What Samsung may (and should) do with its next foldable smartphone
If the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is any indication, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 will have a difficult time following in its footsteps. However, the foldable phone formula has not yet been mastered, so there is still opportunity for development.
Rumors about the Z Fold 4 are beginning to spread, but there is still a lot we don’t know about the device. Following are all of the leaks and speculations that have surfaced so far, as well as our opinions on how the Samsung Z Fold 4 can keep its title for greatest foldable phone for the foreseeable future.
See what the Galaxy Z Fold 4 may look like (and what we hope it looks like) in the gallery below.
Release date for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
When it comes to the likely introduction of the new Z Fold 4, both leaks and our expert assumptions are on the same page. After releasing in August, this year’s Galaxy Z Fold 3 is the third generation to emerge in late summer/early autumn, following on the heels of previous year’s Galaxy Z Fold 2. As a result, we may anticipate the Z Fold 4 to be released by the end of August or the beginning of September.
It’s reasonable to assume that Samsung would want to avoid a hypothetical iPhone 14 release date in mid-September.
The next Fold may have a new name when it debuts. Samsung is now marketing the latest model as the Galaxy Fold 3 in several European nations, maybe in reaction to Russian authorities’ use of the letter Z as a sign supporting their invasion of Ukraine. Samsung might be planning to delete the “Z” from the Galaxy Z Fold 4 moniker as a result of this, according to rumours.
Pricing for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
According to Korean leaker yeux1122 on Korean site Naver and Ross Young, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will be less expensive than the Z Fold 3, which is a good thing considering that the Z Fold 3 costs $1,799.
We may see a $400 decline in the price of the Z Fold 4 over the next two years if the Galaxy Z Fold 2 costs $1,999 when it launches in 2020. However, as the gap narrows, more and more phone customers are likely to choose a foldable over a phablet-style phone.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: Design
For the Z Fold 4, we anticipate Samsung to keep to the Z Fold 3’s fundamental concept. However, a leaker has already tipped off to a few adjustments.
Reworking the hinge and strengthening the phone’s waterproofing and dustproofing are among the ideas being considered by Samsung, according to a post on the Korean blogging site Naver. We’d want a phone that’s less prone to water and dust harm.
Additionally, Twitter user @TheGalox claims that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will only have a single central hinge, as opposed to the dual-hinge design of the Galaxy Z Fold 3. The Z Fold 4 might be made smaller and lighter while also being more robust as a result.
Instead of the Z Fold 3’s 5:4 aspect ratio, leaker Ice Universe claims that the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s internal display will be more square. Consequently, the panel may be both smaller and larger.
If true, a rumour suggests that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 will not have a slot for the S Pen. Ice Universe, a leak site, has confirmed that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will not have a built-in S Pen. The good news is that he claims the design will be a bit smaller and a little thinner.
Another report indicates that the front display of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 may change, with Samsung experimenting with its aspect ratio in the Z Fold 4 prototypes. According to Chunv8888, a Twitter user who claims to be an insider for Samsung, the company is considering a variety of potential designs for the next Z Fold 3.
In terms of the internal display, leaker yeux1122 speculates that Samsung may replace the existing Ultra-Thin Glass (UTG) with a more advanced material. The new material is said to be more durable and better quality, making it easier to use with a S Pen stylus.
Of course, if Samsung decides to abandon the existing book-style fold structure, there are alternative options. There are three designs for portable foldable gadgets on display at Samsung Display at CES 2022. S-folding technology is used by two of them in order to increase the screen’s width from two to three panels instead of two. The s-fold design for the Z Fold 4 seems to be within Samsung’s grasp, even if it’s only a notion for future Z Fold phones.
According to a report in a Korean media outlet, According to Elec, Samsung may be developing a Galaxy Z Fold 4 with an integrated S Pen. Since the Galaxy S22 Ultra has one, this would make a lot of sense (like the Galaxy Notes of old). As a result, the stylus would be able to fit into a silo on the Fold 4. Since the Galaxy Z Fold 3 has a storage problem for the attachment, this would make travelling with the S Pen a snap.
The fingerprint-sensing power button seems to remain a constant in the design. To maintain the Z Fold 3’s button-mounted fingerprint sensor, Samsung reportedly opted against using an under-display fingerprint module for the Z Fold 4. However, the button-mounted sensor is currently a dependable choice, so this may be a better option in the long term.
Cameras on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
This might be the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s camera configuration, according to a rumour. The Galaxy Z Fold 3’s telephoto lens now has a 3x optical zoom, up from the previous model’s 2x.
Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus feature 50MP main and 12MP ultra-wide cameras; however, a fresh rumour from leaker Dohyun Kim says that the next model will really acquire the S22 Ultra’s 108MP main camera. We’ll have to wait and see if this is true.
“Galaxy Z Fold4 108MP Camera” is all that’s said in his tweet, but that would be huge news and give the foldable an enormous edge over its competitors.
Compared to previous Samsung phones, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 offered the company’s first under-display camera on the primary screen. Another under-display camera is said to be added to the cover display of the Z Fold 4 by a Korean source.
Having said that, the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s under-display camera was one of its weakest qualities, so adding a second one isn’t ideal until Samsung improves the existing one. In fact, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is expected to get a suite of under-screen camera enhancements.
Power: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
It’s sad that the sole rumour concerning the Z Fold 4’s power source is bad news. According to this, Samsung will maintain the battery size of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 around the same.
Despite having a battery that is the same size or even less than comparable phones, foldable phones have a much larger screen to power. In order to make the Z Fold 3 survive a whole day without recharging, Samsung will need to improve other aspects of the phone’s design, like as the battery capacity.
In our ideal world, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold would be…
To quench your need for more information about the Z Fold 4, we’ve compiled a short wish list.
The “Galaxy Flex Note” is based on a Samsung patent and was created by Technizo Design and LetsGoDigital. Samsung could do much worse than replicate this tempting concept. The Z Fold series would be the successor to the Galaxy Note series, which saw a possible end this year with the cancellation of the Galaxy Note 21. We appreciate how this design employs a single display and offers space for a S Pen pen.
The Z Fold 4 may include some of the features we’ve seen on current Samsung phones, as well as more anticipated for future models. Even while the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 has a different form of personalisation than the Z Flip 3 Bespoke Edition since one side is still all screen, the two devices may easily coexist.
The Snapdragon 898/895 and Samsung’s latest LPDDR5X RAM, both of which have been speculated, might make an appearance in the Galaxy Z Fold 4. If they are going to be in phones this year, we’ll presumably see them first on the Samsung Galaxy S22.
To conclude, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 should include the following features.
a much more effective cameras
Even though the Galaxy Z Fold 3 costs so much, it contains the same set of cameras as the Galaxy Z Fold 2 from last year, but with the internal selfie camera exchanged for an under display camera.
The Z Fold 4’s cameras may be much improved if Samsung made this a standard feature. In contrast to the Galaxy S phones, Samsung foldables will not have a strong emphasis on photography, but the inclusion of higher-resolution sensors would be appreciated nevertheless. In addition, a stronger Space Zoom would be welcome.
On-board storage for the S Pen is needed.
There’s a good chance the next-generation Z Fold 4 will have the S Pen stylus, which was first introduced in the Z Fold 3. To avoid having to carry around a S Pen separately or in a specially designed case, Samsung hopes to include the pen into its new Galaxy Z Fold 4 design, like the idea seen above.
For the Galaxy Z Fold 4, a S Pen slot is a logical progression from the speculated S22 Ultra.
Yet another decrease in the selling price
Foldable smartphones should be priced like standard flagship phones if Samsung is serious about making foldables widespread, as shown by its own Galaxy Z Flip 3. This was stated in the yeux1122 report, although it has little immediate significance. Between now and the phone’s official launch, a lot may happen.
Display wrinkles that are more effectively concealed
One disadvantage of watching material on a foldable display is that the creases in the screen might sometimes detract from the viewing experience. For us, it would be ideal for the crease to fade into the background, but not completely vanish.
A leaner body type
When the phone is folded in half, it will be difficult to achieve a very tiny form factor. However, the Z Fold 3’s most common criticism is that it’s excessively heavy and cumbersome to take about. The Z Fold 4 may need a few more tenths of an inch of reduction in overall size.
a longer lasting battery
Due to the Z Fold 3’s dual screens, including one that is the size of a small tablet, it has a disadvantage from the get-go. Our tests showed a battery life of less than eight hours, and we’d want to see that number rise to closer to ten hours by making use of a bigger battery and other efficiency improvements.