Samsung’s next low-cost foldable device has our expectations up.
After the Galaxy Z Flip 3 debuted in the summer of 2013, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 has a lot to live up to. Samsung improved its clamshell-style foldable phone and introduced a far more acceptable $999 starting price with that variant.
However, there’s always potential for improvement, particularly in the newly growing category of foldable phones. p> Samsung has lots of room to improve the Galaxy Z Flip 3 when it releases a new model later this year. Compared to its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 might be a game-changer.
If the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is to become one of the greatest foldable phones on the market, we’ve compiled what we’ve heard and what we’d want to see from it.
Expected cost and availability information for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
We can only speculate based on Samsung’s previous Unpacked events, but we believe the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will be unveiled in August. If you think about it, this is Samsung’s midyear product launch, and they presumably want to give themselves a little of time before Apple’s iPhone 14 comes out.
We don’t see Samsung changing the pricing of the Galaxy Z Flip 4 any time soon. Moreover, the Galaxy Z Flip 3’s $999 beginning price was one of its most distinguishing features. A reasonable pricing point is essential if Samsung wants more people to experiment with foldable devices. A tweet from Ross Young, a well-known leaker, suggests that the price might fall much further.
Rumored features of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4
Galaxy Z Flip 4 rumours are few, but one suggests that Samsung may stick with the Galaxy Z Flip 3’s internal and exterior screens of 6.7 inches and 1.9 inches, respectively. As far as I can tell, the Flip 3 has a great design, and the external display is quite handy. Ross Young, on the other hand, predicts that the Galaxy Z Flip 4 will have a bigger cover display, maybe even reaching two inches. Since then, Young has suggested that the Z Flip might come in four colours: gold, grey, light blue, and light violet, all of which would help differentiate it from other smartphones already on the market.
A variant of the Galaxy Z Flip 4 with an under-display camera is also said to be in the works. Hope this isn’t it, considering how bad it was with the Galaxy Z Fold 3. According to the leak’s source, Samsung is considering redesigning the hinge of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 to reduce the overall weight of the device. The Oppo Find N’s gapless design is exactly what we’re looking for.
It’s possible that the Galaxy Z Flip 4 will feature the same 3,300 mAh battery as the Flip 3, which is a bummer. But according to current reports, Samsung is really intending to boost the capacity by 100 mAh. That would be a real shame if Samsung doesn’t come up with a solution, given the Flip’s battery life is now one of its main flaws.
Instead of the existing standard 8 Gen 1 CPU used in phones like the Galaxy S22 series, Samsung might use the speculated Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus chip to operate the phone. That would offer it a significant performance improvement over the previous year’s model, as well as the numerous new smartphones that have been released this year..
A fingerprint sensor positioned on the power button may be another resemblance to the previous generation. Samsung has been working on an under-display fingerprint sensor for its foldables, but it has determined that the Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4 are better off without it for the time being.
Depending on when it makes its debut, the phone might have a different name. The Galaxy Flip 3 is currently being marketed in various European nations as a reaction to Russian authorities using the letter Z to advocate the invasion of Ukraine. For the upcoming Galaxy Flip 4, Samsung may have decided to eliminate the Z altogether and instead name it the Galaxy Flip 4.
What we’d want to see from the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
As an upgrade to the Galaxy Z Flip, Samsung delivered a solid product with the Galaxy Z Flip 3. However, it was far from flawless. When Samsung unveils the Galaxy Z Flip 4, we expect it to solve some of these pressing concerns.
Battery life is improved.
The battery life of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 was appalling. In the Tom’s Guide battery life test, it didn’t even last 6 hours in the adaptive refresh rate setting. That’s a bad sign. Because of its 120Hz internal displays and larger cover display, we believe this was the primary factor. If you choose the Galaxy Z Flip 3, as we suggested in our review, be sure to have a charger close at hand.
We’d want to see the Galaxy Z Flip 4’s battery life improve. A simple task, but one that might be difficult to do if Samsung doesn’t increase the battery capacity. This isn’t going to be a game changer on its own with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1.
Improved resistance
We’ve seen complaints that Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 3 devices are cracking after just a few months of ownership, despite the fact that the company improved the durability of its last wave of foldables. It’s alarming to hear of phones failing to last a year, even if we can’t corroborate these tales with our own experience. One more area in which foldables need improvement.
It would be fantastic if the Galaxy Z Flip 4’s durability and lifespan continued to improve. A year or even a few months after spending $999 on a phone, no one wants it to fail or become unusable.
A hinge with no gaps is needed for.
Although Samsung may have been the first to introduce a foldable phone, Oppo has surpassed the Korean manufacturer in one crucial area: hinge design. The Oppo Find N boasts a totally gapless hinge. Because there is no space between the displays at the hinge, this should assist to protect the internal screens from dust and other debris that may otherwise get into the panels.
Our ideal design for the Galaxy Z Flip 4 (and the foldable version) would be a hinge with no gaps. Let Oppo’s strategy guide you, Samsung.
Improved battery life
The Galaxy Z Flip 3’s 15W wired charging is woefully sluggish compared to the rest of the industry, much alone $1,000 phones. Flip 3’s battery life was so awful that we wanted it to charge significantly quicker than the OnePlus 9 Pro, which can charge at 65W.
With a 25W rating similar to the Galaxy S22, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 should have plenty of juice. With a cable charging capacity of 45 watts, the Galaxy S22 Ultra and S22 Plus,
a long-distance optic
As a cost-cutting measure, Samsung may have elected not to instal an optical telephoto lens in the Galaxy Z Flip 3. There was a primary camera and a wide-angle camera on this phone. The loss of a 3x telephoto lens on the Flip 3 is obvious when compared to the $999 Galaxy S22 Plus.
Even if it just has a 2x or 2.5x zoom, a telephoto lens for the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is something we’d want to see. Samsung may have to make some compromises in order to make the switch to a foldable, but the loss of camera functionality seems like a more difficult one to explain.