Samsung stays in its comfort zone with Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4

Sometimes, the best upgrade is the obvious one.

Fergus Halliday
Aug 10, 2022
Icon Time To Read3 min read

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Samsung is looking to play to its strengths with the new Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4.

Announced at the company's latest Unpacked hardware showcase, Samsung's fourth-generation foldable smartphones don't deviate too much from its third-generation counterparts. However, that's not necessarily a bad thing.

What Samsung's latest lot of foldable smartphones lack in originality or innovation, they make up for in polish. Even if they aren't all that different to last year's batch of bendy phones, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4 seek to bury the idea that buying a foldable is a gamble. Familiarity is a feature rather than a bug.

As you'd expect from a premium Samsung smartphone, both the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 run on the latest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor. The former features a hefty 12GB of RAM, while the latter makes do with just 8GB.

The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is also a heavy-hitter when it comes to the price-tag. The cheapest storage option on the table (256GB) available to Australians starts at $2,499, while the most expensive (1TB) goes for an eye-watering $2,999.

Check out the table below for a short-and-snappy breakdown of how the pricing of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 compare to the current Galaxy S range.

Galaxy Z Flip 4
Galaxy Z Fold 4
Galaxy S22
Galaxy S22+
Galaxy S22 Ultra
128 GB$1,499N/A$1,249$1,549$1,849
256 GB$1,649$2,499$1,349$1,649$1,999
512 GB$1,849$2,699N/AN/A$2,149
1 TBN/A$2,999N/AN/A$2,449

If you'd prefer to pay off your new phone in installments, here's a selection of popular 24-month Galaxy Z Flip 4 plans.

And here's a selection of popular 24-month Galaxy Z Fold 4 plans:

Like previous Galaxy Z Fold devices, the Z Fold 4 is heavier and thicker than the average flagship. There's a 6.2-inches display on the outside, and a tablet-sized 7.6-inches display on the inside. Both are Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays on par with the one found on the S22 Ultra and clocked at 120Hz.

As with the Galaxy Z Fold 3, the Z Fold 4 supports Samsung's S Pen accessory. Unfortunately, this accessory is still sold separately as an add-on rather than included as standard as seen with the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Those looking to make use of this functionality will also need to budget for a carry-case for the stylus, as the Z Fold 4 does not include any form of housing for the accessory.

The camera hardware on the Galaxy Z Fold 4 has also gotten an update. The device is being pitched as the first foldable to include Samsung's 30x Space Zoom feature. Beyond that gimmick, the device boasts a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultrawide sensor and 10MP telephoto sensor.

This gives the Galaxy Z Fold 4 an identical camera setup to the Galaxy S22 and S22+, but it's still a step behind the S22 Ultra.

Galaxy Z Fold 4 in Silver

The Galaxy Z Flip 4 has undergone a similarly light-handed tune-up. You're looking at an almost identical 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display here, flanked by a 1.9-inch cover Super AMOLED screen on the outside. Though it does come armed with a few new tricks (such as support for video content and animated gifs) the Z Flip 4's cover is more-or-less the same as the one on its predecessor.

Compared to that previous model however, the Galaxy Flip 4 feels slightly more compact to hold and the hinge feels slightly more reliable. It's less sticky, and more sturdy. Less good: the glossy crease at the center of the fold remains just as visible as earlier incarnations of the device.

As with an ill-sized camera bump or notch, this quick may irk some more than others. Still, as with the new Galaxy Z Fold 4, the frosted glass and steel edges add premium flourish that feels worthy of the price-tag involved. In Australia, pricing for the Galaxy Z Flip 4 starts at $1,499.

The camera on previous Z Flip devices has typically been something of a weak link, but Samsung is hoping that a larger sensor will shore things up. You won't get any more megapixels or extra optical zoom, but you will get better night-mode performance out of the dual-lens (12MP standard + 12MP ultrawide) setup here.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 also boasts a larger battery than its predecessor, at 3700mAh rather than 3300mAh, and support for faster 25W charging.

Samsung has also confirmed that their customisable "Bespoke Edition" service will be available from launch for the Galaxy Z Flip 4. This is great news for those who want their foldable to match their fashion sense, but taking advantage of the offer will cost you in both choice and dollars.

Aussies who want a bespoke Galaxy Z Flip 4 are stuck with the 256GB size and will have to pay an extra $70 over what they'd be parting with otherwise.

Galaxy Z Flip 4 folded

Pre-orders for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 start on August 11 ahead of a September 2 Australian launch.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and the Z Fold 4 are each set to arrive in a trio of different storage sizes at launch, and will be available through the usual retailers outright and Telstra, Optus, Vodafone, and Woolworths Mobile on a plan.

Fergus Halliday
Written by
Fergus Halliday
Fergus Halliday is a journalist and editor for Reviews.org. He’s written about technology, telecommunications, gaming and more for over a decade. He got his start writing in high school and began his full-time career as the Editor of PC World Australia. Fergus has made the MCV 30 Under 30 list, been a finalist for seven categories at the IT Journalism Awards and won Most Controversial Writer at the 2022 Consensus Awards. He has been published in Gizmodo, Kotaku, GamesHub, Press Start, Screen Rant, Superjump, Nestegg and more.

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