The biggest drawback of the first three Galaxy Z Fold smartphones was their outdated zoom camera. The three phones featured a 2x optical zoom camera similar to the one that was introduced way back on the Galaxy Note 8, all while the Galaxy S series was getting better and better at zoom photography with each passing year.
But what about the Galaxy Z Fold 4? We've heard many questions about its camera setup, especially the zooming capabilities, so we thought a separate article was in order.
Galaxy Z Fold 4 supports 3x optical zoom and 30x digital zoom
The answer? The Galaxy Z Fold 4 features a zoom camera that supports 3x optical zoom, and up to 30x digital zoom (which Samsung calls Space Zoom). The former may not be a huge upgrade, but the latter is, as the Galaxy Fold, Z Fold 2, and Z Fold 3 all featured a maximum of 10x zoom.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 offers nothing close to the zooming experience you find on Samsung's Galaxy S Ultra smartphones. All of them have a maximum of 100x digital zoom, though optical zoom varies a bit. The Galaxy S20 Ultra featured a mix of optical and digital zoom past 4x magnification, while the Galaxy S21 Ultra and S22 Ultra feature separate 3x and 10x optical zoom cameras, once again for a maximum of 100x zoom.
Still, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 brings an upgrade in camera zoom, even if it isn't as good as what you find on the Galaxy S Ultra smartphones. The main camera has also been upgraded – it is now a 50MP sensor instead of a 12MP sensor, the same one that is featured on this year's Galaxy S22 and S22+. A 12MP ultra-wide camera is also present on the rear.
For selfies and video calls, the cover display features a 10MP camera, while the main display has a 4-megapixel under-display camera. Nothing has changed as far as the front-facing cameras are concerned – no, the rumored upgrade to a 16MP under-display camera didn't turn out to be true, although the under-display camera is now more hidden than before during use.
In the coming days, we'll be testing out the Galaxy Z Fold 4's cameras (and its other features), so stay tuned for more details on what the phone is capable of. In the meantime, check out our Galaxy Z Fold 4 hands-on and unboxing videos below.
