Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 Review: The Verdict
Software upgrades do the heavy lifting this time around, helping realise the Galaxy Z Fold 4 as a multitasking powerhouse. But while the Z Fold 4 feels more useful this time, it's still very expensive, and in some cases, doesn't represent the best of what Samsung has to offer.
What we love
- Much better multitasking
- Solid camera
- Excellent performance
What could be improved
- Very expensive
- No bundled S Pen
- Just okay battery
The essentials
- Performance: Excellent, no complaints.
- Battery: Just okay. Expect around four hours of screen time with 120Hz and 5G on, with a roughly equal split between closed and open usage. More demanding users may not make it through the day.
- Screen: Gorgeous! Samsung at its best.
- Camera: A step up from previous foldable phones, but not quite on par with the best-of-the-best.
80/100
Four generations in, the software on Samsung's flagship foldable is starting to catch up with its hardware. Samsung's foldables are engineering marvels that not only showcase the company's manufacturing prowess, but elicit a sci-fi "phones shouldn't do that" giddiness.
As impressive as Samsung's folding hardware is, the software has lagged behind. It wasn't tailored to the folding experience, and often just felt like you were using a larger phone with a weird aspect ratio.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 doesn't manage to completely reinvent the software experience, but it's a big step forward that makes the device more intuitive and useful.
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Good hardware needs good software
The most meaningful software change is that the Z Fold 4's software is now based on Android 12L, a take on Android designed for tablets and foldable devices. As part of this, you now get a Mac-like app dock whenever you're using an app on the Z Fold 4's internal display.
Tapping these icons can be used to quickly jump between apps, or dragging the icons will open up apps side-by-side. If you have two apps open side-by-side, they'll be grouped in the taskbar so you can easily jump back to the pair.
In addition, there's a "start menu"-like option that reveals every app you've got installed if you want to launch something that isn't already in the dock.
While it may seem like a subtle change, it makes the multitasking experience on the Z Fold 4 a lot more seamless. Removing the need to go back to the home screen or open up the app drawer makes the Z Fold 4 a lot more like a tiny computer than a big, awkward phone.
If you've got a Z Fold 3 or Z Fold 2, you'll be getting Android 12L and the app dock down the line, but Samsung has yet to confirm exact timings for this.
We're also starting to see more app developers support the foldable form factor. Facebook finally looks more like a tablet app when open on the internal display, as does 1Password. Of course, there are still countless apps that don't. Twitter doesn't do anything useful with the larger real estate, while Instagram is particularly egregious and can't even be used side-by-side with another app.
The Android tablet experience is still far off matching iPad levels where apps make actual use of larger screens, but it's slowly getting better, and that's still a win for Samsung's foldables.
Finally a flagship camera
From a hardware perspective, an improved camera configuration is the Z Fold 4's most notable upgrade. This time around, Samsung kitted out its top-end foldable with the same shooters you'll find on the back of the Galaxy S22: a 50MP primary lens, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom.
On one hand, this is a step in the right direction. If you buy the Z Fold 4, you're actually getting a flagship camera rather than hardware that was distinctively mid-tier. On the other, the Z Fold 4 is Samsung's most expensive phone. Surely the cameras should be on par with the Galaxy S22 Ultra, if not better.
Hypotheticals aside, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 takes good photos but is a step behind the competition. In the high-end space, devices like the iPhone 13 family, Pixel 6, and OPPO Find X5 Pro are more reliable performers. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 isn't the best at capturing moving subjects (like pets) without motion blur, and misses out on fine detail in low light photos. But at the same time, the images taken by the primary camera aren't anything to scoff at - even if they're not best in class.
The secondary lenses are a bit weaker, as tends to be the case on most phones. The ultra-wide performs reasonably well in most environments, but the 3x zoom lens is too slow to use in low light. The zoom lens also brings 30x digital zoom to the Fold series for the first time, but realistically, you probably don't want to go beyond 5x. You can maybe push to 10x if you're shooting architecture.
One nice feature unique to Samsung foldables is that you can always unfold them part way so that they can prop themselves without the need for a tripod. It's a nice trick to have in the tool kit.
When it comes to selfie cameras, the internal screen still has a selfie camera hidden under the display. While it's not exactly a seamless design, the integration is a bit more subtle than last year. You can still tell exactly where the camera is, but it doesn't immediately jump out at you. The internal selfie camera quality still isn't great, however - it will do in a pinch for a video call, but you'll want to use the front-facing camera on the external display for actual photography needs.
Refinement, not revolution
On the face of it, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 doesn't look too different to its predecessors. It's still a weirdly tall candy bar that unfolds into a small tablet. There are a few small refinements that make the overall experience just that little bit better.
The front display is ever so slightly wider, which is a surprising boon for usability. A few extra millimetres would have been appreciated, but even the small increase makes it just that little bit better for two-handed typing out of the box. It doesn't feel quite as cramped. Similarly, the phone is a touch shorter, but this has far less of a material impact.
Here's the Z Fold 3 next to the Z Fold 4. The chunky hinge bulge is gone, creating more room for display.
Samsung has also improved the hinge. Not only is it a bit smaller, it's more rigid. The experience of opening and closing the phone just feels smoother.
Conversely, Samsung omitted some obvious updates this time around. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 still has S Pen support, but like the Z Fold 3, it isn't integrated into the body. The stylus is still sold separately and there's nowhere to stow it. This half measure was a little more understandable the first time around, but less so this year.
The Z Fold 4 still has a pretty noticeable crease in the display. This isn't the biggest deal from a usability perspective - especially when looking at apps with a white background - but it's odd all the same. OPPO, for example, all but eliminated the crease with the Find N. Even if the crease doesn't cause issues, I'd still prefer not having one. And while the Find N may only be available in China, it's concerning to see Samsung falling behind in a category it pioneered.
Here's the OPPO Find N next to the Galaxy Z Fold 4:
I would have also liked to see an improvement in battery life, which is essentially unchanged from the Z Fold 3. You can expect around four hours of screen time per charge with the 120Hz display and 5G both on. Dialling the refresh rate down to 60Hz extends this out to around five hours. My usage split between the external and internal screens was roughly 60:40, so I'd expect this to drop if you're predominantly using the Z Fold 4 unfolded.
Around four hours isn't dissimilar to the current crop of Android flagships, but it's not exactly great. More demanding users will likely find themselves in need of a top-up for longer days.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 - Final Thoughts
It's a no-brainer to call the Galaxy Z Fold 4 Samsung's best iteration yet, but improved multitasking software makes it far easier to take advantage of the innovative hardware and helps justify the form factor. The slightly wider external display is more natural to use, and the phone finally has cameras that almost live up to its price tag.
At the same time, you are still looking at spending at least $2,499 on the Galaxy Z Fold 4, making it one of the most expensive phones you can buy in Australia. Not only does this make it difficult to rationalise for most, it makes the "just okay" battery and lack of seemingly obvious updates sting that little bit more. Even if you can't stow the S Pen inside the Z Fold 4 itself, at least include it in the box.
There's a paradox to the Z Fold 4 in that it's clearly a premium phone, but at the same time, isn't quite premium enough. You need to be in love with the form factor to make it a better buy than a Galaxy S22 Ultra, for example. Maybe Samsung can finally allay itself of that caveat next year. In the meantime, you're getting a great device, but one that clearly has the potential to be more.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 camera samples
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