New Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 is both gorgeous and useful

The new Samsung phone folds which means you can use it like a conventional phone or a book. And wow.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 is a real head turner. It’s an Android smartphone that literally folds in half, like a book, which makes it one of the most unique phones on the market. And although you may not notice many major design changes on this year’s iteration, the Fold4 is certainly one of the best folding phones yet.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 unboxing

The recently released Samsung Z Galaxy Fold4 comes in three colours – Grey/Green, Phantom Black and Beige. All three have gorgeous, glossy metal edges, and a matte glass back, giving off a premium look whilst offering up a durable form factor. It even has IPX8 water resistance, which means it can survive submersion in up to 1.5m of freshwater for up to 30 minutes. I went with the Beige colour. All that was in the box besides the phone was a USB-C to USB-C charging cable and some documentation.

Favourite improved features

First and foremost this phone has two displays. A 6.2 inch front screen, which on this iteration has been slightly widened and has seriously improved the usability. And there’s the large 7.6 inch main screen that unfolds, offering up a tablet-style user experience. To be able to jump between these screens for different use cases is what makes this phone so useful.

This also means that multi-tasking on this phone is awesome. When holding the phone like a book, I love using applications in a split view which means I could have my web browser open on one side of the screen, my notes open on the other, even whilst sending a text message. When the phone is half closed, you could also have it sitting at a 90 degree angle on a table, so it holds itself up, to sit back and take a video call.

It can be held open like a book. Picture: Elly Awesome

Something I love about this phone is that it also offers up S Pen compatibility (though you have to buy an S Pen separately). So if you were a fan of the Samsung Galaxy Note phones in the past you can expect the same functionally (or that of a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra) but with the additional ability to convert your workspace into a tablet form factor.

Happy reading. Picture: Elly Awesome

Samsung Galaxy ZFold 4 cameras

The cameras are seriously improved on the Fold4. The previous generation sported 12MP rear cameras. Now the phone is on par with the camera quality of the phones like the Samsung Galaxy S22, offering up a 12MP Ultra wide, a 50MP Wide Angle and a 10MP Telephoto camera with a 3x Optical Zoom.

These new back cameras immediately produce high quality snaps with excellent saturation, better depth of field and better sharpness. The video quality is also extremely impressive.

The cameras are great quality. Picture: Elly Awesome

Conversely, the selfie cameras could still use a couple of tweaks. The front 10MP cover camera (as seen on the phone when closed) does a good job with selfies, however, the 4MP Under Display Camera leaves a lot to be desired.

But I must note, it’s literally under placed the internal flexible screen’s display, which is arguably a bonus. At the end of the day, it’s my least used camera lens on this phone anyway, but if needed, gets the job done.

Is the Samsung Galaxy Fold4 worth it?

Due to the more efficient chip in the Fold4 the battery life has improved. It easily lasts a full day of heavy use and sometimes longer. And sure, the phone’s a little bit thick, it’s kind of like having two phones in your pocket stacked on top of one another. However, you’d be surprised that it doesn’t feel a lot heavier than a typical smartphone. In fact it’s only around 30g heavier than a Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra.

It doesn’t feel much heavier than most smartphones. Picture: Elly Awesome

Fold4 price

My only real drawback with this phone is that it’s seriously pricey, starting at a whopping $2499. However, I know a lot of people make the switch to the Fold4 as it removes the need to carry around a tablet or laptop in addition to their mobile phone. And if you’re someone who thrives when using a tablet, stylus, or a small display with multi-tasking capabilities, then this all-in-one phone could be perfect for you.

It could be just right for you. Picture: Elly Awesome

Elly Awesome is an Aussie tech and lifestyle vlogger | @ellyawesometech | YouTube