Samsung has revamped the Galaxy Z Flip, giving its latest Flip 4 model some necessary (and unnecessary) upgrades. However you slice it, Samsung is tickling our nostalgia strings by putting out yet another schmick flip phone.
Announced at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2022, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is much the same as its predecessors but boasts an upgraded camera, a larger battery and more options for customisation, including the screen you can see when the clamshell is shut.
Samsung reckons there are more flips and foldables “out in the wild” than ever before and it’s banking on the Z Flip 4 to be enough to sway fence-sitters into making the flippable leap.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
The Galaxy Z Flip 4 is Samsung’s fourth-generation effort at putting the flip phone back into the gadget zeitgeist. The new flippable phone has a slightly bigger battery than its predecessor to help rectify the poor battery life from the last-generation release. The Z Flip 4 doesn’t have a bigger screen (if you remember, the Flip 3 got that), but the phone is a little smaller, giving us less wasted space and more screen-to-phone ratio. We were expecting a bigger cover display and while we didn’t get that, we got the ability for cover display customisation.
Launch pricing for the base model of the Galaxy Flip 4 is what it was last year ($1,499), which is a nice change from what we’ve been seeing with other new models.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Specs
The Z Flip 4 weighs slightly more, but is slightly smaller, too.
- Inner/Main display: 6.7-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, Infinity Flex Display (2640 x 1080)
- Outer/Cover display: 1.9-inch Super AMOLED Display (512 x 260)
- Dimensions: 71.9 x 165 x 6.9mm (unfolded), 71.9 x 84.9 x 17.1 mm (folded, hinge)
- Weight: 187 grams
- Camera system: Ultra Wide 12 MP, Wide 12 MP, selfie-cam 10 MP
- Processor: 4nm Octa-Core Processor
- SIM: One eSIM and one Nano SIM
- Memory: 8GB RAM
- Storage: 512GB, 256GB, 128GB
- Battery: 3,700mAh dual battery
- Connectivity: 5G
- OS: Android 12
- Colours: Blue, Bora Purple, Pink Gold, Graphite. There’s also a ‘bespoke’ option with 75 colour combinations to pick from.
It also offers fast charging, promising 50 per cent in 30 minutes with a 25W adaptor. Wireless charging is also available.
Features and Design
The new Galaxy Z Flip 4 really retains many of the aspects that make the model great but also includes some new improvements. Samsung is really pinning the Z Flip 4 as “the ultimate self-expression tool”, leading with the “powerful camera experiences”, “intuitive control and usability” of the phone, as well its customisable design options.
You can expect a more durable device, thanks to Corning Gorilla GlassVictus+ on both the Cover screen and the device’s rear glass. The metal frame and hinge is made out of Armor Aluminium. Water resistance is another focus again this year, with the Flip 4 typically allowing for submergence underwater up to 1.5 metres for around 30 minutes (IPX8 rating).
The latest lineup has been designed with recycled ocean-bound plastics from discarded fishing nets, recycled post-consumer materials and bio paint coating, too.
On the inside, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 has the added ‘Quick Shot’ feature, allowing you to double press the power key while the device is folded to activate the feature. From there, you simply tap the screen to take a photo within 1-2 seconds. Quick Shot allows you to take portrait shots and switch the photo’s ratio, too. Also available is ‘Flex Cam’, allowing you to move the device around and capture as you’re seeing the scene. You can also record videos for third-party apps more seamlessly with app integration and hands-free recording.
Also worth noting is that with the Galaxy Z Flip 4, you can also take advantage of Samsung’s third-party app optimisation (such as viewing a vid on YouTube in the top half of the device and reading comments, for example, in the bottom half). This is similar to using ‘Multi Window’, which is basically a split screen feature. Many of the features the Z Flip 4 boasts are merely minor enhancements on what the Flip3 has, but it seems Samsung is definitely learning from the past each time it brings out a new Flip.
Replying to messages while the phone is folded is so freaking cool. As are the customisation options available: a ‘special’ clock, changeable photos and even gifs and your own AR emoji. Necessary? No. Cool? Yes.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Australian pricing and release date
Preorder for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 will begin Thursday, August 11, with general availability starting September 2 in Australia.
Galaxy Z Flip 4 will cost:
- RRP $1,499 for the 128GB model
- RRP $1,649 for the 256GB model
- RRP $1,849 for the 512GB model
- $1,729 for a 256GB bespoke edition.
If you preorder from Samsung, you’ll get a free memory upgrade, 50 per cent off Samsung Care+ and if you’re trading up for the Flip 4, you’ll get a $300 bonus off your total cost. If you preorder through Optus, you’ll get a Samsung Tab A8 (Grey 64GB), valued at $529; with Telstra, you’ll get a free GalaxyWatch5; and with Vodafone, you’ll get $500 of trade-in credit and a Samsung Trio Wireless Charger.
Samsung also used Galaxy Unpacked to unleash its new Galaxy Z Fold 4, Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro and the Samsung Buds 2 Pro.