Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4

MSRP $999.99

“The Galaxy Z Flip 4 may not be a revolutionary year-over-year upgrade, but it stands tall as one of the best folding smartphones you can buy in 2022. It’s sleeker, faster, and more reliable than ever.”

Pros

• Flatter design seems to be and feels incredible
• Bespoke customization is unmatched
• Excellent most important show
• Blazing quick efficiency
• Good, enjoyable cameras

Cons

• Battery nonetheless solely lasts a day
• Limited cowl display screen performance

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is without doubt one of the finest folding smartphones you should buy in 2022. Simultaneously, it’s additionally one of the boring in comparison with its predecessor. It’s an interesting place for the foldable area of interest to already be. Over the span of solely three years, foldables have gone from a breakthrough area of interest to “just another” smartphone possibility you should buy. Samsung, particularly, has already gotten so good on the folding system that it doesn’t should reinvent the wheel yearly. It simply has to maintain doing what labored the 12 months earlier than.

This 12 months’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 completely embody this. But the place our Galaxy Z Fold 4 evaluate discovered some pretty important modifications, that sense of repetition is particularly prevalent with the Flip. Compared to the Flip 3, there’s not a lot new with the Flip 4. It has a barely tweaked design, a digicam that’s a bit higher, a more moderen chipset, and a slightly bigger battery. It all makes the cellphone sound fairly boring on paper. However, after utilizing the Galaxy Z Flip 4 as my every day driver for the previous few days, “dull” is the final phrase I’d use to explain it.

Is the Galaxy Z Flip 4 a considerable enchancment over the Flip 3? No. But is it top-of-the-line foldable telephones you should buy right this moment? Absolutely.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: design

If you’ve seen the Galaxy Z Flip 3 earlier than, you’ll be proper at residence with the Galaxy Z Flip 4. If you haven’t seen a Flip 3, the Flip 4 is basically a reimagining of the flip cellphone for the trendy period. When it’s open, the Flip 4 seems to be like another smartphone — touting a big show, centered hole-punch digicam cutout, and slim bezels. But the magic occurs if you shut the Flip 4. Snap the cellphone shut, and its hinge mechanism turns it right into a compact sq. you possibly can slide into the tightest of pockets and the smallest of luggage.

Samsung made a handful of design enhancements this 12 months, beginning with the Flip 4’s aesthetics. The rear glass panels have a frostier, matte end in comparison with the Flip 3, the body is flatter, and the hinge holding the cellphone collectively is barely smaller than earlier than. On paper, these modifications sound like peanuts. But in follow, they take the Flip 3’s already wonderful design and make it even higher. The matte glass panels really feel luxurious whereas hiding fingerprints, the flat body provides the Z Flip 4 an much more distinctive look, and the brand new hinge — as marginal as it’s — does give the Flip 4 a smaller total footprint.

Speaking of the hinge, it feels each bit as sturdy and dependable because it did on the Flip 3. Like that cellphone, Samsung says the Z Flip 4 ought to survive over 200,000 folds throughout its lifetime — equating to about 100 folds per day all through 5 years of use. While I can’t but communicate to how the hinge will really feel after a 12 months or two of fixed utilization, it’s been a champ throughout my time with the cellphone.

It opens and closes easily, although with sufficient resistance that it doesn’t really feel flimsy. The hinge can also be sturdy sufficient to be propped up at virtually any angle, permitting you to take a seat the Z Flip 4 on a desk with the display screen up and going through at you — excellent for hands-free film watching, video calls, and so on.

As for the remainder of the cellphone’s sturdiness, the glass panels and canopy display screen are coated with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, the body is Samsung’s personal Armor Aluminum concoction, and the complete system is protected by an IPX8 water-resistance score (sufficient to submerge it in as much as 1.5 meters of freshwater for as much as half-hour). There’s nonetheless no mud resistance, however for a folding cellphone, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is about as sturdy because it will get.

After two weeks of normal use as my go-to handset, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 has held up simply in addition to any of my non-folding telephones. From the glass panels, cowl display screen, and most important show, all the things seems to be in tip-top form. And that’s with out babying the cellphone in any respect. I’ve tossed it on espresso store tables, used it whereas out in a light-weight drizzle, and (ceaselessly) whipped it open with a flick of the wrist. Just like its predecessor, the Z Flip 4 isn’t a cellphone it’s important to child.

As a lot as I respect the Flip 4’s sturdiness, my favourite design trick is its emphasis on type. By default, Samsung’s web site and third-party retailers carry the cellphone in 4 hues: Bora Purple, Blue, Pink Gold, and Graphite. Bora Purple is the colour Samsung despatched me, and I feel it’s my favourite of the bunch. It’s a muted lavender coloration that’s distinctive with out being obnoxious, and it contrasts fantastically with the black cowl display screen. Plus, it seems to be phenomenal subsequent to the Bora Purple Galaxy Buds 2 Pro.

But if none of these colours catch your eye, Samsung’s web site additionally enables you to design the Flip 4 utilizing its Bespoke Studio. Here, Samsung enables you to decide and select the precise colours you need for the Flip 4’s entrance panel, again panel, and body – leading to over 70 potential mixtures. It’s in contrast to the rest obtainable right this moment within the smartphone world and is arguably one of many Flip 4’s finest options.

Furthermore, there’s the enjoyable issue that naturally comes with a tool just like the Galaxy Z Flip 4. It’s not one thing I can measure with benchmarks or technical evaluation, however I can confidently say that that is a few of the most enjoyable I’ve had with a cellphone all 12 months.

From snapping it shut after utilizing an app, propping it up on the counter to look at a YouTube video whereas I cook dinner dinner, or taking a cellphone name with the cellphone barely bent to resemble the handsets of yesteryear, there are such a lot of distinctive qualities in regards to the Flip 4 that merely can’t be replicated on a non-folding counterpart. That might not imply something to some individuals, however to me, it’s made utilizing the Z Flip 4 an expertise I sit up for each time I take it out of my pocket.

Galaxy Z Flip 4: screens

We have two screens on the Galaxy Z Flip 4 to guage, however we’ll begin with the one you’ll spend essentially the most time with. When opened, the Z Flip 4 treats you to a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel. It’s a display screen with a 2640 x 1080 decision, HDR10+ help, 1,200 nits of peak brightness, and a variable refresh charge that scales as much as 120Hz and all the best way right down to 1Hz.

In follow, the display screen on the Z Flip 4 seems to be excellent. Colors are lusciously vibrant, viewing angles are wonderful, and it will get very vivid if you want it. Samsung flagships are well-known for having a few of the finest smartphone screens in the marketplace, and even with the foldable type, the Z Flip 4 isn’t any totally different.

But what in regards to the crease? Every Z Flip handset has a noticeable crease in the midst of the display screen the place the hinge folds shut, and regardless of modifications to its hinge, the Z Flip 4 isn’t any totally different — regardless of what rumors advised. The crease remains to be there. You can clearly see it in sure lighting situations, and also you’ll really feel it when swiping your finger throughout it.

But after only a few hours of use, the crease turns into one thing you subconsciously ignore (similar to the notch on an iPhone). I nonetheless see it with direct daylight and really feel it when doom-scrolling Twitter, however it’s not one thing that ever will get in my approach of utilizing the Flip 4.

And we’ve got the quilt display screen. Despite rumors of Samsung enlarging the Flip 4’s cowl display screen, it’s the identical 1.9-inch Super AMOLED 512 x 260 decision display screen that we had on the Flip 3. And meaning the performance is generally the identical, too. You swipe proper to see notifications, swipe as much as entry playing cards in Samsung Wallet, swipe down to regulate a handful of fast settings, and swipe left to view quite a lot of widgets.

For checking notifications, sending fast replies to textual content messages, viewing upcoming calendar appointments, or enabling SmartThings scenes, the quilt display screen on the Flip 4 is nice. It additionally serves as a useful viewfinder, permitting you to take images/movies of your self with the primary and ultrawide cameras and see what’s in your shot. But I can’t assist however want there was extra I might do.

I’d love to have the ability to reply to Telegram or Microsoft Teams messages, present QR codes/boarding passes saved in Samsung Wallet, view conversations from my messaging apps, and so on. Trying to copy your private home display screen and your entire apps on a 1.9-inch canvas can be a nasty concept, and Samsung’s proper to not have accomplished that. But even with the restricted actual property, I feel there’s nonetheless room to develop right here. I really like utilizing the Flip 4’s cowl display screen for quick interactions, and I’d like to see it increase a bit greater than what’s at present obtainable.

Galaxy Z Flip 4: efficiency

The Galaxy Z Flip lineup has by no means had an issue relating to inside horsepower. The authentic Z Flip donned a Snapdragon 855+, the Z Flip 5G had an 865 5G+, and the Z Flip 3 shipped with a Snapdragon 888 — all top-of-the-line Qualcomm chips for his or her time. The Galaxy Z Flip 4 isn’t any totally different, coming with Qualcomm’s newest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1.

As we’ve seen from different telephones with the 8+ Gen 1, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 has the entire efficiency you may ask for. Apps open immediately, menus scroll flawlessly, and graphically demanding video games like Call of Duty: Mobile play with out a hitch. The Z Flip 4 can warmth up throughout extra demanding duties (similar to lengthy gaming periods or a number of hours of hotspot use), however it by no means will get to the purpose the place it’s uncomfortable to carry. For a foldable cellphone this slim, it’s fairly spectacular.

The solely potential irritant is the Z Flip 4’s obtainable RAM. Just like final 12 months (and the 12 months earlier than), the Galaxy Z Flip 4 has 8GB of RAM for all storage fashions. It’s sufficient to juggle a handful of apps at a time, however if you wish to be a multitasking champ with a dozen or extra apps open without delay, 8GB could also be a contact too limiting. And in the event you’re that involved about multitasking, you’re in all probability higher off with the cellphone/pill type issue supplied by the Galaxy Z Fold 4 anyway.

Galaxy Z Flip 4: cameras

Next, let’s discuss cameras. The Galaxy Z Flip 4 has a reasonably primary providing on this division — together with a 12MP major digicam, a 12MP ultrawide digicam, and a 10MP selfie digicam. Those are all the identical megapixel counts as what you’ll discover on the Flip 3, however Samsung says the first digicam on the Flip 4 is 65% brighter this era.

That’s all to say that the digicam expertise on the Z Flip 4 is a really minor enchancment over the Flip 3. It’s a strong digicam package deal and may serve most individuals simply high quality, however this additionally isn’t a digicam system that’ll be dethroning the Pixel 6 Pro or iPhone 13 Pro any time quickly.

In typical Samsung vogue, images straight out of the Galaxy Z Flip 4 are very saturated with massive, vibrant colours. They aren’t all the time essentially the most true-to-life, however they’re eye-catching and able to share on social media — no enhancing required. Sometimes this works within the Z Flip 4’s favor, turning what would in any other case be a boring shot into one thing that pops.

But it could additionally work in opposition to the cellphone. I’ve seen that, particularly with greens and yellows, the Z Flip 4 tends to oversaturate them to the purpose that they give the impression of being synthetic.

What about lowlight images? Thanks to the 65% brighter sensor, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 handles nighttime images fairly effectively. The images under had been all taken round 9:20 p.m. and effectively previous sundown. Even so, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 manages to brighten the scene so you possibly can clearly make out the inexperienced grass, night sky, and particulars within the street within the second photograph. The third photograph of the flowers is a bit smooth with the main points, however the colours look nice.

As for the ultrawide digicam, I’ve been largely proud of its efficiency. You lose a few of the finer element you’d in any other case get with the 12MP major sensor, however the 123-degree area of view is handy, and coloration replica is similar to the first shooter — saturated and stuffed with vibrancy. It’s not essentially the most dazzling ultrawide sensor I’ve ever used, however it’s constant, dependable, and a welcome addition to the Flip 4.

Finally, there’s the 10MP selfie digicam. It’s a wonderfully enough sensor and works effectively for selfies and video calls. But on the uncommon events I needed to snap a photograph of myself, I discovered I used to be ignoring the 10MP selfie digicam and as an alternative utilizing the 12MP major digicam. Thanks to the Flip 4’s folding design and canopy display screen, you possibly can simply take images and movies from the 12MP most important and ultrawide cameras and preview them instantly on the quilt display screen. And new this 12 months, you possibly can view the complete preview of the photograph in its precise facet ratio, not only a cropped-in model like on the Flip 3.

Side by facet, the distinction in high quality between the 10MP selfie digicam and the 12MP most important digicam is simple to see. Both images had been taken seconds aside from one another and in Portrait mode on the Flip 4. The photograph from the 10MP digicam is okay, however it additionally has an unpleasing haze all through and noticeably softer particulars on my face. By comparability, the selfie from the 12MP most important digicam has higher colours, element, and was simpler to seize whereas holding the Flip 4 closed.

And that’s simply scratching the floor of how the Galaxy Z Flip 4’s digicam system stands out from competing handsets. You may prop up the Flip 4 on a desk or different flat floor and simply seize hands-free images no iPhone or Pixel can come near mimicking. On trip along with your companion and need a cute photograph collectively? Just use open the Flip 4 and place it on one thing in entrance of you — no attempting to find a random stranger to be your photographer required.

It’s due to these distinctive use circumstances that I’m much less bothered by a few of the technical shortcomings of the Z Flip 4’s digicam. It’s not the easiest on the market, however it’s churns out handsome images, handles lowlight conditions effectively, and comes with distinctive capturing modes none of my different telephones have.

Galaxy Z Flip 4: battery life and charging

One of the weakest features of the Z Flip 3 — if not the weakest — was its battery life. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 was a one-day cellphone at its finest and infrequently required you to search for a charger earlier than the day was over. Hearing the battery complaints loud and clear, Samsung made a few key modifications with the Z Flip 4. In addition to the extra power-efficient Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, the Z Flip 4 additionally comes with a 3,700 mAh dual-cell battery, a 500 mAh improve over the three,300 mAh unit in its predecessor.

The excellent news? Battery life on the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is markedly higher than it was on the Flip 3. The dangerous information? It’s nonetheless solely ok for one full day of use. One of my higher days with the Flip 4 noticed me finish the day at 10:53 PM with 23% battery nonetheless left within the tank. That was following 14 hours of whole use time with 3 hours and 42 minutes of display screen on time — together with over an hour of YouTube, 30+ minutes of searching Twitter, 16 minutes of Reddit scrolling, a 10-minute Duolingo session, and so on. Another day noticed the cellphone attain 14 hours and 52 minutes of use time with 15% battery remaining. That was following 2 hours and 23 minutes of display screen time consisting of a 30+ minute Teams video name, half-hour of Twitter, calling and monitoring a Lyft trip, and frequent use of the Delta app whereas leaping on a few flights.

You can extra comfortably get by way of a full day on the Flip 4 than you ever might with the Flip 3, however a single day of use remains to be the place the cellphone tops out. If you want a cellphone to final a day and a half or two days per cost, you’ll wish to steer your consideration in direction of units just like the Asus ROG Phone 6 and Zenfone 9.

Also improved on the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is wired charging. Where final 12 months’s Flip 3 maxed out at 15W wired charging speeds, the Flip 4 cranks issues as much as 25W. It’s a far cry from telephones just like the OnePlus 10T delivering as much as 150W charging, however it’s a welcome enchancment nonetheless. 10 minutes of charging takes the Flip 4 from 5 – 23% battery, 25 minutes will get you from 5 – 47%, and going from 5% remaining to a full 100% battery takes about an hour and 16 minutes. And in the event you aren’t in a rush, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 additionally helps 10W wi-fi charging (plus 4.5W reverse wi-fi charging).

Galaxy Z Flip 4: software program

The Galaxy Z Flip 4 ships with Android 12 and Samsung’s One UI 4.1.1 interface layered on prime. It’s additionally backed by Samsung’s regular replace promise, that means you possibly can count on 4 main Android updates and 5 years of safety patches.

If you’ve used a contemporary Samsung cellphone inside the final couple of years, you’ll be proper at residence with the software program expertise on the Flip 4. Samsung’s One UI aesthetics aren’t my private favourite, however the interface is quick, fluid, and retains all the things feeling snappy. And as is the case with all Samsung telephones, there are ample options/settings to maintain you preoccupied. You can change the shortcuts that seem on the lock display screen, allow Edge panels for useful app shortcuts, use Link to Windows for seamless system syncing along with your PC, add customized shortcuts for the facility button, run apps in a windowed view in your display screen, and so on.

In addition to the standard array of Samsung options, there are additionally a number of tips unique to the Z Flip type issue — essentially the most notable being the “Flex mode panel.” If you allow Flex mode for an app and open that app with the Z Flip 4 propped upright, the app strikes to the highest portion of the display screen and leaves the underside half obtainable for varied controls. From the underside half of your display screen, you possibly can view the notification panel, take a screenshot, change the brightness/quantity, or use the underside a part of the display screen as a trackpad for navigating the app proven above.

Not each software codecs properly in Flex mode, however I do love that Samsung enables you to strive it with any app it’s important to see what works and what doesn’t. It’s not one thing I exploit on a regular basis, and the practicality of the function is usually questionable at finest, however I nonetheless like that it’s there. Plus, for sure functions like YouTube and the digicam app, they’ll mechanically shift UI components round when half-folding the Flip 4. The Fold 4 stays the go-to foldable for anybody attempting to take advantage of out of their system’s display screen actual property, however I do respect Samsung placing these instruments at your disposal so you possibly can actually do no matter you’d like with the Flip 4’s distinctive design.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: value and availability

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is the foldable you can purchase

I perceive why some individuals have dismissed the Galaxy Z Flip 4 as a “boring” cellphone this 12 months. It’s about as iterative as a yearly replace will get. Other than a barely tweaked design, an upgraded chip, bigger battery, and sooner charger, it’s successfully the identical Z Flip that Samsung launched final 12 months. But that’s exactly why the Z Flip 4 works so effectively.

Of the ‘fold’ and ‘flip’ foldable designs that the {industry} has seemingly settled on, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is the very best rattling model of the latter you should buy. The refreshed design seems to be and feels nearly as good as I might have hoped for, the hinge feels incredible, the processor has extra energy than you may ever want, and the show seems to be wonderful. I want Samsung might have prolonged battery life much more and actually taken the quilt display screen to the following degree, however even with out these issues, the Z Flip 4 remains to be a pleasure to make use of.

If you need a flagship with industry-leading cameras, multi-day battery life, or lightning-fast charging, there are many different choices so that you can select from. But in the event you’re OK sacrificing a few of these issues for a design in contrast to the rest, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is the very best in its class. It’s not essentially the most technically spectacular cellphone in each single class, however it’s trendy, lovable, and enjoyable in ways in which conventional slab smartphones won’t ever have the ability to match. And the areas the place the Flip 3 struggled — similar to battery life and charging — are noticeably higher on the Flip 4. Combine that distinctive method with precision execution in so many classes, and the Galaxy Z Flip 4 stands tall as certainly one of my favourite smartphones of the 12 months. No matter how boring it’s alleged to be.

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