- Of the compact foldables, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
has been the biggest success by far.
There's obviously something nostalgic
about having a flip phone
for those who remember carrying them around,
and there's equally something so satisfying
about folding an actual display
into a more pocketable clamshell form factor.
Here's the thing, I was a Z Flip hater
until I spent time with last year's Galaxy Z Flip 3,
and recently I went hands on with the Galaxy Z Flip 4.
Man, these things just keep getting better and better.
Now, I'll explain what Samsung did to change my mind
in this video while also giving you my early impressions
of the latest Z Flip 4 hardware.
Now for some background,
there was the original Galaxy Z Flip and then a Z Flip 5G,
which added faster cellular connectivity,
and which I assume Samsung considers to be the second Flip
since the one after that was called the Z Flip 3.
Now, side by side, the Z Flip 4
and the original Z Flip aren't even that different.
The Z Flip 4 is 17.1 millimeters thin
at the hinge when folded
while the Z Flip was around 17.4 millimeters.
Now, when you unfold,
the Z Flip 4 is shorter and narrower,
but both smartphones are equally thin at 6.9 millimeters.
So basically, Samsung has found something that works,
and they've stuck with it at least
when it comes to shape and size.
Now, I definitely appreciate this year's tighter build.
Weight this year is 187 grams up from 183 grams
on all the previous models.
It remains a device with a premium build,
like to the Armor Aluminum and Gorilla Glass Victus.
The device also retains the IPX8 certification,
which it got last year,
which means the Z Flip 4 can be submerged in water
for up to 30 minutes at a depth of 1 1/2 meters
with no issues.
Although it's interesting
that there's still no dust resistance rating,
but still it can survive splashes and spills.
But overall, I think the build quality
of the Z Flip 4 feels much more solid
and robust compared to the original Z Flip,
especially with that added water protection.
Now I'll be testing this out more in the full review
so be sure to hit the subscribe button
so you don't miss that one.
The Z Flip 4 keeps the 1.9-inch Super AMOLED cover display
that we first saw last year.
This is an Always-On Display
that supports notifications and widgets.
Using the cover display for selfies is also a lot easier
with that extra real estate.
Just double tap on the power button
and you're taking selfies with the primary rear camera,
which is still super cool.
Again, you're using the better rear camera
when taking your selfies
as opposed to the less capable front camera
on the inside display.
Now, more in the cameras in a minute,
but first let's talk about the folding display.
On the Z Flip 4,
it's the same size as the previous generation,
a 6.7-inch panel with a Full HD+ resolution
and a 22:9 aspect ratio.
Samsung calls it the Infinity Flex Display
with Dynamic AMOLED 2X.
That just means you're getting a variable refresh rate
up to 120 hertz and a protective layer
for 80% better resistance compared
to the first couple of Z Flip devices.
Samsung is also working on making software
as intuitive as possible.
So when using Flex mode,
there's a new panel that makes apps look better
and easier to use.
And when you're watching a video,
the phone brings all your brightness and volume controls
right to the bottom half of the display
for easy reachability.
It also does something similar when you're in Camera mode.
Aside from all that, though,
the Z Flip 4 just behaves like a regular smartphone
when opened up.
And this is actually why I was a hater.
And again, I admit it.
You see, it seemed to me that the focus
on the original Z Flip was on the cool factor
of folding up the phone.
But the second you unfolded it,
it was just, in my opinion, again,
a subpar Galaxy S20.
When I'm actually using the phone,
I would rather have an S20 in my hand,
or in this case, an S22 in my hand
as opposed to an unfolded Z Flip
because at that point, what's the difference?
It's no longer folded,
you're in candy bar mode, if you will,
and the Galaxy S was the better phone
from a hardware perspective.
Now, don't get me wrong.
I know that cool factor sells,
but paying a premium for a phone
that didn't bring the same level of power did bother me.
However, power is no longer an area of concern for me
with the Z Flip.
Here, you get the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 system
on a chip coupled with eight gigabytes of RAM
and either a 128, 256, or 512 gigabytes of internal storage.
You also find a 10-megapixel camera sitting
on the Infinity-O cutout,
so no under display camera like you see on the Z Fold 4.
And I'm actually glad
because the Z Fold 4 internal camera isn't as good
as what you're seeing on the Z Flip 4 internal camera.
By the way, videos on the Z Fold 4 are coming as well
so be sure to subscribe.
Now the primary camera
on the Z Flip 4 is a dual 12-megapixel setup
with a standard wide and ultra wide pair.
Battery wise, we're seeing a few very nice improvements.
First, we now have a 3,700 milliamp hour dual battery,
which is up from the 3,300 we had last year.
The Z Flip 4 also picks up super fast charging
for the first time,
allowing it to go from 0 to 50% charge in about 30 minutes
with a 25-watt adapter.
That is not included in the box,
you need to buy that separately if you want it.
You also have fast wireless charging 2.0
and Wireless PowerShare,
which lets you use the phone as a wireless charger
to charge other devices like other phones
or earbuds, et cetera.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 drops on August 26
at a starting price of $999.
You can get it in Bora Purple,
Graphite, Pink Gold, and Blue,
but there's also the Bespoke Editions,
which lets you customize the colors even more.
I will have links down below
if you want to reserve one for yourself.
Any questions, drop them in the comments below,
and I'll meet you there for further discussion.
Thanks for watching us always, guys.
I appreciate your support.
I'm Andru Edwards, and I will catch you in the next video.