What you need to know
- Samsung has officially announced the Galaxy Z Fold 4 with a number of design improvements over its predecessor.
- The new foldable device is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, with 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB of internal storage.
- It will hit store shelves on August 26 for a base price of $1,799.
With the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 last year, Samsung made impressive strides in addressing the price and durability issues that haunted its early foldable phones. The company has since set its sights on improving the series' small details, proof of which is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 that it announced today.
Revealed alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 4, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is billed as Samsung's "most powerful smartphone yet." Under the hood, it is powered by a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, which you can also find in some of the best Android phones today, such as the Xiaomi 12S Ultra and the ASUS ROG Phone 6 series.
Like its predecessor, the new Fold incorporates some of the Galaxy Note’s DNA by including S Pen stylus support. It also undoubtedly looks similar to the Z Fold 3, but it is the small design refinements that give it a breath of fresh air.
The Z Fold 4 boasts a slimmer hinge and narrower bezels compared to its predecessor. For context, the new device measures 155.1 x 67.1 x 15.8mm when folded, versus 158.2 x 67.1 x 16mm for the Fold 3. It also has a wider screen (130.1mm) than last year's model (128.1mm) when unfolded.
However, the crease is still noticeable: perhaps it won't go away so easily. Regardless, the Z Fold 4's 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display is a multitasking powerhouse. Samsung has squeezed some PC-like multitasking capabilities into the handset, such as swipe gestures that can be enabled in Labs by going to the Settings section. It also includes a new taskbar for quick access to apps, courtesy of Android 12L with One UI 4.1.1 atop. The Z Fold 4 is the first foldable phone to run Google's special version of Android 12 optimized for large-screen devices.
Another nifty productivity feature introduced by the Z Fold 4 is Google Meet live sharing, which allows you to watch YouTube videos or play games with call participants. However, its availability and the list of supported apps vary by device and country.
The main screen features a QXGA+ resolution and a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, as does the 6.2-inch HD+ cover screen. A 4MP under-display camera sits on the main display, though you may hardly notice it thanks to what Samsung describes as a "scatter-type sub-pixel arrangement." Both the inner and outer screens are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+.
It's got three rear cameras that are a major upgrade from the Fold 3: a 50MP wide angle shooter, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, and a 10MP telephoto camera with OIS. Samsung also claims the main sensor is 23% brighter. The 10MP cover camera with f/2.2 aperture also returns.
The Z Fold 4 features an IPX8 rating for water resistance and packs a 4,400mAh dual battery with 25W fast charging support.
Both of Samsung's latest foldable phones are available to preorder starting today. The Z Fold 4 will start at $1,799, and it comes in Graygreen, Beige, and Phantom Black color variants. The 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB variants also come in Burgundy, exclusively available via Samsung's store. The devices will hit store shelves on August 26.
