The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the fourth model of Samsung’s telephone that folds open right into a small pill. It prices $1,800. Yes, that is lots of gravy. Most of that worth comes from the Z Fold 4’s 7.6-inch foldable show. That identical folding display has a excessive refresh fee for taking part in video video games, a intelligent digital camera hidden behind it for video calls and S Pen help for writing and drawing. Despite not being an enormous fan of earlier Galaxy Fold telephones, I can not get sufficient of the Galaxy Z Fold 4.Remember the primary time you had a crush? Maybe you did not even know what a crush was however discovered your self enamored with another person? That’s form of what occurred to me with the Galaxy Z Fold 4. And like a child with their first crush, it is onerous to explain why I’m so drawn to it, particularly since it is so just like final 12 months’s Fold 3 (which I preferred, however wasn’t loopy about).
LikeThe quite a few adjustments to the physique actually add upClosing the Fold 4 is extremely satisfyingThe fundamental and telephoto cameras are goodMultitasking has by no means been simplerThe wider physique makes utilizing it closed much less awkward
Don’t LikeThe worth is simply too excessiveIt’s nonetheless a bit chunkyLack of S Pen storage or a magnetic facet to connect itThere are nonetheless a number of apps that do not help the Fold 4’s display ratio
Part of my infatuation with the Fold 4 comes from its dozens of small refinements in comparison with the Fold 3. The hinge is just a little thinner. The telephone is barely lighter. The bezels on the duvet display are only a tad smaller. The physique is just a little wider, making it extra satisfying to make use of when closed. Everything concerning the Fold 4 feels extra tailor-made, together with the software program. Samsung made multitasking on the Fold 4 approachable and simple. In truth, after two weeks of utilizing a evaluate unit on mortgage from Samsung, the Fold 4 is my favourite Android pill. It showcases Samsung’s engineering and software program enhancements and is a powerful reminder that we’re nonetheless on the daybreak of foldable telephones.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 pricing breakdown
Storage
US worth
UK worth
Australia worth
256GB
$1,800
£1,649
AU$2,499
512GB
$1,920
£1,769
AU$2,699
1TB
$2,160
£2,019
AU$2,999
But then there’s that $1,800 price ticket. I might purchase a Galaxy S22 Ultra and an iPad Mini for a similar worth. Yet, that is not a good comparability as a result of neither of these units can fold open or closed. And keep in mind, $1,800 is the beginning worth. A 1TB Fold 4 will set you again over $2,000.
If you’re tempted by the Fold 4, know that there are numerous beneficiant reductions from carriers, third-party retailers and Samsung to make much less of a dent in your pockets.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 has a tailor-made design And so far as foldable telephone points go, let me deal with the largest one proper off the bat. Yes, you’ll be able to see and really feel the crease in the primary show. And no, it does not hassle me. Do I want there wasn’t a crease? Yes, however after I use the Fold 4, the crease is not this evident scarlet letter. The Fold’s hinge is a big a part of what permits its distinctive foldable design, and the one on the Fold 4 acquired redesigned. It’s slimmer than the Fold 3’s but in addition firmer, which makes the Fold 4 extremely satisfying to shut. But due to the Fold’s measurement, you’ll be able to’t open and shut it with one hand like you’ll be able to the Galaxy Z Flip 4. The quite a few minor adjustments to the Fold’s width and thickness actually repay.
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Combine that hinge with the aluminum sides and Gorilla Glass Victus Plus, and the Fold 4 feels extra stable than some other foldable telephone I’ve examined. The hinge additionally permits a number of helpful and distinctive use instances, resembling serving as a tiny stand for watching movies and reveals on a airplane. Or being its personal tripod for taking pictures and movies.
The Fold 4 is 3 millimeters wider than final 12 months’s Fold 3, which makes it really feel much less awkward and cumbersome when it is closed in telephone mode. However, the duvet display’s keyboard continues to be just a little cramped for my palms. Read extra: Best Android Phones to Buy in 2022 The Fold 4 is all about Android 12L and Flex Mode Samsung packed the brand new Fold with options that vary from important updates, just like the taskbar-turned-dock (which I genuinely get pleasure from utilizing), to ones which are extra, “Oh, that’s kind of fun, but will I use that?” The new cursor and trackpad out there in Flex mode falls beneath that second class. The Fold 4 runs on Android 12L, which is optimized for big screens and foldables. Samsung’s pretty tweaks to One UI (its window dressing for Android) actually make you’re feeling such as you’re utilizing one thing particular with out compromising on options and capabilities you’d count on from a telephone that does not fold in half.
The hinge permits it to be positioned in quite a lot of methods.
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The dock on the backside of the display makes getting out and in of multitasking apps straightforward. Just drag one app on prime of the opposite, and that is it. That ease of use is simply another excuse the Fold 4 is so interesting to me. Also, it is form of ridiculous that I can have three apps open with a fourth app in a floating window. Though in my time with the Fold 4, I normally simply had two open on the identical time. And by the best way, if you would like the final word time drain, use TikTookay and Instagram side-by-side on the Fold 4. One of my favourite issues to do on the Fold 4 is watch movies. (That would possibly partially be as a result of I caught COVID whereas reviewing the telephone and will do little else apart from watch reveals like The Sandman and The Rehearsal.) A characteristic I really dig is that if I’m watching a video and shut the Fold, playback picks up immediately on the 6.2-inch cowl display and vice versa. By the best way, movies and video games on the duvet display look improbable even with the slim side ratio. Then there’s Flex Mode, which strikes the app you are utilizing to the highest of the display whereas displaying the controls on the backside when the telephone is positioned half-open. For instance, the YouTube app reveals movies on the highest half of the display whereas the underside half is for scrolling via feedback or the outline. When the Fold 4 is opened up as a pill, its measurement and side ratio make it a pleasure to make use of.
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Samsung even fastened its personal Gallery app so now while you edit a photograph in Flex Mode, the image stays on the highest half with the edit instruments and interface on the underside. On earlier Fold and Flip units, pictures have been positioned awkwardly in the course of the bent display.
A brand new addition to Flex Mode is the flexibility to make use of the underside of the display as a mini trackpad with a cursor on the highest. I can not say I discovered lots of use with that setup, however I really like that Samsung is embracing the Fold’s distinctive form. More of this please! The Fold 4 additionally helps the S Pen, as did the Fold 3. It’s enjoyable to make use of, although I want it might magnetically connect to the facet of the Fold just like the Apple Pencil does on the iPad. Some options are on by default, however others are buried in Settings (most beneath one thing known as Labs, which looks like a beta purgatory for software program options). I unscientifically turned all the things in Labs on and have been happier for it. But know that not all apps are optimized for the Fold 4. For instance, Instagram awkwardly floats in the course of the display with arrows on both facet to align it on the left or proper. The cameras on the again are just like those discovered on the Galaxy S22 and S22 Plus.
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The Z Fold 4 has 5 cameras On the again cowl there are three cameras: a fundamental digital camera with a large angle lens, one other one with an ultrawide lens and a 3rd with a 3x telephoto lens. There’s a selfie digital camera on the duvet display and an under-display digital camera behind the primary display. The under-display digital camera might be the one I used the least, which is probably going why Samsung felt good about placing it behind the show. The under-display digital camera is not invisible like a two-way mirror. But it is much less distracting than a hole-punch reduce out or notch. I used the under-display digital camera a few instances for video chats, and nobody on these calls observed something out of the atypical. However, the picture appeared flat and closely processed.
The fundamental and telephoto cameras on the again are just like those on the Galaxy S22 and Galaxy S22 Plus. Photos look good and are sharp with punchy colours and distinction. Night mode was additionally fairly good. These cameras are positively a step up from those on the Fold 3, however they nonetheless lag behind the digital camera programs on the Galaxy S22 Ultra, Pixel 6 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro by way of picture high quality and flexibility. The colours and distinction pop on this photograph of downtown San Francisco.
Patrick Holland/CNET
It’s spectacular how a lot element the Fold 4 was in a position to seize. Notice the ornamentation on the constructing.
Patrick Holland/CNET
While Samsung telephones are recognized for oversaturating colours, the theater was really that purple.
Patrick Holland/CNET
Take an in depth take a look at the element and texture in Maisie’s fur.
Patrick Holland/CNET
I like the best way the main target transitions from in-focus areas (the cortado’s foam) to out-of-focus areas (the dish and counter).
Patrick Holland/CNET
This photograph was taken with the Fold’s evening mode.
Patrick Holland/CNET
The solely instances I observed the Fold 4’s digital camera battle was beneath low or blended lighting, and in direct daylight, which yields a number of lens flares. If this wasn’t a folding telephone, this may be unacceptable for a telephone that prices almost $2,000. The greatest a part of the Fold 4’s cameras really has little to do with the lenses and sensors. Rather, it is the telephone’s design. This telephone is its personal tripod. You can put it in all kinds of locations or place the digital camera at totally different angles. One of the best options is the flexibility to make use of the rear cameras for selfies, or share a preview of the digital camera’s viewfinder together with your topic. Being in a position to put the Fold into totally different positions makes it probably the most versatile cameras on a telephone.
Kevin Heinz/CNET
The Fold 4’s efficiency is quick and buttery-smooth The Fold 4 has the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chip, the quickest (and latest) processor in any Samsung telephone. It’s the identical processor we see in gaming telephones and the 2022 Razr, the latest foldable telephone from Motorola. And talking of gaming, the Fold 4 is the proper measurement for cell gaming. The fundamental display makes gaming really feel immersive. The Fold 4 did not have issues with any of the video games I performed like Mario Kart Tour, Genshin Impact, Call of Duty Mobile or PUBG Mobile. The Fold 4’s nice gaming expertise is an sudden delight that additionally provides to its attraction.
The speedy processor and excessive refresh fee display weren’t simply good for video games. Animations look extremely {smooth}. In benchmark assessments, the Fold 4 scored greater than the Fold 3 and S22 Ultra, one other signal that its new processor brings a slight velocity enhance.
Geekbench V.5.0 single-core
Note:
Longer bars point out higher efficiency
Geekbench V.5.0 multicore
Note:
Longer bars point out higher efficiency
3DMark Slingshot Unlimited
Note:
Longer bars point out higher efficiency
The Galaxy Z Fold 4’s battery is similar measurement because the Fold 3’s, which was simply OK. I used to be hopeful that the mix of Android 12L and the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor would imply extra battery life. To an extent I did expertise longer battery life, however not by a lot. The Fold 4 made it via most days on a single cost. But I discovered myself topping it off at round 8 p.m. or 9 p.m. I additionally ran a check the place over three-quarters of an hour I watched YouTube movies, scrolled via my TikTookay feed, performed Mario Kart and FIFA Mobile and took a 5-minute Zoom video name. The battery went from 100% to 82% in these 45 minutes. Luckily, it does not take lengthy to cost the Fold 4, though its charging speeds aren’t as quick because the OnePlus 10 Pro’s. After charging the Fold 4 for 30 minutes, the battery went from 20% to 73%. Remember, the Fold 4 does not include a wall charger.
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 (left) and Galaxy Z Fold 4 look almost an identical.
Kevin Heinz/CNET
Fold 4 vs. Fold 3 vs. Fold 2 The Galaxy Z Fold 4 provides the entire nuance and refinement that the Fold 3 wanted. But when you have a Fold 3, there isn’t any have to improve to the 4. If you’ve a Fold 2, it is likely to be value upgrading, particularly for those who can rating a candy trade-in deal. You get a quicker processor, a extra sturdy construct, waterproofing (although the Fold 4 nonetheless lacks mud resistance), S Pen help and superior cameras.
The Fold 4 clearly is not priced for mass attraction however it’s an identical to what the Fold 3 prices. I do suppose it is a honest worth for what you get in 2022, which is a premium telephone made with elements which are distinctive, cutting-edge and costly. But so is a Ferrari SF90 Spider, and that prices over half 1,000,000 {dollars}. Despite my crush, I will not be shopping for the Fold 4 or a Ferrari anytime quickly. And we’re nonetheless years away from a foldable telephone being reasonably priced to most individuals.As for me, I hope my infatuation with the Fold 4 lasts. Only time will inform.