Why the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is my favorite phone so far (video)

It was 2014, but in case you forgot, the idea of ​​phones turning into tablets isn’t really new. Taiwanese phone maker ASUS has come up with a bold solution: a tablet that can draw power from your phone when docked, but the story goes on. Way back in 2009, we see Celio RedFly trying to do something similar with Windows Mobile. By the way, this is actually his 2007 idea that Palm invented in his Foleo. Sure, knock yourself out. Someone else must have done it first.

The thing is, the idea that a mobile phone isn’t enough is pretty old. These early products may have failed because the technology was ahead of its time, but not because they were solutions to problems. I love small tablets with stylus input. Sure, I love my phone too if its size is unmanageable, but I hate carrying both around. The files he doesn’t have to keep on one server and then transfer to another or rely on slow internet to sync.

All I want is one device that can do multiple things and it’s crazy to think that another version of the past came to fix the problem. rice field. Because the shape of the handset only makes sense half the time.

On the same premise, sometimes a phone isn’t enough and sometimes a tablet is too much, but not having to choose what to bring makes a world of difference.

video

First, let me explain that my needs for the gadgets I carry with me at all times are pretty specific. Twenty years ago I carried a phone for communication and a Pocket PC for productivity. Because neither could do the same thing. As a result, I have a smaller device as my communicator and a larger device as my workhorse. For years the Galaxy Note supplied that secondary demand, but the foldable has done a much better job in the last two years.

I loved the Z Fold 3, but love just wasn’t the right word. It was a great tablet and eventually supported its own version of his S Pen, but it still wasn’t a good phone. Sure, the outer screen was better than before, but it was still a bit overpriced and the camera wasn’t good enough for the price.

design

By contrast, this Z Fold 4 may look similar, but it’s not. Samsung has shrunk its footprint everywhere in a way that makes its outer screen feel like a regular phone, and it’s slowly becoming one of my favorite features. Now that it’s wider, it’s still not wide enough to be conventional, but we think we like this narrower approach for one-handed use on the go or easier to grip while on a call. That said, it’s by no means a light phone, but the new hinge design managed to shed enough weight to bring it closer to last year’s iPhone 14 Pro Max. With a refresh rate of , this has proven very useful in completing all phone operations without having to go into tablet mode. Five months later, this Gorilla Glass Victus+ still looks like new, just like the aluminum on the exterior, and has no blemishes.

screen

Calm environments like sitting in a coffee shop or a long commute will naturally make you stretch it out more, reminding you why you love your small tablet. At 7.6 inches diagonal, it’s wider than before, and I think it’s even more practical than the new iPad Mini. Its AMOLED 2X is also far superior in color reproduction, refresh rates up to 120hz and peak brightness up to 1,200 nits.

Sure, the crease isn’t most fan favorites, but it’s a small price they’re willing to pay for the convenience it offers. Samsung’s attention to detail in making it strong doesn’t go unnoticed. Pair this with an extremely loud pair of dual-firing speakers. Content consumption is king.

As a result, it quickly became a tiny tablet that I paired with the iGo Stowaway keyboard I used 15 years ago to check email and write this script. I’m not an artist who uses this for sketching, but the S Pen support allows me to highlight scripts and jot down notes in Microsoft OneNote, just like I used to do on my iPad.

Big screens make watching YouTube on the go fun. Interestingly, I found myself liking the odd proportions of the new S Pen cover. Because the extended lip provides extra grip for using the phone for extended periods of time, and doubles as a small gadget while it’s on the table. Listen, it may not have the Kindle durability of books, but it does much better in handling optional Audible Narration.

As you multitask, you’ll find the outer aspect ratio to be genius. This is mostly because two phone screens are stacked next to each other. You could add a third to one side, but it’s a bit more restrictive than it actually is. These combos can then be saved in the edge menu. Even if you switch to other apps, these pairs will remain in your menu for future reference. Samsung even created an optional dock that you can always access to summon other apps, or a separate app launcher, or an optional dock that you can long press to hide. Whether you just love it or not, it’s the moment you have to give in to One UI to better justify this form factor.

performance

Five months later, the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 has proven better than expected. It’s powerful, much more power efficient than expected, and the choice of 512GB of storage makes it a device that carries all the data you need while on the move. It has all the latest connectivity, wireless charging and a pretty decent power pack.

Anyway, the end of the love story. No matter how good this Z Fold 4 is, it’s not perfect and has a lot to do with my experience using it.

that we are mixed

As for the hardware, everything looks new, but the hinge crackling seems to be a subtle one to get used to.Also the gap when the phone is closed brings home a lot of lint But we’ll forgive how well this screen protector has held up over time.

When it comes to software, Android still seems to block it in the same way Samsung tries to promote its foldable device. Apps like Instagram now work fine on the outer screen, but they are not hit or miss when opening a story. Other than Samsung keyboards, they just don’t know how to adapt to different screens. This is unfortunate for those of us who speak multiple languages. The whole multitasking approach too, sometimes when he tries to run 3 apps at once, buttons and menus disappear or fail. Then there are the overall transitions between screens, which sometimes require the app to be closed in order to comply. is.

Some people complain about durability, but it really isn’t. This phone was an all-day champion. This may be because he spends most of his time on the outside screen, and his calls and data over AT&T’s 5G network are pretty good. Seriously, when it comes to most essentials, this phone does just fine.

camera

But I think the topic of cameras is interesting. You might think I’m mixed, but I’m not. See, it’s understandable that this form factor doesn’t have enough space to house the best sensors and optics.

However, in its defense, this may not be Samsung’s best, but I’d easily say it’s the second best. Nothing extreme, but flagship results don’t matter. Color, saturation and detail are good during the day, and with plenty of kick at all focal lengths, it’s a reliable product.

Switching to night photography, this phone also performs brilliantly, with better results across all cameras than many of the best phones in the industry.

Obviously what these phones can’t do is use the main camera for selfies or put the phone on a table. The inside camera is for video calls only. I admit I haven’t propped this phone up anywhere for fear of dropping it, but the options are there.

Sadly, it’s not the iPhone for video when it comes to codec quality, but the S22 Ultra isn’t even given a little more grain and distortion than I’d like while walking. That said, if you want 8K from your primary, or 4K at 60 from all your other cameras, the options are here and because Apple and Google feel they have that spectrum ahead of everyone else right now , you can get the third best choice.

Conclusion

In conclusion, I think it’s important to quote Denzel Washington:dreams without goals” The biggest problem with the Asus PadFone, Celio Redfly, or Palm Foleo isn’t that it’s a bad idea, or that it’s outdated. That said, none of these companies lasted. Each succumbs to the pressure of conformity, and honestly, no one has ever succeeded in living up to someone’s ideals.

You have to hand it over to Samsung for roughing it up. Despite its shortcomings, in my opinion this is a better device than the others. Because it’s more than just a phone or tablet. Yes, the price of entry is steep, but the Samsung trade-in deal is still the best in the industry.Like the Z Flip 4 we started with one phone and finished with another, this grey-green unit That pre-order $200 credit, double the storage, and free case made the deal for my old phone so compelling that I couldn’t help but endorse this ideal. .

And listen, if what you want is a traditional phone, that’s good for you. There are many varieties on the market today, but none of the best ones come cheap. For over $1,000, I want my phone to be the coolest thing anyone has ever seen. Like I said before, if you’re going to buy an SUV, you want all-wheel drive, not a big sedan. I know these foldables got off to a rough start, but Gen 4 is so good that I have no problem recommending it.