This is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 in Beige.
It’s finally here.
I am really excited about it.
I am also a little bit worried about this form factor.
I am a few days late but as promised in my last video..
here is the first of a series of videos on this amazing new device.
It’s my first foldable phone for a long time.
Since the Motorola Razr maybe?
And I wanted to record this… pretty much unscripted.
And I avoided every YouTube video about this, because I didn’t want that to cloud my judgement
and I want to share with you my honest reaction since I am still predominantly an Apple user.
But I don’t think I can still get away with calling myself an Apple fanboy right?
I think I use enough Android devices.
Anyway, I don’t really care.
I love tech and if it’s an awesome product, I will give it a go.
Right, let’s UNFOLD this!
Sorry
First is
the ergonomics.
I LOVE how it feels
in the hand.
I was’t sure from seeing the pictures on the website.
But man this feels great to hold!
I never had the previous Folds so I am not sure how it compares but in comparison with
my S22 Ultra here, this feels a lot nicer to hold.
A lot less slippery too.
If you watched other videos about the Fold 4, this is probably obvious to you but like
I said, I avoided all videos about this and to me… this feels incredible.
I wonder if there are more customers out there who might be put off by the size of the Fold.
And if you’re in that camp, I would definitely encourage you to go to a store and feel it
for yourself.
The haptics are great.
You gotta give it to Samsung when it comes to haptics, the feedback is very gentle and
tuned just right.
The fingerprint sensor has been faultless so far.
Actually it was surprise to me that it was on the power button to be honest.
For some reason I thought it was gonna be under the display.
I really like it.
It’s super fast.
I’d go as far as saying it’s more accurate than the S22 Ultra.
I was really happy with the S21 Ultra but this feels even slightly better from a responsiveness
point of view.
The next thing is the display of course.
I’ve only been using it for a couple of hours here in the studio so way too early
to give you a proper review but first impressions is…
It took a little while to get used to having that line in the middle.
It is definitely something you notice but once you focus on the content, you really
just forget it’s event there.
I played a couple of games and they feel amazing.
The colours are super vibrant.
The audio quality is great.
Actually this is something I learned with the S22 Ultra, initially the audio doesn’t
feel as good depending on the content you’re watching like Disney or Netflix.
So make sure you turn on Dolby Atmos.
It really makes a difference for the content that supports it.
There’s so much to talk about!!
Before I talk about the cameras, just a quick word on today’s sponsors Spigen.
If you know the channel, you know Spigen is one of the brands I’ve worked with before
but also I’ve been buying their products since before making these videos.
And when they offered to partner with me exclusively on the Fold4, it was an easy choice as I really
trust their products.
For the Fold4, Spigen sent these 3 protective cases:
The Slim ARMOR Pro.
I am a big fan of the Armor cases in general, I used them on the iPhone, the Google Pixel
and I am glad they managed to design one for the Fold 4.
They have this Dual-layered impact foam which keeps your phone protected without losing
style.
The design is really well thought though with protection for the hinge as well.
Spigen have a version of this case with the S-Pen holder as well.
Like this one here which is the Thin Fit model.
Very convenient if you are looking for a case to hold the S-Pen.
I noticed they have this detail here which actually stops the wobble.
I love that.
Very simple but.. super effective.
Especially if you are writing on the Fold, having it stable will make a big difference.
This case features their well-known Air cushion technology which helps with that drop protection.
I mean, you spent nearly $2K on a device like this, I think it would be a crying shame to
buy a cheap case from Amazon that’s not going to protect your device.
Trust me I know what that feels like!
The other case I have here is the AIR SKIN which is more for scratch protection.
A lot thinner and more discreet than other cases, but adding a decent amount of extra
grip in case you are a bit like me and keep dropping your devices.
This one comes in black and they have a clear case version of it too which is great if you
want to preserve the colour of your Fold.
They also have loads of great accessories like charging stands and screen protectors,
which I will cover in a separate video.
Thank you so much Spigen again for sponsoring this video.
I have been using the S22 Ultra and before that the S21 Ultra.
Admittedly I’ve been using my Pixel 6 Pro and iPhone 13 a lot more than the S22 Ultra,
but I know how fun the camera is to use on Samsung phones, in comparison with the iPhone
for example.
I am really curious to see how the camera behaves as I really like the S22 Ultra, but
the camera I really will care about on this device is the front facing camera.
It’s barely noticeable here under the screen but that’s the camera most people will be
using I guess for their Zoom and Teams meetings.
Actually I just had a go this morning before editing the video and have been super impressed
by the quality of photos we can get with this device.
Likewise for videos, really superb.
In my full review I will do a lot more comparisons but as far as my first impressions go, this
does not disappoint.
It’s not all a bed of roses though.
I’v noticed this with other Samsung phones too, and it’s no different on the Fold.
The viewfinder, you know… what you look at before you take the shot is fairly laggy.
Not that noticeable when you are taking a photo but when you switch to video, there’s
definitely this disconcerting look and feel.
The recorded video is great, but you’re seeing on the screen… not so much.
Like I said, this is true on other Samsung phones too and I probably notice this a bit
more because I am used to the iPhone for video which is great when it comes to what you’re
seeing on the screen.
The S22 Ultra has probably the best camera on a smartphone right now, so it’s extremely
unfair to compare with that but as a reference point, I am really happy with it.
Bearing in mind this sort of device would be primarily used for multitasking in a lot
of cases, but it’s nice to know that when I need to take a good photo or record a decent
video clip, that I can pull this out.
If you watched this far you are an absolute legend.
I won’t ask you to subscribe today as we’ve already had a sponsored slot in this video
so I won’t take much more of your time.
But I will be putting this bad boy through its paces.
I am really excited because I can totally see this device being a big new favourite
for me.
I might actually get the pen as well, will see.
I am still amazed at how good this looks
and feels!
While I have some fun with this and work on my full review, I put this playlist together
for you and YouTube thinks you will like this other video here as well.
See you soon!