Samsung, the provider of the world’s only serious foldable, is on a victory lap with the Galaxy Fold 4. As is tradition, after a parade of teases and leaks, the company has unveiled all the details, confirming what we strongly suspected: it’s not that big of an update.
The overall design is a bit slimmer, with a slimmer hinge and thinner bezels. This is mostly cosmetic and doesn’t matter how compact the phone folds – just a fraction of a millimeter difference (15.8mm thick at the hinge and 14.2mm where the sides meet). It weighs a little less: 263 grams compared to the Z Fold 3’s 271 grams. It’s still a heavy phone, which is to be expected for something that’s both a phone and a small tablet.
Can’t say it was noticeably slimmer or lighter than I expected, but the finish is befitting of a flagship device. It also doesn’t feel prototypical. It’s reassuringly solid and I don’t think it needs any special care. I’m a little nervous about how it’s going to handle the dusty environment that’s the bottom of my wallet, but there’s only one way to find out, so stay tuned.
A Slimmer Hinge For A More Polished Look.
The hinge is still a bit stiff by design, so it stays in flex mode, but the open and close motion feels smooth, at least in the demo devices Samsung showed off last week. The Fold 4 maintains the IPX8 rating for water resistance. And just like a true 2022 flagship, it packs a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset with 12GB of RAM, starting with 256GB of storage and going up to 1TB.
The Fold 4 gets a newer 50-megapixel main camera, a more practical 3x telephoto camera, narrower bezels, and a slimmer hinge. There is a little more space on the windscreen because it is a few millimeters wider. It’s not much, but the screen feels a little less cramped and more like a regular phone. There is still a gap when the phone is folded; Samsung hasn’t yet reached the optimum fold flatness.
A handful of software updates aim to improve the multitasking experience, and some changes to the display structure and all-important screen protector should make it more durable in the long run. But that’s the gist; The $1,799 price tag sticks around for one more year, making it an expensive, somewhat mainstream flagship option.
The Rear Camera Lineup Is Getting Some Important But Boring Updates
With this update, the Fold 4 finally has a camera array worthy of a flagship phone. Last year’s 12-megapixel main camera has been swapped for a 50-megapixel sensor, consistent with what’s available on the S22 and S22 Plus, including an f/1.8 lens and optical stabilization. It should be a noticeable improvement, but it’s still not up to the level of the S22 Ultra.
The Z Fold 3 featured a 2x telephoto lens, which thankfully has been upgraded to 3x optical zoom – 2x won’t get you very far. Space Zoom is also now available, allowing you to use digital zoom up to 30x, although you probably shouldn’t. These aren’t as many upgrades – more like the Fold 4, which is catching up on what Samsung’s other flagships have to offer.
The Z Fold 4’s cover screen is still 6.2 inches diagonally, but it’s three millimeters wider to give a very narrow screen a little more breathing room. The main screen is still 7.6 inches, but it’s more durable – 45 percent stronger thanks to stronger ultra-thin glass, according to Samsung. The crease is still there. It’s not a distraction when the phone is fully unfolded, but you’ll see it if you look for it. The adhesive on the pre-applied screen protector is stronger this time around to alleviate that pesky blistering issue that owners of previous Fold models often encountered.
Both screens are still OLED panels with adjustable refresh rates of 120Hz. The main display is still compatible with Samsung’s foldable specific S Pen (sold separately) – no Note-like silo, just an S Pen-friendly body. And you still can’t use the S Pen with the cover screen. The Fold 4’s under-screen camera is a little better hidden this time. It’s still a 4-megapixel sensor, but Samsung says changes to the pixel arrangement above it mean fewer distractions and also improve image quality.
It’s there if you’re looking for it, but the under-screen camera is less of a distraction this time.
The Fold 4 comes with One UI 4.1.1 based on Android 12L with some software tweaks to improve the multitasking experience. The taskbar has been moved from the side to the bottom of the screen. There’s also a new touchpad feature in Flex mode, which lets you drag a small cursor across the top half of the screen like you would on a small laptop. It’s cute, but I’m not sure I’d ever use it.
Pre-orders for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 begin today, with availability on August 26 across Samsung, carriers, and third parties—everywhere, simultaneously. It will come in grey-green, beige, and phantom black colors, with an additional burgundy option only sold by Samsung.
Pre-order Galaxy Z Fold 4: Where to buy Samsung’s latest foldable device
Samsung’s next-gen foldable phone is now official, and you can already save with these pre-order deals on the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
It’s Samsung Unpacked Day and the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is now official. After months of rumors and speculation, we now know all the details about Samsung’s next foldable phone and you can even save with these pre-order deals on the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
One of Unpacked’s biggest announcements, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the successor to last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 3 and a continuation of Samsung’s hybrid approach, tablet, and phone. The foldable Bookstyle has a 6.2-inch outer display and a 7.6-inch inner display, both of which offer a refresh rate of 120 Hz. There’s also a new camera set, with a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens, and a 10-megapixel telephoto lens.
What colors will the Galaxy Z Fold 4 be available in?
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is available in grey-green, phantom black, and beige. A burgundy colorway is also exclusive to Samsung.
How much does the Galaxy Z Fold 4 cost?
At full retail, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 starts at $1,800. That gives you the base spec of 256GB. US prices for each model are as follows:
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 (256GB): $1,800
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 (512GB): $1,920
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 (1TB): $2,160
Check out all the Galaxy Z Fold 4 deals below to save at these retail prices.
The Best Pre-Order Deals For The Galaxy Z Fold 4
While you may have missed Samsung’s early adopter deal that ran ahead of Unpacked’s launch, there are still plenty of Galaxy Z Fold 4 pre-order deals you can take advantage of. We’ve rounded up the top Galaxy Z Fold 4 deals from carriers and retailers below so you know where’s the best place to pre-order now.
We will continue to update this page as new offers become available. So check back often if your carrier or preferred retailer is not listed below.
Samsung
Up to $1,000 off + bundle deals
Get a whopping $1,000 off your Galaxy Z Fold 4 pre-order with Samsung direct trade-in and get a memory upgrade at no additional cost. You can also get up to $300 in Samsung Credit when you bundle Buds 2 Pro and Watch 5 or Watch 5 Pro with the Z Fold 4.
AT&T
Up to $1,000 off trade-in + free storage upgrade
Trade in your old Galaxy phone to AT&T and get up to $1,000 off your Galaxy Z Fold 4 pre-order. The trade-in phone can be from any year and in any condition. Customers who pre-order from AT&T get free storage – meaning double the storage – as well as a free Samsung case.
This promotion lets you grab the Galaxy Z Fold 4 for just $800 with an unlimited plan, and if you pre-order you’ll get the 512GB model at that price instead of the 256GB model. The $1,000 credit is valid for 36 months. If you cancel the service before the 36 months are up, you must pay the balance. Also, note that credits begin within three accounts and you must prepay all taxes and related fees on the sale price.
See AT&T
Verizon
Up to $800 off trade-ins
Trade in your old or damaged phone to Verizon and get up to $800 off the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 with select unlimited plans. Switchers also receive an additional bonus of $200.
Xfinity
Save $450
Through September 8th, new and existing Xfinity Mobile customers can get $450 off a new Galaxy Z Fold 4.
See Xfinity
T Mobile
Up to $1,000 off
T-Mobile is allowing you to get your hands on the Galaxy Z Flip 4 for just $0 with up to $1,000 in credit towards a qualifying Magenta Max or Premium plan. The credits are counted over 24 or 36 months. As with other carriers, you score points with twice the storage space at no additional cost.
Best Buy
Free memory upgrade and case
Best Buy gives you storage at no extra cost and gives away free cases with unlocked Galaxy Z Fold 4 pre-orders. That means you can get the 512GB model at a $120 discount and pick up the black Standing Cover (a $90 value) for free.
Amazon
No current savings
Amazon is offering the Galaxy Z Fold 4 for pre-order, although no savings are currently to be found.
See at Amazon
Samsung Galaxy Reservations: Up to $200 Free Credit @ Samsung
You can get up to $200 in Samsung credit when you reserve a new Galaxy phone ($100 credit), a new Galaxy Watch ($50 credit), or new Galaxy Buds ($30 credit) with Samsung. Reserve all three and receive a $200 credit. Simply enter your name and email address to make a reservation. The credit can be used to buy anything in Samsung’s online store.
The credits are broken down as follows: you get a $100 credit to pre-order a Galaxy phone, a $50 credit to pre-order a Galaxy Watch, or a $30 credit to pre-order Galaxy Buds. If you reserve all three, Samsung will throw in an extra $20 for a total of $200 in Samsung credit.
The credits can be used on Samsung.com (opens in a new tab) or in the Samsung Shop app. This includes the brand new products that you have pre-ordered so you can save $100 on Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 or Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 directly by pre-ordering via this method.
This isn’t the first time Samsung has offered pre-order credit – they offered a similar promotion before the release of the Samsung Galaxy S22. However, we’re excited about the return of the offer as it allows Samsung fans to save on the latest products before they’re released.
