The Galaxy Z Flip 3 is the most successful foldable phone on the market by far. Technically speaking, the Z Flip 3 is not nearly as ambitious as the Galaxy Z Fold 3, but thanks to its relatively low price and clever compact design, it's been selling like hotcakes for the past half a year.
The question now is whether or not the sequel — tentatively named ‘Galaxy Z Flip 4‘ — will be able to keep the same trajectory and break new sales records for foldable phones in 2022-2023? It very well could, but it might need significant upgrades in at least one key area for Samsung to secure its success.
The Galaxy Z Flip 3 is one of the most technologically advanced phones on the market on account of its foldable display and ingenious design. However, it's not the most powerful phone available, and its dual-camera system is simply sub-par for the phone's price point.
The Z Flip 3's 12MP cameras are backed by clever technologies like Flex Mode, which gives the foldable device its unique camera capabilities. However, beyond the clever hinge design, the camera sensors themselves are lagging behind even cheaper Galaxy phones.
As a reminder, the Z Flip 3 features a 12MP primary sensor with Dual Pixel PDAF and OIS, alongside a second 12MP ultra-wide sensor that lacks PDAF and OIS. The selfie camera has a resolution of 10-megapixels. The phone can record 4K 60fps video with its primary camera system and 4K 30fps videos using the selfie sensor.
These 12MP units are fairly old amongst Samsung flagships, too. They've been used by older Galaxy flagship phone series that have since upgraded to higher-resolution sensors. And the Galaxy Z Flip 3 lacks a zoom camera, even though newer mid-range devices have adopted this feature.
Ultimately, we understand that the Galaxy Z Flip 3's dual-camera system wasn't its best selling point. However, that doesn't mean the Galaxy Z Flip 4 will be as successful if it won't push the limits further. In our opinion, the camera is the component that is most in need of an upgrade for the Galaxy Z Flip 4. And if Samsung won't push the bar this year, the company might squander the upcoming foldable's chances of success.
At the very least, equipping the Galaxy Z Flip 4 with a better camera — without increasing the phone's price significantly — could attract more customers, some of which have avoided the Galaxy Z Flip 3 because of its lacking mobile photography capabilities.
Thankfully, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will reportedly get an upgraded telephoto camera borrowed from the Galaxy S22 series, so the probability that Samsung will also improve the Galaxy Z Flip 4's camera seems high.
What do you think the Galaxy Z Flip 4 needs to be a smash hit amongst other foldable phones? A powerful camera system, or perhaps something else? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section and our social media channels linked below.
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