Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 review

Competition

The Galaxy Fold4 maintains the MSRP of last year's model, and with the whole inflation thing going on, that €1800/$1800 price tag is starting to almost look appealing. Okay, not so fast.

Particularly not when less than €1200/$1200 gets you the old Fold3. And that's from Samsung.com - better deals might be available if you shop around. Sure, the 2022 version charges faster, maybe lasts a bit longer and has better cameras. But it's no cameraphone any more than the 3 is, and the 3 has essentially the same form factor and displays, S Pen support and IP rating - it isn't fundamentally worse at being a Fold, which is sort of inherently so given that the 4th gen is only adding cosmetic touches to the Fold-ness without altering the core.

The large foldables that are available globally from official channels aren't all that many, and 'globally' can mean different things. The Huawei Mate Xs 2 may not be available in the US, but you can snatch one in Europe if you're adventurous enough. The Huawei is, by definition, more vulnerable, its plastic flexible display is exposed at all times, and it doesn't have the Fold's water resistance. But it doesn't have to carry an extra display everywhere it goes, it's sexier in its extended state, and the minimal crease also scores it points against the Fold. The Galaxy is losing in charging speed, but winning big in battery life and software package, while cameras are more or less a toss-up.

In a similar boat in terms of pros and cons is the Oppo Find N, though there are nuances. Not global by any means, the China-only Oppo foldable does comfortably work with the Google suite (unlike the Mate), and if you were to gray-import one, chances are you'd save a few hundred €/$ compared to either of the other two. This, too, isn't a cameraphone, strictly speaking, and it's neither here nor there when comparing to the Fold. The Galaxy's battery life looks better, the Oppo charges faster, the Galaxy has better displays, but the Oppo's are easily good enough. The Fold is vastly superior in its productivity functionality on the large display, but the Oppo is perhaps not geared for productivity at all - it's a more compact form factor trying to appeal to a slightly different crowd.

Of course, if you're after a truly pocketable foldable, the other type is where you should be looking for an alternative - the likes of the Galaxy Flip4 and Huawei P50 Pocket will give you just that while sacrificing productivity, and to some extent battery life. Plus, they are equally great as conversation starters if you want to flex on your backward friends with their boring, non-folding phones - not the best reasoning to go for a foldable one, but we can't ignore it. Each comes with its own sets of pros and cons, too, so perhaps a trip to the Flip4's review is a good start.

Galaxy Z Fold3 5G • Huawei Mate Xs 2 • Oppo Find N • Galaxy Z Flip4 • Huawei P50 Pocket

Verdict

We're past the point of considering foldable phones as just proof-of-concept halo devices. 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.

Still, a few of our beefs with the previous models haven't really been addressed for yet another year. The gaping folded screen is one of those.

Then there's the charging. While indeed improved this year, the charging speed is still nowhere close to where industry-leading implementations stand.

And lastly, the camera. Yes, the arguments stand that the Fold's priorities are elsewhere, but if Huawei can make a proper quad-cam Mate X2 with a big-sensor primary, 10x zoom and an AF-ing ultrawide, maybe so too can Samsung.

Don't get us wrong - while hardly ground-breaking, the cameras are an improvement to last year's setup. Plus, thanks to the form factor and a well-thought-out interface, the Fold is arguably the best cameraphone for selfies - perhaps that clashes a bit with the stereotypical productivity-driven target audience, but we won't judge, and why couldn't there be several target audiences?

Mind you, those who are after productivity are unlikely to find a superior package than the Fold4 - in smartphone or smartphone-like form, that is. The combination of the new Android for large screens, Samsung's proprietary One UI add-ons, and the stylus support, is simply unrivaled.

The superiority of Samsung displays is manifested on the Galaxy Fold4, too, with the internal display not only being flexible but also as bright as the company's conventional ones (short of the Ultras), and way brighter than other foldable panels. It's apparently plenty efficient too since we got improved battery life on this year's model, and the competition is behind in this metric as well.

To wrap this up, let's say that the Fold4 is not perfect. But it's not like there are readily available alternatives everywhere and the ones you could come up with have their own sets of issues. The Fold3 was already the most well-rounded and feature-packed foldable on the market then, and the Fold4 can easily claim that title now.

It comes with the same nominal price tag as last year's model at launch, and with the generational improvements accounted for and an economy that's seen better days, that's no small feat. Even at MSRP, the Galaxy Fold4 can make sense to the right buyer, though the sensible thing would be to wait a month or two for the inevitable price drop.

Pros

• New aspect makes cover screen more suitable for general use.
• Samsung's foldables remain the only ones in the business with IPX8-rated waterproofing (no dust protection).
• Displays are roughly twice as bright as the foldable competition, on par with conventional ones.
• Impressive battery life in onscreen tests for a foldable.
• Feature-rich software with unmatched multi-tasking functionality and S Pen support.
• Camera system is a meaningful step up; the unique selfie capabilities through the cover display can be a pro on their own.

Cons

• No change on the hinge gap situation - the gap remains. The crease remains fairly prominent, too.
• Charging speed has been improved but is still behind the competition.
• More or less the same camera system as in the S22 that runs for less than half the Fold's asking price.