This is what Samsung’s upcoming foldable phone may (and should) look like.
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 perfected, so there is still opportunity for improvement.
Despite the steady flood of reports, there is still a lot we don’t know about the Z Fold 4. All the leaks and rumours we’ve heard so far have been collated below and we’ve chimed in with our thoughts on what the Z Fold 4 has to improve on if Samsung wants to retain the greatest foldable phone crown with its next version.
You can see what’s been rumoured about (and what we desire) for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 by checking out the rumoured features below.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: Possible release date
When it comes to the likely introduction of the new Z Fold 4, both leaks and our educated assumptions are on the same page. Since the release of the Z Fold 3 in August and the release of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 in September, the last two generations of Galaxy Z Fold have been released in late summer or early fall. As a result, we expect the Z Fold 4 to arrive at the same time as the Z Fold 3 towards the end of August or beginning of September.
To avoid a probable mid-September debut date for the iPhone 14, we believe Samsung would prefer to avoid it.
There’s a chance the next Fold will go by a different name when it debuts. Samsung is now marketing the current model as the Galaxy Fold 3 in several European nations, maybe in response to Russian officials’ use of the letter Z as a sign supporting their invasion of Ukraine. Suggestions that Samsung may drop the Z from its Galaxy Fold 4 nomenclature have been spurred by this.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: Pricing
According to Korean leaker yeux1122 on Korean site Naver and Ross Young, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will be cheaper than the Z Fold 3, which would be excellent news given the Z Fold 3’s $1,799 price tag.
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. Foldable phones are still prohibitively expensive, but as the gap narrows, more people will be persuaded to buy them.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: Design
The Z Fold 4’s possible design is now the subject of some major leaks.
OnLeaks and Smartprix released a new series of renders showing the Galaxy Z Fold 4 in all its glory. If they’re real, these images show the reported phone from nearly every angle, as well as providing a wealth of information on the foldable – provided they’re correct.
The rear cameras on the Galaxy S22 Ultra seem a lot like the ones on the Z Fold 3 compared to the S22 Ultra.
It’s unclear if the hinge design has been altered by OnLeaks and Smartprix, but that’s what these images suggest.
Like the Z Fold 3, these same sources claim that both the external and internal displays will be 6.2 and 7.6 inches in size, respectively. Also, the 120 Hz refresh rate is expected to remain.
Finally, according to the leakers, the phone will measure 6.1 x 5.1 x 0.27 inches when unfolded (155 x 130 x 7.1 mm). However, its dimensions would be slightly larger and more substantial than its predecessor.
Several more rumours have pointed to the same leaked renders. When it comes to water and dust resistance, a post on the Korean blogging site Naver claims that Samsung is looking into ways to lighten the phone by revising its hinge. Having a phone that is less vulnerable to water and dust damage sounds like a good idea to us.
According to Anthony, who goes by @TheGalox(opens in a new tab) on Twitter, a single hinge will be utilised in the centre of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 rather than the two used in the Galaxy Z Fold 3. This would allow the Z Fold 4 to be smaller and lighter while also increasing its durability.
In contrast to the Z Fold 3’s 5:4 aspect ratio, leaker Ice Universe claims that the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s internal display will feature a more square (opens in new tab) aspect ratio. Consequently, the panel can be both smaller and larger. According to IU, this ratio will be 6:5, which is significantly squarer. The outside appears to be thin and tall, although not as tall as it was before, according to first reports. In addition, according to Ice Universe(opens in new tab), the new model will weigh less than 9.1 ounces (260 grams). In addition, IU released a case leak that shows the revised shape in comparison to the identical case for the Z-Fold 3.
If true, a rumour suggests that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 will not include a slot for the S Pen. According to Ice Universe, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will not have a built-in S Pen. However, he does suggest that the design will be a little smaller and a little slimmer.
According to another rumour, Samsung has been tinkering with the aspect ratio of the front display of the Galaxy 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 alternative designs for the upcoming Z Fold 3.
In terms of the internal display, leaker yeux1122 speculates that Samsung may replace the current Ultra-Thin Glass (UTG) with a more advanced material. Even if a S Pen stylus isn’t incorporated into the phone, the upgraded material is expected to be more durable and of greater quality, making it easier to operate.
If Samsung were to abandon the present book-style fold format, there are a number of additional options it might pursue. There are three concepts for portable foldable gadgets on display at Samsung Display at CES 2022. S-fold design is used to produce three panels instead of two, while “slidable” is used to expand the screen width at will.. It’s possible that Samsung will only use these concepts for future Z Fold phones, although the Z Fold 4 adopting the s-fold form appears doable.
South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency For the Galaxy Z Fold 4, the Elec claims 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 Fold 4 would feature a space for the stylus. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 has a storage problem for the S Pen, thus this would make S Pen use on the go a snap.
The fingerprint-sensing power button appears to be one of the only aspects of the design that will remain unchanged. 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 already a solid choice, so this may be a better option in the long run.
Though not as exciting as new engineering, the colours of a phone are nevertheless significant for how it appears. Z Fold 4 could come in beige, grey, or black, a trio of colours that aren’t particularly eye-catching for a phone that costs so much.
Cameras on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
As of this writing, the newest rumour for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4’s main camera is that it will include a 50MP sensor and a 3x optical zoom. With three 12MP lenses and a 2x optical zoom, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 was superior in this regard. These weren’t terrible, but the $1,799 phone seemed a touch underpowered.
So, if this rumour is true, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will have a significantly improved camera with a similar camera configuration as the Galaxy S22 (opens in new tab).
In comparison to previous Samsung phones, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 introduced the company’s first main display under-display camera. By integrating an additional under-display camera, a Korean leaker believes that the Z Fold 4 will be able to take advantage of this feature.
If Samsung doesn’t improve the under-display camera on the Galaxy Z Fold 3, it’s not ideal to have another one. In fact, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is expected to have a slew of under-screen camera upgrades, including a 16MP sensor, up from a meagre 4MP.
The battery and performance of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
According to our sources, there is just one bad rumour floating around about the Z Fold 4. According to this, Samsung will maintain the battery size of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 around the same.
As a downside to foldable phones, they have a larger screen to power, even though the battery is smaller or equal to that of a comparable phone. The battery life of the Z Fold 3 isn’t great, but if Samsung doesn’t change the capacity of the battery, the phone will have to be more efficient in other areas if it wants to last a whole day without being plugged in.
Leaked regulatory documents appear to indicate that the Z Fold 3’s 25W charging speed may not be improved to compensate for this.
According to Ice Universe’s leaks, the next foldable could include a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus CPU. Compared to the Galaxy S22 series, this would be a significant improvement in performance, as well as a modest advantage.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold: What we’d like to see
To quench your thirst for more information about the Z Fold 4, we’ve compiled a short wish list.
The “Galaxy Flex Note” concept, which was inspired by a Samsung patent and designed by Technizo Concept and LetsGoDigital, could be a good place to start for Samsung. 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 only one display and still has place for the S Pen stylus.
As with other Samsung phones, and more rumoured for the future, the Z Fold 4 may include some of these functions as well. Even while the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 has a different form of personalization than the Z Flip 3 Bespoke Edition because 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, could make an appearance in the Galaxy Z Fold 4. If they are going to be on phones this year, we’ll presumably see them first on the Samsung Galaxy S22.
To recap, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 should have the following features.
Better 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.
It would be fantastic if the Z Fold 4’s cameras were better all around. Even though Samsung isn’t focusing on photography with its foldable devices, larger or higher-resolution sensors would still be welcomed. In addition, it would be wonderful to have a more potent Space Zoom option.
Add on-board S Pen storage
Because Samsung’s Z Fold 3 was the first folding device to have the S Pen stylus, a follow-up Z Fold model would be logical. We hope the stylus is integrated into the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s body, rather than stored separately or in a special case, as shown in the concept design above.
As the Galaxy S22 Ultra is expected to include a S Pen slot, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 should as well.
Another price drop
Following in the footsteps of the Galaxy Z Flip 3, Samsung has to make foldables more affordable so that they may become as popular as other high-end smartphones. According to yeux1122, this was said, but it doesn’t imply much right now. Between now and the phone’s launch, a lot can happen.
Better hidden display creases
The primary drawback of watching video on foldable displays is that the evident creases in the screen might detract from the overall experience. We don’t expect the crease to completely disappear, but it would be wonderful if it faded into the background a little bit more.
Slimmer frame
Getting a foldable phone that is particularly thin will be difficult because of the nature of folding the main 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. As far as we’re concerned, the Z Fold 4 could use a few more millimetres of reduction in size.
Longer battery life
The Z Fold 3 has to power two displays, one of which is the size of a small tablet, from the get-go. During our testing, we were able to get just about 8 hours of battery life, and we’d want to see that increase to about 10 hours.