With Samsung’s upcoming low-cost foldable device, we have high hopes for the company.
After the release of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 this past summer, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 will have a lot to live up to. Samsung improved its clamshell-style foldable phone with that model, making improvements across the board and introducing a far more acceptable starting price of $999.
The foldable phone category, which is still a relatively new one, offers a lot of potential for future growth. Samsung has a lot of room to improve the Galaxy Z Flip 3 when it launches a new version later this year. The Galaxy Z Flip 4 could, like its predecessor, be a game changer in terms of both battery life and durability.
If the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is to become one of the greatest foldable phones on the market, we’ve gathered what we’ve heard and what we’d like to see from it.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: design
Samsung is expected to have an Unpacked event for the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4 in August, based on historical experience. It is possible that Samsung is trying to give itself some time before Apple’s iPhone 14 launches in September by launching the Galaxy Z phones in the middle of the year.
For the pricing of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4, we can’t see it changing from what it now charges. After all, the Galaxy Z Flip 3’s lower starting price of $999 was one of its distinguishing features. A reasonable pricing point is essential if Samsung wants more people to experiment with foldable devices. According to a tweet by Ross Young, a well-known leaker, the price could fall even further.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Rumored specs
For the most part, the Z Flip 3 was a minor adjustment to the design of the original Galaxy Z Flip, and from what we’ve seen and heard, the new Z Flip 4 could be a slightly different version of that design.
This is beautifully illustrated in a fresh set of renders. Only a few minor tweaks to the Z Flip 4’s exterior display size and total proportions will be noticeable enough to distinguish it from its predecessors. This is a good thing, because we’d be annoyed if Samsung didn’t do more to improve the phone’s aesthetics.
The only rumour we have is that there will be four different colour options. Gold, silver, light blue, and light violet appear to be the colours of choice.
The rumoured specifications for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
The Galaxy Z Flip 4 is still a mystery, but a report suggests that Samsung may stick with the same internal and external displays of the Galaxy Z Flip 3: 6.7-inch and 1.9-inch, respectively. That makes sense, as the Flip 3’s design is excellent and the external display is very helpful.. But according to Ross Young, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4 could have a larger cover display, with a minimum of a two-inch screen size.
There have also been speculations that Samsung has tested a Galaxy Z Flip 4 with an under-display camera, although this hasn’t been confirmed yet either. We can only hope that this isn’t the final one, given the terrible one on 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. We only want to see a design like that of the Oppo Find N, which has no gaps.
There have been some claims that the Galaxy Z Flip 4 will use the same 3,300 mAh battery as its predecessor, the Flip 3. According to a fresh rumour, Samsung intends to boost the total battery capacity by 400 mAh. That’s an improvement, but considering the Z Flip’s poor battery life, Samsung needs to do more to make the phone more efficient.
Samsung could use the speculated Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus chip instead of the normal 8 Gen 1 found in phones like the Galaxy S22 series to run the phone. If the leaked benchmarks are to be believed, it will provide a noticeable performance gain over the model from last year and the majority of smartphones released so far this year.
Another possible resemblance to the previous generation is a fingerprint sensor that is located on the power button. For the time being, Samsung has determined the Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4 are better off without an under-display fingerprint sensor.
It’s possible that a different name will be given to the device by the end of the year. Galaxy Flip 3 has been renamed in several European nations as a response to Russian officials adopting the letter Z in favour of the Ukraine invasion, according to reports. It’s probable that Samsung will no longer use the Z suffix when referring to the Galaxy Flip 4 in the future.
What we’d like to see in the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4:
Galaxy Z Flip 3 was a significant advance over the original model. Even yet, it wasn’t quite there yet. With the debut of the Galaxy Z Flip 4, we believe Samsung should fix some of these shortcomings.
Better battery life
Sadly, there was no way to extend the battery life of the Galaxy Z Flip 3. In Tom’s Guide’s battery life test, the adaptive refresh rate setting didn’t even last six hours. That’s not a good sign, to be honest. Because of its 120Hz internal displays and larger cover display, we believe that this was a contributing factor. If you purchased the Galaxy Z Flip 3, we advised that you have a charger nearby.
We’d want to see the battery life of the Galaxy Z Flip 4 improve. Samsung may not be able to meet this simple need unless they increase the size of their power packs. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1’s improvements in power efficiency are unlikely to make a significant difference on their own.
Improved durability
There have been instances of Galaxy Z Flip 3 handsets breaking within a few months of purchase, despite Samsung making significant improvements to the durability of its last series of foldables. In spite of the lack of personal experience, it’s alarming to hear about phones failing to last more than a year. The foldables industry still has a long way to go in this regard as well.
It would be fantastic if the Galaxy Z Flip 4’s durability and longevity continued to improve. A year or even a few months after spending $999 on a phone, no one wants it to break or become unusable.
Gapless hinge
A significant area in which Oppo beat Samsung in the foldable phone market is the hinge design, which the Korean company pioneered. The hinge of the Oppo Find N is completely gapless. Because there is no space between the displays at the hinge, this should help to protect the internal screens from dust and other debris that could otherwise get into the display.
Gapless hinge design would be ideal for the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4. Take a cue from Oppo’s strategy, Samsung.
Faster charging
Wired charging on the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is woefully slow compared to the industry and even more so for phones that cost more than $1,000. We expected the Flip 3 to charge more quickly, given the device’s poor battery life and the availability of phones that can charge at 65W.
At the very least, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 should have a battery capacity of at least 25W, which is the same as the Galaxy S22. With a cable charging capacity of 45 watts, the Galaxy S22 Ultra and S22 Plus,
A telephoto lens
As a cost-cutting measure, Samsung may have elected not to integrate an optical telephoto lens in the Galaxy Z Flip 3. There was a main camera and a wide-angle camera on this phone. As compared to the $999 Samsung Galaxy S22 Plus, which has a 3x telephoto lens, we think the Flip 3’s lack of one is obvious.
Even if it only 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 a hard time justifying the loss of camera capability while making the switch to a foldable phone.