Introduction
On paper, Samsung’s 4th generation of foldables may not seem like the big upgrade some people were expecting, but more of an incremental one. Like they say, “Don’t fix what’s not broken.” While previous Gen-users may not be inclined to jump in, I think that this is the best opportunity for new users to check out the brand’s most innovative smartphones to-date.
The Galaxy Z Flip4 is a classic case in point.
Design and Build Quality
Design-wise, the Galaxy Z Flip4 retains most of what the Z Flip3 had and improves on a number of aspects. The display, for instance, can now go from 1Hz to 120Hz, and you also get HDR10+ support. The hinge is also slimmer.
The right-side houses all the buttons, while the left is where you’ll find the SIM slot. There’s no headphone jack here, while the USB-C port is joined by a single speaker at the bottom. One thing to note is that it can be tricky to use USB-C to 3.5mm dongles here, as the one I use at home that worked for every phone I had did not work with this Z Flip4.
As with the previous generation, the Galaxy Z Flip4 retains 1.9-inch Super AMOLED cover screen, which also gives you access to notifications, the calendar, playback control, and more. All that is good, but I find it a bit annoying that you can’t swipe on the cover screen immediately when folding the device.
Moving on to the display, you get a 6.7-inch AMOLED Infinity Flex screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. As such, navigating through menus and compatible apps feel smoother and fluid. I’m not sure why, but the film that covers the screen with a cutout for the front camera doesn’t really fit that premium look.
Performance
With a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 at the helm, the Galaxy Z Flip4 breezes through almost anything you throw at it, as expected. Genshin Impact, T3 Arena, Diablo Immortal, Call of Duty Mobile, it will run them all smooth. As for thermals, yes, it does get quite warm after a while, almost to a point that it’s uncomfortable. I guess that’s the price you pay for putting such a powerful chip in a slim chassis.
The only possible issue you could have when playing is that you can accidentally flip it back when you’re in a pinch, or in clashes, or when you’re tilted or excited.
Completing the package is 8GB of RAM, which should be more than enough for some multi-tasking, and 128GB of storage, which has become a standard even for mid-range phones and is personally more than enough. With no option for expandable storage, those who need more can opt for the 256GB and 512GB models.
Camera
To keep it short, the Galaxy Z Flip4 is great for taking photos both day and night, so long as you stick to the default focal length and 2x zoom. That’s because zooming in more than that severely decreases the amount of detail that you get, and it’s very noticeable especially when viewing the photos on a PC.
Apart from that, photos show excellent levels of detail, and the ultra-wide unit allows you to put in more in the frame without moving back. There is some distortion on the side, but depending on how you take it, it can be a creative addition to your shots.
Selfies can be taken using the main front camera, which is a 10MP snapper, or using the cover screen, with the rear cameras, giving you better quality and flexibility. Portrait Mode can be a hit and miss in terms of edge-detection.
Another cool thing about this phone is the ability to take shots at various angles, thanks to the fact it can stay semi-folded. For the front camera, you won’t need a stand to take your zoom calls, doing makeup, or simply just making sure that you look good. Just fold it halfway and place it on a flat surface. You’ll also be able to take selfies using gestures – very convenient.
Video performance is also decent. You can use the Super Steady feature to make your videos stable, at the cost of quality. It can shoot 4K 60fps, and the output looks decent as well.
Software
At the time of writing, the Galaxy Z Flip4 is running OneUI 5 on top of Android 13, which introduces several changes, such as color palette changes that apply to the entire system, as well as multi-tasking gestures for split screen and pop-up view.
As far as I can tell, some of the menus and most icons look pretty much the same. Performance-wise, I did not run into any stutters or lags
Battery
Battery life has always been an interesting talking point for the Z Flip series, and while they have upped the capacity a bit from the previous generation, the actual battery life is still not good, especially if you’ll use it on Mobile Data.
For my use case, which is a lot of photography, social media, video streaming, and music, the Z Flip4 was at around less than 20% after around 6 to 7 hours of standby and use. Bring a powerbank with you if you have this phone.
Since the phone does not come with a charger, I used a 65W GaN charger that I had at home and charging from zero to full took around 2 hours, which is nothing to write home about, especially when you consider that this only has a 3,300mAh battery.
Verdict
While it may only be an incremental upgrade, the changes that are present on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 all make sense, and are very welcome improvements that improve the user experience.
You get a better display, better performance thanks to the more powerful chip, and a more refined take on Android thanks to One UI 5. Its cameras, while certainly not as flexible as say, a Galaxy Z Fold4, are able to capture good looking photos in both day and night conditions.
On the other hand, the slightly bigger capacity battery is more than welcome, but the actual battery life is still dismal. I’m just hoping that the next iteration does a lot better. The screen protector feels cheap, and photo quality when zooming isn’t great.
To conclude, the Galaxy Z Flip4 is a great introduction to foldables for new users, given its price. For those using the Z Flip 3 though, I’d probably just wait for the next one. If you’re just aiming for a good flagship, without it necessarily being a foldable, I believe there are better options.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 is priced at PHP 58,990, PHP 62,990, and PHP 69,990 for the 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB models respectively. Get it here.
Emman has been writing technical and feature articles since 2010. Prior to this, he became one of the instructors at Asia Pacific College in 2008, and eventually landed a job as Business Analyst and Technical Writer at Integrated Open Source Solutions for almost 3 years.
