Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G Early Hands On – Fixing Most of Fold3’s Shortcomings
Well, well, well. Ever since the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G last year started the trend of mobilizing the tech trend towards smart foldable, it got me pretty excited to know that Samsung is going to make things better over time.
So, we managed to have a little hands-on meet-up with the latest Galaxy Z Fold4 5G, and let me run you through my experience via my POV.
As I picked up the device, it does feel a little bit different, at least from the perspective of observation. For starters, the new hinge now folds the device with a refined angle that is just a little bit more inwards resulting in a smaller frame. The aspect ratio is now 23.1:9 compared to last gen’s 24.5:9 – more screen estate for the win.
Bezels-wise, it appears to be thinner and smaller too and I do prefer this direction since the Z Fold4 is already 2-layers thick when folded and any “corner-cutting” method that is done properly is fully appreciated. Taking off a few millimeters here and there also means that its weight has been trimmed down mildly too which is at 263g now.
Time to unfold the folded. And well, the same old 7.6-inch screen is here to serve your needs for expanded view for better productivity and entertainment. Running at a resolution of 2176 x 1812, the inner screen’s ratio is 21.6:18, and similar to the last gen, both the cover and unfolded screen runs at 120Hz variable refresh rate.
Also, the under-display camera has been improved as well, presumably, as the screen’s pixel density is just a tat higher around that area.
Despite improvements across the board, something didn’t and that’s the battery size which is the same as Fold3’s 4400mAh and 25W fast charge. Y u no bigger blocc of power Samsung.
Well, at least it still got an IPX8 rating so a few rain drops wouldn’t render it useless.
In terms of the SoC, it is the one and only Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1+. Therefore, it confirms the news of Samsung putting Exynos to sleep for its smartphones for the time being.
Arriving with the Z Fold4 is a new interface and despite it being a minor adjustment, the improvement is just too amazing, at least for me personally.
The apps placed at the bottom bar of the home screen will now behave like a taskbar when any apps are opened and it works with navigation buttons placed on either the left or right side yes, the center layout is now out of business, although I don’t see much people preferring that option anyway.
Also, you can now swipe apps from the top to the side to multitask with different active windows, and coming from an iPad user, I feel it is right close to home.
Although I did complain slightly about the Z Fold3 back then for being a flagship device that carries a back camera setup that doesn’t deserve its category, the ultrawide and telephoto cameras for the 4th generation model remain the same but the main camera is now a 50MP sensor.
Sincerely hope the digital imaging experience could be better this time.
Unsurprisingly and surprisingly, there will be a kickstand phone case for the Z Fold4 as well. Made with silicone, the latter part is what makes it interesting as the kickstand is now using a snap-on mechanism which means it is removable and can be fitted with another compartment which we will talk about a bit later in this post.
There’s a new silicone strap case that will probably make the Z Fold4 more ergonomic to hold, not to mention there’s a big Fold word printed on the holder for more style points and texture to feel.
And I don’t mean you have to hold the phone like this but I digress.
Onto the available color choices, the device will now come in 3 different colors – the classic Phantom Black, the prestige Beige, and the new Grey Green which is my new favorite since it is low-key enough to be not as boring as a flat black.
The companion hand input device, the S Pen Fold Edition, is given the same matching colors to go with the new case that we talked about earlier. And yes, the pen holder is the swappable compartment of this smartly designed case and the S Pen did fit snugly without much risk of sliding out accidentally.
Therefore, you can either opt for a kickstand for a better read angle or the S Pen holder to safely carry it around. Have both? Yank one out and put in the other. Easy as that.
Here is a quick spec list check for more details.
- 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity Flex Display (Inner)
- 120Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate (1Hz to 120Hz)
- 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display (Cover)
- 120Hz Adaptive Refresh Rate (4Hz to 120Hz)
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1+ Chipset
- 12GB RAM
- Up to 1TB Storage
- Triple Rear Camera
- Main (Wide): 50MP f/1.8 with Dual Pixel AF, OIS
- Ultra-Wide: 12MP f/2.2
- Telephoto: 10MP f/2.4 with PDAF, OIS
- 10MP f/2.2 Cover Camera
- 4MP f/1.8 Under Display Camera
- 4,400mAh Battery
- 25W Fast Charge
Quick Conclusion
The hands-on experience for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G is pleasant and well-deserved and I can see that Samsung is trying hard to realize the future they are driving towards – a foldable one – via incremental improvements towards points that are not done well in the beginning.
Aside from the official S Pen flip case, software optimization is also one of the main points I want to focus on down the line. So, look forward to the upcoming review of it.
And for the real good part, buyers of this device will get a full 2-year official warranty which is now longer while offering a 3-time internal screen protector replacement. Now that’s how you convince people to give trust in your products.
