What Samsung could (and should) do with its upcoming foldable smartphone
If the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is to succeed where the Galaxy Z Fold 3 left off, it will have to overcome some formidable challenges. However, the foldable phone formula has not yet been perfected, so there is still room for improvement.
Even though the Z Fold 4 rumor mill is now in full swing, there’s still a lot we don’t know. All the leaks and rumors we’ve heard so far have been collated below and we’ve weighed in with our thoughts on what the Z Fold 4 needs to improve on if Samsung wants to retain the best foldable phone crown with its next generation.
GALAXY Z FOLD 4 RUMORED SPECS
- Interior display: 7.6-inch QXGA+ AMOLED, 120Hz
- Exterior display: 6.2-inch HD+ AMOLED, 120Hz
- CPU: Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1
- RAM: 12GB
- Storage: 128GB/256GB/1TB
- Rear cameras: 50MP main; 12MP ultrawide; 10MP telephoto (3x zoom)
- Front cameras: 10MP (exterior), 4MP (under-display)
- Battery size: 4,400 mAh
See what the Galaxy Z Fold 4 might look like (and what we hope it looks like) in the gallery below.
a possible launch date for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 has been announced
Our educated guesses and the leaks we’ve seen so far agree on the expected release date of the new Z Fold 4. According to Samsung’s Z Fold 3 release date in August and last year’s Z Fold 2 release date in September (the year before), both have come out in late summer or early fall. In order to avoid competing with the iPhone 14, we believe that Samsung would prefer to launch the Z Fold 4 in late August or early September rather than mid-September, so we expect a similar launch date for the Z Fold 4.
According to leaker Jon Prosser, the Z Fold 4 will be shown on August 10th (and a couple of other devices). Pre-orders are expected to begin on the same day as the retail launch on August 26, and will last until then.
The next Fold may have a new 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. Speculation is rife that Samsung may delete the Z from the name of the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
The price of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
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.
After dropping by $200 in a year, the price of the Z Fold 4 might drop another $400 over the course of two years, to $1,599 for the 2020 model. The price difference between a foldable and a phablet is getting smaller, so more people will be persuaded to buy a foldable phone even though it’s still more expensive.
The Design of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
The Z Fold 4’s possible design is now the subject of some major leaks.
According to Ice Universe’s most recent leak, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will have a less noticeable fold than previous models (opens in new tab). In addition, the tipping weight is 8.9 ounces. Compared to the 9.5-ounce Z Fold 3 and the 8.5-ounce iPhone 13 Pro Max, this would be a lot lighter.
OnLeaks and Smartprix have also released a series of Galaxy Z Fold 4 renders. These renders, presuming they’re real, show the anticipated phone from nearly every aspect and reveal a slew of information regarding the foldable.
When it comes to its rear cameras, the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s design-style is immediately apparent, rather than that of the Z Fold 3.
It’s unclear if the hinge design has been altered by OnLeaks and Smartprix, but that’s what these images suggest.
Just like on the Z Fold 3, the displays are expected to measure 6.2 inches (outside) and 7.6 inches (inside). 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). Compared to its forebear, it would be narrower and thicker.
We’ve heard similar reports before, and the leaked renders are consistent with them. It has been reported that Samsung is looking into revising its hinge to reduce weight and improve water and dust resistance, for example, on the Korean blogging site Naver. We like the concept of a thinner, lighter phone that is also more resistant to damage from liquids and dust.
A leaker named Anthony, known as @TheGalox on Twitter, claims that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will use a single hinge instead of the two that were used in its predecessor. This would enable a thinner and lighter design while making the Z Fold 4 more durable.
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. Thus, the panel can be shortened and expanded at the same time. A more recent leak from IU claims that this ratio will be 6:5, which is indeed slightly squarer than the original.
The outside is expected to remain quite narrow and tall, but not nearly as tall as previously. There’s also the case leak from IU, which shows the new shape of the case compared to the Z Fold 3’s same case.
This report about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 not having a place for the S Pen is a little disheartening if it’s true. According to Ice Universe, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will not feature a S Pen built-in. It’s possible the design may be a little smaller and a little thinner, which is a positive indicator.
According to another rumor, Samsung has been tinkering with the aspect ratio of the front display of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 prototypes. As of now, there is no way to know which version of the Z Fold 3 Samsung will go with, but Twitter tipster Chunv8888 claims there are several options, some of which don’t differ significantly from the Z Fold 3.
In terms of the internal display, leaker yeux1122 speculates that Samsung will replace the present Ultra-Thin Glass (UTG) technology with a more advanced one. It is claimed that this new material would be stronger and more durable, making it more suitable for use with a S Pen stylus (even if it is not incorporated into the tablet).
The fingerprint-sensing power button appears to be the one design feature that won’t be altering. A button-mounted fingerprint sensor will be retained on the Z Fold 4, rather than the under-display module that Samsung had intended. 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 development, phone color options nonetheless play a vital role in how it looks. Leakster Ross Young claims that the Z Fold 4 will be available in one of three neutral colors: beige, grey or black. This would be a surprising color palette for a device of this price.
Cameras on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
As of this writing, the newest rumor for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4’s main camera is that it will include a 50MP sensor and a 3x optical zoom. A trio of 12MP lenses and 2x optical zoom were seen in the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. These weren’t bad phones, but for a $1,799 phone, they felt underpowered.
So if this rumor is true, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will likely have a substantial improvement in camera performance and a camera arrangement that is nearly identical to the Galaxy S22 (opens in new tab).
Compared to previous Samsung phones, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 debuted the company’s first in-display camera on the primary display. According to a source out of Korea, the Z Fold 4 could improve on this by adding a second camera to the cover display’s under-display.
Having said that, the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s under-display camera was one of its weakest qualities, so adding a second one isn’t ideal unless Samsung improves the existing one. This is exactly what the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is expected to do, with a 16MP sensor, up from a pitiful 4MP.
However, not everyone agrees with the concept that Samsung is likely to add a sensor of that size to its under-display cameras. On Twitter, the under-display camera was labeled as a 4MP sensor, despite Ice Universe’s claim that it was “100 percent correct.”
A look at the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: battery and performance
It’s sad that the only rumor concerning the Z Fold 4’s power source is bad news. According to the report, the battery in the Galaxy Z Fold 3 would be about the same size as it is now. According to leaks from Yogesh Brar and Ice Universe, the new model will have the same 4,400 mAh battery as the device from last year.
Despite having a battery that is the same size or even less than comparable phones, foldable phones have a much larger screen to power. 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, however, suggest that the Z Fold 3’s 25W charging speed will not be increased to make up for this.
We may be getting a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus chipset in the forthcoming foldable, if leaker Ice Universe is to be believed. That would offer it a significant performance boost over the previous generation, as well as a slight advantage over the Galaxy S22 series.
The rumored Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 benchmarks also surfaced recently. The single-core test result was 1,351, while the multi-core result was 3,808, according to Geekbench 5 testing. The listing also suggests that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus CPU and 12GB of RAM will be used by the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
What we’d want to see in the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold:
If the speculations about the Z Fold 4 weren’t enough to whet your appetite, we’ve compiled a short wish list for the upcoming foldable.
The “Galaxy Flex Note” is based on a Samsung patent and was created by Technizo Design and LetsGoDigital. Samsung could do much worse than copy this tempting concept. The Z Fold series would be the successor to the Galaxy Note series, which saw a possible end this year with the cancellation of the Galaxy Note 21. We appreciate how this design employs a single display and offers room for a S Pen stylus.
The Z Fold 4 could get some of the same or even more features that we’ve seen on other Samsung phones and are expected to see in the future. When it comes to color combinations, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 Bespoke Edition would fit right in with the Z Fold 4, although it would have a slightly different sort because one side of the folded phone is still completely screen.
The Snapdragon 898/895 and Samsung’s new LPDDR5X RAM, both of which have been rumored, could make an appearance on the Galaxy Z Fold 4. If these are going to be on phones this year, we’ll probably see them first on the Samsung Galaxy S22.
To summarize, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 should have the following features.
a lot more effective cameras
Even though the Galaxy Z Fold 3 costs so much, it has the same set of cameras as the Galaxy Z Fold 2 from the previous year, but with the internal selfie camera exchanged for an under display camera.
A better overall camera on the Z Fold 4 would be fantastic, provided by Samsung. Even though Samsung isn’t focusing on photography with its foldables, larger or higher-resolution sensors would still be a nice feature. In addition, a stronger Space Zoom would be welcome.
add on-board S Pen storage.
Next-generation foldables from Samsung might make sense if the Z Fold 3’s S Pen stylus was incorporated into the design. To avoid having to carry around a S Pen separately or in a specially designed case, Samsung hopes to include the stylus into its new Galaxy Z Fold 4 design, as shown in this concept image.
According to rumors, the Galaxy S22 Ultra will have a S Pen slot, thus the Galaxy Z Fold 4 should follow suit.
One more price reduction.
Foldable smartphones should be priced like standard flagship phones if Samsung is serious about making foldables mainstream, as demonstrated by its own Galaxy Z Flip 3. Eyes1122 reported this, although it doesn’t really mean much at this point. There’s a lot that may happen between now and the phone’s official launch.
Improved display crease concealment
When using a foldable display to watch material, you may notice that the creases in the screen can be noticeable. Even though the crease won’t disappear, it would look better if it was less prominent.
A leaner body type
It’s going to be difficult to make a foldable phone very thin due to the nature of folding the primary display in half. However, the Z Fold 3’s most common complaint is that it’s too heavy and cumbersome to carry on a daily basis. We’d like to see the Z Fold 4 lose a few more millimeters of its overall dimensions..
Batteries that last longer
The Z Fold 3 has to power two displays, 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 larger battery and other efficiency improvements.