Samsung Galaxy Fold4 5G Review: It’s The Pocket PC To Have in 2022
October 27, 2022Performance: Snapdragon 8+ Gen1, 12GB RAM
Main Display: 7.6-inch QXGA + Dynamic AMOLED 2x
Cover Screen: 6.2” HD+ Dynamic AMOLED
Weight: 263g
Storage: 256GB/ 512GB
Battery: 4400 mAh
Features: 8K Video /4K UHD / 1080p FHD / 720p HD video recording
Rear Camera: 12 MP Ultra-wide, 50 MP Wide-angle, 10MP Telephoto
Front Camera: 10 MP
Under Display Camera: 4MP
Rate: 9/10
Price:256GB RM6,799
512GB RM7,299
Available colours : Graygreen, Beige, Phantom Black, and Burgundy
Foldable phones are no longer a novelty, in fact the Fold, now in its fourth iteration, offers compelling reasons why it deserves to replace your current smartphone. Though the original was marred in controversy due to a less-than-durable screen, the Fold4 seems to have corrected the mistakes of its predecessor, making it an actual pocket computer.
The phone addresses the brick wall that traditional smartphones seem to have – screen size. There’s a limit to how big a display can be before it becomes burdensome to carry. This is why companies have opted to keep them below 7-inches and focus on reducing bezel thickness. This would allow for the maximizing of overall screen real-estate without the drawbacks.
A foldable screen allows the Fold to have a 7.6-inch display, yet is narrower (when folded) than a regular flagship smartphone. It offers the best of both worlds because it can function like a traditional phone but when needed can be unfolded and used like a mini tablet.
What’s it Like?
Compared to last year’s Fold3, the 4 seems to have a sturdier hinge that opens and closes with confidence-inspiring mechanical movement. It feels purposeful rather than a “work in progress” which reassures you that the action won’t be detrimental to the overall usability. This refinement is also carried into the foldable screen.
The surface does feel firmer than before, which makes touch interactions more accurate and to an extent, welcoming. It still doesn’t feel as rigid as that of a traditional smartphone, but it’s a leap forward compared to previous gen screens. This is a similar story for the infamous crease because it’s far less visible than before.
I don’t know how Samsung achieved this, but the look and feel is less intrusive than what was exhibited by the Fold3. Even as you run your finger across said crease, the undulation is less prominent than before, which will allow you to make quick, accurate swipes without there being inadvertent changes in direction.
This is especially true when using the S Pen. The tip is able to glide smoothly over the flat surface as well as the crease with decent consistency. In fact, the contact point between screen and S Pen feels firm enough to confidently write on, but soft enough that it’s able to cushion each stroke to offer better comfort with continuous use.
These minute improvements, along with thinner bezels and the use of other lightweight materials make the Fold4 a much better phone to use compared to its forebears. It would have been perfect phone had Samsung been able to engineer a slot to house the S Pen as is the case with the S22 Ultra.
In terms of display performance, the Fold4 has an AMOLED 2x unit with a resolution of 1812 x 2176 pixels. Since it offers a 120hz refresh rate, input responses feel blisteringly quick. Anything and everything launches in an instant. Despite the screen composition being different, the experience is similar to that of the S22 Ultra.
Through the use of some pixelation wizardry, the punch hole that houses the selfie camera is better hidden than before. It won’t be long until the company finds a way to make it completely invisible to the naked eye. For now, unless you’re looking directly at the lens, it gets lost in the vastly vibrant AMOLED display.
Whether it’s streaming content or playing games, everything looks good on this screen. During my review period, I used it for a multitude of tasks which included editing documents, watching YouTube videos and chatting on WhatsApp. In fact, through the use of Multi-View, I could do all three without running into any trouble.
This multitasking ability allows me the flexibility that used to only be available to a decent-sized tablet. In addition to this, the screen automatically adjusts the layout to compensate for the change in orientation. Depending on what you are doing, something does look better in landscape than in portrait mode.
Several apps like Gmail and Microsoft Office are able to take advantage of the larger display and display more content. For example, you can view the list of emails on one side while the other shows the content of the selected email. This is similar to how you’d work from a PC or laptop. The phone is differently encroaching on computer territory here.
Samsung has also added the taskbar at the bottom to help users access their most commonly used apps quickly. I welcome this PC-like feature because it allows you to have what’s important, front and center. That said, it helps supplement the quick access panel. The more I use the Fold4, its presence and behavior conjures the nostalgic feels of the Nokia E90 Communicator.
During Nokia’s heyday it was the business device to have because it could do many PC-centric tasks without the need of an actual PC. In the case of the Fold4, the multitasking features, powerful hardware, plethora of Android apps and support for Samsung DeX, make it an actual pocket computer.
With each passing year, Samsung tweaks DeX, its pseudo-PC interface that allows phones and tablets to function more like Windows PCs when connected to an external monitor. In its latest form, the experience is decent. There’s good support for apps and third-party peripherals. There aren’t any glitches or performance issues to worry about, and everything works as it should.
The front, 6.2-inch display is also nicer to use due to it being wider than that of its predecessor. This increase in width allows images and text to be a little clearer and more legible. I was perfectly happy to use it over the main, foldable screen when convenience was of the essence.
Practicality
In general, I used to answer calls, text quick responses or check on my incoming mail. It’s great for one-handed use, especially when I am on the move. Previous generation Folds’ Cover Screens were less than adequate substitutes because they were far too small. That coupled with the narrow aspect ratio meant that we had little use for them.
However, when I needed to read lengthy articles, stream Netflix content or play some mobile games, I would switch to the main screen. When this does happen, everything that is displayed on the smaller screen is transferred to the main one. There’s no glitches or app crashes while doing so. Everything moves over in an instant, allowing me to continue with my tasks.
When you need to type using the main display, the keyboard is spaced to make it easier to use with both thumbs. Each key is placed neatly within reach. If you prefer to have a full-length keyboard instead, that can be selected within the settings menu. That’s the beauty of the Fold4, the phone can be configured to suit you.
Performance
The phone is powered by the latest hardware, which includes the Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 chipset. Built on the 4nm platform, it handles just about any task without any problems. Due to the large main display, it’s possible to do some video editing here. Games, even graphically demanding ones, work very well.
Its 12GB RAM is more than adequate for multi-tasking work. Regardless of how many apps I opened or what kind of work was being done, there was never a sign of the phone reaching its memory limit.
Due to the rather big 7.6-inch display, gameplay feels far more immersive than what you’d experience on a regular smartphone. RPG or role-playing games are especially better to play on the Fold4. Everything seems a little more “spread out” and less cluttered. Other genres like racing or first-person shooters are also more enjoyable because you get to see more of what’s happening.
Though the Fold4 does get a bit warm when engaging in demanding workloads, the cooling system is able to keep things under control. Samsung seems to have learnt from past mistakes and implemented a solution that is able to keep things cool even when the CPU is tasked with demanding workloads.
The Cameras
Compared to the S22 Ultra, the Fold4 makes do with more modest camera hardware. It has a 50MP wide-angle sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide and a 10 MP telephoto lens. They work with the onboard AI software to make images look as sharp as possible.
Images that are captured look crisp and with a good amount of contrast. Working behind the scenes the AI post-processing software tries to enhance certain aspects of photos to make them look their best. This is why most of the shots appear well exposed and retain a good amount of background detail.
When taking pictures, the front screen doubles as a preview window so that the subject can see how they look before the shot is taken. The front 10MP camera does ok for selfie shots, but it would be best to rely on the rear cameras for shots that you’d like to use for professional purposes.
As for the main screen’s “under display camera” it’s not great for most settings. That’s to be expected of a 4MP sensor. Most shots don’t look their best unless they are taken up close and in good lighting conditions. It’s ok to use it for zoom meetings or other types of video conferencing work provided that you have adequate ambient lighting around you.
The telephoto does well at capturing subjects that are far away. However, don’t expect it to work miracles because the zoom functionality isn’t great and the sharpness also depends on how much light is available around you.
In poor lighting conditions, the rear, front and the under-display camera don’t do well. Unlike the S22 Ultra, they do not have the technical know-how to pull off great shots with less-than-ideal ambient light. Most pictures that are taken look a little over exposed and undersaturated. That’s why it would be best to assess your surroundings before taking the shot.
It’s a similar story for videos. The Fold4’s rear cameras capture good footage when there’s ample ambient light around you. But they don’t do too well when it’s scarce. Ideally, you would want to position the cameras where the light intensity is at its greatest, and work from there.
The 50MP wide and 10MP telephoto cameras have built in OIS (optical image stabilization), which allows you to capture considerably smooth footage even when you are moving the phone around. They cope well with static or moving subjects and allow the shooter to record videos that are in focus and devoid of distortions.
Battery Life
I wish it had at least 5,000mAh battery. That would allow it to comfortably cope with the rigors of my workload. But at 4,400mAh, it should be just enough to last till the end of the day. Keep in mind that if you constantly use the main, 7.6-inch display, you’ll notice the drain gets significantly more intense throughout the day.
In general, and with moderate use, the Fold4 can deliver about a day’s worth of service life without needing to be charged. However, if you shoot a lot of videos, then edit them on the phone, by late evening, the charge should hover around 15%. This requires you to be a little more conservative with power consumption until you reach home.
Should You Buy This?
If you have deep enough pockets, then this is the Android phone to have. Though the S22 Ultra is still the most powerful and capable phone on the market, the Fold4 offers far more flexibility and productivity options than the former.
It’s great for business minded folks as it is for the creative professional. It may have limited photo taking appeal, but the phone is great for everything else. It’s an actual pocket computer for the masses. If Samsung continues to improve on this formula, it will one day dethrone the S22 line as the flagship phone to have.
