Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 review: Most voguish phone to get your hands on

Samsung has recently upgraded its Flip series with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 which is nothing less than candy to the eye. The smartphone is the successor of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 which was rolled out last year.

This time, Samsung has not made a lot of changes but yes, it can be said that the smartphone has few considerable changes as compared to its predecessor. A major highlight regarding the smartphone is that the device is available at an almost similar price as the Flip 3.

I recently got my hands on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and one thing which I really want to say is that you are surely going to get ultra-premium vibes from the smartphone. The smartphone is in my hands for a week and it has been tested in different scenarios and aspects. 

One thing which also crossed my mind while using the device was that it has a lot of similarities with the Galaxy Z Fold 4. So, after analysing the handset for a week, here I am going to share the review of the same. In the article, I’ll talk about the upsides and downsides of the device which I felt while practically using it.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 pricing and availability in India

Currently, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is available in the market at a price of Rs 89,999 for the 8GB RAM variant with 128GB internal storage. The 8GB RAM variant with 256GB internal storage is available in the market for Rs 94,999. The smartphone also has a Bespoke Edition that can be purchased for Rs 97,999. The handset is being shipped in three different colours – Pink Gold, Graphite, and Bora Purple. You can go and purchase the device from its official website of Samsung.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 specs

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 Review: Unboxing

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 comes in a black coloured rectangular box that looks quite similar to the retail box of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. The front side of the retail box has Flip written on it along with Samsung branding at the bottom. It consists of:

• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
• Type-C USB cable
• User manual

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 Review: Design

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 has a stunning design which looks as if it is something from the future. The factor that makes it unique is the smartphone folds horizontally, instead of folding vertically like other foldable devices available on the market. If you are expecting to see something new in terms of design compared to Galaxy Z Flip 3 then you’ll be disappointed, like me. The upper part of the smartphone has a black colours camera island which consists of two sensors. The flash of the smartphone is placed just below the sensors, out of the camera island.

Some visible differences between the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and the Flip 3 are that the former has a smaller hinge and slimmer bezels. It is a step towards making the foldability factor of the device more convenient. The frame of the smartphone is decently polished this time instead of having a texture like its predecessor. However, at the hinge, there is still scope for the collection of dust which is a turnoff and I think Samsung is going to take more time and a few other series to overcome that. 

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4’s edged as flatter and it ships with a bigger battery as compared to the predecessor. The fingerprint scanner of the device offers a quick response as witnessed while using the device. Both the fingerprint scanner and the volume rockers are available at the right spine. The speaker grille and USB Type-C port are placed at the bottom of the handset. 

The device carries IPX8 certification for water and dust resistance. The best part about this offering by Samsung is that it fits comfortably in smaller pockets too which makes it easy to carry all day long. However, you can’t expect to operate the device with one hand, at least, not in the case of unfolding it. I faced the same problem while using the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 too. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 Review: Display

On the inner side, the smartphone flaunts a 6.7-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity Flex display with 2640×1080 pixels resolution and an adaptive refresh rate of 120Hz. The display panel of the smartphone delivers an accurate colour output and has 900nits of peak brightness. I watched the show Unsolved on Netflix and the display enhanced the experience by producing pitch black colour and vibrant output as per the requirement. As for the cover display, we get to see a 1.9-inch panel with 512×260 pixels resolution.

The crease between the display is not at all visible while using the device which of course could have been a great resistance while enjoying movies. The Samsung UTG 2.0 has been used as the protector of the screen on the device. As claimed by the company, the latest version of Samsung’s Ultra Thing Glass is 20% stronger than the previous version. As for the external display, the smartphone carries a bit larger panel than its predecessor. The display has a resolution of 260×512 pixels along with a 60Hz refresh rate. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 Review: Performance

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 works on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor paired with 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. I am really glad to not see the Exynos chipset by Samsung spoiling the game for its foldable flagship. Moreover, if you want higher storage then you can go for the 512GB internal storage variant.

At the time of testing, I installed Asphalt 9 on the smartphone and played it straight for an hour or so. There were no heating or lagging issues in the device even after playing the game at high graphic settings. Not only this but I also installed multiple applications on the device and ran all of them at the same time, all the operations were running perfectly. 

In addition, I also opened Google Chrome and more than 50 tabs in it, still, the phone didn’t break a sweat. On the software front, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 operates on the Samsung One UI 4.1 based on the Android 12 operating system. Now, similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 4, the UI of this device is also clean and fast-paced. The OS also responds quickly whenever you receive an email, SMS, or instant message.

The smartphone has Galaxy Themes for the main display along with multiple widgets and an ample amount of general quick settings. other features of the handset like the multi-window are also optimized for Flex Mode. The Samsung Galaxy Store offered in the handset resembles a lot of the Google Play store, but some exclusive applications and other stuff make it unique. I also got my hands on the Samsung Wallet that is integrated with Google Pay for making online payments. The payment process became quite seamless due to the same.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 Review: Camera

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 flaunts a dual rear camera setup consisting of a 12MP primary shooter and a 12MP secondary shooter. The rear camera system of the device produces high-quality photographs in both low light and daylight settings. Now, I can’t say that the camera has some extremely brilliant factors to talk about, but yeah we can say it is decent. The absence of a telephoto sensor even after being a flagship phone is a bit hard to digest. 

The 12MP primary sensor of the device also supports Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) which enhances the quality of photographs and videos even when the handset is in motion. Not only this but the primary sensor also helps in capturing brighter photographs and videos with its large pixels. Still, I would say that Samsung could have done better in the camera department. The FlexCam mode can be used to alter the camera settings in such a way that you can use it as a camcorder from the 90s by folding the hinge at a 90-degree position. 

The aspect ratio of the photographs can be adjusted according to the need of the hour. I found the Single Take feature of the smartphone quite interesting. It creates a collage of photos and videos from a single shutter press. Similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 4 review, the Flip 4 also has a Director’s View feature and it delivered amazing output. 

For the sake of selfies and video calls, the smartphone gets a 10MP shooter with various AI-based modes. I also tried the Flex mode offered in the device that lets you use the device camera at a 90-degree angle. Other modes available in the smartphone are panorama, slow motion, food, and time-lapse. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 Review: Battery

The battery of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 can be said to be the weakest part of the device. The smartphone comes with a 3700mAh battery that also supports 25W fast charging. At the time of testing, the performance of the battery was utterly disappointing as it was only able to handle three-four hours of full-fledged usage. The smartphone got charged from zero per cent to a hundred per cent in around an hour.

While playing Asphalt 9 for an hour, around 20 per cent battery was drained in an instant. At the time of watching videos on YouTube and other OTT platforms, the drainage ranged between 15% to 20%. So, if you want to use the device extensively then make sure there is a charging point near you all the time. After almost spending 100,000 bucks on a smartphone, the least someone will expect is a battery capacity of at least 10 hours. 

The low battery capacity of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 could be a major turnoff for people who need a durable life. Further, in my opinion, the Flip 4 cannot be used as the primary device if you are someone who is not on a desk job and stays away from charging sources most of the time. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 Review: Should you buy it or not?

While Samsung is trying its best to sustain its supremacy in the foldable smartphone market, and the renewal of the Fold and Flip series is proof of that. Talking about Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, the smartphone is a go-to device for those who want to try their hands on a foldable device and experience something new without spending more lacs. However, if you are someone who is looking for performance, battery life and other stuff, then the smartphone is definitely not for you. So, only go for the smartphone if you can compromise with the battery and performance.