With regards to Samsung’s next-generation foldable phone, what they could and should be doing
It will be a tall order for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 to follow in the footsteps of the stunning Galaxy Z Fold 3. However, the foldable phone formula has not yet been mastered, so there is still opportunity for development.
Rumors about the Z Fold 4 are starting 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.
Take a peek at the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s alleged specs (and our wish list) below.
Galaxy Z Fold 4: When Will It Be Available on the Market?
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 was followed by last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 2, which launched in September of the previous year. As a result, we may anticipate the Z Fold 4 to be released by the end of August or the beginning of September.
To avoid a probable mid-September debut date for the iPhone 14, we believe Samsung would want to avoid it.
The next Fold may be referred to as something else when it debuts. As a possible protest to Russia’s adoption of Z as a sign of support for their invasion of Ukraine, Samsung has renamed its Galaxy Fold 2 to the Galaxy Fold 3. That has spurred rumours that Samsung may remove the Z from the Galaxy Z Fold 4 name.
Pricing for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
In light of the Z Fold 3’s $1,799 price tag, a rumour from Korean leaker yeux1122 on Korean site Naver and another from Ross Young claims that the phone will be less expensive.
In 2020, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 was priced at $1,999, which may indicate that the Z Fold 4 will be priced at $1,599 in two years. Foldable phones are still prohibitively costly, but as the gap narrows, more people may consider them.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: Design
For the Z Fold 4, we expect Samsung to stick to the Z Fold 3’s basic formula. However, one leaker has already hinted at a few changes.
They say in a post on Korean blogging site Naver that Samsung is researching methods to lower the phone’s weight by revising its hinge, and increasing the waterproofing and dustproofing. We’d like a phone that’s less prone to water and dust damage.
According to Anthony, known as @TheGalox on Twitter, a single hinge will be used in the centre of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 instead of the two that were used in the Galaxy Z Fold 3. This would allow for a lighter and thinner Z Fold 4, while also making it more durable.
According to leaker Ice Universe, the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s internal display will have a new aspect ratio that’s more square, as opposed to 5:4 for the Z Fold 3. Consequently, the panel can be both smaller and larger.
If true, a rumour claims that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 will not include a slot for the S Pen. Ice Universe, a leak site, has confirmed that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will not include an integrated S Pen. The good news is that he does state the design will be smaller and slimmer.
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.
According to leaker yeux1122, Samsung may be replacing the present Ultra-Thin Glass (UTG) display panel with a more advanced one. 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 current book-style fold format, there are other options. Handheld foldables are among Samsung Display’s CES 2022 proposals, which include three designs. There are two s-fold designs, which generate three panels instead of two, and one “slidable,” which increases the width of the screen at will. It is possible that Samsung may only use these concepts for future Z Fold phones, but the s-fold design for the Z Fold 4 seems to be a feasible possibility.
Rumors from a Korean media outlet For the Galaxy Z Fold 4, the Elec says that Samsung is working on a built-in S Pen. In light of the fact that the Galaxy S22 Ultra also has one, this would make perfect sense (like the Galaxy Notes of old). As a result, the stylus would be able to fit into a silo on the Fold 4. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 has a storage problem for the S Pen, thus this would make S Pen usage on the move a breeze.
The fingerprint-sensing power button seems to remain a constant in the design. A button-mounted fingerprint sensor will be retained on the Z Fold 4, rather than the under-display module that was originally intended by Samsung for the device. However, the button-mounted sensor is currently a dependable choice, so this may be a better option in the long term.
Despite the fact that the phone’s colour possibilities aren’t as exciting as the new technical work that is going into the phone, they nevertheless have a significant role in how the phone is perceived. Z Fold 4 might come in beige, grey, or black, a trio of hues that aren’t very eye-catching for a phone that costs so much.
Cameras on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
This might be the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s camera configuration, according to a rumour. In other words, instead of the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s 2x optical zoom, you’ll get 3x on this device.
For now, we don’t know what kind of camera system the Z Fold 4 will have, but Dohyun Kim reports that it will feature the 108MP camera of the S22 Ultra, which is what the S22 and S22 Plus have.
“Galaxy Z Fold4 108MP Camera” is all that’s stated in his tweet, but that would be huge news and give the foldable an enormous advantage over its competitors.
Compared to previous Samsung phones, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 introduced the company’s first under-display camera on the main screen. According to a leak from Korea, the Z Fold 4 could improve on this by including a second camera beneath the display cover.
If Samsung doesn’t improve the under-display camera, the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s under-display camera could be an issue. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is expected to get a suite of under-screen camera improvements, and that’s exactly what’s been predicted for it.
the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: battery and performance.
It’s unfortunate that the only rumour about the Z Fold 4’s power source is bad news. According to the report, the battery on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will be about the same size as it is now.
One of the drawbacks of foldable phones is that they have a much larger screen to power, despite having a battery the same size, or even smaller, than comparable devices. In order to make the Z Fold 3 last a full day without recharging, Samsung will need to improve other aspects of the phone’s design, such as the battery capacity.
As for the next foldable’s processor, we may see it receive a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus according to leaker Ice Universe. Compared to the Galaxy S22 series, this would be a significant improvement in performance, as well as a small advantage.
What we’d like to see from the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold
This isn’t an exhaustive list of everything we’d want to see in Z Fold 4, but it’s a start.
With this “Galaxy Flex Note” design, created by Technizo Concept and LetsGoDigital, Samsung could do worse than imitating this patent-filed concept. The Z Fold series would be the natural successor to the Galaxy Note line, which may have come to an end with the cancellation of the Galaxy Note 21 earlier this year. We appreciate how this design has just one display and yet has place for the S Pen pen.
The Z Fold 4 might get some of the same or even more features that we’ve seen on previous Samsung phones and are expected to see in the future. While the Z Flip 3 Bespoke Edition from Samsung has a variety of colour options, the Z Fold 4 has a distinct level of customizability due to the fact that one side of the folded phone is still full screen.
A new Snapdragon 898/895 or Samsung’s latest LPDDR5X RAM, for example, might make an appearance on the Galaxy Z Fold 4. If they do make it to phones this year, they’ll most likely debut on the Samsung Galaxy S22.
For the Galaxy Z Fold 4, this is what we’d want to see.
Improved camera technology
This year’s Galaxy Z Fold 3 boasts a similar combination of cameras to last year’s model, with the exception of the internal selfie camera being replaced with one hidden behind the display.
The Z Fold 4’s cameras may be much improved if Samsung made this a standard feature. Samsung’s foldables won’t have the same emphasis on photography as its Galaxy S phones, but the inclusion of higher-resolution sensors would be a nice touch. It would also be wonderful to have a more strong Space Zoom option.
Storage for the S Pen should be added to the device.
Next-generation foldables from Samsung would make sense if the Z Fold 3’s S Pen stylus was incorporated into it. To avoid having to carry around a S Pen separately or in a specially designed case, Samsung hopes to incorporate the stylus into its new Galaxy Z Fold 4 design, as shown in this concept image.
According to rumours, the Galaxy S22 Ultra will have a S Pen slot, so the Galaxy Z Fold 4 should follow suit.
Drop in price once more.
The Galaxy Z Flip 3 is a good example of what Samsung needs to do if it wants to make foldables a mainstream product category. According to yeux1122, this was mentioned, but it doesn’t mean much right now. Between now and the phone’s official launch, a lot can change.
Display creases will be less noticeable.
One disadvantage of watching content on a foldable display is that the creases in the screen can occasionally detract from the viewing experience. However, while we don’t expect the crease to vanish, it would be nice if it could be softened a bit more.
Slimmer frame
It’s going to be difficult to make a foldable phone particularly thin due to the nature of folding the primary display in half. However, the most common criticism we hear from those who have used the Z Fold 3 is how heavy and cumbersome it is to transport. We’d like to see the Z Fold 4 lose a few more millimetres of its overall dimensions..
Battery life extension
The Z Fold 3 has to power two screens, one of which is the size of a small tablet, 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.