Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 3 is its most polished tablet-size foldable yet, and the company is reportedly planning to further refine that design with the Galaxy Z Fold 4. Rumors and reports suggest Samsung’s next large-format foldable will have a sleeker design and better cameras that are on par with the Galaxy S22’s, among other improvements. Samsung hasn’t made any announcements about what’s in store for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 or other future phones, but the company typically makes new product announcements in August.
Here’s what we’ve heard about the Galaxy Fold 4 so far, in terms of price, new features and possible specs. We’ll be updating this story as new information becomes available.
Design: Galaxy Z Fold 4 may not have an S Pen slot, but perhaps a new hingeThere’s no doubt in our minds that the Galaxy Fold lineup represents a remarkable showcase of technology and innovation. But there’s just one thing: Samsung’s top-of-the-line foldable isn’t inherently practical like, say, the Galaxy Z Flip 3 or even the Galaxy Note series. For example, there was no slot for the S Pen in the Galaxy Fold 3, and based on rumors, it’s unclear if the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will have one either.
Twitter leaker Ice Universe, known for publishing Samsung leaks, said in April that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 wouldn’t have an S Pen storage slot. But Korean news outlet The Elec previously reported that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 would be Samsung’s first foldable to include a designated S Pen holster.
We’re crossing our fingers that the latter is true. Or even better, it would be great if the Z Fold 4 supported a way to magnetically attach the S Pen to the phone’s hinge, similar to how the Apple Pencil can stick to an iPad Pro.
Speaking of hinges, the next Galaxy Z Fold may sport a single hinge design instead of the double hinge seen on previous Samsung foldable phones. That is, according to leaker @TheGalox, who 9to5Google says has a decent track record. Ice Universe also reported similar findings more recently, saying the Z Fold 4’s hinge would indeed be slimmer. This change would likely result in a thinner and lighter overall design compared with the Z Fold 3.
Expect the screens to remain the same size as those found on the Z Fold 3. Ice Universe says the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will have a 7.6-inch interior display and a 6.2-inch outer screen, each of which will reportedly have a 120Hz refresh rate.
Confirming the design of the Fold4, the width of the A and B of the outer screen has been significantly reduced, and it can be seen that the hinge design has changed a lot. pic.twitter.com/ydsuOxgwbF
— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) May 30, 2022
The Galaxy Fold 4 might rock a double-sided fingerprint readerSamsung introduced a fingerprint sensor to its foldable phone via the Galaxy Fold 3, where it’s located on the right side of the handset. Accessible whether the device is folded shut or opened up, it also doubles as a power button.
However, that fingerprint reader may be on the move, according to Dutch publication Lets Go Digital, and may be placed under the screen instead. To back up the assertion, Lets Go referred to a patent Samsung filed in March last year, saying the company plans to incorporate the fingerprint reader in such a way that it can be used as a double-sided fingerprint sensor. It would work on the cover screen (when the handset is folded shut), as well as when the device is unfurled to a tablet-size device. On the cover screen, the fingerprint scanner would reportedly be used from the center bottom of the display. When the phone’s unfolded, it would be on the center bottom of the left screen, the report says.
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Cameras: What to expect for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 The Galaxy Z Fold 4 could be getting a Galaxy S22-like upgrade. According to Dutch blog GalaxyClub, Samsung may adopt the Galaxy S22’s 10 megapixel telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom for the upcoming foldable. If this rumor becomes a reality, the Fold 4 will have a better zoom range than previous models of the device.
The leak from Ice Universe also suggests the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will inherit some characteristics from the Galaxy S22’s camera. That means a 50-megapixel main camera, 12-megapixel ultrawide camera and 10-megapixel telephoto camera might be in store. As for the selfie camera, Ice Universe reports that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will have a 4-megapixel inner camera and a 10-megapixel outer camera just like its predecessor.
The Galaxy Z Fold 3’s triple lens camera.
Sarah Tew/CNET
Samsung’s Fold 4 may also have under-display cameras on cover and interior screens. The Galaxy Fold 3 also debuted an under-display camera to Samsung’s lineup of foldables. It’s located beneath the large internal display, and is one of five cameras on the device. According to rumors, the Galaxy Fold 4 will also rely on five cameras, but there’ll be two under-display cameras this time around, at least according to one Korean leaker, who goes by the handle yeux1122.
This is another rumor I hope is inaccurate (unless Samsung drastically improves its tech) since the Galaxy Fold 3’s under-display camera was its weakest link, camera-wise. According to a review of the Galaxy Fold 3 by CNET’s Patrick Holland, indoor selfies taken with it looked “highly processed,” and even outdoor snaps in good lighting didn’t look much better.
Read more: Best Foldable Phones in 2022
Processor: Galaxy Z Fold 4 might have Qualcomm’s more powerful new chipSamsung’s next foldable phone could run on Qualcomm’s newly announced Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor, according to Ice Universe. The Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 is a faster and more power efficient version of the standard Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, which is found in the Galaxy S22 series. It makes sense that a high-end phone like the Galaxy Z Fold 4 would have a more powerful chip. But Samsung wasn’t listed among the brands that’ll be adopting the new chip that Qualcomm mentioned when announcing the processor.
Otherwise, Ice Universe’s leak indicates the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will have a lot in common with the Galaxy Z Fold 3. The new phone will reportedly have 12GB of RAM, options for 256GB or 512GB of storage, a 4,400 mAh battery and 25-watt fast charging.
Price: Galaxy Z Fold 4 might get cheaperMany of the big-name foldables on the market today are available for closer to $2,000, putting them well beyond the budget of the average shopper. If Samsung and its rivals want their bendy devices to break into the mainstream in a big way, one major thing that’ll need to change is the price. And that may be happening, if rumors are accurate. According to analyst Ross Young, CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants, the rumored Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 could see a price drop.
Samsung’s Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 phone production for July are more than double what it was for the Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3. Pointing to a very strong launch. Might see a price cut.
— Ross Young (@DSCCRoss) April 20, 2022
Going by the Fold lineup’s track record, there’s a reasonable chance that the Fold 4 won’t induce as much sticker shock as some of its predecessors. Though the Fold 3 is the most expensive phone Samsung has released this year, it still got a welcome price drop compared with last year’s Fold 2 and the original 2019 Fold. The Fold 3 comes in at a starting price of $1,800 in the US, which is a welcome $200 price cut from the Fold 2’s launch price. In the UK the Z Fold 3 starts at £1,599 for the 256GB variant, while in Australia it’s AU$2,499. The clamshell Z Flip 3 meanwhile saw its launch price slashed by nearly $400.
For more, check out CNET’s Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 reviews.
