Did we like the flip phone Galaxy Z Flip 4 in shell format Samsung? Quite. Is this a radical change from last year’s Flip 3? It improves in many aspects, but we will not see anything revolutionary.
The Flip range and especially the Galaxy Z Flip 4 are a great example of an implementation of the technology of folding screen successfully and usefully. Once folded, the phone fits in any pocket, and there is no cooler effect than opening the phone to talk on it, although it is still something that only happens to those of us who live with flip phones at the end of the ninety. Below we tell you what we thought of the device after having spent the last few weeks testing it.
Better screen and fold
The exterior is very similar to the Flip 3 with some cosmetic changes. There have been improvements in the hinge and in the folding mechanism of the screen, but they are things that the end user does not perceive, although this has not been noted in its dimensions, which are still 15.9 millimeters wide in the most fine and 17.1 millimeters in the part of the hinge.
The first thing we are going to notice is that Samsung has improved 1.9-inch OLED outdoor screen of the phone, the one that gives notifications and saves us having to open the phone when it is not necessary. Through widgets we can incorporate information such as the weather or the calendar, to see it directly on the external screen, answer some messages with a default text, or call three contacts without opening the phone.
The Flip half unfolded
There are unofficial applications that allow you to create a menu of ‘apps’ and launch them directly on the external screen, some work well, the simplest, others not so much. Korean Flip users saved an hour a day on the phone just by using the external screen, so yes we can say that it fulfills its mission. If we have to blame something on the external screen, it is that hard to get to herit’s not as intuitive as it might seem, and you need time to learn all the tricks.
More resistant
Another of the great debates is why the Flip cannot be opened with one hand, and the reason is relatively simple, or we have a Flex system, with a hinge that allows the terminal to be opened at any angle, or a spring-loaded opening with a hand. Samsung has opted for the Flex system compared to its competitors, this allows you to support the phone at any angle and take photos, selfies or have a video conference with the appropriate inclination. You cannot criticize one thing and applaud the other.
Like the Flip 3, the Flip 4 is IPX8, and can be submerged in water, unlike the Galaxy Fold; though not 100% dustproof. In the tests we had no problems with dust, but it is something to evaluate with prolonged use of the terminal.
When it comes to durability, especially of the 6.7-inch 120Hz flexible screen, Samsung says it’s 45% more durable than the Flip 3. This does not mean that it is not the most delicate part of the phone, the good thing is that, since the terminal is closed, it is very well protected. Us giving it normal use, with the occasional fall, we did not have to accuse any damage to the device.
The processor is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 and 8 gigabytes of RAM, an old high-end acquaintance, which has already been installed in hundreds of phones and we know that it offers good performance. Any application or game that we want to use will work perfectly.
The 3,700mAh battery gives autonomy for the whole day, and if we also use the main screen less thanks to the exterior, life will be extended a little more. Fast charging is only 25W, far from what other manufacturers offer us, it also has wireless charging.
The cameras, very original
The Flex Mode camera is what we like the most about the Flip, without a doubt. The outer screen allows us to take selfies and videos of ourselves, with the guarantee of being focused. Opening the phone in L and leaving it supported to record a video, or holding it at another angle to achieve more original photographs has delighted us.
Image captured with the Z Flip
The main camera has two 12-megapixel lenses, a wide angle and a super wide angle. The front or interior camera is 10 megapixels. The characteristics of the three cameras may leave you a little cold, and it is true that, for a mobile of the price of the Galaxy Z Flip 4, you would expect better camerasand more if we take into account the competition in that price range that has superior lenses and zoom.
But the numbers should not deceive you, the strong point of the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is in its form factor, in the Flex mode, which makes photos, selfies and videos unique, simply because of how the terminal can be folded. . The results of the images are not outstanding as in the Fold 4, but they are good and original, they have convinced us.