Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 review

Alternatives

The Galaxy Z Flip4 is a minor upgrade over the Flip3 even if it introduces some important improvements like a larger battery, faster charging, and better low-light performance for the main camera. We did appreciate the option to shoot in full resolution with the rear camera when taking selfies, too.

Obviously, these won't make any Galaxy Z Flip3 user upgrade to Flip4. But by addressing most of the Flip3 concerns, Samsung has made the Z Flip4 an even more attractive and desirable offer.

The new Flip4 launches at €1080/$999, which is a flagship price, but not as high as €1800 like the Fold4. And for that, we'd consider it a reasonable price for features/money ratio.

There are a handful of foldable smartphones on the market, fewer even if we are to list foldable smartphones like the Flip and exclude foldable tablets like the Fold.

If you are keen on getting a phone like the Flip, but the price of the Flip4 does not fit your budget, you may want to consider the Galaxy Z Flip3 as it is now €400 cheaper than the Flip4. It is pretty much the same device with less inspiring battery life, charging speed and so-so low-light performance.

The recently announced Motorola Razr 2022 will launch any moment now in China, but we are not sure if it will make it to other markets yet. It is based on a 6.7-inch foldable screen, like the Flip4, but it's got 1B colors and a 144Hz refresh rate. The chipset is the same, and the camera experience is similar. The Razr has an iconic form factor and a larger external display that allows for even more control while the phone is closed.

The rest of the foldable phones are rather large - like the €1800 Galaxy Z Fold4. It's an all-powerful smartphone with one of the largest OLED screens on a smartphone and an under-display camera for video chats; it's got a whole bunch of cameras, and the external display is as good as the market offers, large at that. If you don't mind having a phone this thick (16mm) and heavy (263g), the Fold4 could be your next phone.

Xiaomi has recently announced its Mix Fold 2 - which is even thinner than the Fold4 with larger screens and Leica-powered camera setup. It has a sleeker design and charges faster, but for now, it's a China-only device.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G • Motorola Moto Razr 2022 • Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 • Xiaomi Mix Fold 2

If you are eyeing the Flip4 because of its compact shape, you may also want to consider some of the compact bars that are available right now. Like the €700 Galaxy S22, which has a 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen, powerful hardware, and its triple-camera on the back has a 3x telephoto.

The €800 Zenfone 9 is even smaller with a 5.9-inch 120Hz Super AMOLED screen, the most recent Snapdragon chipset, and a similar dual-camera that is capable of high-quality digital zoom though. The Zenfone 9 also offers outstanding battery life!

There is also the small iPhone 13 mini, which is the smallest flagship on the market based on a 5.4-inch screen. It is the most powerful small phone in the world right now, and the only major setback is the 60Hz OLED screen.

Samsung Galaxy S22 5G • Asus Zenfone 9 • Apple iPhone 13 mini

Our verdict

The Galaxy Z Flip went from a fashion-centric device to a full-blown flagship in just a couple of generations. The Flip4 is what the Flip3 should have been from the get-go - a powerful foldable smartphone with excellent camera performance, decent battery life and charging speed.

And indeed, we can say a lot of positive things about the new Z Flip4 - it has a superb water-proofed design that will hit the nostalgia notes across many users. It's a compact flip phone, one that clicks simply great.

The Z Flip4 offers an excellent AMOLED screen, good battery life, good charging speed, and the speakers are nice. It also packs the most powerful Android chip to date, though the thermals lead to throttling.

Finally, the camera performance is superb across the board, photo and video, day and night.

We consider the Flip4 as the most affordable foldable smartphone of the current generation, and for its thousand euros, it delivers an outstanding set of features.

It's not an ideal smartphone - it takes a while to get used to its design and form factor. Then you need to live with the crease and the plastic screen protector over the screen. Dust gets in various places, too.

Then there is the heavy throttling just after five minutes of peak loads. And there is no zoom camera.

While durability concerns remain with regular reports of bubbles forming under the screen protector along the crease, solid warranty coverage from Samsung has those reasonable fears taken care of.

The fourth generation Z Flip is moving the series into a bright future, and it does everything right with the technology it has at its disposal. We are recommending it to people who'd like to own a unique phone, small, and yet powerful and capable; to users that will take it with all of its good and not so good aspects.

Pros

• Compact foldable smartphone, not insanely priced.
• Excellent design, Victus+ panels, tougher aluminum.
• IPX8-rated for water resistance!
• Outstanding foldable display - bright, color-accurate, 120Hz, HDR.
• Great all-round camera experience and quality.
• The latest Snapdragon chipset.
• Improved battery life, faster charging.

Cons

• Heavily throttles under 100% CPU/GPU load.
• No charger in the box.
• We would appreciate more functionality for the outer display.
• No DeX support.