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Samsung has been the uncrowned king of the foldable smartphones market with some of the best offerings and the largest market share in that segment. Recently, the brand renewed the foldable lineup with the launch of two new smartphones including the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3. I got my hands on the Galaxy Z Fold 4 recently. The smartphone is the successor of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 which was launched last year.
I have to say the experience was top-notch, nothing less than what we can expect from an ultra-premium segment smartphone. As soon as I unpacked the retail box and took out the device, it was all glitter and gold since that.
I used the smartphone for around a week until now. Here I am sharing the first impressions based on the various perspectives I have tested the smartphone on the basis of. I will try my best to mention the upsides and downsides of the smartphone according to my honest experience.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 specs
| Model | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 |
| Display | 7.6-inch QXGA+ LTPO AMOLED panel, 6.2-inch AMOLED display (outer) |
| Rear sensors | 50MP + 12MP + 10MP |
| Front sensors | 4MP (inner) + 10MP (outer) |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC |
| Software | Android 12L |
| Battery | 4400mAh with 25W fast charging |
| Connectivity | eSIM, USB Type-C port, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 802.11ac, 5G, and GPS |
| Price | Rs 1,54,999 |
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 pricing and availability in India
As of now, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 will be available in India at a starting price of Rs 1,54,999. The smartphone will be available in India starting from august 27 for purchase from multiple online and offline stores. As of now, you can directly pre-order the smartphone by visiting the official website of Samsung India. The high-end variant of the smartphone with 12GB RAM and 1TGB via microSD card will be priced at Rs 1,84,999.
Quick Review: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold
Design and Display
In terms of design, you will not get to see a lot of changes as compared to its predecessor. However, there are a few tweaks made to the fourth phone from the series. The smartphone has a larger external display as compared to that of Fold 3.
The unfolded internal screen measures around 7.6-inch which has slimmer bezels than its predecessor offering a much more immersive experience. If you look closely, you will spot the new and improved Under Display Camera. Unlike its predecessor, you won’t notice it that easily as once could do with Galaxy Fold 3.
Coming to the display, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 flaunts a 7.6-inch QXGA+ LTPO AMOLED display coupled with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. The cover display for the smartphone is 6.2-inch in size with an AMOLED panel and 120Hz refresh rate. The streaming and viewing experience on the smartphone was amazing and I felt that for the very first time.
I started watching She-Hulk on the smartphone and the display output was something which cannot be matched by foldable devices in the market. Both the displays of the smartphone deliver visible output even under a high amount of sunlight which makes it convenient for the user too.
For those who want to utilise this device as a productivity powerhouse, the inside display still supports the S Pen. The device is water resistant and carries IPX8 certification. The handset is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus+ from all sides. Considering its size and dimensions, it weighs pretty less, which is only 263 grams.
Hardware and Software
The phone is a beast in itself if you take the hardware into account. Samsung has parked a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor inside which is based on 4nm fabrication node. The octa-core chipset is currently best in the business and as expected it has lived-up to that reputation thus far. Having said that, Samsung isn’t gunning for the fastest android phone tag here. Coming to configurations, the phone comes with up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.
The device is also being hailed as one of the first Samsung smartphones to operate on the Android 12 operating system based on the OneUI 4.1.1. For your information, the Android 12L is an operating system specially designed for large-screened smartphones and devices. The company has promised to deliver five years of security updates and four more Android versions for the device.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 Camera Hardware
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold rocks a triple rear camera setup consisting of a 50MP primary shooter, 12MP ultra wide-angle shooter, and a 10MP telephoto shooter with 3x optical zoom and 30x digital zoom. The performance of the rear camera is breathtaking as it manages to deliver some of the best shots efficiently.
Keep in mind that the 50MP primary sensor is based on tetra binning tech which produces output up to 12MP resolution. On the front, we get to see a 4MP under-display camera for video calls and a 10MP sensor outside for the sake of selfies.
Battery and charging capacity
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 draws power from a 4400mAh battery that comes with support for 25W fast charging. Now, this comes as a major turnoff because the charging speed of the smartphone is quite slow. If you are someone who is want to use the larger display more, then make sure you have the charger handy as the battery drains much faster in that case.
Samsung could have done better in terms of charging capacity here. Another major disappointing factor is that Samsung is not offering a charger in the box which I am unable to digest. At the price so high, at least the company could have offered a charger in the box.
Our take on Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
Samsung is no doubt banking on the foldable factor of the smartphone along with offering a high-performing configuration. The smartphone is going to be the first option for people who want to premium experience without switching from Android to iOS. Moreover, the concept of folding smartphones is still new to most users right now. So we can expect a large amount of audience to get inclined toward the latest instalment of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold series.
Though the price point of the smartphone already suggests that it is not for the masses, we are not expecting anything like the sales of the device blowing up the roof. Nonetheless, expectations are that it will be able to create a deeper impact than Fold 3.
English (US)