The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 has some big shoes to fill if it’s to follow on from the impressive Galaxy Z Fold 3. But there’s room for improvement, with the foldable phones formula still not yet perfected.
There are only limited rumours around so far for the Galaxy Z Fold 4, and nothing concrete about specs or features. However, we have plenty of things we hope Samsung will introduce, like enhanced cameras and potentially a slicker integration for the S Pen stylus.
Take a look below to see what’s been rumoured for the Galaxy Z Fold 4, as well as what we hope might be coming to Samsung’s next foldable flagship. And for more on what you can expect from the Korean company next year.
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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 Latest News
- A new rumor from The Elec claims that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will feature a built-in S Pen like the Galaxy S22 Ultra.
- The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 could get could get a wider front display and better under-display camera, according to a pair of tipsters.
- Samsung’s foldable concepts on show at CES 2022 may give us a clue at where the Z Fold series will go next.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: Possible release date
Both the leaks so far and our educated guesses match when it comes to the possible launch of the new Z Fold 4. The last two generations of Galaxy Z Fold have arrived in late summer/early fall, with the Z Fold 3 launching in August, and the Galaxy Z Fold 2 arriving in September the year before. Therefore we’d expect a similar launch date at the end of August or early September for the Z Fold 4 as well.
We suspect that Samsung would want to steer clear of a possible mid-September launch date for the iPhone 14.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: Pricing
One rumour for the Galaxy Z Fold 4, which comes from Korean leaker yeux1122 on Korean site Naver, says that the phone will be getting cheaper, which given that the Z Fold 3 costs $1,799, would be quite welcome news.
The Galaxy Z Fold 2 from 2020 launched at $1,999, which might suggest that after falling by $200 in one year, we may see a $400 drop over two years to $1,599 for the Z Fold 4. That would still be much more expensive than even the most fully-specced phablet-style phone, but as the gap shrinks, more and more phone buyers will be tempted to go for a foldable.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: Design
We’re still expecting Samsung to stick with the basic formula of the Z Fold 3 when making the Z Fold 4. However, a few changes have already been tipped by one leaker.
They claim in a post on Korean blogging site Naver that Samsung is considering ways to reduce the phone’s weight by reworking its hinge and improving the waterproofing and dust-proofing. A lighter phone that is less susceptible to water and dust damage sounds ideal to us.
Somewhat disappointing, if it’s legit, is a new rumour that claims the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 won’t have a slot to store the S Pen in. That would seem like a strange decision by Samsung as it’s one of the complaints we had about the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and one we feel Samsung could rectify.
Another rumour claims that the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s front display could be changing, with Samsung playing around with its aspect ratio in the Z Fold 4 prototypes. Which version Samsung will pick isn’t certain, but Twitter tipster Chunv8888 claims there are versions with no difference to the Z Fold 3 ranging to those with a much different shape.
Of course, there are other directions Samsung could go if it decided to ditch the current book-style fold format. Samsung Display’s CES 2022 concepts feature three ideas for handheld foldable devices. Two of them use an s-fold design to create three panels instead of two, while the other is a “slidable” that extends the screen’s width on command. Maybe these are only ideas that Samsung will pick up for Z Fold phones much further down the line, but seeing the Z Fold 4 adopt the s-fold design seems within reasonable reach.
A rumour from Korean publication The Elec claims that Samsung might be working on a built-in S Pen for the Galaxy Z Fold 4. This would make a lot of sense since the Galaxy S22 Ultra also features one (like the Galaxy Notes of old). This would mean Fold 4 would have a silo where the stylus slots in. This would make S Pen use on the go a breeze since the Galaxy Z Fold 3 has a storage issue for the accessory.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: Cameras
The Galaxy Z Fold 3 introduced a big change compared to previous Samsung phones — the company’s first under-display camera on the main display. A Korean leaker claims that the Z Fold 4 could build on this by adding a second under-display camera to the cover display.
However, the under-display camera was one of the weaker points of the Galaxy Z Fold 3 so having another one isn’t ideal unless Samsung works to improve it. And that’s exactly what it’s been tipped to do, with the Galaxy Z Fold 4 predicted to get a suite of under-screen camera improvements.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: Battery
The only rumour we have about the Z Fold 4’s power source is an unfortunate one. It says that Samsung will be keeping the battery roughly the same size as it currently is on the Galaxy Z Fold 3.
One of the worst things about foldable phones is that they have a lot more screen to power, despite having a battery the same size, or sometimes smaller, than equivalent phones. The Z Fold 3’s battery life isn’t that good, but if Samsung isn’t changing the battery capacity, then it will have to make the phone more efficient elsewhere to try and make the phone last a full day away from the wall socket.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold: What we’d like to see
If those rumours didn’t satisfy your appetite for Z Fold 4 material, we also have a modest wish list for the new foldable.
To start with, Samsung could do a lot worse than copying this enticing-looking concept titled the “Galaxy Flex Note” based on a patent filed by Samsung and brought to life by Technizo Concept and LetsGoDigital. We particularly like how this design uses a single display and features room for an S Pen stylus, which would mark the Z Fold series as the successor to the Galaxy Note series, which this year saw a potential end with the cancellation of the Galaxy Note 21.
Equally, rumoured new components like the Snapdragon 898/895 or Samsung’s new LPDDR5X RAM may appear on the Galaxy Z Fold 4. We’ll probably see these introduced on the Samsung Galaxy S22 first though if they are due to debut on phones this year.
To summarize, here’s what we’d like to see on the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
- Better cameras
- Add on-board S Pen storage
- Another price drop
- Better hidden display creases
- Slimmer frame
- Longer battery life
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