Samsung showed disconnected its caller Galaxy Z Fold 4 astatine past week's Unpacked event. This high-end foldable phone's modified plan should marque its telephone mode easier to usage than that of erstwhile models. Plus, it's getting caller bundle that takes vantage of its foldable screen, on with regular upgrades to the processor and camera. It starts astatine $1,800 (£1,649, AU$2,499) and goes connected merchantability Aug. 26.

Samsung was an aboriginal entrant to the market, launching its first Galaxy Fold instrumentality successful 2019. It leads the foldable telephone marketplace by a wide borderline successful presumption of shipments, according to estimates from Display Supply Chain Consultants and Omdia. But foldable phones inactive relationship for a sliver of the broader mobile telephone market. The caller Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 are Samsung's latest effort to alteration that by remedying immoderate of the biggest criticisms of erstwhile models, perchance making foldables much appealing to a bigger audience. 

The Galaxy Z Fold 4, for example, has a wider screen surface that much intimately resembles a regular, nonfolding telephone erstwhile closed. The alteration makes apps look much earthy since the Z Fold 4's surface isn't arsenic narrow. The quality is surely noticeable compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 3, but the show inactive isn't rather arsenic wide arsenic a modular telephone specified arsenic the Galaxy S22 oregon iPhone 13.

Samsung is besides doing much to marque the Galaxy Z Fold 4 utile erstwhile its show is folded halfway. Flex mode, which splits an app betwixt the apical and bottommost portions of the surface erstwhile the Z Fold is propped open, is getting a caller feature. You'll beryllium capable to usage the bottommost fractional of the surface arsenic a trackpad to power contented connected the apical half, akin to the touchpad connected a laptop. 

That should marque navigating apps successful Flex mode easier, since you won't person to obscure the apical information of the surface with your digit arsenic you scroll. The recently announced Galaxy Z Flip 4 is getting this diagnostic too, and Samsung says it volition measure bringing it to older Galaxy Z Fold and Flip devices. Samsung besides says the Z Fold 4 is the archetypal instrumentality to vessel with Android 12L, the mentation of Android optimized for tablets. One of the astir noticeable Android 12 additions is the Z Fold 4's caller task bar, which should marque switching betwixt apps much convenient.

The Z Fold 4's wide plan is mostly the same, but Samsung claims the Z Fold 4 has a sturdier build. The extracurricular is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus Plus, portion the interior tablet-sized show is said to beryllium 45% much durable. Samsung besides says the Z Fold 4's interior surface is brighter than its predecessor's, and the interior under-display camera is little noticeable. Like the erstwhile version, the Z Fold 4 is besides compatible with the S Pen.

Otherwise, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is getting the camera and processor upgrades you'd expect from an yearly telephone update. The camera is peculiarly noteworthy; Samsung is upgrading the Z Fold 4's triple lens camera strategy to a 50-megapixel main sensor, 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor and 10-megapixel telephoto lens. That telephoto lens volition enactment optical zoom up to 3x and integer zoom up to 30x. Samsung is besides bringing the Galaxy S22's improved debased airy photography to the Z Fold 4 and Flip 4.

The Galaxy Z Fold 4's screen surface is wider than the Z Fold 3's.

Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

Most radical funny successful the Galaxy Z Fold astir apt attraction much astir the phone's elephantine interior surface than the camera. But astatine specified a precocious price, the Z Fold 4 should person a camera that astatine slightest matches oregon exceeds those recovered connected Samsung's non-folding phones. The Galaxy Z Fold 4's cameras are surely a measurement successful the close direction, representing a notable upgrade from the Z Fold 3's 12-megapixel wide, telephoto and ultrawide lenses. But the Galaxy S22 Ultra is inactive Samsung's top-of-the-line camera phone.

The Z Fold 4 volition besides tally connected Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor, which is simply a newer and somewhat upgraded mentation of the spot recovered wrong the Galaxy S22 lineup. The artillery capableness besides remains the aforesaid astatine 4,400 mAh, which is simply a shame -- CNET's Patrick Holland was disappointed by the Galaxy Z Fold 3's artillery life.

Lisa Eadicicco/CNET

Overall, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is simply a much refined and polished mentation of the Galaxy Z Fold 3. Samsung is seemingly gaining a amended knowing of who these devices are for, present that they've existed for astir 3 years. With its ample surface and S Pen compatibility, Samsung is positioning the Z Fold 4 arsenic a productivity device, overmuch similar the extinct Galaxy Note. Establishing that absorption means Samsung tin absorption connected adding caller features that are unsocial and circumstantial to the Z Fold, alternatively than conscionable ensuring apps enactment smoothly crossed the Fold's antithetic surface sizes. 

At $1,800, the Z Fold 4 is inactive a pugnacious sell. And portion these caller features are a motion of progress, they mightiness not beryllium capable to entice non-foldable telephone users. But it's a measurement person to figuring retired what role, if any, foldables could play successful our lives. 

For more, instrumentality a look astatine the Galaxy Z Flip 4, Galaxy Watch 5, Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and everything other Samsung announced.