Just like the giant Samsung Galaxy Note series of smart devices launched in October 2011, few expected that the series of foldable devices would come with more than one iteration, expecting that it would be a device with its own gimmick and niche that would not be exploited by many people.
The series of smart devices has now entered its fourth model this year. If the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 shows a brand new design in terms of the use of UTG foldable glass and is more durable, and waterproof - the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 can be said to be an update to the model with some improvements that I dare say will make you want to own the device this.
Specifications
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4
External Screen – 6.2″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X 120Hz
Inside – 7.6″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X 120Hz, HDR10+
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 processor (5nm)
1 X 3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 chip
3 X 2.75 GHz Cortex-A710
4 X 1.80 GHz Cortex-A510
Adreno 730 Graphics Chip
RAM 12GB LPDDR5
Internal Storage 256GB UFS 3.1
Main Camera 12+50+10 Megapixel f/1.8+f/2.4+f/2.2, 3X optical zoom, 30x Digital Zoom, Ultra wide angle, OIS
Selfie Camera/Internal Camera 10MP f/2.2
4MP f/1.8 UDC
4400 mAh battery
25W wired charging
11W wireless charging
4.5W reverse charging
SIM/Nano Telephony/5G
NFC Yes
No Audio Jack
IPX8 Waterproof
Scan System Side fingerprint scanner
Sale Price RM 6799 (12/256GB)
RM 7299 (12/512GB)
RM 8299 (12/1000GB)
Design
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 is seen using the same frame as the previous Z Fold3 model. Despite this, Samsung has introduced a number of improvements to enable a better experience using the Z Fold4 device.
The first is that the hinge design on the Z Fold4 device can be seen to be thinner compared to the Z Fold3. The use of this thinner hinge allows users to open the Z Fold4 display more easily because the fold is not so tight compared to what could be felt before.
In fact, not only the hinge has been "managed" but the bezel size on all screens has been reduced further to make it more in line with the screen design of the Galaxy S series. As a result, Samsung says that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 is lighter compared to the weight of 263g compared to 271g on the previous model. .
Not a huge difference but this is Samsung's effort to make their foldable screen devices weigh the same as the candybar designed devices. The Fold series that is said to be heavy is one of the main complaints received by Samsung from users of existing devices.
Just like the Z Fold3, the frame of this device is made of aluminum and has a matte finish that does not trap fingerprints. The location of the power buttons, audio volume and even the USB-C charging plug are all still located in the same place without any changes.
In fact, when you look at the camera design of this device, it still uses the same three lenses, but here you can see the main difference between the previous Z Fold4 and Z Fold 3 devices.
If the Z Fold3 device uses a 12MP+12MP+12MP camera system, the Z Fold4 uses the 12MP+50MP+30MP camera system previously used on the Samsung Galaxy S22 and Samsung Galaxy S22+.
Yes, this also means that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 camera comes with 30x digital zoom and up to 3X optical zoom. This solves the issue of Fold users complaining that their premium device's camera capabilities are only comparable to a mid-range device.
One notable update made by Samsung is the use of a selfie camera in the display which now comes with a higher pixel density. If the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 previously came with a camera under the display with a density of 94 PPI, the selfie camera under the display of the Z Fold4 with a higher pixel density, around 132 PPI.
This means that when you open an app with the built-in 7.6-inch screen, the in-display selfie camera won't interfere with your view like it did with previous devices. The selfie camera and the internals of this device are seen to be unchanged compared to the previous model where it uses the same 10MP selfie camera module on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3.
In terms of specifications, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 processing chip, which is the most powerful mobile processing chip for Android devices. This chip is more powerful when compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip used in the Galaxy S22 series. So Z Fold (and Z Flip4) users are automatically using the most powerful Samsung device for 2022.
In terms of memory and storage, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 is equipped with 12GB of LPDDR5 memory and up to 1TB of UFS 3.1 storage. A slight addition here may be that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 now has RAM Plus memory expansion support that can add up to 8GB of RAM virtually by taking a portion of the SSD storage. Again there is no micro SD card support but this is to be expected as it has become the norm for Samsung flagship devices.
When asked why Samsung is again using Qualcomm chips for this latest Z Fold device, the company's spokesperson said that they want to ensure that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 uses the most powerful components on the market today, and that includes the use of Qualcomm processing chips. Although Samsung itself has an Exynos 2200 chip developed in collaboration with AMD it is not used in the Fodl series and this is a wise move because their own chip is problematic.
The battery capacity remains at 4400mAh. There is no increase in capacity like on the Z Flip4. More confusingly it only supports the same 25W wired and 11W wireless charging offered on previous devices. Samsung is adamant about maintaining this charging system while their competitors have already started offering 80W charging on mid-range devices.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 also comes with the use of two stereo speakers at the top and bottom of the device with Dolby Atmos support, another feature introduced on the previous device.
Another innovation carried out by Samsung is in terms of the use of recycled materials not only in the packaging of the device, but in terms of their internal components.
The use of recycled plastic and discarded fishing nets can be seen not only in the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 device, but also the Z Flip4 and Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro. Samsung is expected to continue using these recycled materials in the devices they will introduce in the future.
Screen
Although Samsung used the previous frame on their latest foldable device, one of the changes that Samsung has made for this Samsung Z Fold4 is that they have slightly expanded the size of their front display.
The external screen width of the Z Fold4 is 57.2mm, around 2.7mm wider than what is offered on the Z Fold3. According to a Samsung spokesperson, this will please those who said that the previous external display was too thin. This was touched on in the Z Fold3 review published by us last year.
Its external screen is too flat, making typing almost impossible for those with large fingers. Even so, the screen ratio is still elongated unlike the Oppo Find N which I still feel is the most user-friendly foldable screen device design so far.
Specific specifications for all Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 displays are as follows:
External Screen : 6.2 inches -2316 x 904 pixels, 120Hz
Internal Screen : 7.6 inches – 2176×181 pixels, 120Hz
Another improvement made by Samsung on the screen display of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the use of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ glass on the external and internal displays of this device, which promises that both displays are not easily scratched or cracked. This is the same glass used on the Galaxy S22 series.
In terms of display quality, just like the previous Galaxy Z Fold3 device, support for HDR10+ technology and high brightness values allow this device to be used to get a content viewing experience in a mobile device that is almost unparalleled.
It doesn't matter if you use an outdoor or indoor display, the Samsung Dynamic AMOLED 2X display quality, text, pictures and videos are all seen sharp and have very beautiful color processing. Samsung's smartphone screen technology is well-known enough to be used by competitors such as Apple and Oppo on their flagship devices.
Unfortunately, for those hoping that Samsung will fix the crease wrinkle issue on the internal display, it has yet to be resolved. Wrinkles are clearly visible especially when displaying a white background. The best way to solve this issue is to enable night mode all the time. The folds are not very obvious but will be noticeable especially when watching videos in full screen mode.
I can say this is one of the biggest issues on this device. After four versions and changing the polyamide plastic layer to Ultra Thin Glass (UTG), Samsung still hasn't found a solution to solve the crease effect issue. Maybe Samsung can ask Oppo and Vivo who can offer foldable screen devices with less noticeable fold effect.
S Pen
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 still supports the same S Pen as the previous model. There is no addition to the detail of the pen, new features to make it easier to use and more critically still no dedicated storage space like on the Galaxy Note/S22 Ultra. Ura-ura there is a storage place for the S-Pen far away like the construction cost of the LCS TLDM ship.
Only the S Pen Pro and S Pen Fold Edition can be used as they have rubberized points to prevent the foldable screen from being scratched. If a normal S Pen is tried to be used, it will not be detected at all.
The biggest improvement for the S Pen lies in the official frame released by Samsung. The S Pen storage compartment can be removed and replaced with a stick. With this the S Pen storage bump no longer bothers the user and can be removed if not needed.
Use And Software
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 comes with Android 12 operating system and OneUI 4.1.1 interface. In terms of usage and interface it looks the same as Z Fold3 only with some additional modes. For example, it still comes with the Flex Mode function that allows you to use various applications when the screen is folded 90 degrees, Continuity Mode that allows you to connect the use of applications from the external screen to the internal screen (and vice versa), and also the use of up to 3 applications at once through Multi mode Window.
The Edge Panel application dock is also included to make it easier for users to access the compass, flashlight, measuring stick, Live Message, quick access to applications and match three applications so that they are always launched simultaneously in Multi Window mode.
The taskbar dock at the bottom of the screen is now activated directly by default and is no longer placed in Samsung Lab like last year. Icons of applications that have been opened will be displayed on the taskbar to facilitate the process of switching between applications just like a Windows and macOS computer.
This was the feature I liked the most last year and having it enabled by default was a smart decision by Samsung. Users can also launch applications directly into Multi Window by performing a Drag & Drop action from the taskbar to the main screen. What we noticed is that the process of using Multi Window and resizing each window now feels much smoother. Most likely because it finally uses Android 12L implementation natively unlike last year's Z Fold3.
Everything runs smoothly because of the powerful Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip paired with 12GB of RAM memory. The size of this RAM is big enough for the various applications I tried to run but users can add 2GB, 4GB, 6GB and 8GB of RAM Over time through the RAM Plus feature. Part of the SSD storage will be taken to add virtual RAM.
In my opinion, this interface improvement is a good thing because Samsung is seen to be more daring to try to make a unique device with its own advantages, and not just make the device look like a Galaxy S series device with a wider screen display.
Conclusion
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 can finally be seen as a premium class device that not only comes with an attractive and unique design, but also comes with powerful processing chip specifications, flagship class cameras and also built-in software that comes with a number of improvements that make the experience of using this device even easier .
For me, this Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 can be seen as a device that will convince you to migrate from a candybar device to a foldable device, especially if you are still on the fence about devices like this.
Samsung is seen to have fixed a number of issues that appeared on previous devices, but the decision not to change some aspects of this device such as its charging technology and also how to store the S Pen accessory can be said to be somewhat puzzling.
It is understood that not everyone who wants to use a Galaxy Z Fold device will want to use the S Pen accessory. But if Samsung is serious about popularizing the Fold design to all users, the features that exist in the Galaxy S series should also be offered on the foldable screen device to make it the flagship device they offer.
Pro
Thinner hinge design that makes it easier to open the device.
A slightly wider outdoor screen display.
Landmark class camera specifications.
Landmark specifications that do not disappoint.
More improvements to the software.
Cons
The camera in UDC can still be seen at certain angles.
There is still no S Pen storage space in the device.
Charging is still only 25W.
The inner screen still has noticeable creases.