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Getting started with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 and Z Flip4: our first impressions of the new folding smartphones

If Samsung has just unveiled its new Galaxy Z Fold4 and Z Flip4, we have already had the opportunity to take them in hand. Here is a quick review of our first impressions of the two foldable smartphones, pending a full test (which should be soon).

Samsung Galaxy ZFold 4 Getting Started

Whereas Samsung We had gotten used to unveiling its new Galaxy Note every summer, but the brand finally abandoned this type of phone equipped with a stylus to focus on… Android folding smartphones. Already last year, Samsung gave us a Z Fold3 and a Z Flip3 around the same time, both of which seduced us in more ways than one, but not for the same reasons.

In 2022, Samsung is doing it again with the Z Fold4 and Z Flip4, two folding smartphones always launched in the summer period. Two folding phones, but whose shapes and especially uses are very different:

  • On one side there is the Z Fold4, a full-size phone that opens like a book and which, when unfolded, looks like a mini tablet. You are free to use it by leaving it folded, since the device also has a large screen on the front, which offers the same possibilities as a classic Android smartphone.
  • And on the other side, we find the Z Flip4, a device that opens like a compact, which is significantly more compact and which, once unfolded, adopts the shape of a classic smartphone. It is also possible to leave it bent and continue to use its services, but its possibilities are then much more limited. Its small screen on the front offers some interactions, such as switching from one piece of music to another, consulting and responding to messages, etc.
Samsung Galaxy ZFold 4 Getting Started

Two smartphones for two types of daily use, therefore. On the menu of new features for these two smartphones, we benefit from a partially revised and corrected design (the two devices are above all more compact), a new processor in both cases, new options for the front screen of the Galaxy Z Flip 4, new photo sensors, faster charging in the case of the Z Fold4, the appearance of a taskbar and better multiwindow management still on the Galaxy Z Fold 4… And that’s just a preview of what’s new that we’re going to review here, as we’ve had the opportunity to get hands-on with both smartphones before they were officially announced by Samsung.

Finally, a small clarification: if you are wondering if the name of these two smartphones is indeed “Z” Fold4 and “Z” Flip4, the answer is… yes. There were rumors of a name change on both phones, but no: the “Z” did not finally disappear, at least not in the official communication of Samsung. At a preview event we were able to attend a week before the launch, Samsung reiterated the use of the Z to name its smartphones. On the other hand, on one of the slides, the two devices were presented under the names of Galaxy Fold4 and Galaxy Flip4. Enough to make a smooth transition: it’s a safe bet that in 2023, the two folders will definitely lose their “Z” and will simply be named “Galaxy Fold5” and “Galaxy Flip5”.

Come on, let’s go, let’s now discover the new Galaxy Z Fold4 and Galaxy Z Flip4, while of course waiting for our two complete tests which should really be arriving soon.

Samsung Galaxy ZFlip 4 Getting Started

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4: our handling

From the first contact, we see that Samsung has made some design changes to its smartphone. Once opened, the smartphone is a little lower and a little wider than the previous model. What provide the user with the feeling of actually being faced with a tablet, rather than a smartphone unfolded in two.

Another change, but which is less visible to him at first glance: the hinge system has been refined. This does not change the resistance of the device. Samsung thus specifies that the smartphone is certified for 200,000 openings / closings, which was already the case with the Fold3. On the other hand, the resistance to shocks has been increased by 10%, always on the manufacturer.

Samsung Galaxy ZFold 4 Getting Started

But back to our first impressions of the Z Fold4. Once the smartphone is unfolded, we notice that the borders of the internal screen have been reduced. Which explains why the smartphone retains its 7.6″ display size, despite having slightly different dimensions compared to the previous iteration. On the front, the ratio has also changed. We thus go from a 25:9 screen to a 23.1:9 screen.

In hand, the Z Fold4 is a bit lighter than the Z Fold3. Admittedly, we are still dealing with a good big baby, but we go from 271 to 263 grams. So yes, it’s still one of the heaviest smartphones out there today, but Samsung is tweaking its recipe.

However, once the smartphone is completely open, it is clear that the fold is still clearly visible. In this little game, the South Korean manufacturer cannot match its Chinese counterpart Oppo and its Find N.

Samsung Galaxy ZFold 4 Getting Started

But where Samsung shows its ability to innovate is mainly on the software side. One element in particular caught our attention when we first got started with the Z Fold4: the introduction of the taskbar. If it is not visible from the home screen, it appears as soon as you launch an application, while being quite discreet. Above all, it makes it possible to manage the applications launched simultaneously and to position them very easily on the screen.

This is probably the novelty that really caught our eye, as the management of multitasking is so pleasant. We really have the feeling of rediscovering the habits acquired on a computer, while maintaining the simplicity and the “tactile” side of a smartphone. The perfect marriage of the two ecosystems.

Samsung Galaxy ZFold 4 Getting Started

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4: our first impressions

If Samsung has offered some nice new features to its Fold4, the manufacturer has not forgotten its other foldable, the Z Flip4. The device benefits from a slightly more compact design and refined borders. Again, Samsung announces an increased resistance of around 10%, with a minimum longevity of 200,000 openings and closings.

Samsung Galaxy ZFlip 4 Getting Started

Another novelty of the most significant for those who wish to use the folded smartphone. The front screen benefits from new control functions. Thus, we can now:

  • respond directly to messages you receive
  • answer for a call (without having to open the phone, the smartphone then goes into loudspeaker mode)
  • unlock smartphone using face recognition
  • control Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
  • Activate airplane mode
  • Activate flash/torch

The Z Flip is available by default in 4 colors: graphite, blue, pink or lavender. But the big novelty is above all the fact that you can, when ordering via the Samsung site, select the colors of each element that makes up the back of the device. Therefore, there are no less than 75 combinations that Samsung can create. Enough to enjoy a personalized Z Flip4, your own and which will not be the same as that of your neighbour.

Samsung Galaxy ZFlip 4 Getting Started

Galaxy Z Fold4 and Z Flip4 prices and availability

The Z Fold4 is available for pre-order between August 10 and August 25, 2022. Its official release date is August 26, 2022. This smartphone is marketed in the following 3 versions:

  • 256 GB of storage = 1799 euros
  • 512 GB of storage = 1919 euros
  • 1 TB of storage = 2159 euros (edition available only on the Samsung site)

As for the Z Flip4, it is also available for pre-order from August 10 to 25, 2022, its release date also being set for August 26, 2022. Samsung announces 75 possible color combinations (3 elements are changeable on the back of the device) . The device is sold in the following 3 configurations:

  • 128 GB of storage = 1109 euros
  • 256 GB of storage = 1169 euros
  • 512 GB of storage = 1289 euros (exclusive edition to the Samsung site)

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