The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is similar to the Flip 3 in many ways, although there are quite a few improvements. The company has fixed many of the past issues, with improved low-light performance, longer battery life, and faster charging.
Galaxy Z Flip 4 is powered by a powerful Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, has a large internal Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen and an external Super AMOLED screen. Plus IPX8 water resistance and a 12MP main camera that captures 65% more light. The battery capacity has increased to 3700 mAh, and the charging speed is 25 watts. In general, many shortcomings have been eliminated.
Unpacking and packaging
Inside is the smartphone itself in the unfolded form, as well as:
USB-C cable
Documentation
SIM tray eject key
There’s no charger – you’ll have to buy a 25W adapter to get the most out of the fast charging feature.
Design and Construction
Instead of a drastic design change, Samsung opted to improve build quality and fix minor issues inherent in the previous model. The fourth Flip has a more durable matte protective glass Gorilla Glass Victus + on the back. The side bezels are solid aluminum, as is the hinge, and the bezels around the display are thinner.
Thanks to this, Flip has become smaller vertically. The display is covered with a protective film, which Samsung strongly recommends not to remove because the screen may stop working. Luckily, there are fewer spots on the film now, although dust particles sometimes get under it.
The letter X means that there is no dust protection, so the ingress of sand and dirt particles can ruin the hinge or screen. The 6.7-inch display is the same as the Flip 3. As before, the front camera is in a hole at the top of the screen. Although you can take selfies with the main sensor thanks to the external display, the front camera is better suited for video calls.
In the lattice above the upper frame fit the earpiece. The bend in the middle of the display is noticeable, but you gradually get used to it and stop paying attention. The hinge has also been improved, which should now withstand up to 200,000 openings. In addition, when tilted, the screen can be fixed at any angle.
At the back is a glossy panel with two cameras and an external screen. The small 1.9-inch display is no different from the previous version. It is used to display the time, notifications, widgets and as autofocus.
On the top of the Galaxy Z Flip 4 there is only a microphone, on the bottom there are two more microphones, a main speaker and a USB-C connector. On the left is the SIM slot, and on the right you’ll find the power and volume keys. The first has a built-in fingerprint scanner, which is active all the time.
The open dimensions of the smartphone are 165.2 × 71.9 × 6.9 mm, which is 1 mm less in height and width than the Flip 3. Weighing only 187 grams, this is 4 grams lighter than the previous model.
Smartphone screen
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 has two displays, which is typical not only for new folding smartphones, but also for devices of the era, classic GSM.
On the outside of the case is a 1.9-inch Super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 512 × 260 pixels. It is convenient for viewing notifications and taking selfies. The refresh rate is 60 Hz, there is support for always-on mode.
The main display is a 6.7-inch foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X with a resolution of 2640×1080 pixels and a refresh rate of 120Hz. The aspect ratio is 22:9, there is support for HDR10 + technology, the frequency is adaptive and can be reduced to 1 Hz.
Available mode Extra Brightness, when enabled, the brightness reaches 800 nits. When you select the adaptive mode, it can reach 920 nits. The minimum brightness is only 1 nit – the display becomes so dark that the slider is distinguishable only in complete darkness.
The color profiles in the settings are the same as other Samsung smartphones. The default profile is Bright, corresponding to the DCI-P3 space, and the average deltaE is 2.6. You can choose the Natural profile (sRGB), which makes the hue more accurate and has deltaE as low as 1.5.
The choice of refresh rate is carried out through two modes: Adaptive (up to 120 Hz) and Standard (fixed 60 Hz). Adaptive is also capable of switching between 1-120Hz depending on the content. For example, 1 Hz will always be there when nothing is happening on the screen, this saves battery power.
Galaxy Z Flip 4 cameras
The sensors here are the same as on the previous model: the main Samsung S5K2LD at 12 megapixels and 13 megapixel ultra-wide-angle Sony IMX258. However, photos from the second are saved at 12 megapixels. The front camera is Samsung S5K3J1 (10 MP), the same as on the Galaxy S20 models.
For example, the viewfinder can be moved to the top of the screen while the controls remain at the bottom. If the phone is closed, double-clicking the power button will show the viewfinder on the small display. Swipes left and right switch between taking photos and videos, and swiping up or down switches between the main and ultra wide-angle cameras.
The quality of shooting on the main sensor in daylight is excellent – the detail is high, there is very little noise. Colors are balanced and natural in all such conditions, and contrast is high. Difficult areas like grass and trees are sharper compared to Flip 3, the difference is noticeable to the naked eye.
The ultra-wide-angle 12 megapixel camera also shoots well – the photos come out surprisingly detailed, the lens is not inferior to the main one. The algorithms for removing distortions do a good job, although a slight blur is sometimes visible on the sides.
Thanks to the external display, the main sensor can also be used to take selfies. You’ll have autofocus, high resolution, optical stabilization, and nicer colors than most front-facing cameras.
Outcome
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is a great phone with great cameras, a powerful Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor and extended battery life. In addition, the gadget features a high-quality 6.7-inch AMOLED display, fast charging and good stereo speakers.
The 1.9-inch external screen allows you to quickly read notifications, take selfies with the main camera and use widgets, so it’s not just a small bonus. A serious drawback can be considered only iron throttling under load.
