What Samsung could (and should) do with its upcoming foldable smartphone.
If the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is to succeed where the Galaxy Z Fold 3 left off, it will have to overcome some formidable challenges. Despite this, the foldable phone recipe has yet to be refined.
GALAXY Z FOLD 4 RUMORED SPECS
- Interior display: 7.6-inch QXGA+ AMOLED, 120Hz
- Exterior display: 6.2-inch HD+ AMOLED, 120Hz
- CPU: Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1
- RAM: 12GB
- Storage: 128GB/256GB/1TB
- Rear cameras: 50MP main; 12MP ultrawide; 10MP telephoto (3x zoom)
- Front cameras: 10MP (exterior), 4MP (under-display)
- Battery size: 4,400 mAh
The Z Fold 4 is already the subject of a steady stream of rumors, but there is still a lot we don’t know. For now, our ideas on what Samsung needs to do to keep the Z Fold 4 as the greatest foldable phone in the world have been gathered from leaks and rumors we’ve seen thus far.
Take a peek at the speculated features (and what we’d want to see) with the Galaxy Z Fold 4 below.
In the most recent Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 news (updated July 28)
- As far as we know, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will cost no more than the Z Fold 3 in Korea.
- The first look at the Galaxy Z Fold 4 was seen in the official teaser for Galaxy Unpacked, which was released today.
- The launch date for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 has been announced. Check out the timeline below to learn more.
- The Galaxy Z Fold 4 will be unveiled at Samsung’s Unpacked presentation on August 10th, and invitations have been given out. It’s also been confirmed that the company is working on new foldable models.
- The Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 could have been leaked on August 10th, if that’s when they were supposed to be announced.
Release date of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
Galaxy Unpacked will be held on August 10 by Samsung. The live feed will begin at 6 a.m. PT/9 a.m. ET. Also, we believe the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will be released at that time. It’s easy to figure out what’s going on from the invitation’s folding mechanism. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 are also expected to make an appearance at this event, as are the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro 2.
Price rumors for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
After dropping by $200 in a year, the price of the Z Fold 4 might drop another $400 over the course of two years, to $1,599 for the 2020 model. Even the most fully-specced phablet-style phone would still be prohibitively expensive, but as the gap narrows, more and more phone buyers will be enticed to go for a foldable.
Ross Young and yeux1122 on Korean portal Naver(opens in new tab) both believe the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will be cheaper than the previous model. Considering that the Galaxy Z Fold 3 debuted at $1,799, this is good news.
However, Evan Blass reports that Samsung could sell a model with 128GB of onboard storage for a lower entry-level pricing for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. If Samsung wants the Galaxy Z Fold 4 to be a more mainstream gadget, we believe that lowering the price should be a top focus.
Samsung might cut the starting price of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 by offering a 128GB model in addition to the 256GB and 512GB options available on the Galaxy Z Fold 3, paving the way for more affordable foldable phones in the future. Remember, we’re not expecting even the lowest-spec Fold 4 to cost less than $1,000, so don’t get too excited about the term “cheap.”
The price of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 has been disclosed by a European store. Starting at €1,864 for a model with 256GB of storage, the Fold 4 is expected to cost roughly $65 more than the previous year’s flagship. Although this leak should be taken with a grain of salt due to the fact that it’s just one merchant, pricing might vary greatly according on individual markup and miscommunication.
The price may not be rising or lowering at all, according to a Korean source we’ve spoken to. Even if we’d prefer a cheaper Z Fold 4, the same price is better than a higher one any day.
As a side note, if you’d like to pre-order whatever Samsung unveils on August 10, you can now do so at Samsung.com (opens in new tab). If you plan to purchase your phone along with a Galaxy Watch or earbuds, you may be eligible for a $200 credit. As a new customer, Samsung is issuing a $100 credit that may be redeemed for a variety of products at the company’s website.
The Design of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
The Z Fold 4’s design has already been widely leaked.
Among Ice Universe’s more convincing leaks is the claim that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will have a crease that is less noticeable than the Z Fold 3’s, which is backed up by supposed comparison photographs. In addition, only 8.9 ounces of weight is predicted. With a weight of 8.5 ounces, it would be comparable to the iPhone 13 Pro Max rather than the 9.5 ounce Z Fold 3.
OnLeaks and Smartprix have also provided several renders of the Galaxy Z Fold 4. Assuming that they’re true, these renders not only show off the speculated phone from every aspect, but they also disclose a lot about the foldable design.
When it comes to its rear cameras, the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s design-style is immediately apparent, rather than that of the Z Fold 3.
It’s unclear from these images whether the hinge design has been altered by OnLeaks and Smartprix.
Just like on the Z Fold 3, the displays are expected to measure 6.2 inches (outside) and 7.6 inches (inside). Also, both screens are expected to maintain their 120 Hz refresh rates
Finally, according to the leakers, the phone will measure 6.1 x 5.1 x 0.27 inches when unfolded (155 x 130 x 7.1 mm). However, its dimensions would be slightly larger and more substantial than its predecessor.
Several more rumors have pointed to the same leaked renders. When it comes to water and dust resistance, a post on the Korean blogging site Naver claims that Samsung is looking into ways to lighten the phone by revising its hinge. We’d want a phone that’s lighter and less prone to harm from liquids and dust.
A leaker named Anthony, known as @TheGalox on Twitter, claims that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 would employ a single hinge instead of the two that were used in Galaxy Z Fold 3. This would allow the Z Fold 4 to be smaller and lighter while also increasing its durability.
In contrast to the 5:4 aspect ratio of the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s internal display, Ice Universe claims that the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s internal display will have a new aspect ratio that’s more square. As a result, the panel might be made narrower while also being made wider. A more recent leak from IU claims that this ratio will be 6:5, which is indeed significantly squarer than the previous one.
It appears that the outside will remain narrow and tall, but perhaps not quite as tall as it was previously. In addition, IU has released a leaked case, which shows the revised shape compared to the same case on the Z Fold 3
According to reports, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 won’t have a place to keep S Pen. This is sad. Ice Universe, a leak site, has confirmed that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will not include an integrated S Pen. He does, however, claim that the design would be smaller and thinner, which is encouraging.
Another report indicates that the front display of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 may change, with Samsung experimenting with its aspect ratio in the Z Fold 4 prototypes. As of now, there is no way to know which version of the Z Fold 3 Samsung will go with, but Twitter tipster Chunv8888 claims there are several options, some of which don’t differ significantly from the Z Fold 3.
According to leaker yeux1122, Samsung may be replacing the present Ultra-Thin Glass (UTG) display panel with a more advanced one. To make it easier to use with a S Pen stylus (even if one isn’t built in), the new material is said to be stronger and better-quality.
The fingerprint-sensing power button appears to be one design element that will remain untouched. Samsung allegedly chose not to proceed with a proposed under-display fingerprint module for the Z Fold 4, instead keeping the button-mounted sensor of the Z Fold 3. However, the button-mounted sensor is already a solid choice, so this may be a better option in the long run.
Even though the new engineering work in the phone is more interesting, color options are still vital to the phone’s appearance. Leakster Ross Young claims that the Z Fold 4 will be available in one of three neutral colors: beige, grey or black. This would be a surprising color palette for a device of this price.
But according to a new report from Evan Blass, the phone may also be available in the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s burgundy red color, which is a little less austere than the other three.
Teasers from Samsung have been the closest we’ve come to an official presentation of the design so far. It’s hard to tell much from the photo, but if you’ve seen the Galaxy Z Fold 3, you’ll recognize the style immediately.
Cameras on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
Rumors about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4’s new rear camera design have been quashed, but the claim that the foldable phone will include a 50MP main camera has gained more traction.
The Galaxy S22’s 12MP main camera is decent, but it can’t compete with the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s 108MP camera. This camera’s main camera could use some work, but the 12MP ultrawide and 12MP telephoto cameras are good as they now stand. Another option is to increase the primary sensor’s resolution to 50 MP.
Rumors about the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s 3x optical zoom on the telephoto camera have surfaced. The telephoto cameras of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 had a 2x optical zoom.
So, if these rumors are true, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will have a significantly improved camera and a similar camera configuration as the Galaxy S22 (opens in new tab).
In comparison to previous Samsung phones, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 introduced the company’s first main display under-display camera. By integrating an additional under-display camera, a Korean leaker claims that the Z Fold 4 will be able to expand on this.
Galaxy Z Fold 3 had a mediocre under-display camera, so having another one isn’t ideal until Samsung tries to enhance the camera. On top of all those underscreen camera enhancements, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 is expected to feature an upgraded sensor with 16MP resolution instead of the current model’s 4MP resolution.
Not everyone is on board with the concept that Samsung would add a larger sensor to its under-display camera. According to Ice Universe, the specifications for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 were “100 percent true,” however the under-display camera was still listed as a 4MP sensor.
the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: Battery and Performance.
It’s sad that the only rumor we have about the Z Fold 4’s power source is bad news. Apparently, the battery on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will remain around the same size as it is now. According to leaks from Yogesh Brar and Ice Universe, the new model will have the same 4,400 mAh battery as the device from last year.
When compared to other smartphones, foldables have a larger screen but smaller batteries, which means they use more power to run their larger screens. In order to make the Z Fold 3 survive a whole day without recharging, Samsung will need to improve other aspects of the phone’s design, like as the battery capacity.
Leaked regulatory documents appear to indicate that the Z Fold 3’s 25W charging speed may not be improved to compensate for this.
According to Ice Universe’s leaks, the next foldable could include a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus CPU. In other words, it will be faster than the Galaxy S22 series and a slight improvement over the previous generation.
Also recently, rumors of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 benchmarks have surfaced. Galaxy Z Fold 4’s Geekbench 5 testing resulted in a single-core 1,351 score, and a multi-core 3,508 result. Galaxy Z Fold 4 may also employ a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus processor with 12GB of RAM, according to a listing.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold: What we’d like to see
This isn’t an exhaustive list of what we’d like to see in Z Fold 4, but it’s a start.
Because of this, Technizo Concept and LetsGoDigital have come up with an intriguing concept called the “Galaxy Flex Note” that appears like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 but is actually the “Galaxy Flex Note” patent. The Z Fold series would be a worthy successor to the now-defunct Galaxy Note series, thanks to its single-display design and provision for a S Pen stylus.
The Z Fold 4 could get some of the same or even more features that we’ve seen on other Samsung phones and are expected to see in the future. While the Z Flip 3 Bespoke Edition from Samsung has a variety of color options, the Z Fold 4 has a distinct level of customizability due to the fact that one side of the folded phone is still all screen.
For the Galaxy Z Fold 4, here is what we’d want to see.
Improved cameras
This year’s Galaxy Z Fold 3 boasts a similar combination of cameras to last year’s model, with the exception of the internal selfie camera being replaced by one hidden beneath the display.
The Z Fold 4’s cameras may be significantly improved if Samsung made this a standard feature. Samsung’s foldables won’t have the same emphasis on photography as its Galaxy S phones, but the inclusion of higher-resolution sensors would be a nice touch. It would also be wonderful to have a more strong Space Zoom feature.
Build in onboard S Pen storage.
Because Samsung’s Z Fold 3 was the first folding device to have the S Pen stylus, a follow-up Z Fold model would be logical. To avoid having to carry around a S Pen separately or in a specially designed case, Samsung hopes to include the stylus into its new Galaxy Z Fold 4 design, as shown in this concept image.
This does not appear to be the case, however, based on the rumors that have circulated since our initial publication of this article.
Another price reduction has occurred.
Foldable phones should be priced more competitively with other high-end smartphones if Samsung is serious about making foldables widespread. To make this shift conceivable, there is the prospect of a 128GB Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Display creases that are more effectively concealed
When using a foldable display to watch material, you may notice that the creases in the screen can be noticeable. However, it would be good to see the crease recede into the background a little further, as is being predicted by Galaxy Z Fold 4 speculations.
Slimming down the body
A foldable phone is unlikely to be very small because of the nature of folding the main display in half. People who saw the Z Fold 3 complained that it was too heavy and cumbersome to carry about. As far as we’re concerned, the Z Fold 4 could use a few more millimeters of reduction in size.
a longer life for the battery
Due to the Z Fold 3’s dual displays, including one that is the size of a small tablet, it has a disadvantage from the get-go. In our tests, we found a battery life of less than 8 hours, and we would like to see a battery capacity of at least 10 hours.