If you like foldable phones, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold smartphones are pretty much the best in the market. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the latest in this lineup, and it comes with many minor upgrades over its predecessor—the Galaxy Z Fold 3. Some of the upgrades worth mentioning are the improved camera, faster chipset and improved durability. If you currently own the Z Fold 3, should you upgrade to the Z Fold 4? If you are in the market for a new foldable phone, is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 worth the price tag? Read on to find out.
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Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs Z Fold 3 Comparison Chart
Design
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is slightly smaller and lighter than the Galaxy Z Fold 3.
At first glance, it’s very hard to tell the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Fold 3 apart due to their similar designs. However, upon closer look, there are some noticeable changes. The first change is with their size. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is thinner and more compact. It measures 6.1 x 5.1 x 0.14 inches unfolded and 6.1 x 2.6 x 0.62 inches folded. Compared to that, the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s physical dimensions are 6.2 x 5.0 x 0.25 inches unfolded and 6.2 x 2.6 x 0.63 inches folded. The newer Galaxy Z Fold 4 is also lighter, weighing 263 grams to the 271 grams of the Z Fold 3.
Another improvement with the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is with its durability. It comes with the same IP68 rating as the Galaxy Z Fold 3, so both are dust and water resistant. The improvement in durability comes in the form of upgraded glass fronts and back. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 uses Gorilla Glass Victus+, which is an update to the Gorilla Glass Victus on the Z Fold 3.
You can get the Galaxy Z Fold 4 in Phantom Black, Graygreen, Beige and Burgundy. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is available in Phantom Black, Phantom Silver and Phantom Green colorways.
Display
The Galaxy Z Fold 4’s screens are brighter and wider, making them easier to use.
Diagonal measurements of the two phones’ screens is similar, but the similarities end there. The display on the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is much better than its predecessor in many ways. Both the internal and external displays of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 are wider and brighter, so they are much more user-friendly. The increased brightness makes the Z Fold 4 easier to use under direct sunlight and the wider screens make browsing and reading better.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 has a 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED internal screen with a resolution of 1812 x 2176 pixels. It has a max refresh rate of 120Hz, supports HDR10+ and peak brightness of 1200 nits. The external screen is a 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED with a resolution of 904 x 2316 pixels.
Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Fold 3’s internal screen is also a 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED with a max refresh rate of 120Hz and supports HDR10+. However, the resolution is 1768 x 2208 pixels. The external screen is also a 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED, but with a lower 832 x 2216 pixels resolution.
Hardware & Specs
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 comes with an improved camera system and a faster chipset.
Equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 comes with boosted performance whether it be for single core or multi-core tasks. The improvement in performance is not gigantic, as the Snapdragon 888 in the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is still a higher end chipset, but you will be able to feel it even when doing basic day to day tasks such as browsing the net, checking social media and especially during gaming.
All variants of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Fold 3 come with 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM, so no difference there. However, a first for Samsung foldable phones is the 1TB storage option that’s only available with the Galaxy Z Fold 4. Unfortunately, as the trend with higher end phones these days, there’s no micro SD card slot.
As for the cameras, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 retains the triple camera system of the Galaxy Z Fold 3. However, the newer Z Fold 4 feature 50MP primary and 10MP 3x zoom sensors that are much better than the 12MP sensors on the Galaxy Z Fold 3. The selfie cameras are pretty much identical.
Both phones are upgradeable to One UI 5, which is based on Android 13.
Battery
Both the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Fold 3 are equipped with 4400 mAh Li-Po batteries.
Samsung equipped the Galaxy Z Fold 4 with the same 4400 mAh Li-Po battery that’s also inside the Galaxy Z Fold 3. In terms of battery duration, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 saw some improvements, mainly due to the efficiency of the newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset. That said, the improvement in battery life is minor.
As for charging, they both support 25W charging, 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. Similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 3, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 does not come with a charger. If you don’t own one, that’s an additional purchase.
Verdict
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is definitely the better phone, but the improvements are not that groundbreaking if you already own the Galaxy Z Fold 3.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
There’s no doubt that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is a much better phone than the Galaxy Z Fold 3. It comes with a faster chipset, an improved design and a better camera system. If you already own a Galaxy Z Fold 3, should you upgrade to the Z Fold 4? Our recommendation is to wait it out for the next Z Fold release, but if you think that the faster chipset, better camera or improved screens on the Z Fold 4 are worth it, then it’s up to you to decide.
If you are looking to get your first foldable phone, there’s no reason to get the Z Fold 3 over the Z Fold 4, unless you can find the former at a massive discount. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is better in every way, and since it is the latest release, it will be supported by Samsung for a longer period.
FAQs
The screen sizes are similar, but the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is more compact, thinner and lighter.
It’s IP68 rated, meaning that it can survive even when submerged for 30 minutes in water up to 1.5 meters deep.
Just like with any other higher end phone, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 does not have a headphone jack. You’re stuck to using Bluetooth headphones with this phone.
It doesn’t come with a charger. You only get a USB cable with the phone.