While the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4’s release date is still unknown, we expect the Galaxy Z Flip 3’s successor to be one of the best foldable phones we’ve tested.
Why are we saying that? Because it has to be: the foldable market is heating up, with the Huawei P50 Pocket demonstrating how feature-packed clamshell folds can be and the Motorola Razr 2022 promising top specs as well. To be competitive, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 must be a fantastic device.
Each new version of this bending Samsung phone improves on the last – the original Galaxy Z Flip didn’t even have 5G, and the most recent version included a large outer screen and a competitive price.
So we’re hoping for even more improvements over the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 – in fact, we’ve compiled a list of what we’d like to see below. In addition, we’ve detailed what we know so far about the device, including leaks and speculation.
General Rumours
- When will it be available? It is possible that it will be announced on August 10 and shipped on August 26.
- What will it cost? Approximately $999 / £949 / AU $1,499, most likely
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 release date and price
According to most online sources, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 will be announced on August 10 and will go on sale on August 26. We’d take those dates with a grain of salt, but they make sense given that the Galaxy Z Flip 3 was released in August of last year, and the phone appears to be on schedule.
The Galaxy Z Flip 3 cost $999 / £949 / AU$1,499 last year, so we might see a similar price this year.
Design and display
We now have an idea of what the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 might look like thanks to some unofficial renders posted online. The design is shown here, however, is essentially identical to the Galaxy Z Flip 3, except in a new blue shade (which, according to previous reports, will be joined by gold, grey, and light violet colours). The main screen will also be the same size at 6.7 inches, according to the source, but the Z Flip 4 will be slightly thicker than its predecessor, measuring 165.1 x 71.9 x 7.2mm when unfolded.
We’ve also heard that the hinge and crease engineering will be improved for a more compact and seamless design. Another source claims a redesigned, lighter hinge, as well as the same screen size as the Z Flip 3. However, another leak has claimed that the Galaxy Z Flip 4 will have a slightly larger cover screen.
A source has suggested that the phone will be available in graphite, bora purple, pink gold, and blue colours, which correspond to the leak above. Another source chimed in, pointing to the same colours as well as versions with three different sections in up to three different colours. There appears to be a black/green/green option, a gold/yellow/white option, a gold/yellow/yellow option, a silver/navy/navy option, and a silver/white/white option.
On top of that, a customizable Bespoke Edition with even more colour combinations than Samsung offered with the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is expected.
Aside from that, one Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 leak indicates that the phone will have a 6.7-inch main screen and a 1.9-inch cover display, similar to its predecessor.
Camera and battery
According to one leak, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is being tested with an under-display camera, but this is just a prototype, so it could still use a punch-hole cut-out for the front-facing selfie camera.
However, another leak has claimed that the Galaxy Z Flip 4 will not have an under-display camera, but will instead have a third camera on the back.
We’ve also seen a Galaxy Z Flip 4 patent that showed a rotating camera in the hinge – it’s a novel idea, but one that Samsung is unlikely to implement given how ‘out-there’ it is.
In terms of battery capacity, Samsung is expected to include a slightly larger battery inside the Galaxy Z Flip 4. The phone is said to have a 2,400mAh “sub” battery and a 903mAh “main” battery, according to reports. In case you’re wondering, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 had a similar battery configuration, though its “sub” battery was rated 100 mAh lower. The Galaxy Z Flip 4 will reportedly have two batteries with a combined capacity of 3,300mAh or 3,400mAh “typical” advertised capacity. Although there is only a 100 mAh increase over the Galaxy Z Flip 3, this, combined with the more power-efficient chipset, should result in some good overall results.
Specs and features
For this new foldable, it appears that Samsung will use the new Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset. It will not only make the Z Flip 4 a significant improvement over the Snapdragon 888-powered Galaxy Z Flip 3. However, it will outperform many other 2022 flagship phones equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset. The Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 (SM8475) SoC from Qualcomm is built on TSMC’s 4nm process. It improves on the predecessor in many ways, including power efficiency. We recommend that you look into Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 testing to learn more about this specific chipset and the types of improvements it brings to the table.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fip 4 will also have at least 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The Galaxy Z Flip 3 had 256GB of storage, and it remains to be seen if the new phone will have the same. We don’t expect to see the MicroSD card slot return, so be cautious about the storage configuration you choose for your device. This has been the case for almost all flagship devices on the market, so it’s not necessarily a problem unique to the Galaxy Z Flip series.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Our Wishlist
As previously stated, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is the company’s most popular foldable to date, and it is one that many people can afford. Notably, the Z Flip 3 offered some much-needed improvements over its predecessor. However, there is still much room for improvement. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the obvious improvements Samsung can make to the Z Flip 3 this year to deliver a better clamshell phone:
- A better hinge
The hinge, which we mentioned in our Galaxy Z Fold 4 wishlist, can also be mentioned here. When the phone is folded, both the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Z Flip 3 have a slight gap between the displays. Not only will it improve the phone’s appearance, but it will also protect the internal screens from dust and damage. A new hinge will also eliminate the crease in the middle caused by the display being folded in half. Because other options, such as the Oppo Find N, ship without those two design flaws, it is entirely possible to create a gapless hinge and a creaseless foldable.
- A telephoto lens
The cameras on the Galaxy Z Flip 3 aren’t bad, but they’re no match for what Samsung’s own Galaxy S22 series has to offer. The company chose not to include a telephoto lens on the current Flip phone, which wasn’t necessarily a deal breaker at the time. But now that the Galaxy S22 Plus, which has a telephoto lens and costs the same as the Flip 3, is on the market, the lack of a zoom lens stands out like a sore thumb. We’d love to see a telephoto lens on the upcoming Flip 4, even if it’s just a basic 2x 2.5x optical lens. Samsung is known for including world-class optics in its phones. With so many new flagships on the market with powerful cameras, the South Korean company’s overall lack of a powerful camera system will be difficult to justify. - Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 Bespoke Edition?
A few months after the original release of the Z Flip 3, Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Flip 3 Bespoke Edition. Customers could customise their Galaxy Z Flip 3 with the Bespoke Edition by selecting from 49 different colour combinations. However, the fact that the Bespoke Edition is more expensive than the standard edition and isn’t available in all regions is a letdown. To make it even better this time, Samsung could offer a variety of materials to choose from, as well as the option to add your own etching. - A more affordable price
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 improved on its predecessor by being more affordable when compared to the high-priced original, but it was still a fairly expensive smartphone. We’d like to see the price-cutting trend continue for the next-generation device, possibly bringing it in line with the premium S22 series or even to a mid-range price. The price of the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is unlikely to fall low enough to make it a viable alternative to non-folding phones, but we can hope.
Conclusion
That brings us to the end of our Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 wishlist. Aside from rumours and leaks, we hope Samsung surprises us with features we aren’t aware of just yet. We understand that keeping a smartphone under wraps before its official unveiling is becoming increasingly difficult, but we wouldn’t count on anyone other than Samsung to do it. We’ll continue to monitor Galaxy Z Flip 4 leaks and rumours and update this page as new information becomes available. In the meantime, you can peruse our selection of the best foldable phones currently on the market.