A Multitasker’s dream
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G keeps plenty of what made the Z Fold3 good; a return to the book-style form factor with S Pen support. Upgrades to the handset come in many little ways, most of which are invisible to the eye. You’re getting an upgraded processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1), an improved main camera (now at 50MP) and an improved telephoto camera with higher 3x optical zoom and 30x Space Zoom. The device is also oh-so-slightly slimmer (about 0.2 to 3mm) and lighter (8g).
Then, there’s also the switch to One UI based on Android 12L (instead of Android 12), which means that the operating system now plays even nicer with its unique form factor. Just about everything else has stayed nearly the same.
What Android 12L does provide for Galaxy Z Fold4 5G is the “PC-like” taskbar that runs across the bottom of your Main Screen. You'd likely catch on fast if you tried Mac OS's Dock feature before. For the Fold4, tapping on an app in the taskbar immediately brings you to your next app choice, and dragging the app out onto your screen initiates splitscreen mode. Best of all, it automatically hides away when you're watching shows in full-screen mode (swipe up gently from the bottom to bring it back).
If you have a specific split-screen or multi-view orientation needs for specific apps, there's also the old Edge Panel feature tucked away at the display's right side. Does the taskbar and Edge Panel combo make the Galaxy Z Fold4 5G more competent at multitasking than before? We think so.
The S Pen still doesn't work on the 6.2-inch Cover screen though. Like before, the phone's heft doesn't get in the way of one-handed Cover Screen texting and scrolling, but you might still struggle to reach both top and bottom corners.
The display crease and durability is not
very different from the Galaxy Z Flip4 5G, though the Fold4's crease is a little harder to ignore since it's longer.
You get a similar QXGA+ Main Screen and HD+ Cover Screen with the same trademarked Armor Aluminum material for its hinge and IPX8 water resistance. It gets upgraded Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection as well.
Fold4 still supports two physical SIM cards, but no MicroSD card slot, a missed opportunity for Samsung if you asked us.
However, the brand did upgrade the triple camera system. The. Z Fold4's main camera now sits at 50MP (up from 12MP) with a bright f/1.8 aperture and 1.0μm pixels paired with Dual Pixel AF and OIS. It's quite an upgrade from the Fold3 in terms of imaging quality.
You may also like its new 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom and 30x Space Zoom.
Galaxy Z Fold4 5G clocked in a healthy 12 hours compared to the Z Fold3's 10 (hours). There's been no change in its 4,400mAh battery capacity or display quality either, so we chalked up the improved stamina to the efficiency of its new chip.
Our Galaxy Z Fold4 took exactly one hour to charge from 0% to 100% with its wired 25W fast charging support. The older model took an extra 30~ minutes for a full tank, making the Fold4 faster than before.
You will either love or hate the Galaxy Z Fold4 5G, and the reasons for either would be generally fair.
It has a learning curve that's steeper than the clamshell-styled Galaxy Z Flip4 5G, and you're giving up a fair bit of portability. It's more difficult to mount onto phone stands, plus you'll likely need both hands free to use the Main Screen safely while out and about.
In return, you can easily use at least two apps simultaneously without compromising on layout, and you have a pocketable ‘mini-tablet' for reading and watching video. That's on top of its optional S Pen accessory with all the main functionalities the stylus always had.
A multi-tasking dream, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 5G is an easy choice if you need this form factor. Samsung is essentially asking for the same launch price (starting at $2,398 for 256GB) as its predecessor with the advantages of a new Taskbar feature, a more powerful processor, longer-lasting battery uptime, and improved rear cameras.
FOUR GENERATIONS IN, THE GALAXY Z FOLD4 5G IS TRULY THE MULTI-TASKING PHONE TO BEAT.