What Samsung may (and should) do with its next foldable smartphone
If the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is any indication, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 will have a tough time following in its footsteps. However, the foldable phone formula has not yet been perfected, so there is still opportunity for development.
There is still a lot we don’t know about the Z Fold 4 despite a steady flood of rumours. For this reason, we’ve compiled all of the leaks and rumours we’ve heard so far, and we’ve provided our opinions on what the Z Fold 4 has to improve on in order for Samsung’s next generation to continue to retain the greatest folding phones crown.
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
If you’re curious about what the Galaxy Z Fold 4 may look like, check out the speculated features (and what we desire) below.
Galaxy Z Fold 4: When Will It Be Available in Retail Stores?
When it comes to the likely introduction of the new Z Fold 4, both leaks and our expert assumptions are on the same page. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 was released in August, and the Galaxy Z Fold 2 was released in September the year before that. Both were released in the late summer/early fall. We believe that Samsung would like to avoid competing with the iPhone 14 by launching the Z Fold 4 around the end of August or the beginning of September, so we predict a similar debut date for the Z Fold 4 as well.
According to leaker Jon Prosser, the Z Fold 4 will be shown on August 10th (and a couple of other devices). Pre-orders are expected to begin on the same day as the retail launch on August 26, and will run until then.
There’s a chance the next Fold will go by a different name when it debuts. Galaxy Fold 3 is being sold in Europe as a response to the use of the letter Z by Russian officials as a sign of support for the invasion of Ukraine. That has spurred rumours that Samsung may remove the Z from the Galaxy Z Fold 4 name.
The price of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
According to Korean leaker yeux1122 on Korean site Naver and Ross Young, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will be cheaper than the Z Fold 3, which would be excellent news considering the Z Fold 3’s $1,799 price tag.
We may see a $400 decline in the price of the Z Fold 4 over the next two years if the Galaxy Z Fold 2 costs $1,999 when it launches in 2020. The price difference between a foldable and a phablet is getting smaller, so more people will be persuaded to buy a foldable phone even though it’s still more expensive.
The design of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
A lot of information about the Z Fold 4’s probable design is suddenly leaking out in the open.
Frosted edges are expected to be less noticeable on this year’s Galaxy Z Fold 4, an Ice Universe leak has said (opens in new tab). Plus, it’s only 8.9 ounces in weight. With a weight of 8.5 ounces, it would be lighter than the 9.5-ounce Z Fold 3 and the iPhone 13 Pro Max.
OnLeaks and Smartprix have also provided several renderings of the Galaxy Z Fold 4. If they’re real, these images show the reported phone from nearly every aspect, as well as providing a wealth of information regarding the foldable – if they are.
The rear cameras on the Galaxy S22 Ultra look a lot like the ones on the Z Fold 3, which is a good thing.
It’s unclear if the hinge design has been altered by OnLeaks and Smartprix, but that’s what these images suggest.
A similar set of reports claims that both the screens on the exterior and interior of the Z Fold 3 will measure 6.2 and 7.6 inches, respectively. Also, the 120 Hz refresh rate is anticipated to remain.
As far as the phone’s total dimensions are concerned, the leakers estimate that the phone will measure 6.1 x 5.1 x 0.27 inches when unfurled (155 x 130 x 7.1 mm). To be more precise, it would be narrower and thicker in comparison to its predecessor.
We’ve heard similar reports before, and the leaked renderings are consistent with them. Samsung, for example, is researching methods to lower the phone’s weight by revising its hinge and increasing its waterproofing and dustproofing, according to a post on the Korean blogging site Naver. Having a phone that is less vulnerable to water and dust damage sounds like a good idea to us.
To that end, Twitter user @TheGalox(opens in new tab) has claimed that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will only have a single central hinge, unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 3, which had two. The Z Fold 4 might be made smaller and lighter while also being more robust as a result.
Ice Universe(opens in new tab) claims that the internal display of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will feature a new aspect ratio that is squarer(opens in new tab), as compared to 5:4 for the Z Fold 3. Consequently, the panel may be both smaller and larger. A more recent leak from IU claims that this ratio will be 6:5, which is certainly somewhat squarer than the original.
The exterior is expected to remain quite thin and tall, although not nearly as tall as previously. Another leaked image shows the redesigned form of the Z Fold 3’s casing, which was shared by IU.
If true, a rumour suggests that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 will not include a slot for the S Pen. Ice Universe, a leak site, has confirmed that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will not include a built-in S Pen. The good news is that he does indicate the design will be smaller and slimmer.
Another report indicates that Samsung has been experimenting with its aspect ratio in the Z Fold 4 prototypes, which might mean that the front display of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will change. As of now, there is no way to know which version of the Z Fold 3 Samsung will go with, but Twitter tipster Chunv8888 believes there are several options, some of which don’t change significantly from the Z Fold 3.
According to leaker yeux1122, Samsung may be replacing the present Ultra-Thin Glass (UTG) material with a superior one for the interior display. The new material is said to be more durable and better quality, making it easier to use with a S Pen stylus.
The fingerprint-sensing power button appears to be one design element that will remain untouched. A button-mounted fingerprint sensor will be retained on the Z Fold 4, rather than the under-display module that was originally intended by Samsung for the device. It’s possible that the button-mounted sensor is a superior alternative altogether.
New engineering development is more exciting than colour selections, but they are nonetheless vital to the overall design of a smartphone. Z Fold 4 might come in beige, grey, or black, a trio of colours that aren’t particularly eye-catching for a phone that costs so much.
Cameras on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
A 50MP primary sensor and a 3x optical zoom on the telephoto camera are the most recent Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 camera rumours. To put things in perspective, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 has three 12MP cameras and a 2x optical zoom. On a $1,799 phone, these weren’t terrible, but they seemed a touch sluggish.
So, if this rumour is true, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will have a significantly improved camera with a similar camera configuration as the Galaxy S22 (opens in new tab).
For the first time, Samsung has put an under-display camera on the primary display of its Galaxy Z Fold 3 smartphone. According to a source from Korea, the Z Fold 4 might improve on this by including a second camera behind the display cover.
Galaxy Z Fold 3 has a mediocre under-display camera, so having another one isn’t ideal until Samsung attempts to fix the situation. And that’s precisely what the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is expected to have, with a suite of under-screen camera enhancements rumoured, including a 16MP sensor, up from a meagre 4MP.
However, not everyone agrees with the concept that Samsung is likely to add a sensor of that size to its under-display cameras. According to Ice Universe’s “100% authentic” list of Galaxy Z Fold 4 specifications, the under-display camera is still a 4MP sensor.
A look at the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: battery and performance
It’s sad that the only rumour concerning the Z Fold 4’s power source is bad news. According to this, Samsung will maintain the battery size of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 around the same. According to leaked specs from Yogesh Brar and Ice Universe, the new model will have the same 4,400 mAh battery as its predecessor.
As a downside of foldable phones, they have a larger screen to power, even though the battery is smaller or equal to that of a comparable phone. 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, including as its battery capacity.
Leaked regulatory documents, however, suggest that the Z Fold 3’s 25W charging speed will not be increased to make up for this.
We may be getting a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus chipset in the forthcoming foldable, if leaker Ice Universe is to be believed. Compared to the Galaxy S22 series, this would be a significant improvement in performance, as well as a modest advantage.
What we’d want to see in the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold:
If the speculations about the Z Fold 4 weren’t enough to whet your appetite, we’ve compiled a short wish list for the next foldable.
The “Galaxy Flex Note” idea, based on a patent submitted by Samsung and given to reality by Technizo Concept and LetsGoDigital, is a good place to start. The Z Fold series would be the successor to the Galaxy Note series, which saw a possible end this year with the cancellation of the Galaxy Note 21. We appreciate how this design employs a single display and offers room for a S Pen pen.
The Z Fold 4 may have some of the capabilities we’ve seen on previous Samsung devices, as well as more tipped for the future. Even while the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 has a different form of personalization than the Z Flip 3 Bespoke Edition since one side is still all screen, the two devices may easily coexist.
Similarly, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 may have new components like the Snapdragon 898/895 or Samsung’s latest LPDDR5X RAM. If they do make it to phones this year, they’ll most likely debut on the Samsung Galaxy S22.
To recap, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 should include the following features.
Improved cameras
However, despite its high price, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 has the same set of cameras as the Galaxy Z Fold 2 from the previous year, but with the internal selfie camera changed out for an under-display camera..
A better overall camera system would be nice for the Z Fold 4. Even if Samsung isn’t focusing on photography with its foldables, bigger or higher-resolution sensors would still be welcomed. It would also be wonderful if Space Zoom had more power.
Adding a place to store the S Pen
There’s a good chance the next-generation Z Fold 4 will have the S Pen stylus, which was first introduced in the Z Fold 3. We hope the stylus is integrated into the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s body, rather than requiring you to keep it separately or in specially designed cases as in the concept design above.
The Galaxy S22 Ultra is believed to have a S Pen slot, therefore the Galaxy Z Fold 4 would be logically next in line.
Yet another decrease in the selling price
Following in the footsteps of the Galaxy Z Flip 3, Samsung has to make foldables more affordable so that they may become as popular as other high-end smartphones. This was stated in the yeux1122 report, although it has little immediate significance. Between now and the phone’s launch, a lot may happen.
A more discrete method of concealing display wrinkles
One disadvantage of watching material on a foldable display is that the creases in the screen might occasionally detract from the viewing experience. For us, it would be ideal for the crease to fade into the background, but not completely disappear.
A leaner body type
Getting a foldable phone that is very thin will be difficult because of the nature of folding the primary display in half. There is one common criticism about the Z Fold 3: it is cumbersome and heavy to take around. The Z Fold 4 may use a few more tenths of an inch of reduction in overall size.
Battery life that lasts longer.
The Z Fold 3 has to power two screens, one of which is the size of a small tablet, from the get-go. Our tests showed a battery life of less than eight hours, and we’d want to see that number rise to closer to ten hours by making use of a bigger battery and other efficiency improvements.