Update, August 10, 2022: The Galaxy Z Flip 4 has been announced and we’ve gone hands-on with Samsung’s smaller, more affordable foldable. While the phone looks the same as its Flip 3 predecessor, and is priced at an identical $999, it’s got some major improvements, particularly in the battery and camera departments. At the same Unpacked event, Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Fold 4, the Galaxy Watch 5 and 5 Pro, and the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro.
We really like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 3. It may not have the horsepower of the Galaxy S22 Ultra or the same wow factor as the Galaxy Z Fold 3, but it offers a convenient foldable experience for a price that’s not entirely unusual for a high-end phone: $999. The phone was released last summer, so it’s coming up on its first birthday, and you know what that means. We’re about due for a sequel. Here’s everything we know about the Galaxy Z Flip 4.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Features
The first details about the Flip 4 started trickling in early this year. In February, we heard that while the Galaxy Z Fold 4 may feature a built-in S Pen like the Galaxy S22 Ultra (and past Note phones), it doesn’t seem like the Galaxy Z Flip 4 will. The existing Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 doesn’t support Samsung’s add-on S Pen Pro, either, so the Flip 4 likely won’t be a good option for stylus enthusiasts.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Hardware and specifications
The same report spelled out S Pen compatibility for Samsung’s other 2022 foldable and also contained information about the new Flip displays. While the phone’s internal display will be the same 6.7-inch size as the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 display, its external display will supposedly be just slightly bigger: 1.9 inches diagonally to the Galaxy Flip 3’s 1.83. A later leak claims an even larger increase to 2.1 inches.
In May, we heard that the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 might come with a bigger battery than the Galaxy Z Flip 3. Battery life is one of the most significant drawbacks of the foldable form factor. Moving parts means less internal space, which means less room for beefy batteries. To mitigate this, batteries in foldable phones are split into two cells, one in each half. Still, the Z Flip 3’s paltry 3,300mAh capacity means it has an uncommonly short battery life for a modern smartphone.
We’re hearing conflicting reports about how much higher the Flip 4’s battery capacity will be. Dutch-language publication Galaxy Club claims a 100mAh increase to 3,400mAh, while leaker Ice universe has predicted 3,700mAh. Neither increase would likely make much real-world difference, but we have our fingers crossed that it’s going up.
We first got a glimpse of the Z Flip 4 in some renders sourced by leaker OnLeaks and published by 91Mobiles this spring.
While the renders show the phone sporting a new, light blue colorway not available on the Z Flip 3 (even through Samsung’s Bespoke Edition customization tool), the design looks practically unchanged otherwise. The external display may be marginally larger than the previous model, but other features (button and port placement, camera module layout, and overall proportions) seem unchanged.
In June, TechTalkTV published real photos of the device in the flesh:
The photos are pretty low-quality and don’t give us much new info to go on. One of the photos shows the phone unfolded, seemingly showing off a smoother interior display with a less pronounced crease than in previous generations. However, the solid color on the display and the angle the photo was taken from make it hard to tell for sure.
Leaker Jon Prosser has shared that, in addition to blue, he believes the phone will also be available in Graphite (likely the gray color above), Bora Purple, and Pink Gold colorways. SamMobile has also reported that, like the Flip 3, the Flip 4 will be customizable via Bespoke Edition that’ll let users mix and match colors. Though this time, it seems like customers in more countries will have access to the Bespoke Edition, and there’ll be more colors to choose from.
In July, MySmartPrice published what looks like official renders of four colorways, lining up with Prosser’s prediction.
Shortly after that, we got an even better look at all four colors, courtesy of leaker OnLeaks.
Even more recently, prolific leaker Evan Blass shared yet more renders, showing the phone in all four colors from practically every angle. There’s not much left to wonder about the Flip 4, visually speaking.
In early August, insurance provider Assurant accidentally confirmed that the above colors are legit, as well as the fact that the customizable Bespoke edition will have options for back panels in green, navy blue, red, and yellow, and aluminum frames in black, silver, or gold colors. Interestingly, Assurant didn’t mention a 512-gigabyte model, seemingly contradicting other reports that say there will be a higher storage option this year.
In June, leaker Yogesh Brar painted a pretty complete picture of what he believes the phone’s specs will be:
There aren’t many surprises here. Brar predicts a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset backed by 8GB of RAM, 128GB or 256GB of storage, and some middle-of-the-road-sounding cameras: a 12-megapixel primary and ultrawide, plus a 10-megapixel internal camera. Brar also predicts 25-watt wired charging, which is interesting; last year’s Samsung Galaxy Flip 3 tops out at a glacial 15 watts. Wireless charging is purportedly unchanged at 10 watts.
SamMobile has reported that in a first for the Flip line, there’ll also be a configuration with 512GB of storage space. Prior models have topped out at 256GB.
We’ve had an early peek at some official accessories, too. UK-based accessory retailer Mobile Fun has shared some renders of cases for the Z Flip 4 and the Z Fold 4, framing the images as a leak. (The site is also offering the cases for pre-order, though, so we wonder about the logistics of this particular “leak.”)
As reported by SamMobile, German retailer Galaxus has also shared images of a couple of additional case options.
These accessories don’t confirm anything we didn’t already know about the phone, but they do show Samsung will be offering similar add-ons again this generation.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Pricing and availability
We’re expecting the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 to be announced at Samsung Unpacked on August 10, 2022. Leaker John Prosser claims both the Galaxy Flip 4 and the Galaxy Fold 4 will be available for pre-order on the day of the event on August 10, with full retail availability starting August 26. Samsung is already offering incentives for reserving the phone.
Last year’s Galaxy Z Flip 3 starts at $999.99 for the 128GB version, with the 256GB variant going for $1,049.99. According to a European pricing leak, the 128-gig Flip 4 will cost €1,080, which translates to about $1,100. The 256-gig model will reportedly go for €1,158—about $1,185—and there’ll be a 512-gigabyte model that costs €1,275, roughly $1,300. Pricing across markets isn’t always a direct conversion, but it’s still possible the Flip 4 will be more expensive than its predecessor in the U.S.
