Product innovations tend to get better in successive iterations. Foldable smartphone is one such category that seems to get better compared to its predecessors. Samsung is trying to make a foldable smartphone that is practical with the Galaxy Z Fold4 . This is what we felt about the device now.
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Design
The biggest element of a foldable phone has to be its design. Samsung has improved the design of Galaxy Z Fold4 which was expected of a fourth-generation unit. The smartphone is not lightweight or heavy, but easy to hold. Interestingly, it fits into one hand properly without exerting too much pressure on it. You can operate it with your other hand. This is all while being unfolded.
When folded, it forms a sleek looking device with a tall display. The SIM tray stays on the right metal frame when folded while shifts to left when opened. The power button and volume key are on the right panel or on the lower part if held in folded position. The USB Type-C port stays on the lower chassis of the secondary display. There are two sets of speakers on the front panel; one is at the bottom while the second one fits on the top panel, and works well when unfolded.
The hinge looks solid and comes with Samsung’s branding. The back/lower panel of the phone houses the triple rear lenses and a flash.
Prima facie, Samsung has done exceedingly well to keep the bodyweight, form factor ratio in check of Galaxy Z Fold4which makes it an easy carry around phone.
Display
The Z Fold4 has two displays. The front is a 6.2 inches Super AMOLED display that is convenient enough for routine tasks. It has great visibility even under the bright daylight, whereas the colours are vividly represented.
The fun lies in the secondary or the main display. It goes to 7.6 inches wide and is Dynamic AMOLED in nature. Rarely do we get such a mesmerising range on a phone’s display but of course it is luxury phone as well so quite expected out of it. The display produces amazing contrast no matter what is being displayed on it. The preview of the photos appears as realistic as it can be.
Processor
Samsung has used the newly available Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset in Z Fold4. No doubt, it is the fastest and most agile processor available today in the market. We have seen its awesome performance in the iQOO 9T review and is also used in OnePlus 10T.
The Galaxy Z Fold4 is backed by 12GB RAM which is more than sufficient for any phone. But, being a luxury device even great results and multi-tasking are expected of it. We will surely know more in the final review of the phone. With all the time we got until now the Z Fold4 hasn’t shown any sign of lag anywhere whether it’s image processing, scrolling, or loading apps/pages. Haven’t tried gaming yet which we will do in the coming days and brief you more about the overall performance of the Z Fold4 later.
Camera
The Galaxy Z Fold4 gets a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 10MP telephoto sensor. Without any hesitation, the Fold4 proves itself to be called the finest mobile for photography till now. The combination of rear lenses produces some stunning shots. The 50MP main lens goes beyond routine tasks and rather excels in low-light photography as well. The 10MP telephoto lens with its 30X zoom captures enough details to distinguish. The 4MP under-display lens performs decently. Will use it more and find out the exact outcome of the same.
The Fold4 gets a 10MP selfie camera that does not miss out on details as well. Have used it in different environments but the results remained almost similar. The selfies have been clear and no over exposure was observed. The portrait shots are good as well. There are lots of in-app features as well which you can utilise for your own good. Will elaborate more on the outcomes of the camera performance in our final review.
Battery
Samsung has packed the Fold4 with a 4,400mAh battery and comes without a charger inside the box. The kind of usage this phone has needs a more sustaining battery. The 4,400mAh cell looks good on paper, but thorough testing can only prove its might as we get along with the phone. At glance, the battery went on for a day but wasn’t tested heavily with games.
Initial Thoughts
Samsung has worked on the design of the Galaxy Z Fold4 which is evident from the form factor vs weight ratio. The display is mesmerizing while the processor is tried and tested to give smooth performance. Haven’t encountered heating till now. The camera is as brilliant as it could be. Will dig out more and see if it justifies being among flagship innovations with its luxury price tag.
