Samsung Galaxy Fold 4 Gives Android 12L A Powerful Foldable Debut
Samsung has unveiled the new Galaxy Z Fold 4, describing it as a "multitasking powerhouse" and promising "unparalleled performance." The phone follows the Galaxy Z Fold 3, an entry into the series that saw the price drop but was still staggeringly high for a smartphone at around $1,800. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 retains that price point and will ship starting at $1,799. Dr. TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung, described the new foldable range as offering "unparalleled mobile experiences that meet the needs of our most dynamic users."
Samsung
The company has also described its new folding device as "the most comprehensive smartphone experience to date." While Samsung's praise of its own product may sound similar to how a loving parent enthusiastically talks about their children — no matter how mediocre those children may be — the Galaxy Z Fold 4 may actually have the specs to back those claims up. The model packs the one unique feature that has been present since the start of the series, of course: users can unfold the smartphone to take advantage of an almost tablet-sized touchscreen. While there is still skepticism about the idea four generations in, there's obviously enough of a customer base to continue releasing newer foldable models. With the Fold 4, the hardware underneath the screens is arguably as impressive as the folding concept itself.
High-end specs join Android 12L
The price may not have changed since the Galaxy Z Fold 3 but, as you may expect from a newer model, you will get more for your money this time around. The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 Mobile Platform, which offers up to 3.2GHz of processing power and should make both multitasking and gaming a breeze. The model will also be the first device to ship with Android 12L, which Google has specifically created for larger-screened products. The phone will also ship with 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB of internal memory.
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New swipe gestures have been added to assist users in making the most of the screen space and managing multiple apps at the same time. Google's array of apps work well with the device, as does Microsoft's Office suite. Samsung's S-Pen is also compatible with the Fold 4 and is arguably at its most useful when paired with a large screen device like this. The main screen itself is a Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity Flex display that unfolds to 7.6 inches and boasts a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate.
There are also five cameras scattered around the device; these consist of a 50-megapixel wide-angle camera, 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera, 10-megapixel telephoto camera, 10-megapixel selfie camera (the one on the cover side), and a well-disguised 4-megapixel under-display camera (UDC). That's right — Samsung is sticking with the 4MP UDC, which may disappoint Galaxy fans who got their hopes up following recent rumors about the camera. With that said, part of the rumor did prove true, as the company has confirmed that the UDC won't be quite so visible and annoying this time around thanks to the use of a newly added scatter-type sub-pixel arrangement. Powering all of this is a 4,400mAh dual battery alongside Super Fast Charging support, which Samsung says will get the Fold 4 from zero charge to 50% in around half an hour, assuming you're using at least a 25-watt adapter.