Samsung has officially put the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4, its tentpole releases for the second half of the year, on sale. The Galaxy Z Flip 4 is replacing the Galaxy Z Flip 3 as the company’s premier flippable, but it is very much based on the Flip 3 and fixing some of its flaws. There aren’t many changes here — just a bigger battery, a better camera, and a faster processor. In other words, the Flip 4 grows up a little more.
If you loved the Flip 3, you have a good chance of loving the 4. If you weren’t convinced by the Flip 3, well, Samsung just may have fixed some of those little problems this go around. Here’s everything you need to know about the Galaxy Z Flip 4.
Review
The best place to start with your Z Flip reading is with our Galaxy Z Flip 4 review. To no one’s surprise, the Z Flip 4 is a lot like the Flip 3. But as we found in our Flip 4 review, that’s not a bad thing at all. Samsung created an incredible foldable design with the Flip 3, and the Flip 4 is just a better version of that — and for the same $999 price as before.
There are a couple of noteworthy changes for this generation. The flatter design of the Z Flip 4 is stark, striking, and makes even more of a statement than its predecessor. The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor is also fantastic, battery life is better, and the camera system is reliable (if not the most exciting).
Samsung still has room to improve with future Z Flip models, but as it currently stands, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is the best foldable flip phone you can buy in 2022.
Design and display
The Galaxy Z Flip is a flip phone-styled foldable, so it looks a lot like classic flip phones of the past. Think the Motorola Razr (no, not that one). The Flip 4 did not deviate significantly from that. It’s very much a cell phone that is strikingly similar to the Flip 3, as the Fold 4 is to the Fold 3. That means a small 1.9-inch Super AMOLED outer display and a larger 6.7-inch 120Hz adaptive display on the inside when the Z Flip 4 is opened. If you’ve ever used or seen the Z Flip 3 before, expect another year of that with the Z Flip 4.
When it comes to more precise changes, Samsung says the hinge is slimmer, the edges are straighter, and the back glass and metal frame contrast to create an overall more refined design. The Flip 4 is coming in Graphite, Bora Purple, Pink Gold, and Blue colorways — aka gray, purple, gold, and blue.
As with the Flip 3, Samsung also debuted a bespoke edition. This is a customization option for the foldable that lets users create a more personalized Flip 4. “Only on Samsung.com and at Samsung Experience Stores can customers design their very own Z Flip 4 Bespoke Edition with glass colors and frame options that provide 75 combinations to choose from, allowing customers to completely control the look of their device,” Samsung shared in a press release.
If you’re not looking for a Bespoke option but instead a more traditional case, there will be many. Samsung features cases with additional grips in the form of a ring and a strap, giving owners a better sense of security when holding their devices (and you’ll get those as pre-order benefits if you order early enough, too).
Specifications
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4 is an iterative update, so the usual spec bumps arrived. This means a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage at the base and going up to 512GB of storage. We also see the return of the triple-camera setup (albeit with a brighter sensor), consisting of two 12-megapixel cameras on the back and a front-facing 10MP selfie camera.
Along with cameras, the battery was the weakest aspect of the Galaxy Z Flip 3. Samsung is boosting this to 3,700mAh on the Flip 4. It’s bigger than the 3,300mAh on the Flip 3, thankfully. There’s also up to 25W wired charging to get a user to 50% in about 30 minutes, so you’ll be able to top up quickly if you’re running low. A full review will be needed to see if it can keep up with other Android phones, many of which tout 5,000mAh batteries.
Price and availability
The Samsung Galaxy Flip 4 went on sale on August 26 alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 4. Pre-ordered units also arrived at or around that time as well. It’ll set you back $999 for the starting 128GB model, with 256GB and 512GB models also being made available. Unlike the Fold 4, Samsung doesn’t promise any exclusive colorways if you order directly, but the aforementioned Bespoke edition should go a long way to scratch that customization itch.
Samsung often serves lucrative exchange and upgrade offers, and the Flip 4 was not an exception. The company noted you’ll get a complimentary memory upgrade to the next tier if you had pre-ordered between August 10 and August 25, so look out for that when your phone arrives.
