Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Everything we know so far and what we want to see

Samsung is just months away from announcing its next set of foldable phones, or so strong rumors would have us believe. It’s all but confirmed that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 would be the next set of flagships from the company. While the former is expected to be an ultra-premium device, the latter is believed to be a more affordable entry point into Samsung’s foldable universe.

This would follow on nicely from the Galaxy Z Flip 3, which literally flipped the market on its head last year by coming in at a $999 price point. Will Samsung be able to recreate that affordability this time too? More importantly, will the Galaxy Z Flip 4 bring in enough upgrades over its predecessor to woo potential buyers? Here’s everything we know about the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and what we want to see on it.

Will there be a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4?

There’s no reason to believe that Samsung isn’t planning to launch the Galaxy Z Flip 4. The company has made it plenty clear that it’s committed to foldable phones to replace its now-defunct Note lineup. The new Flip has also appeared in the form of real-world images and leaked renders (more on that later), so it’s pretty much confirmed to launch in the coming months.

Will it still be called Z Flip 4? Once again, nothing suggests otherwise. Samsung has followed the numbered naming scheme for its flip phones since they were first introduced. There was no Z Flip 2 because the company followed the original Z Flip with a 5G version in the same year with slightly improved specs. However, it named the 2021 phone the Galaxy Z Flip 3 since it was technical the third flip phone in the lineup, and to match the Z Fold 3. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is a natural successor and should be named as such.

When will the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 release date be?

• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip — February 14, 2020
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G — July 22, 2020
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 —August 11, 2021

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 release date could drop in August 2022, following the release of its predecessor in the same month last year. According to tipster Jon Prosser, Samsung will hold its signature Unpacked event to announce the phone on August 10. While that’s not official, the leaked timeline doesn’t sound off, and Samsung typically doesn’t wait long to bring its phones to sale after launch. Samsung would want to get its flagships out before the yearly iPhone release, so August seems like the right time for the Galaxy Z Flip 4 launch. The company is also expected to announce the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and the Galaxy Watch 5 series on the same day as the Flip 4.

What specs and features will the Samsung Galaxy Flip 4 have?

Almost everything there is to know about the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 has leaked. The specs and images we’ve seen so far don’t paint a picture that’s very different than the existing flip phone Samsung has on the market. Here’s what we have on the device till now, and we’ll update this article as more Galaxy Z Flip 4 leaks and rumors hit.

Design

It seems like Samsung is happy with the design it nailed down on the Galaxy Z Flip 3 because leaked renders and real-world images of the alleged Galaxy Z Flip 4 look identical to the existing model. Renders of the device were outed by tipster Steve Hemmerstoffer (a.k.a. OnLeaks). They show that the phone comes bearing the same vertically stacked dual camera setup on the back, a secondary screen, and an inner display with a centered punch hole. Hemmerstoffer notes that the dimensions of the device have changed a bit, though.

According to Hemmerstoffer, the Z Flip 4 will feature a 6.7-inch display and measure around 165.1 x 71.9 x 7.2mm (6.5 x 2.83 x 0.28-inches). The Galaxy Z Flip 3, by comparison, measures 166 x 72.2 x 6.9mm (6.54 x 2.84 x 0.27-inches), making the new phone slightly shorter and less wide but also a bit thicker.

Real-world images of the phone also popped up recently, lending credence to the leaked renders. These were shared by YouTuber TechTalkTV, who claimed that the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is lighter than the Z Flip 3. He also said that Samsung has trimmed the bezels and worked on the crease to make it less visible. You can see the leaked photos below.

Specs

Noted tipster Yogesh Brar leaked all the key Galaxy Z Flip 4 specs online via Twitter. The 2022 Samsung foldable will supposedly run on the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset. Qualcomm’s upgraded processor promises a 30% efficiency boost and 20% performance gains over the standard Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC that runs the Galaxy S22 series. This means we might see better battery life on the Z Flip 4 this year.

Apart from a slightly larger outer screen and a new chip, not much seems to have changed.

Brar claims that the phone will have a 3,700mAh battery and 25W charging. That makes for an increase of 400mAh compared to the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and faster charging compared to the 15W tech on the Z Flip 3.

Other leaked specs of the device include a 6.7-inch 120Hz OLED screen, a 2.1-inch external display, 8GB RAM/256GB storage, a dual 12MP rear camera setup (main and ultrawide), and a 10MP selfie shooter. So apart from a slightly larger outer screen and a new chip, not much seems to have changed on the new phone.

What will the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 price be?

• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip — $1,380
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G — $1,449
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 —$999

Seeing that Samsung has such few upgrades planned for the Galaxy Z Flip 4, we definitely don’t expect the company to price it over $1,000 as it did with the first two generations. The Z Flip 3 costs $999, and we expect Samsung to discount the device once the new model launches. If anything, Samsung may be planning to make the Z Flip line more affordable with the new handset, given its minor upgrades. Unfortunately, the Galaxy Z Flip 4’s price hasn’t leaked so far for us to give you a concrete estimate.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: What we want to see

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 was a fantastic addition to the company’s family of folding phones. Though it’s not as powerful as the larger Z Fold 3, it is a much more user-friendly piece of hardware that’s also affordable to a wider range of people. We really liked the toughened exterior, improved display, and pleasing design of the Z Flip 3. Moreover, the Bespoke Edition allowed people to build their own for the ultimate in personalization.

That said, the third-generation Z Flip had a handful of shortcomings that we believe can be rectified. Here’s how Samsung can improve the Galaxy Z Flip 4.

Primary target: Longer battery life

The Galaxy Z Flip 3’s biggest failing was its battery life. The phone has a tiny 3,300mAh capacity battery, well below the 4,000mAh to 5,000mAh batteries available in similarly-priced — though non-foldable — flagships. In our review, we found screen-on time to last just over four hours, significantly behind the six or more hours we’ve gotten used to.

While we understand the constraints of the folding form factor, which greatly reduces the internal space available for the battery, we think Samsung can do better with the Galaxy Z Flip 4. That’s why we’re pleased with rumors of a 3,700mAh battery on the phone. Combined with the more power-efficient Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chip, we think the Z Flip 4 will bring decent battery life gains over the current model.

A more powerful cover screen

Samsung upped the ante a lot between the Cover Screen of the Z Flip 5G and the Z Flip 3, but we think Samsung can go even further. The Cover Screen of the Z Flip 3 was a 1.9-inch Super AMOLED panel that acted as an always-on display (AOD) thanks to how it showcased the clock and notifications. It also introduced a handful of widgets, including alarm, calendar, music, timer, weather, and Samsung Health. The widgets were limited in their functionality but made it possible to handle a few key actions without opening the phone up.

Our pipe dream would be a Cover Screen that features basic Android OS functionality, like the external panel of the Z Fold 3 — meaning you could put actual app icons on the screen and open/run full Android apps, even if they were small or Wear OS versions. That would likely add too much to the Z Flip 4’s price, so we’d settle for something in between, such as a Cover Screen with a greater collection of more fully-realized widgets.

Get rid of the crease

With all due respect to the complicated technology that goes into creating a bending piece of glass, the unsightly crease in the middle of the Z Flip 3’s display has got to go. We made the same request of Samsung in our take on the Z Fold 4. The crease was acceptable — expected, even — on the first few generations of folding displays, but the competition has caught up, and their designs are (nearly) creaseless.

Both the Oppo Find N and Honor Magic V have launched with screens that unfold flat and clean. There’s no visible crease, nor is there one you can find by feel. With the Z Flip 3, you can both see and feel the crease quite easily. Perhaps it isn’t really fair to request that the crease disappear completely, but we expect the Z Flip 4 to make significant progress in reducing the visibility of the display’s fold-y middle part. Thankfully, rumors suggest Samsung may already be making that improvement.

Pen to glass: S Pen support

Samsung has changed the story regarding its S Pen and what devices support the note-tackling tool. For years, only the Galaxy Note series included an S Pen and packed stylus-specific software. The S Pen eventually expanded to the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the S22 Ultra (which replaced the Galaxy Note in all but name.) While it’s likely a big ask, we’d love to see S Pen support land on the Z Flip 4. There are a couple of reasons why.

First, the Z Flip 4’s display will have the necessary real estate. The S Pen has traditionally been made available to Samsung’s largest screens, and the Z Flip 3 has a very large display. Adding stylus support would make it even easier to multitask on the smartphone. Second, this could help boost the Z Flip 4’s credibility as a productivity device. Further, the tech is pretty much there. Samsung was able to bring stylus support to the folding panel of the Z Fold 3, so why not add it to the Z Flip 4? Surely Samsung’s marketing department could come up with a good story for S Pen support here. As for where to store the S Pen, well, that’s a different story.

Drummed up durability

It was a huge surprise when Samsung announced that the Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3 would reach the market with IPX8 ratings. The IPX8 certification allowed both phones to be submerged in up to 1.5m of water for up to 30 minutes. In other words, Samsung dramatically improved the potential lifespan of both devices by giving them a chance to survive mishaps along the way. Samsung also added toughened Gorilla Glass Victus and Armour Aluminum. Taken together, these measures truly help folding devices. Samsung could go a step further.

To start, it could add support for dirt and dust ingress protection. This is clutch. The complicated hinge mechanism of the Z Flip 3 is a wonder, but it is susceptible to dust and dirt. Small granules can get in there, gum up the fine-tuned gearing, and cause damage. Sealing up the hinge mechanism against intruding particles would be a fantastic addition to the Z Flip 4.

We’d also like to see stronger display glass. The very nature of bending displays makes them fragile things that must be treated with care. Toughening up the Z Flip 4’s display glass (which Samsung would need to do to add S Pen support) could help extend the lifespan of the Z Flip 4 even further.