Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs. Galaxy S22 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 are two of the best phones Samsung’s ever made. Both have powerful processors, improved cameras versus their predecessors, and beautiful displays. These phones are premium powerhouses, and they cost enough because of it, especially the Fold. The improvements made in the Fold 4, especially the cameras and battery life, make it the best foldable yet, but it’s still $1,800. The S22 Ultra isn’t exactly cheap for $1,200, but it’s more manageable by comparison. The questions are, then, which offers the better value, and which is more fun to use?

If you demand the latest and greatest Samsung phones, these are for you, but these titans — in both size and feature set — each serve dramatically different niches. So let’s dive in and figure out which one best suits you.

Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs. Galaxy S22 Ultra: Design and build quality

Source: Samsung

Neither of these phones is anywhere close to compact or lightweight. The Fold 4, of course, hides a massive screen inside, while the S22 Ultra is basically a Galaxy Note with a different name. In other words, they both have a substantial footprint that’s a bit cumbersome if you’re not used to big phones. The tradeoff is that they also both have quite a bit of space to work with, so they’re perfect for anybody who relies on their smartphone for high productivity. The Fold 4 sort of makes up for this with the narrow cover screen that’s easy to use one-handed, but the weight and thickness are still noticeable.

The S22 Ultra’s clean lines, impressive durability, and dedicated S Pen slot define its refined, professional design. The curved sides can make it a bit harder to hold, but the only design aspect fans truly took issue with was the lack of a single camera module surrounding the rear cameras, instead having five circular protrusions that all act as dust magnets.

Meanwhile, the Z Fold 4 sports a relatively Spartan exterior design. It’s roughly a centimeter slimmer and shorter than the S22 Ultra when closed, though it is about 6 millimeters thicker. Unlike the S22 Ultra, it sports only an IPX8 rating — that hinge might be water-resistant, but dust is still the enemy — and doesn’t have an S Pen slot. Speaking of that hinge, while there is a noticeable crease in the screen over it, it’s nowhere near as intrusive as on the original and marginally better than the Z Fold 3. No other foldable currently competes with the Z Fold 4’s hinge reliability.

Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs. Galaxy S22 Ultra: Display

Featuring a 1440 x 3088 resolution, 1,750-nit peak brightness, up to 120-hertz variable refresh rate, and 90% screen-to-body ratio, the S22 Ultra’s screen is as good as it gets. You’ll be hard-pressed to find another phone with such rich colors and exceptional HDR performance. Its premium Gorilla Glass cover strikes a great balance between durability and scratch resistance and works amazingly well with Samsung’s S Pen.

There’s a lot more screen to talk about regarding the Z Fold 4, though. The 7.6-inch main display has a 21.6:18 aspect ratio that proves highly effective for multitasking and viewing media. It can’t claim the same top-of-the-line brightness and pixel density as the S22 Ultra, but you’d pretty much need to look at them side by side to notice a difference. Flexible ultrathin glass still isn’t as durable as tempered glass, either, making the plastic screen cover a necessary evil.

On the other hand, the cover display uses Gorilla Glass Victus+ and is nearly as large and high-quality as many smartphones’ main displays. Its 904 x 2316 resolution makes it easy to use many of the phone’s advanced features without opening it, making it much easier to use one-handed when needed.

Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs. Galaxy S22 Ultra: Performance and battery life

The Galaxy Z Fold 4 uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, which might seem like a slight upgrade over the S22 Ultra’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 on paper, but the real story is in the thermals. Either model can handle whatever you throw at it without missing a beat, whether you’re multitasking for work’s sake or playing a resource-intensive game, but the S22 Ultra is much more likely to overheat during extended sessions.

Battery life on the S22 Ultra is fantastic out of the box, running for over 24 hours with roughly 6 hours of screen time. That figure ticks up as you adjust settings, and while it won’t ever be the longest-lasting battery on the market, it’s excellent for how powerful the hardware is.

Due to its folding configuration, battery size and placement pose more of a problem in the Z Fold 4. There are also far more pixels to power. The enhanced Snapdragon APU is the primary tool fighting this drain, which is about 10% more efficient than its predecessor. It also has better heat management than the previous Z Fold 3, which means you won’t see throttling due to overheating, even if you’re gaming outside in the hot sun.

Overall, you will have to be more aware of your remaining charge with the Z Fold 4 than with the S22 Ultra, although that depends on the model. The Snapdragon S22 Ultra may easily outlast the Fold 4, but the Exynos S22 Ultra is significantly worse, and the Fold 4 handily beats it for endurance.

The S22 Ultra’s biggest win is charging speeds. The Z Fold 4 can charge at 15W wirelessly and 25W when plugged in, while the S22 Ultra can hit up to 45W when connected to a charger. That significantly reduces charging times and will get you out in the world and mobile quicker than the Fold. Wireless charging is the same 15W.

A note on Galaxy S22 processors

If you’re in Europe, be aware of the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s processor differences. While the rest of the world got the coveted Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 APU, the EU market’s Galaxy S22 Ultra was saddled with the less powerful and somewhat bug-ridden Exynos 2200, produced in-house by Samsung. A decent chunk of owners have reported camera and display issues that apparently stem from the less-reliable chipset. Some of these issues have been fixed, but it’s best to avoid the Exynos version if possible. One of our writers can attest to that, having a far smoother and longer-lasting experience on the Fold 4, despite the smaller battery. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 has the Snapdragon Gen 8+ Gen 1 no matter where you buy it, giving it a definite edge over the S22 Ultra if you’re buying your phone in Europe.

Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs. Galaxy S22 Ultra: Cameras

Three main cameras with flagship-level resolutions let you take incredible pictures with the Z Fold 4. The under-display camera itself hasn’t changed when using the foldable display, but it’s harder to see than last year’s camera. The main rear sensor has finally been upgraded to the same 50MP sensor found in the S22+, and you can use the cover screen as a viewfinder to take selfies with that supreme sensor. It’s not the most extravagant camera setup in the world, but it’s nothing to sneeze at.

The best part of the Fold 4’s camera experience is Flex Mode. You can open the hinge to almost any angle, and the phone will hold it. So propping it up somewhere and then using hand gestures to make it take the photo is a great way to get group selfies without a tripod. This also works well for video calls by letting you put the phone down on a desk instead of holding it. The Fold 4 will even move the call controls down to the lower half of the display in this mode.

On paper, the S22 Ultra camera setup is at least twice as powerful. In real-world usage, its doubled pixel count of the 180MP main sensor and additional lens provides the camera with more information to feed into its processing algorithm. If you take a lot of pictures, few high-end smartphones do it better.

If there are any gripes with either phone’s cameras, they center around Samsung’s camera software and image processing. Compared to models known for high picture quality (such as the Pixel lineup), Samsung smartphone cameras trend toward longer exposure times that can lead to some blowout in bright scenes. In some cases, they’re mildly inconsistent, quirky, and have a bit of a learning curve. That’s where camera specs start to matter less and software implementation more. The upside of this minor drawback is that Samsung can continue refining it via updates.

The zoom lenses are the biggest reason to use the S22 Ultra cameras. The 3X lens is perfect for portrait shots, offering plenty of natural bokeh (blur) without needing to enhance it with software. The 10X lens blows our minds every time we use it, proving incredibly useful at concerts and other events. Whether those software quirks are something you can live with to access this amazing hardware is up to you, but the S22 Ultra is one of our favorite smartphone cameras.

Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs. Galaxy S22 Ultra: Software and support

Samsung has, at long last, developed a foldable-focused version of its streamlined Android skin called One UI 4.1.1. Based on Android 12L, it’s optimized for multi-screen devices and tablets, with new improvements to the taskbar and multi-window modes. Other than these small visual upgrades, it’s essentially identical to the One UI 4.1 (Android 12) shipped on the S22 lineup. Samsung promises both phones four years of software updates and five years of security patches, so you’ll maintain security and functionality for years without issue.

As noted earlier, both support the premium Samsung S Pen, though you’ll have to buy it separately for the Z Fold 4. Both also work swimmingly with Samsung Dex, which offers a desktop experience and relies heavily on the massively powerful hardware inside each phone.

The software benefits for the Z Fold 4 include how the standard One UI features work on a larger display like this. For example, both phones support multi-window and pop-up apps, but the Fold 4 can use three split apps at once instead of just two, and you won’t feel cramped doing so. The S Pen might not store easily without an accessory, but using it on a larger screen feels better.

Both phones launched with Android 12, and have already been updated to Android 13 with One UI 5 in most regions. Both devices will continue to see Android upgrades to Android 16, with another year of security patches to follow.

In a welcome development for the Galaxy Z Fold 4, Samsung reorganized its Care+ extended warranty service and now offers rock-bottom prices on screen replacements. As long as you subscribe to Care+ for $11 per month, your deductible for screen replacements is a mere $29. The discounted repair cost even applies to accidental damage like drops and spills. So, no matter what goes wrong with your phone — except intentional damage or “acts of god” like natural disasters — Samsung will repair or replace it for the price of family pizza night, as long as you’re a Care+ subscriber.

Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs. Galaxy S22 Ultra: Which should you buy?

They’re both great phones, and most power users will probably be happy with the S22 Ultra. Its life cycle will last nearly as long as the Fold 4’s, it can run any app without missing a beat, and it offers plenty of screen real estate to get a good amount of work done. As long as it’s not too big for you, it’s worth a shot.

On the other hand, if you can afford it, the Z Fold 4 might make you even happier. Yes, the S Pen is sold separately, and you’ll also probably want to get a case the stylus fits in, adding a little bulk. But that added bulk won’t change the fact that the Z Fold 4 is the perfect option for people who want a giant screen but don’t want to deal with the constant bulkiness that comes with it. The Z Fold 4 makes you more productive in meaningful ways,

In other words, if you can afford the Galaxy Z Fold 4 (and S Pen, if you like using a stylus), you will undoubtedly enjoy it even if you’re not comfortable with massive phones. Should you be unable to pony up that exceedingly high $1800 price, the Galaxy S22 Ultra is better than anything else without a hinge and folding display.

• Source: Samsung

  Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4

  One of the best smartphones available, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 offers a premium smartphone experience, while also doubling as a tablet. If the sticker shock doesn’t give you pause, this phone is definitely worth it.

• Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra

  The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra sports everything you’d expect in a 2022 flagship and an S Pen to boot. While it takes its design cues from 2020’s Note 20 Ultra, it focuses on improvements to camera quality, battery life, and overall performance.