Welcome to Talking Pointsa series that looks at what makes certain products worth talking about about, brought to you by Gear Patrol Studios.
Samsung
The just-released Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 ($23+/mo. or $800+) boasts myriad impressive features and capabilities that make it a productivity powerhouse. The phone’s combination of cutting-edge internals, high-tech components and, of course, its still somewhat novel form factor work in harmony so that owners can efficiently do and experience more. Or, as Samsung says, “unfold your phone’s potential.”
The Backstory
New but Advanced Tech
Samsung has dabbled in folding smartphones for a while: its first foray was a concept developed back in 2013 that utilized an OLED display, and Samsung’s original Galaxy Fold was introduced (and immediately led the market) in 2019. Given that just twenty years ago, any kind of true smartphone was barely more than science fiction, the fact that Samsung has already produced multiple folders is pretty wild. That Samsung’s folding smartphones are the industry standard is a no-brainer.
While folding smartphones make up just a small niche of the overall market, the technology and development packed into them are massively outsized. Even if you don’t want a folding smartphone (yet), the category’s rapid evolution has produced plenty of tech that’ll trickle over to your boring standard phone. Case in point: all the goodies packed into the many-devices-in-one Galaxy Z Fold4.
The Gist
There’s a Lot to Un…pack
The Galaxy Z Fold4 can be used folded or unfolded. When closed, its 6.2-inch AMOLED cover screen provides plenty of coverage for regular duty. Open it up, and the main AMOLED screen is a full 7.6 inches. (For reference, compare that to the 6.02-inch iPhone 13 display and the iPhone 13 Pro’s 6.6-inch display.) If you’re tempted to think that the unfolded Galaxy Z Fold4 is more of a tiny tablet than a phone – not only are you correct, but that’s also kind of the point. This phone can do things yours could only dream of.
First, the phone’s 10MP front-facing camera (as opposed to a 50MP rear camera) is hidden behind the Infinity Flex Display, so there are no dots or “notches” corrupting your view. That’s important for aesthetics but also if you plan to use one of the Galaxy Z Fold4’s most high-powered features: App Pair. The function allows you to run two apps side-by-side simultaneously, say to shop online on one side while you gossip in a group chat on the other side. Furthermore, the phone also features a “PC-like” taskbar for fast and easy app multitasking. If you’ve ever struggled to juggle all your work and play on your current, relatively tiny phone, this is the solution – all neatly packed into one familiar UI.
Even better, the Galaxy Z Fold4 has the brawn to match its brains: not only is it the only IPX8-rated folding phone available, but its displays are fashioned from Gorilla® Glass Victus™+, and it’s all housed in an Armor Aluminum frame .
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 can be purchased (currently on pre-order) for $800-$2,010 with eligible trade-in; alternatively, finance for $22.23/mo or $55.84/mo for 36 months.
Our POV
Unfold the Future of Mega-capability
Folding smartphones are still, as a whole, in their infancy. Yet just three years in and Samsung has already more than demonstrated it’s the bona fide leader in the space, and with good reason. Its innovations to date are intensely impressive and will only improve, we’d guess, at a lightning pace. You may not “need” a folding smartphone now, but beyond simply wanting the coolest and latest tech, there is a truly solid use-case behind the Galaxy Z Fold4. Practically speaking, it’s the best option for anyone who wants mega-capability from a phone, whether that’s to facilitate business or busyness.
Price: $23+/mo. (lease) or $800+ (purchase)
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