Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 review: mega multi-tasker

A slicker, more smoothed-out collapsing telephone that majors on productivity 

Price: £1649

The foldable phone arms race shows no sign of slowing down, with huge names like Huawei, Motorola, and Oppo all getting in on the activity - however, Samsung is the firm on the front lines. It's holding nothing back on double screens, with the internal folding Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 currently leading the charge.

This fourth-gen leader gets the most recent Snapdragon silicon, a triple-lens camera acquired from the  Galaxy S22, and a more smoothed-out appearance - alongside a value that affirms its exceptional status.

Those could seem like minor additions, however, the greatest changes are on the product front. A productivity push appears to take full advantage of that huge internal screen - and maybe the move that completely concretes foldable in the wider smartphone landscape

Design & build: flat but familiar

Indeed, it looks startlingly like the outgoing Galaxy Z Fold 3, however, this new handset isn't exactly so tall, and is very marginally wider. That implies the external showcase isn't close to as thin this time around, with slimmer bezels and an all the more liberally proportioned 23.1:9 perspective proportion that is more sensible with one hand. At 263g, Samsung has even figured out how to manage a cycle of weight simultaneously. It's as yet heftier than a conventional phone, however, that is a run-of-the-mill compromise in the foldable world.

The edge has been straightened down a little and presently has a sparkling completion to differentiate the matte back glass. It stays something stout when shut, however not more than a regular phone it'll feel like a block in your pocket. The side-mounted unique mark sensor is exact, fast to open the telephone, and at a reasonable level for left-and right-handers.

As before it doesn't close totally level, similar to a Microsoft Surface Duo 2, rather leaving a little gap near the hinge that rapidly starts to gather dust as you pull the phone in and out a pocket. It feels reassuringly solid, however, with no flex when you crush the two parts together and a pivot that is glad to remain open at a more book-like point assuming that you like it. Samsung says it has tried to endure 200,000 folds, and we had no issues with it loosening over time during our testing.

We're happy to see IPX8 water resistance make a return, so you're protected from rain showers and accidental spills. It's something you won't find on other foldable phones. Gorilla Glass Victus ought to keep exterior scratches, and a pre-installed screen protector remains on the interior display. It's even more fragile than customary glass - to such an extent Samsung has designed an all-new S Pen that won't damage it - however, the firm has amplified its solidness altogether. We've not seen any permanent imprints during our experience with the phone.

Sketching and note-taking are a breeze with the S-Pen - it's simply a disgrace there's no place to stash it inside the phone.

Screen & sound: in the crease

The  Fold 4's external screen is pretty much as great as any flagship phone, with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and a beautiful, contrasty OLED panel- it's only a little narrower. Not as narrow as last year's work, however, which makes it totally usable on its forlorn. It gets bounty splendid, can do equity to HDR video, and has stellar viewing angles.

Astounding, then, that this is the lesser of the two.

Inside, the 7.6 panel is now 3mm more wider than the outgoing Fold 3. It's a little change, however, any additional space is something to be thankful for in our book. The 2176×1812 goal is resolution sharp, and the high refresh rate delivers silky-smooth scrolling. The 1000-nit top brightness means it holds up very well under direct sunlight, and as we've generally expected from Samsung's OLEDs, colors are superbly lively.

The slightly wider aspect ratio still actually leaves significant dark bars around most video content, however, you're still getting a greater picture than any traditional phone. The stereo speakers are an extraordinary match, as well: they get stunningly clear without any indication of contortion, have respectable detachment, and try not to make higher recurrence notes sound ear-splitting or penetrating. Simply don't anticipate a lot of in that frame of mind bass. You'll likewise require Bluetooth buds for private listening - there's no earphone port here.

The under-display selfie camera is significantly better than last year's phone, bending in neatly with the surrounding pixels. It’s still visible if you go searching for it, as is the crease down the center of the screen, yet both are presently less diverting than previously.

Performance & battery life: not short on power

Similarly, as with Samsung's flagships, the Z Fold 4 isn't all short on power. It's shaking a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 CPU and 12GB of Ram, so you would do well to accept applications open in a split second, and liveliness is delightfully smooth. All the more significantly, performing multiple tasks is a breeze with Samsung's takes on Android 12L.

The new taskbar is very Windows or Mac-like, yet just shows up once you launch an app on the internal display and doesn't occupy a lot of space. It saves steady excursions back to the home screen to launch your top picks, and you can stick multi-app combos so a single tap opens a few apps all the while, in the format you need. Two apps one next to the other works best, yet having three onscreen on the double can be helpful for making notes and duplicating/sticking - in addition, you can have a fourth in a drifting window.

Need to watch a YouTube video, look at Twitter and really take a look at your approaching talks simultaneously? The Crease 4 handles it with no stammering or lull. Considerably more requesting applications run as expected. It helps that a ton of applications have been changed to more readily fill the big screen, including third-party ones like Microsoft Outlook, Facebook, and Google Meet.

Gaming is a delight, as well, with titles like Apex Legends and Diablo Immortal ready to wrench up the detail settings with no ill impact on frame rates. It can get pretty hot after a delayed session, yet we saw no significant choking.

The entry-level phone gets a liberal 256GB of storage, which ought to get some margin to fill, however with no microSD card slot, you'll have to sprinkle out on either the step-up 512GB model or top-level 1TB version - a first for the reach, yet one that will impair you more than £2000. Ouch

The Fold 4 makes unobtrusive additions over keep going year's model on the battery front. It has a similar 4400mAh cell, however, the processor is a little more energy efficient. It'll last from morning until sleep time except if you're stuck to HDR Netflix shows or recording a ton of 4K video, yet you'll need to top up before lights out. 25W quick charging over USB-C is far behind the fast flagship phones emerging from China at this moment, yet wireless charging (with a reverse charge for topping up earphones like the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro) goes a workable approach to compensating for it.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 cameras: tempting trio

The Fold 4 has basically acquired its three-lens camera line-up from the Galaxy S22, however, given they stay the absolute best smartphone snappers around, there's little to grumble about. The 50MP, f/1.8 main sensor is the feature, with double pixel PDAF locking self-adjust with amazing pace, and optical picture adjustment for shake-free snaps and clear night shots.

It's matched with a 10MP, f/2.4 fax with 3x optical zoom, a welcome move forward from the 2x sensor on last year's Fold 3, and a 12MP, f/2.2 ultrawide. That equipment puts it somewhat behind the strong Galaxy S22 Ultra, yet photography is as yet first class no matter how you look at it. Detail from the main sensor is seriously good, with natural bokeh blur around close-up subjects and reliably sharp concentration. Dynamic range is additionally magnificent.

Colors are regularly supported and contrast-heavy in the way Samsung fans will be utilized. Flowers look particularly dynamic, skies are wonderfully blue and grass appears lusciously green. The Pro dials tones things black a bit with manual controls for tweaking white equilibrium and differentiation of the white balance and contrast strength.

Samples:

There's extraordinary exposure and color consistency between lenses, with the fax being the standout. Its zoom clearness is heavenly, and the 30x advanced Space Zoom can deliver shockingly usable results as well. A thumbnail preview is a major assistance for composing shots and neutralizing camera shakes.