Do you know the song about the brave lone Viking who came out of a skirmish with a hundred opponents with just one wound? Probably not – it’s not well-known because that one little scratch cost our warrior his head 😲. But if we were to overlook that detail, the whole thing sounds much better. It’s similar with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 – it’s an almost perfect foldable smartphone because it has only one minor flaw. Except that this flaw comes with rather serious consequences.
Samsung foldable phone. Does it make sense?
Let’s start by saying that designing such a foldable phone is not a piece of cake. Or not bread with herring – that’s what they supposedly ate in the North. Firstly, the components must be cleverly arranged so that the device can actually bend (because as far as I know, motherboards or camera modules bend only once, and then, annoyingly, they break). Secondly, this type of equipment, when folded, shouldn’t be half a meter thick, but it would also be good if it didn’t overheat 🌡️.
And it’s on this last point that a compromise is most often required. And since Vikings don’t have such a term in their vocabulary, I’m not happy about it. To prevent the Galaxy Z Flip 4 from being used as either a barbell or a heater, Samsung has equipped it with a rather small battery, combined with not the fastest charging 🐌.
A phone that folds in half is a joy, though a short one
A 3700 mAh battery and 25W charging is still progress compared to last year’s Z Flip 3, so if you’re hesitating between these models – I recommend the newer one. However, improving from a “F” grade to a “C” grade is also progress. Unfortunately, the Flip still runs for a very short time – I used it with my own SIM card for two weeks, and every day I had to charge it at least once, in the afternoon or early evening. It was worst when I took it with me to Germany – when I took a lot of photos, recorded videos, and used LTE instead of Wi-Fi, the battery somehow lasted until 2-3 PM.
Sure, not everyone uses phones as intensively as I do. Nevertheless, the Z Flip will last less on a single charge than almost any other smartphone for everyone. In my opinion, only a sedentary lifestyle 🦥 can help you (after all, it’s useful for something!) and keeping the Flip on your desk on a wireless charger all day. This one flaw unfortunately spoiled my enjoyment of this model.
And it’s a shame, because apart from that, it brings a lot of joy. It looks very stylish, has a practical external screen next to the cameras, and in the official Samsung store, you can even configure your own color version. The Flip fits into any pocket, you can stubbornly open and close it with one hand, and I’ve totally fallen in love with the form factor of this device 😍.
Is it worth buying a foldable touchscreen phone?
And does the foldable screen have any practical applications? Well, first of all, you can end phone calls “like a boss” by simply closing it. I recommend, for example, a cool “deal with it” goodbye when ordering pizza. Also, some applications, like YouTube, the gallery, or the camera, support the flex mode and display different content on both parts of the screen. Nothing major, but if you want to justify the purchase in your head – it’s enough.
And yes – because I know this is what you're wondering about most – the screen feels durable; during these two weeks of testing, I didn't manage to scratch it, and the smartphone itself has a water resistance certificate. So, if it falls out of your longship for a moment 🌊, or a friend accidentally brushes it with an axe, nothing bad will likely happen.
How much does a foldable phone cost? What are its cameras like?
Besides, it’s essentially a full-fledged flagship. It only has two cameras on the back, but they are of very high quality – they have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of compared to the Galaxy S22 or iPhone. For selfies 🤳, only autofocus is missing, but the image quality itself is also very good. Performance is handled by Qualcomm's strongest processor, and – I’ll be honest – I’ve never seen a Samsung phone that runs so responsively before. Until now, they were associated with me more like oxen, which, even if they are quite fast, give the impression of being sluggish.
In terms of multimedia, the Z Flip also holds its own: the display quality is excellent 📱, two good speakers emit sound 🔊, and there’s usually enough memory for everything. It’s simply a wonderful gadget! If it weren’t for that unfortunate battery…
I was ready to plunder a few villages for it – after all, the price is over 5,000 zlotys, so I would have to collect a bit of loot. Unfortunately, because of the battery, I’ll wait another year or two. Maybe Samsung will manage to overcome the laws of physics.
