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Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 4 passes comprehensive durability test but not without some hurt

Published: Sep 09, 2022, 10:08 AM

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Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 4 passes comprehensive durability test but not without some hurt

Remember when Samsung's first-generation foldable catastrophically failed to survive a few days of regular use before even being released to the general public? That was only three years ago, and although they're certainly not perfect (or affordable), the hot new Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 5G are living proof of the incredibly fast evolution of a class of mobile devices that no one really expected to go mainstream so soon.

Largely praised in our in-depth review a while back for its subtle but important design refinements and other incremental upgrades, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is today following its bigger and more advanced sibling into Zack Nelson's JerryRigEverything wringer.

Galaxy Z Flip 4: $150 instant Samsung Credit + $700 off enhanced trade-in

Even with Labor Day in the rearview mirror, Samsung is offering huge discounts on its newest and hottest foldables. The Z Flip 4 is available with up to $700 off with trade-in. On top of that, you get $150 Samsung Credit with the purchase of this phone. In a bundle with the Buds 2 Pro or Watch 5, you get 30% off on the earbuds or smartwatch.

$700 off (70%) Trade-in

$299 ⁹⁹

$999 ⁹⁹

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The results are... a little less impressive than you may have expected after watching the Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 3's durability inspections, although if you treat the more affordable new Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 powerhouse with a reasonable degree of care, you shouldn't have a whole lot to worry about from this particular standpoint in the long run.

Unlike the OnePlus 10 Pro and 10T, this decidedly eye-catching handset is capable of staying in one (foldable) piece when Nelson tries his darndest to break the Galaxy Z Flip 4 in half. But while no amount of bending seems to impact the phone's general functionality, something does sound seriously off on the inside right from the first such attempt.

The Z Flip 4 is evidently not as similar to its predecessor as it might look at a first glance, and we can only assume the subtle hinge design revisions negatively affected the overall durability... a little. Once again, this doesn't look like anything to worry about too much in everyday use, but it is the kind of small detail that could make a few prospective buyers reconsider their options and "settle" for last year's slower and slightly more robust Z Flip 3... at the right price.

A far bigger concern from a durability standpoint remain your fingernails, which can easily and seriously damage the plastic protective film applied on top of the 6.7-inch foldable screen straight out the box, potentially prompting some people to try to remove that layer, which could in turn cause quite a bit of harm to Samsung's proprietary Ultra Thin Glass (UTG) technology.

On the bright side of things, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 appears to handle dirt a lot better than its IPX8 certification would suggest, although it's probably still not a good idea to bury the phone in the ground to test its limits.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.