There are high expectations for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. If Samsung wants to retain the title of “best folding phone,” they’ll have to go a lot better than the Galaxy Z Fold 3 did when it released.
There have been a slew of better-specced folding phones released since the Fold 3 debuted, so when the Z Fold 4 comes out, it will have to do more than just improve on the Oppo Find N and Honor Magic V.
In line with Samsung’s previous folding phones, the Z Flip 4 is scheduled to arrive with this device in 2021. It will be the latest device in Samsung’s Fold line of smartphones that unfurl into small tablets.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 leaks are pouring in ahead of its expected August release date, and we’ve compiled them all here, along with our own wish list for the device.
The release date and pricing of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Perhaps around August 2022 or early September 2022, we can expect the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 to be unveiled and go on sale. Due to their August announcements and subsequent arrival in shops at least a few weeks later, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 2 were released in August of their respective release years, respectively.
However, given that the initial Samsung Galaxy Fold was launched in February 2019, we can’t be sure that Samsung will stay to that timeframe. That wasn’t released until September either, so an announcement in August seems highly plausible.
The pricing of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 begins at $1,799 / £1,599 / AU$2,499, which we can only speculate about. Given that Samsung’s foldables are often lambasted for their costs, we’d expect the Z Fold 4 to either have a comparable price or be significantly less expensive, in order to avoid the same level of scepticism.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is expected to be less expensive than its predecessor, according to one source, although they didn’t specify how much less expensive.
News and leaks
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 is said to have a 7.56-inch main screen and a 6.19-inch cover display, which is quite similar in size to the Galaxy Z Fold 3.
They say it will contain a space for the S Pen stylus and look similar to the Z Fold 3, but it will be more durable, according to their sources.
According to another insider, the phone will have a slot for the S Pen pen, as well as stronger glass and much better photography capabilities in the near future.
Further evidence that the S Pen pen would be standard equipment on the phone comes from reports that Samsung will begin mass-producing it in April 2022.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is expected to have Samsung’s same under-display camera as the Galaxy Z Fold 3, but it will be smaller and better able to capture images, according to an early leak.
Another source confirms this, suggesting the phone will feature two under-display cameras, one for the main display and the other for the smaller cover screen. This is the most likely configuration.
According to one source, the phone will have a larger battery, a redesigned hinge to make it lighter and more dust- and water-resistant, and comparable snappers to those on the Galaxy S22.
However, a more recent report suggests that the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s battery capacity will be the same as that of the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s. The only silver linings are that Samsung may be able to make the phone smaller or cheaper as a result of this.
Another tidbit: It’s said to feature the same 10MP camera with 3x optical zoom as the Galaxy S22, an improvement above the 12MP camera with 2x magnification on the Z Fold 3. The 108MP primary camera from the Galaxy S22 Ultra is said to be on its way to the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
LetsGoDigital uncovered a patent filing for an under-display fingerprint scanner for the future foldable.
A double-sided fingerprint scanner that sits between the phone’s cover screen and the main screen would allow users to unlock the phone from either location with the same piece of hardware. As is customary when it comes to patents, we urge you to proceed with caution.
That which we seek
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 might need a variety of enhancements or new features. You can find the most important ones here.
The price is cheaper.
Even though we repeat this every year, most consumers can’t afford the Galaxy Z Fold range. Given the high level of technology, the price is to be expected, but we’d like to see Samsung make an effort to lower it.
Because of this, it’s a positive thing for Samsung that it seems to be doing this, since it was a touch less expensive than its predecessor, which is a good sign.
In the long run, we’d like to see these phones be no more expensive than the highest-end traditional smartphones, but we doubt that will be the case for at least the next few years.
Improved photography
This is a top-notch phone in many aspects, but its cameras fall short of those on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and other Samsung phones.
We’d like to see this on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 given the high price we’re paying for these phones. With the S21 Ultra, we would want to see a 10x optical zoom lens and a third lens to provide 3x zoom instead of the current model’s 2x zoom.
In addition to that, we would want to see the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s 4MP under-display snapper, which is a nice concept but seems half-baked, upgraded.
An increase in the lifespan of the battery
The battery capacity of foldable phones seems to be a common issue, since they often have batteries that are at best comparable to that of normal smartphones, despite their larger displays.
Even though a non-foldable phone battery would be an average size at best, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3’s 4,400mAh battery doesn’t go very far here since it has two screens, one of which is 7.6 inches long.
Our testing showed that with moderate usage, it only lasted about a day, so there’s definitely space for improvement. As a result, we expect the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 will have a larger battery and a longer battery life.
Front-screen S-Pen support
In addition to becoming the first folding phone to accommodate the S Pen pen, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 also has a large 6.4-inch display. However, the S Pen is not compatible with the smaller secondary screen and can only be used with the huge main display.
If you’re going to use a pen, you’re going to want to be able to use it on both the main screen and the secondary screen, and at 6.2 inches, the secondary screen isn’t that little.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 should offer pen compatibility for both displays, so that users don’t have to switch between the stylus and their fingers so frequently.
Insert a slot for an S-Pen
The Galaxy Z Fold 3’s pen doesn’t operate on the secondary screen, but we’re also a bit upset that the phone doesn’t have a slot for the stylus.
Because of this, you’ll have to choose between having to use a case with a built-in S Pen slot or risk losing the S Pen. There are certain drawbacks to having a slot, but we believe that if Samsung is serious about pen compatibility, one should be included, particularly if we don’t receive any more Galaxy Notes.’