Foldable phones are a recent segment in the smartphone industry, dominated by Samsung. The Korean brand has released a few models since 2018, most of which have achieved commercial success. The Galaxy Z Flip 4 is now available on the market, and to be honest, it has its pros and cons.
Tech heads will appreciate the nostalgic feeling of folding your phone, just as you could do with an old Motorola. Despite this appeal, the Galaxy Flip suffers from a few shortcomings that we will detail here, such as short battery life and poor camera quality. Let’s see if this foldable phone is a buy for you or if you should avoid it altogether.
Foldable phones are a recent segment in the smartphone industry, dominated by Samsung. The Korean brand has released a few models since 2018, most of which have achieved commercial success. The Galaxy Z Flip 4 is now available on the market, and to be honest, it has its pros and cons.
Tech heads will appreciate the nostalgic feeling of folding your phone, just as you could do with an old Motorola. Despite this appeal, the Galaxy Flip suffers from a few shortcomings that we will detail here, such as short battery life and poor camera quality. Let’s see if this foldable phone is a buy for you or if you should avoid it altogether.
One of the central issues of foldable phones is that their screen is so delicate that they might be too fragile in the long run. The technology used to hold the screen can make it too delicate and prompt it to break if the user makes an awkward movement. You can also put a protective case on a foldable phone, making it more vulnerable.
The Galaxy Z Flip 4 is no exception, and even if Samsung says that you can fold it more than 200 000 times during its lifetime, there is still a threat that the phone might break.
Picture Camera Isn’t Good Enough
Samsung’s flagship, the Galaxy S22, has arguably the best camera. The Galaxy Flip is different, and photography amateurs will think that a 12 MP camera isn’t good enough in a particular setting such as nighttime. Video footage taken for the Galaxy flip also lacks texture, even with a 4K@60 IPS definition. That’s why we cannot recommend this phone to people looking to document their everyday life on camera.
Screen Too Small To Play Online Slots
Mobile gaming has become a number one pastime for many people, and they are looking for the most fluid experience possible. While the Galaxy Flip is able to render 3D games on mobile, the size of its screen and the presence of a black strip around the screen is a problem. Indeed, you can enjoy the finest selection of new slots, but the gaming experience does” t cut it for gamers, mainly because of the size of the screen and the small latency of the image.
One of the biggest problems of the Galaxy Flip is the lack of autonomy. It is indeed difficult to go through your day on a full charge. If you’re watching videos on a train to work, the battery life will decrease significantly, and you will have to charge it after 5 or 6 hours of use. Although a lot of progress has been made since the beginning of the Galaxy Flip line, the issue hasn’t been fully resolved and significantly impacted a user’s life.
For some reason, foldable phones are more expensive than the rest of smartphones, and the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is no exception to the rule, with a price tag that ranges from 700 to 800£. Maybe because of the novelty effect, they are considered high-end technology items, while they cannot deliver just as much as a non-foldable smartphone.
The key takeaway is that foldable phones are still a recent technology and should attain a more reasonable price in the coming years. For now, you decide to spend a lot of money on a device whose performance is slightly below its competitors.
Is The Larger Screen Worth It?
The main argument for buying a foldable phone is that the screen is larger. It should be more convenient for multitasking and have a few windows open simultaneously. While the Galaxy Z Flip 4 can do that, navigating between the different windows on display is still challenging.
If you want a larger screen to play games, it is handy to do it on a tablet or even on a non-foldable phone with a 7-inch screen.
Verdict: The Galaxy Flip Is A Buy, But Only If
Jumping on the foldable bandwagon could be attractive if you are a technology amateur looking for new thrills. Otherwise, waiting for that technology to sharpen and deliver its best abilities is still wise. Maybe in a few years, Samsung will launch a foldable phone with more autonomy and a better camera. In the meantime, you are probably better off buying one of their flagship or any non-foldable smartphone on the market.