Foldable phones are making a comeback from the late 2000s in a manner that is part functional and part futuristic. After initial hiccups and sky-high prices with the first foldable phone from Samsung, the company has steadily perfected its game. And this year, the much-anticipated Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 will be released as a replacement for the Note series.
This upcoming folding phone from Samsung will be made official sometime in August at Samsung’s Unpacked event. This corroborates with the previous release dates of the Fold 2 and Fold 3. Users can expect a lot of changes from the Fold 3. What are the changes exactly? Well, here is everything that is known so far about them.
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Leaked and Rumoured Features of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
Design and Build Quality
The foldable phones aren’t like the usual run-off-the-mill single slab smartphones. The internals, the design, and the build quality makes a folding device functional. Users might remember how Samsung had to recall their first-ever Fold due to hinge issues. Well, this year, Samsung made a number of changes to overhaul the working mechanism of the device.
Firstly, there is the unified hinge. Rather than using a clasped mechanism, Samsung will use a unibody design which will take away the protrusion after folding. The extra space is rumoured to house a new inbuilt S pen for the device.
The device was also rumoured to feature an under-display fingerprint sensor. That too, on both the displays on the inside. However, Samsung reportedly scrapped the plan and will be sticking to the power button as the physical fingerprint sensor.
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Overall, the Z Fold 4 will be less chunky, more ergonomic, and will offer a more premium user experience.
Display
The display will also see a few notable changes this time. Samsung has previously used Dynamic AMOLED 2X for the Fold 3. Leaks suggest that the resolution and the unit panel will remain the same but there will be newer tech incorporated with the panel.
The first obvious change has to do with the display protection. Samsung has used their proprietary UTG or “Ultra-Thin Glass” as the protective layer over the display up until the Fold 3. This year, Samsung will upgrade to Super UTG to facilitate the new hinge design as well as reduce the crease on the display.
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The display itself is getting a few upgrades with the use of the new M12 OLED tech. This new panel upgrade is reported to bring better viewing angles, brighter colours, and overall better brightness. The display size is slated to remain with the inner panel being a 7.6 inch one and the outer one being 6.2 inches.
Camera
The Z Fold series, considering their eye-watering price, was never really about cameras. The camera tech on the previous iterations could be called average at best. It was clear that much of the money went to the R&D of the display and the incredible that allowed it to fold.
However, that is going to change with the Z Fold 4. Samsung is reportedly planning to go with the best at their hand for the Z Fold 4 camera module.
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The device is slated to feature the triple camera system from the Samsung S 22. Users might think why not the S 22 Ultra? Initially, Samsung planned to use the camera system from the S22 Ultra on the Fold 4, but the slim design of the Fold 4 will not allow for the protruding camera module to fit properly. So, the current 12 MP triple camera setup will be replaced by a 50 MP main sensor, 10 MP telephoto, and 12 MP ultrawide sensor from the S 22 series.
Samsung will also be introducing an in-display selfie camera. The camera on both the inside and outside panels will feature an in-display selfie lens under live pixels. overall, the photography and the videography on the Z Fold 4 will see a drastic improvement compared to the previous generations.
Processor and Performance
The Z fold series always had to work with three displays. So, the performance requirement was also very high. Samsung has consistently gone with 12 GB RAM as the base option. The Z Fold 4 will also feature the same as the base variant. The processor will be the upgraded version of the current flagship processor from Snapdragon, the 8 Gen 1 plus. Given the computational power requirement of the three displays along with some key multitasking features, the processor choice seems fair.
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Speaking of multitasking, Samsung is going to introduce display continuity with the Z Fold 4. For example, a user can continue their task on the unfurled display even if they started it on the outer panel. In addition to that, the Z Fold exclusive features like Glance, Quick Note, and Magnifier will reprise their roles.
Battery and Charge Time
The efficient processing power and display optimization has helped Samsung get away with lower battery size. Like the Z Fold, 3 featured a 4400 mAh battery. The Z Fold 4 also won’t revamp the existing strategy and the battery size should range between 4500 to 5000 mAh. There should also be an included 25 W fast charger in the box.
Price
When the first Z Fold launched, it broke the 2000-dollar mark for mobile devices. It was mostly out of reach for most regular consumers. Samsung has reduced the price over the last two generations and the price drop is expected to continue to the Z Fold 4 as well.
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Some reports suggest that the device will come with a 1600-dollar price tag for the base variant, down from 1800 dollars on the Z Fold 3. This price means that the Z Fold 4 would cost 1,38,105 BDT when it becomes officially available (1 USD = 86.32 BDT). However, take the pricing with a grain of salt as the upgrades mean Samsung might not actually reduce the price.
Verdict
So, should you wait for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4? There is no straight answer to this. The Z fold series of phones aren’t still on the utilitarian end, rather it's more of a novelty device with a high price tag. If you are after the latest breakthrough tech in mobile devices, then sure wait ahead. But at the end of the day, it is still a statement piece over a functional everyday carry.