Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 5G review: Refining what #foldablelife really means

Note: This review was first published on 30 August 2022.

Overview

With nearly 10 million foldable smartphones sold in 2021, Samsung would be crazy to rest on its laurels. People voted with their wallets on what they wanted for their next smartphone, and the clamshell-styled foldable Samsung helped scratch that itch for many. From another perspective, that's possibly 10 million people who didn't mind having a crease running across their handset's display. 

The follow-up to this collective decision from both the brand and its customers is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 5G, which tells us #foldablelife isn't just a trend, but it's here to stay. Samsung has given it additional sprinkles to make it better than the last, although these changes aren't immediately visible at the start.

Galaxy Z Flip4 5G in a nutshell

In fact, the Flip4 is almost identical to the Flip3, save for the extremely minor size differences that can only be seen if you have both the old and new foldables side by side. It's the same clamshell-styled phone with a 6.7-inch Main Screen tucked within and a 1.9-inch Cover Screen for the shortcuts you could possibly need.

Besides the increase in battery life and charging speed (additional 400mAh and 10W), an upgrade to its processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1), and a slight increase in the main camera's pixel size for better light capture (1.8μm pixel size versus 1.4μm), the Galaxy Z Flip4 5G is a fraternal twin to the Flip3.

Functionally, the Galaxy Z Flip4 does nearly everything the Galaxy S22 series can – including its blazing fast and accurate fingerprint unlock feature (albeit this one has a side-mounted one). You’re not going to find it very different from its typical Samsung One UI layout, and operating the phone is just as straightforward as a single-slate device which most people are familiar with.

It's pretty clear that Galaxy Z Flip4 5G stands out a with foldable display, which confers extra practicality and novelty for users tired of conventional single-slate phones. 

So, what’s different now?

Since the foldable display is the main selling point of both Galaxy Z models, we’ll start by addressing that first. Two big concerns to buyers making the switch over to foldable displays are the crease’s visibility and panel’s durability.

Crease Visibility 

Among the many refinements, Z Flip4’s crease visibility appears to be diminished compared to the preceding Z Flip phones. But, Samsung has been very quiet about how they made those improvements, so you and I won’t know for sure if it’s because of improved viewing angles, a change in materials, congruent software settings, or a little bit of everything.

What is clear, however, is that the reduction in visibility doesn’t change the fact that the crease is still noticeable. If you are waving, tilting, or using your phone in a manner that catches light striking the crease at just the right angles to see it, it’s there, and it’s even more obvious if the display isn’t powered on.

We still maintain that it will not negatively affect a typical user experience, just as it was for Flip3 and Fold3. Assuming you use your foldable phone like a normal one, you’d be watching, reading, or replying to your favourite things and people with sufficient display brightness, and that the concentration required would make the crease negligible. 

That’s not to say that you should buy the Flip4 if you are clear about your crease appetite and have not accepted the crease as a part of the device. It’s still present; it’s the crux of the design, after all. We’re simply saying that it hardly comes up and is easily ignored during regular use, but your mileage may vary.

Durability, and where Samsung Care+ Screen Care comes in

We typically don’t have enough time with the device to experience any problems with the panel durability, which isn’t bad news since it can at least survive our review period. That said, how Samsung addresses and reassures foldable users gives us clues on how they protect buyers, assuming that cracked screens are outside of its control despite its best effort.

Besides saying that the Galaxy Z Flip4 is rated for 200,000 folds like its predecessor (which should give you a little more than five years of usage if you unfold 100 times a day), Samsung Singapore is also offering something called Samsung Care+ Screen Care, to help assure the remaining users who had a negative experience or are unsure about phones with foldable displays.

From what we understood over at Samsung’s official landing page here, it differs from regular Samsung Care+ in two ways. One would be the complimentary, one-time Screen Protective Film replacement for both Main and Cover Screens on Galaxy Z Flip4 (and Z Fold4). 

The second, and more important feature is the one-time S$100 screen replacement. If you consider how the Galaxy S22 Ultra asks for S$399 and the older Flips and Folds ask anywhere between S$462 to S$799, S$100 for the first time you replace the foldable display is quite a steal. Even if you factor in the cost of Samsung Care+ Screen Care, you’re still saving some money compared to ponying up for the full price. 

There are many ways to interpret this coverage. One could choose to see it as Samsung trying to provide extra assurance, and the reduced prices would mean they make barely any profit out of doing these replacements for you. That, and, in most cases, the majority of damage is merely the screen protector giving way, and not the display itself.

Another perspective is that Samsung isn’t yet confident enough to say that foldables aren’t problematic. After all, why should customers pay if they open the clamshell and find a line staring back at them one day? We can’t expect the average user to know if it’s a display or screen film problem.

We think Samsung Care+ Screen Care shows Samsung somewhat recognises that any promise of durability is only a best-effort practice, and the coverage is helpful no matter how careful you are with the phone. But, a better bargain would be to assure users that they are not on the hook for paying more if they get a cracked line running across the seam. If you’re using your phone normally as intended (opening and closing the clasp), then such damage should be covered for the 200,000 times it’s rated for. If it’s just screen film damage, then Samsung should perhaps consider improving the quality of its film to minimise the problem altogether. After all, the Galaxy Z phones don’t come cheaply as Galaxy A stuff, and the world’s watching. 

Cover Screen gets more personal

A new model that looks similar to its predecessor would give us certain expectations on improvements below the hood. The Cover Screen would be one such area. And, it seems like Samsung heard user feedback to make the 1.9-inch display do a little more. 

For the Galaxy Z Flip4, you can customise it with a 15-second long video under 100MB to get an animated wallpaper. We tested that by downloading a short clip off TikTok onto our PC, transferring it over to our phone, and chucking it onto the Cover Screen. Note that you’ll need to edit your clip in a separate app before using it; the Cover Screen settings only allow you to reposition the clip in your Cover Screen frame.

If you’re holding on to the Flip3, the workaround for an animated wallpaper is to use GIF format files, as we did in our previous review. Flip4 retains GIF, JPG, and other static image file formats like before too. We think Cover Screen’s wallpaper should’ve had video support from the very start, but it’s nice that Samsung’s patched it in.

For selfie lovers, Quick Shot (AKA using Cover Screen as a viewfinder for main camera selfies) now has Portrait Mode, which essentially just adds a creamy layer of bokeh to your background. It’s another nice-to-have feature that should’ve been available earlier, but we’re not complaining. You’re still getting photography and videography via Quick Shot like before too. Below is an example of using Quick Shot with the default Photo option, versus using Quick Shot with Portrait.

Another important addition is how you can start video recording with a folded Flip4, and continue in half-opened format (Flex Mode) with zero stoppage to the recording. Fully opening it would trigger the pinhole camera to continue your recording instead.

New widgets you can access on the Flip4 are Voice Recorder, Calendar, Direct Dial, and SmartThings Scenes. These add on to the six widgets previously available on Flip3, and the old widgets did not receive any changes or improvements on Flip4.

The new widgets are rudimentary when it comes to getting things done. Direct Dial, for example, lets you earmark three phone contacts for quick calling, but you’ll still need to fully unfurl your phone to start a call after choosing the contact. SmartThings Scene lets you trigger a smart appliance’s routine (which you’ll have to configure ahead of time). 

We were hoping the new and old widgets could’ve done more stuff, but it looks like Samsung is interested in adding different functions instead of improving them further. Also, we hoped for the Flip4 to have a bigger Cover Screen than before, but that didn’t happen either. That said, we’re still pleased with its additional functionality, with Portrait Mode in Quick Shot being the nicest addition Flip4 has.

Any other differences from the Flip3?

Short of the stuff mentioned above, an improved protective glass finish (Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+), an expected processor upgrade, and increased battery life (which we’ll mention in their respective sections), you’re honestly not going to see a huge difference from the Galaxy Z Flip4 5G’s predecessor. 

While it’s a clear upgrade if you’re in dire need of its tiny improvements, the differences do not redefine (yet again) how a phone should work for you. The Flip4 still retains the following from its predecessor: 

• Ultra Thin Glass protecting the Main Screen
• 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity Flex Main Screen with 1080p resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. 
• It’s still IPX8 water resistant. 
• It still uses Armor Aluminum for its hinge. 
• You can still use Flex Mode to prop up the device and still have a Cover Screen that serves notifications and alerts. 

In fact, it still looks the same despite the slight changes to its dimensions and bezels, if you don’t really consider wider colourway choices as an upgrade. Even the main camera's improvements aren't anything to write home about, as evidently from the samples below.

Benchmark Performance

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 5G uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor to act as the brains of the handset. For those not interested in the technical bits, the SD8+G1 is one of the best current-generation chipsets you can get for an Android phone and Samsung’s one of the first (outside of China phone brands) to have it on a global scale.

For those who are interested in the geeky bits, the SD8+G1 is a half-step upgrade from the 2022’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (Qualcomm typically releases one true flagship-grade chip per year). The SD8+G1 promises 10% faster speeds, 30% power reduction, and better sustained performance over the chip it was based on.

The Galaxy Z Flip4 offers one-and-a-half step up from the Flip3 we had here. Flip3 carried a Snapdragon 888, which was Qualcomm’s 2021 flagship processor for Android phones. 

JetStream 2.0

JetStream 2 is a combination of a variety of JavaScript and Web Assembly benchmarks, including benchmarks that came before like SunSpider and Octane. It primarily tests for a system’s and browser’s ability to deliver a good web experience. It runs a total of 64 subtests, each weighted equally, with multiple iterations, and takes the geometric mean to compute the overall score. The higher the score, the better.

Geekbench 5

Geekbench CPU is a cross-platform processor benchmark that tests both single-core and multi-core performance with workloads that simulate real-world usage. Geekbench 5 scores are calibrated against a baseline score of 1000, which is the score of an Intel Core i3-8100. The higher the score, the better.

3DMark Wild Life (Unlimited)

3DMark Wild Life is a cross-platform benchmark for Windows, Android and Apple iOS for measuring GPU performance. Its graphics test consists of multiple scenes with variations in the amount of geometry, lights and post-processing effects, mirroring mobile games that are based on short bursts of intense activity. Wild Life uses the Vulkan graphics API on Windows PCs and Android devices. On iOS devices, it uses Metal.

In Unlimited mode, the benchmark runs offscreen using a fixed time step between frames. Unlimited mode renders exactly the same frames in every run on every device, regardless of resolution scaling. The higher the score, the better.

PCMark for Android - Work 3.0 and Storage 2.0

PCMark for Android is a benchmark for testing the performance of Android phones and tablets. The Work 3.0 test checks how the device handles common productivity tasks such as browsing the web, editing videos, working with documents and data, and editing photos. Storage 2.0 checks write-in and read-out performance for internal storage, external storage (if applicable), and SQLite database management. Together, the benchmarks can clue us in on how capable a phone is at handling everyday use. Work 3.0 scores are above, while Storage 2.0 scores are immediately below for each device - the higher the score, the better.

Battery Life

Our standard battery test for mobile phones has the following parameters:

• Looping a 720p video with screen brightness and volume at 100%
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity turned on
• Constant data streaming through email

The Galaxy Z Flip4 clocked in more than 12 and a half hours on its 3,700mAh. This battery test is identical to the one we did for the Flip3, where the former model gave us a little less than 10 hours on its 3,300mAh battery. From this, we can tell that the 12% bigger capacity gave us nearly 20% longer uptime. So, the Flip4’s definitely an upgrade for Flip3 users who felt that the foldable ran too short, too soon. In real-world use, the Flip4 saps about 1-2% when idling overnight.

The phone offers 25W wired fast-charging, higher than the recent Galaxy S and last year’s Galaxy Z top charging speeds. It took a little more than 30 minutes to get from 0% to 50%, and a grand total of 87 minutes (nearly one and a half hours) for a full charge from nothing. The previous Flip3 needed a little more than two hours to reach full charge. So, we can say that the Galaxy Z Flip4 lasts longer and charges faster, refining an already attractive phone.

Because Samsung did not include a charging adapter in the box, we had to use a third-party charger to test its battery performance

Conclusion

Given the preceding model’s impressive accolades and jaw-dropping price cut, it’s not surprising why many users and reviewers would think that the Galaxy Z Flip4 5G doesn’t feel as exciting or novel as the Flip3. They are right: after all, it’s the same IP rating, display, and form factor.

But, we think that’s good news for Samsung. It has proven itself capable of making and refining its clamshell-styled flip phone, so it makes sense that the brand chooses to improve the product further. It could’ve given us SD8G1 instead of the latest SD8+G1 chipset like other brands with flagship models. It could have ignored the Cover Screen since it’s an auxiliary feature. It could have kept fast charging and battery capacity at its old values. But Samsung didn’t, because they made all those improvements. We can’t deny that the Flip4 isn’t one of the best flippy phones out there now.

Is it worth the upgrade from Flip3 5G?

If you were one of those Flip3 users who didn’t like the charging speed, shorter battery life, or wished that the phone had more functionality while folded, the Galaxy Z Flip4 5G scratches that itch very nicely. 

Having the same starting price (S$1,398) as the older model also gives buyers an easier time when deciding on an upgrade. Having Bespoke Edition (the option to choose your preferred colours from 75 combinations) also gives you more room to make the phone even more personal to you.

All these don’t yet look at other improvements you can’t really see, like a better processor (1.5 generations ahead of Flip3) and mildly better Cover Screen functionality.

Upgrading to the Galaxy Z Flip4 from the Flip3 would have to boil down to your personal finances, and how important the refinements are to you.

Should I ditch normie flagship phones and get Flip4 5G?

If you were a non-foldable phone user on the fence about owning one, the Flip4 might be just what you need to be convinced. Samsung enjoyed selling 10 million foldables in the time of the Flip3 and Fold3, and we don’t think those 10 million foldables sold were by chance or dumb luck. 

The continuation of the Flip series also indicates some longevity in its product pipeline, and it helps that there are some minor refinements in this year’s offering. If anything, Samsung is helping undecided users feel a little more confident about folding phones, if the new screen-focused Samsung Care+ coverage is any comfort.

Also, you’re not going to get many alternatives in Singapore if you want a phone with a processor as recent and powerful as the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. 

It also helps that the battery life isn’t as short as before, and the foldable shooting properties (which you might not care for) are mildly improved. So, it’s still a matter of preferring and learning the foldable tricks as you go along.

Another way to see it is that the Galaxy Z Flip4 is the best current Samsung representative for convincing non-foldable users to give #foldablelife a try. If Flip3 wasn’t enough to push you off the fence, then the Galaxy Z Flip4 might be an excellent entry point with the benefit of added assurance, refined features with a little more thought behind them, and the freedom to choose a coloured plate combo (Bespoke Edition) that best speaks to you.