The most successful foldable smartphone lineup — Samsung's Z Flip — got a new model earlier this week at Unpacked 2022. Samsung's latest Galaxy Z Flip 4 sits on the solid foundation left behind by the Galaxy Z Flip 3, so instead of reinventing the wheel, the new Z Flip 4 takes a more reasonable route and expands upon existing concepts with better hardware, improved build quality, additional Bespoke Edition colors, and more.
The Galaxy Z Flip 4 is now available for pre-order in most markets for $999 and up or equivalent. And once again, even though the Z Flip 4 looks a lot like its predecessor, it still flaunts several upgrades and features worth exploring. Here are some of the best.
Flex Mode with improved camera features and brighter sensor
Samsung's latest foldable flip phone employs a redesigned, thinner hinge that doesn't lose any of its Flex Mode capabilities. The Galaxy Z Flip 4 can be flipped open between 75 and 115 degrees to enable Flex Mode, the latter of which splits the UI in half for different use cases.
One major use case is mobile photography, and the Galaxy Z Flip 4 now comes with what Samsung calls FlexCam. In essence, every camera-related feature that takes advantage of Flex Mode now resides under the FlexCam umbrella, and with the Galaxy Z Flip 4, Samsung promises better third-party integration with apps like Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp.
Furthermore, the Z Flip 4 features Quick Shot — which is a way to capture selfies using the main cameras and the cover display — as well as a new wide sensor that's around 65% brighter than the camera used by the Galaxy Z Flip 3.
Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset worldwide
One of the best things about owning the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is that Samsung is using the same chipset model in every market. There's no division between Exynos and Snapdragon customers, and every Galaxy Z Flip 4 buyer can enjoy the benefits of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC.
Using a single chipset across the board unifies the user experience, guarantees that every Z Flip 4 customer is treated equally, and can help accelerate firmware development, as Samsung only has to worry about optimizing the software for one SoC model rather than two.
The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is the most powerful mobile chipset to date. It was manufactured on a 4nm process and comprises one high-performance Cortex-X2 CPU core, three Cortex-A710 cores, four Cortex-A510 efficiency cores, and an Adreno 730 graphics chip boasting a 900MHz clock rate and a 30% reduction in energy requirements from the previous generation.
Superior build quality with water resistance and Glass Victus+
Samsung is the only OEM to have developed water-resistant foldable phones. It's an impressive feat of engineering to add water resistance to a foldable phone considering all the moving parts of the hinge. But Samsung did it, and the Galaxy Z Flip 4 has an IPX8 rating.
An IPX8 rating means that the Galaxy Z Flip 4 should be fine after a 30-minute dunk in fresh water at a depth of up to 1.5 meters.
In addition, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 hinge was certified through a folding test of over 200,000 folds, and the foldable panel has a layer of UTG (Ultra Thin Glass). On the outside, Samsung's new flip phone has a metal frame and Gorilla Glass Victus+ covering the back panel and the 1.9-inch cover screen.
Tons of customization options through software and Bespoke Edition
Samsung's “My Special Clock” for the Galaxy Z Flip 4's cover screen enables new ways for customers to express their creativity. Through My Special Clock, Galaxy Z Flip 4 customers can design their own clock faces using new graphical clock styles, backgrounds, and colors. Users can even use changeable photos, GIFs, and videos as cover screen clock background images for their custom creations.
As for the exterior design, Samsung expanded its online Bespoke Studio and gave the new Galaxy Z Flip 4 Bespoke Edition 75 color combinations, up from 49. In addition, the Bespoke Edition is now available for pre-order in 28 markets.
Bigger battery with support for faster charging
And finally, one of the most noteworthy upgrades employed by the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is a bigger dual-battery system with improved fast charging capabilities.
The new Samsung flip phone is powered by an upgraded battery combo with a combined capacity of 3,700mAh and support for 25W super-fast charging. In contrast, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 conceals a 3,300mAh battery with 15W charging capabilities.
Combined with newer firmware and the latest Qualcomm 4nm chipset, this new battery setup should allow the Galaxy Z Flip 4 to post significant battery gains over its predecessor. We'll find out more in our upcoming review, so stay tuned.
