Samsung Galaxy Flip4 5G Review: The Best Foldable For Everyone
December 17, 2022Performance: Snapdragon 8+ Gen1, 8GB RAM
Main Display: 6.7-inch FHD + Dynamic AMOLED 2x
Cover Screen: 1.9” Super AMOLED
Weight: 187g
Storage: 128GB/ 256GB/ 512GB
Battery: 3700 mAh
Features: 4K UHD / 1080p FHD / 720p HD video recording
Rear Camera: 12 MP Ultra-wide, 12 MP Wide-angle
Front Camera: 10 MP
Price:
128GB RM4,099
256GB RM4,399
512GB RM4,899
Bespoke edition 256GB RM4,599
Rating: 9/10
The past few iterations of the Flip smartphone have been evolutions of their predecessor rather than revolutionary upgrades. Admittedly, there’s sound reasoning behind this move. The Flip3 was already a marked improvement over the original. Thanks to the larger 1.9-inch display and better hinge mechanism, the phone was a hit among people who appreciated the form factor.
If something isn’t broken, why try and fix it? This is probably Samsung’s logic behind the Flip4. Despite having an identical look to its predecessor, one must remember that the devil is in the details. See, instead of making one big, visual change, the company decided to tweak things where it mattered most.
This is why the phone is slightly shorter and narrower than the Flip3 but has the same 6.7-inch display. Though it goes unnoticed to the untrained eye, a side-by-side comparison reveals the Flip4 to be slightly more compact than the phone it replaces. It’s easier to hold and carry.
Somehow, despite the reduction in overall size, Samsung managed to squeeze a 3,700mAh battery into it. That’s 200mAh more than the Flip3, which should result in slightly better overall battery life, but I digress.
Instead of the glossy color scheme of the previous generation Flips, the 4th iteration incorporates the subtle, matte finish seen on the S22 flagship line of phones. It provides a sophisticated yet elegant look that should be better received than the “look at me” feel exhibited by the Flip3.
Our review unit is colored with a sinister, black paint scheme that’s oddly satisfying to ogle. Samsung calls it Graphite, and if it isn’t your cup of tea, you can have it in Bora Purple, Pink Gold or Blue. The aluminum frame is subtly colored to match the main paint scheme of the phone. A nice touch, which is most noticeable with Pink Gold and Bora Purple.
The hinge feels more robust and purposeful. It invokes confidence when folding or unfolding the phone. Every advancement in either direction feels mechanically sound, which is why you have to be deliberate with your action or expect to be met with some resistance. It’s a welcome trait because this prevents the two sections from coming together unintentionally.
When they do meet, metallic “clunk” noise affirms that the phone is completely folded. When you do choose to unfold the phone again, you are met with significant resistance, which is a good thing because there’ll be little chance of the phone unfolding itself in your purse or bag. It’s needed to protect the folding screen.
The 6.7-inch, AMOLED display isn’t of the rigid variety found on traditional smartphones. It’s made of a pliant “glass” that is slightly soft to the touch. Though far firmer than what was on the original, the Flip4’s screen feels nice to touch. It’s fairly uniform throughout the entire length without there being any pits or undulations, which point to quality control issues.
There’s still a crease but it’s far less pronounced than what was experienced on Flip3. This speaks volumes of the advancement in folding screen technology. The Flip4’s display is just incrementally better to use than its predecessor.
When running your finger across the crease, the undulation is still apparent but feels less obvious, which is good for daily use. When swiping, your finger or thumb doesn’t bump over to either side, instead, it tracks true, from top to bottom. This brings it ever closer to what we are used to experiencing with traditional smartphones.
I personally never had a problem with the Flip3’s crease but it’s good to know that its successor is just slightly better at the same job. In terms of screen quality, it’s still the same vibrant, 120Hz display that is extremely responsive. Samsung claims that it can withstand more than 200,000 folds over time.
The display is suitable for watching movies as it is for light gaming sessions. Though slightly less vibrant than the rigid AMOLED screens, the Flip4 does an admirable job at offering a decent amount of contrast and saturation to make whatever you’re viewing seem enjoyable to look at. It may seem odd to use Flip4 for games, but it plays them well.
Its rather tall screen aspect ratio is better suited to reading text, documents, or websites. Everything fits neatly into place, which negates the need to keep scrolling to read the entire content. It’s also good for multitasking with multiple apps.
The CoverScreen at 1.9-inches does a multitude of things. You can use it for quick access to your settings, reply to messages or access a number of helpful widgets. In addition to that, it also allows you to add a personal touch by changing the look of the clock and adding videos, photos or AR Emojis as a way to animate the screen.
Performance
Its raw power is made possible by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, which is a marked improvement over the 888 that powered the Flip3. Working with the 8GB RAM (Only option), the chipset allows the phone to chomp through tasks fairly quickly. In fact, this is slightly newer hardware that powers the S22 and S22+.
Samsung does give you a choice when it comes to storage options. You could opt for 128GB, 256GB or 512GB capacity. They are of the UFS3.1 variety, which offers fast reading and writing speeds. This also contributes to the swiftness of app launches or data retrieval speeds.
Apps launch in an instant, aided by the highly responsive 120Hz display. There doesn’t seem to be any hesitation or lagging when switching between apps or running two of them simultaneously via multi-window view. The hardware just seems to cope well with whatever you ask it to do.
The same is true of editing photos and videos. You can alter certain characteristics or splice certain sections of footage without much delay. Though many prefer to do this kind of work on something more “capable” like the S22 Ultra, I find it reassuring that a pocket friendly Flip phone can still do “Big Boy” jobs like traditional flagship devices.
When it comes to playing games, the Flip isn’t the first device that comes to mind. But thanks to a competent Adreno 730 GPU, it can play graphically intensive games quite well. The point I’m trying to make here is that the Flip4 isn’t just a pretty face meant to appeal to fashionistas. instead, it has the power and capability to back up its look.
Cameras
On paper, the main 12MP wide (83-degree FOV) and ultrawide (123-degree FOV) camera may not seem like much but in reality, they take some pretty impressive pictures. The shots that you capture look well exposed, in focus and with just enough contrast. The hardware works closely with post-processing software to produce decent results.
This goes to show that megapixel count doesn’t always equate to better picture quality. The Flip4’s 12MP wide sensor does a better job at taking great photos than many 64MP sensors found in mid-range devices. It’s the same case in low lighting conditions. The hardware is able to use what little light is available to capture decent results.
Granted, the overall picture quality lags behind the S22+, but when you factor in the flexibility, it’s easy to overlook said shortcomings. Optical image stabilization (OIS) is available on the 12MP wide but not ultrawide, so keep that in mind when taking moving shots. The former does an admirable job of ironing out slight bumps and camera shakes.
The end result are shots that are in focus and retain a good amount of detail of the background and foreground. It’s a similar story for videos as well. You can capture crisp footage in good lighting conditions and decent quality ones with low ambient lighting. Things start to get a little grainy (noisy) if there’s very little light for the sensor to use.
The clever software, which Samsung calls Super Night Solution helps minimize noise where possible. It helps to clean up the imperfections in the videos that you capture in order to produce a more desirable overall look.
Unlike traditional phones, the same hardware can be used to take selfies or vlog footage by turning the CoverScreen into your viewfinder. I found it to be especially useful when taking short clips of myself covering certain live events without the aid of my Canon M50 camera. Though not an exact substitute, it’s more than what can be expected of mainstream devices.
In Flexcam mode, you can have a better handle on the phone than holding it vertically. Though some consider this to be a gimmick, the orientation allows you to run with the phone with better confidence than before.
However, when it comes time to use the 10MP selfie camera, you’ll be happy to know that it, too, produces fairly decent results. Though the overall quality isn’t as good as the main 12MP sensor, it’s able to keep you in focus and offers decent exposure for both photos and videos. But due to it not having OIS, try to keep the phone steady when taking shots.
Practicality & Durability
During my time with the Flip3, I found it to be an extremely portable phone. Now, the Flip4 being narrow and shorter than its predecessor makes it even better to carry on your person. It’s just a little easier to handle one handed and is slightly less bulky when placed in your pocket. Despite the changes, it’s only 4g heavier, which is practically negligible from a convenience standpoint.
As was mentioned earlier, Samsung claims that the Flip4 can withstand more than 200,000 folds without suffering durability issues. That equates to several years of opening and closing the hinge without experiencing material fatigue. That said, never use excessive force when folding or unfolding the phone. The gentler you are with it, the more you prolong the phone’s lifespan.
The front and rear of the phone use Gorilla Glass Victus+, which should provide decent protection against light bumps and scrapes. But for added protection, you should slap on a silicone case. Like its predecessor, the Flip4 uses the armor aluminum frame, which the company claims is the toughest material it uses on its phones.
It’s supposed to be able to handle knocks and scrapes without much fuss. But I would advise against using your RM4000+ phone without a layer of silicone around it. Granted, the case will add some bulk to the overall look and feel, but the peace of mind that it offers cannot be overstated.
Thanks to good engineering, the Flip4 offers IPX8 water resistance. This means it can withstand being dunked in a body of water at a depth of 1.5 meters for 30 minutes. Within reason, you should be able to take your phone wherever you want without worrying about it getting wet or dirty.
Battery Life
It has the same dual battery setup as its predecessor but the overall capacity now stands at 3,700mAh instead of 3,300mAh. This means it should last till late evening with moderate to heavy usage. If you would like to conserve more energy, it would be best to reduce the refresh rate to just 60Hz. It really does make a difference.
Fast charging is supported but only to a maximum of 25W. For wireless charging, it’s capped at 15W. However, charging time should be considerably shorter than phones with much larger battery capacities. If you do run low on power, within a short amount of time you should be able to juice up and continue using the phone.
Should You Buy This?
If you are looking for an extremely pocket friendly smartphone that uses flagship hardware, then this is the phone to have. Though there are some drawbacks which include slightly less than average battery life, its advantages far outweigh the drawbacks.
The Flip4 takes exceptionally good images and videos, breezes through most applications and tasks yet fits into just any pocket. Unlike the Flip3, it’s a phone that’s suitable for just about anyone who enjoys their social lifestyle.
