Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 Review – The Refinement Before the Rebuild

In 2021, Samsung aligned its naming convention for its two foldable smartphone lines. As a result, I predicted, like many others, that Samsung was preparing for a dual annual launch for the Fold and Flip series, replacing that of the Note series before it. This turned out to be true. And, as it was almost clockwork on the Note's release schedule, Samsung released the Galaxy Z Fold4 and Z Flip4 in August 2022.

RELATED: Samsung launches Galaxy Z Fold4 & Flip4 in South Africa

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to take on the challenge of an in-depth review of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4. For almost two months, I used this smartphone as my daily driver. After moving all of my apps and authentication tools to the Flip4, I was fully integrated into the new device's ecosystem, whether I liked it or not. While it took me a while to get used to its predecessor, the Flip3, that's not the case this time.

Construction and design

If you look at the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4, you'll see that it has virtually the same clamshell design as its predecessor. I wouldn't have thought there would be many changes in design from year to year, given that folding technology is in its infancy.

That said, Samsung has improved the design slightly, making it a little smaller (ish) while making it a little more sturdy overall. When referring to its smaller build, I'm comparing the Flip4's 165.2×71.9×6.9mm dimensions to the Flip3's 166×72.2×6.9mm. We're talking about a millimeter narrower and shorter overall. Regarding weight, on the other hand, it gained 4g. A little too much Christmas candy, it seems. Neither measure brings significant changes a year later, which is most likely attributed to small changes in internal components rather than an active attempt to make a smartphone with a smaller frame.

In terms of construction, Samsung added a sturdier aluminum frame, which the company says provides “better resistance to drops and scratches.” I have not been able to attest to the sturdiness comparison, as I have never tested both devices by dropping or scratching them, even though they have not been protected by a case for almost two months.

The back of the device is made of tempered glass, which now sports Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection. This is essentially the cover of the device when folded, leaving it in reasonably good protection without a cover around it.

Additionally, if you look very closely at both devices you will also see that the edges are much flatter. It's not quite flat, as if exhibiting sharp edges, but it's noticeable in hand. The device also seems less clunky. Although you wouldn't have said that without comparing the devices side by side.

As already said, I didn't expect the Flip4 to have a radically new design. In fact, its clamshell design fits in my pocket while taking up half the space of a full-sized smartphone. I don't think you can ask for much more in this regard, apart from greater robustness, new colors and the like.

During the two-month trial period, I met two other Flip users, both with the Flip3 iteration. Both owners were interested in any design changes to see if they would upgrade, which says a lot about people's perception of what's worth upgrading from. smartphone. With Samsung not spending much on R&D for a new design, Flip3 owners don't consider the need for an upgrade. Given the average contract length of 24 or 36 months, it's understandable that many of them aren't upgraded either.

Samsung South Africa also alluded to this fact during a recent media presentation, stating that these are the average lengths of time customers keep their smartphones. If so, perhaps we can expect a more radical approach to design with the anticipated iteration of the Flip5.

Screen and display

One of the main changes between the original Z Flip and the Z Flip3 was the screen upgrade. It may have been a 6.7-inch screen size, but it made up for that with a better panel, offering improved refresh rates, a new OLED, and better brightness and contrast, to only cite a few. However, these developments have stalled with this year's iteration. Although the design of the phone has remained relatively unchanged, there have been improvements to the build quality to make it worth the money. The same cannot be said for the screen and display.

In terms of specifications, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 has a 6.7-inch foldable display with a dynamic AMOLED 2X panel. Additionally, it supports a 120Hz refresh rate, along with HDR10+ and a peak brightness of 1,200 nits. The screen has a resolution of 1080x2640px with a pixel density of 426ppi. The only change comes due to the 1mm narrower and shorter build, resulting in a screen-to-body ratio of 85.4% compared to the previous, 84.7%.

Additionally, the exterior screen also remains the same. This is a Super AMOLED panel measuring 1.9″ with a display resolution of 260x512px. The only positive change is that it now benefits from Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection.

Due to the same screen and technology, the crease in the center of the screen remains. It's noticeable at first when using the Flip, but soon after, it blends into the background, like your nose isn't noticeable in front of your face.

The foldable screen in nature

One final point about the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4's screen – or in this case, the folding hinge – is that it's not much different from the Flip3 either. It still doesn't fold completely flat, or nearly so, near the center. This means that if the ends close completely, the middle has a gap. As mentioned earlier, I met two Flip3 owners during the review period.

The first of these showed the center of its screen where the protective layer had peeled off the screen, causing dust to build up inside. Dust has therefore accumulated inside, which is quite visible during use, a bit like working with a cracked screen. The touch area was also less capacitive, and you had to press a little harder for the screen to pick up finger gestures.

The second device was in slightly better condition, as the owner had purchased a case for it. Its case was a bit clunky, adding a bit of bulk to the device, which I didn't like much. It is very elegant, especially since it is made in two separate parts given the folding.

RELATED: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 Review – All the Possible Improvements

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 performance and battery life

While it's not the best support in terms of exterior aesthetics and screen visuals, Samsung has gone back and done a fair amount of R&D on its hardware. The first of these changes is that the Qualcomm chipset is a newer version. It's finally on par with the Galaxy S line, where it was a chipset model or two behind.

This means that performance, overall, has also improved. The experience was much smoother and easier to use. Its 120Hz refresh rate made animations crisp on the UI, while still being able to accomplish tasks with relative ease. I often spent time editing images and videos using Samsung's native tools, which I could easily manage on the Flip4. This was a much better overall performance in this regard compared to the previous two iterations.

Another aspect that came back to the drawing board is the battery. I noted in the Flip3 review that the battery life wasn't ideal and rarely lasted a full day of editing or browsing social media. Fortunately, this has changed on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4. Thanks to the larger capacity battery (around 400mah extra) and the efficiency of the latest chipset, I no longer had to worry about all-day battery life. That said, I always felt the need to carry a charger with me throughout the day, but only on the rare occasions when I needed it. These included mornings when I was unable to fully recharge due to load shedding or a delay.

One downside of the battery, however, is that it takes a while to fully recharge. While devices like the Galaxy S22 offer 45W charging support, the Flip4 still falls below the 25W charging mark. This is an improvement over the Flip3's 15W support. Charging from near 0% took around 90 minutes and didn't always support fast charging with my previous device's cable and adapter. The S21 I'm currently using has a higher battery capacity with the same 25W charging support, while still being able to fully charge in about an hour.

Camera

If the screen of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 is identical to that of the Flip3, the camera also uses this copy/paste approach. It is also equipped with a dual-lens camera. However, its specifications have been slightly modified, not only on paper, but also during real-world testing.

The setup is similar in construction, although there have been some changes in opening and such. Samsung claims its 12MP main camera lets in 65% more light during the snapshot, resulting in brighter overall images with better clarity. The dual-lens configuration is as follows:

• 12MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide), 1/1.76″, 1.8µm, dual-pixel PDAF, OIS.

• 12MP, f/2.2, 123˚ (ultra-wide), 1.12µm

By performing some real-world testing on surrounding areas near my home, I was able to see that there was, in fact, a brighter image as the end result. Additionally, the images were also more saturated for more vibrant colors. In terms of overall sharpness, there is no noticeable difference between the two configurations, the old and the new.

When it comes to imaging, I noticed that in some known environments the Samsung camera software created an oversaturated image. For example, when taking photos of leaves or flowers, the colors were much more vibrant than what could be seen with the naked eye. The greens of the grass and leaves are the most revealing. The color balance may seem bold, but the whole thing gives the impression of a cartoon. You can change these settings somewhat if the oversaturated style doesn't suit you.

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4?

There are a lot of conclusions to be drawn from the latest version of Samsung's Flip line. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 is a solid smartphone, offering quite a few new features and updates over previous models. However, most of these changes are the result of internal hardware and software modifications aimed at creating a better user experience. If you're in the market for an upgrade that looks the part, then you might want to steer away from this iteration.

What's really great about the Flip4 is that its price has remained the same as the previous model at R21,999. This means that if you want to buy the Flip3, you should be able to find some good deals on the market. Additionally, Samsung still offers its Galaxy trade-in option, which allows owners of old smartphones to get up to R10,000 trade-in deducted from the price of the new phone.