company has added services like YouTube and Google Meet (which used to be called Google Duo). Apps like Meta Messenger are now out of testing and will get support for Flex Mode. Features like multi-window are now easier to use in Flex Mode, and you can start them with a simple swipe from the bottom of the screen. Aside from these updates and additions, which take advantage of the Flip 4’s unique hardware, you can expect a more familiar One UI software experience (like you’d find on Samsung’s other phones), which will be powered by Android 12 at launch (with an update to Android 13 rolling out as of November 2022).
For those who aren’t familiar with Samsung’s take on Google’s Android operating system, One UI is a pretty complete reskin of the platform’s basic look, with a preference for colorful squircle app icons and own-brand alternatives to Google’s usual services. It’s not offensive and can be changed enough to suit everyone’s tastes without too much work (supported by the aforementioned Samsung Themes).
The Samsung Galaxy Store is similar to the Google Play Store, but it has some exclusive apps and versions of popular apps that work better on Samsung devices. Samsung Wallet works with Google Pay for contactless payments, though it supports a smaller number of banks. Some native Android 12 features, like UI color palettes, are still there, but they aren’t as important as Samsung’s implementation when it comes to UI layout and customization.
People coming from phones that aren’t made by Samsung shouldn’t find the learning curve too steep, and the company’s interface has a lot of short tutorials that show you how to use specific features, like the Z Flip 4’s Flex Mode and Cover Display.
- Software score: 4/5
PERFORMANCE AND SPECIFICATIONS OF THE SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FLIP 4
- All variants have the top-tier Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor with 8GB RAM.
- New storage capacity of 512GB (UFS 3.1)
Some of Samsung’s best phones, like the Galaxy S series, use either Snapdragon or Exynos chips, depending on where in the world you buy them. So, things like performance and how the camera works can be very different between the two versions, usually in favor of the Snapdragon.
Samsung’s own Exynos chips aren’t in the new Galaxy Z foldable, which is good news because it means the phones will work the same no matter where in the world you buy them.
The Flip 4 is smaller and easier to carry around than the Fold 4, but it doesn’t skimp on performance. Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chip is in charge.
That’s the same chipset you’ll find in the newest top-of-the-line Android phones, like the Zenfone 9 from Asus and the ROG Phone 6 from the same company.
In this case, 8GB of RAM is paired with the Snapdragon. That’s a lot by itself, but when compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s 12GB, it looks a little less impressive.
Like the Flip 3, this new model starts with 128GB of fast UFS 3.1 storage that can’t be expanded. But Samsung has made more storage space available with a new 512GB model that wasn’t available before.
Since the Flip 3 already did a good job, the Z Flip 4 should be good enough to meet the needs of most users in the future. When you add in Samsung’s industry-leading promise of four years of Android OS updates and five years of security updates, the Z Flip 4 is a better long-term smartphone buy than a lot of rival flagships.
- Performance score: 4.5/5
SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FLIP 4 BATTERY LIFE
- Battery with 3,700mAh (up from 3,300mAh on Flip 3)
- 25W through wires, 15W wirelessly, and 4.5W backwards wirelessly.
- It’s possible to get a day’s worth of battery life, but no more
Even though the Z Flip 4 is smaller all around and has a smaller hinge than its direct predecessor, the Z Flip 4 weighs a few grams more (187g vs. 183g), but this is for a good reason.
One of the worst things about the old Flip was that it didn’t last very long, which wasn’t too surprising since it only had a 3,300 mAh battery. In real life, users who wanted to make the most of the phone’s great hardware couldn’t use it for a day. Samsung fixed the problem by putting a bigger 3,700mAh battery in the Z Flip 4.
Even though it’s only a 12% increase in capacity, it’s enough to make Flip 4 last all day. This is made easier by the adaptive display, the intelligent power management that changes based on how the phone is used, and the new battery performance profile menu that lets you choose between “light” and “standard.”
The Flip 4 also charges faster than its predecessor. It can charge at a maximum of 25W with a wire and 15W wirelessly. It can also charge backward at 4.5W, which Samsung calls “wireless power sharing.” It’s great that they’re getting better every year, but compared to the industry standard, it only moves the needle from “lacking” to “okay.”
If the slim box doesn’t give it away right away, there’s no power adapter included, which hasn’t been the case for a long time with Samsung’s flagship phones.
In tests, it took about 1.25 hours for a generic 27W PD charger to charge the Flip 4’s small battery back to full. But our past experience with Samsung’s official power adapters showed that, even though they have low wattage, they are somehow set up to charge Samsung phones faster than adapters made by other companies.
If you want to buy Samsung’s native 25W power adapter to go with your Flip 4, you’ll have to pay an extra $19.99, £17, or AU$ 29.
- Battery score: 3/5
SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FLIP 4 CAMERAS
- 12MP main camera and ultrawide camera on the back
- 10MP selfie camera with a hole
- Brighter main sensor and new features for the FlexCam
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 has three cameras. At first glance, they look a lot like the ones on the Z Flip 3.
The foldable screen has a 10MP (f/2.4) punch-hole camera in the middle, and the two sensors on the back, next to the cover screen, are a 12MP (f/1.8) main sensor and a 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide sensor.
Even though the apertures stay the same from one generation to the next, the main 12MP sensor on the Flip 4 is a little bit wider and promises brighter stills and videos (by up to 65%) because the pixels are bigger (1.8m instead of 1.4m). The rest of the hardware seems to be the same as it was on Flip 3.
Both optical image stabilization (OIS) and video digital image stabilization (VDIS) have been made better. The new FlexCam mode makes VDIS especially useful. This will make the UI look right when the phone is held like a camcorder from the 1990s with the hinge bent to a 90-degree angle.
The way the cover is shown has also changed. You can switch between aspect ratios, take quick photos (including portrait photos), and start shooting video on the cover display while unfolding and switching to the main display without stopping recording.
Using the main and ultrawide sensors together with the Cover Display makes it easy to start shooting right away without opening the phone. This makes it more likely that you’ll take more selfies and makes shooting feel more fun and spontaneous.
There are a few special modes for more creative results, such as Single Take, which makes a collage of videos and stills from a single shutter press, panorama, food, slow motion, and time lapse-style video capture modes, and Director’s View, which lets you shoot video with multiple sensors and switch between them as needed while recording.
Manual control is also available for both photos and videos, and the Flip can be folded in half to make its own stand. This is the main benefit of FlexCam because it makes it easier to take photos and videos without using your hands.
Camera samples
In terms of quality, the Flip 4 is what you might call a “joyful” camera. It takes pictures with bright colors, good contrast, and great fine detail. They are also easy to share.
If you haven’t used a Samsung camera before, you can expect punchy photos with a lot of post-processing (including noticeable sharpening and contrast boosting), and the Flip 4 is no different.
Most of the time, all of the cameras on the phone can take great photos. However, there was a problem with exposure and color balance when switching to the ultrawide, which caused the occasional shot to be overexposed or too cool for the scene. Such a problem is easy to fix with a software update, and you can take care of it in the meantime with a quick tap on the viewfinder when it happens.
As promised, the camera does pretty well in low light, taking some really nice shots in Night mode that are full of detail and have colors that are surprisingly true, given the conditions.
Side-by-side tests with the iPhone 13 Mini, which is also a compact camera, show that Apple’s pocket rocket has a better dynamic range. However, as long as you’re happy with Samsung’s signature image processing, the Flip 4 will give you great color, contrast, and sharpness.
Even though the selfie camera is a 10MP sensor that works well most of the time (even in low light), the fact that you can easily take selfies with both of the phone’s more powerful 12MP rear-facing sensors gives you a lot more chances to take great selfies in a wider range of situations.
The new, better VDIS also captures video that is smooth and stable and looks and feels bright and bold, just like the stills.
Cameras score: 4/5
Two Minute Review
Samsung didn’t come up with a new way to make its clamshell foldable, but the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 does everything the company needs to do to keep its foldable crown.
We got everything we wanted from Samsung’s Unpacked event in the middle of the year. We got the new Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, the Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Watch 5 Pro smartwatches, and the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 foldable phones.
At first glance, both of the new foldable phones look like their predecessors. For example, the Z Flip 4 has a familiar two-tone clamshell design, two cameras on the back, and a display on the outside cover. So, what’s up?
Techinblog Verdict
Samsung has fixed some of the Z Flip 3’s biggest problems with its successor, which will come out in 2022. This is mostly because the 2022 model has a bigger battery that fits into a smaller body, but there’s still a lot of room for improvement. Price to performance is still the best on the market, especially since this is still one of the only foldables that can handle water.
Pros
- Charges faster and has a bigger battery.
- Great software support for the long term
- Impressively compact design Excellent performance
Cons
- Inconsistencies in the camera on occasion
- Minor improvements from year to year
- The battery life is disappointing.
- Still quite expensive
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