Even though Samsung's next-gen foldable powerhouses have already been in the news a few times this past fall, last week's Galaxy S22 family announcement means it's officially open season on Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 leaks.
While it's obviously far too early for even the most well-connected insiders and trusted tipsters to offer us any details on the designs of the two upcoming high-end handsets, it's actually relatively easy to picture the foldable direction Samsung is planning to go in later this year based on the latest report published by The Elec.
One more reason to forget about the Galaxy Note series
It's no big secret that Samsung took a huge risk with the joint Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 launch in an August slot previously reserved for members of the massively successful Galaxy Note family, and it's also no longer a secret that said gamble paid off handsomely for the world's number one smartphone vendor.
The almost unbelievable mainstream popularity of 2021's foldable Galaxy duo made a 2022 Note revival seem highly unlikely right off the bat, and the S22 Ultra basically sealed that fate by integrating an S Pen silo.
Galaxy Z Fold 3 with S Pen case
The same thing is now reportedly in the works for the Galaxy Z Fold 4, which means you probably won't have to separately purchase the stylus and a special case designed to hold it close-by. Because getting a protective cover for your precious foldable is a must anyway, that may not sound like a big deal for many prospective buyers, but apparently, Samsung sees this as a major "selling point."
It remains to be seen, of course, if the extra convenience of a built-in S Pen slot will come with added heft and/or an increased price over the Z Fold 3, although if the S22 Ultra is anything to go by, neither of those two things may prove to be true in the end.
Then again, the Z Fold 4 was actually tipped at one point to start at a lower price than its predecessor, which is a theory that... we're not very sure about, at least for the time being.
Don't expect any drastic screen size changes
That goes for both the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4, mind you, the latter of which is likely to snub the S Pen (in both its integrated and optional form), thus giving the undoubtedly costlier model the edge in productivity and creativity in addition to convenience.
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The Galaxy Z Flip 4 is expected to "more or less" maintain its forerunner's main display size, at 6.7 inches or so, while extending the cover screen from 1.83 to 1.9 inches. Interestingly, Samsung already claims the secondary panel of the Z Flip 3 measures 1.9 inches in diagonal, meaning you may or may not be able to tell the difference between the two Flips when the next one comes out.
The Z Flip 4's cover display may or may not be noticeably larger than that of the Z Flip 3 (pictured here).
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 could look even more similar to its predecessor, with an ever-so-slightly larger 7.56-inch primary panel (up from 7.55 inches) and an ever-so-slightly smaller 6.19-inch external screen (down from 6.2 inches).
Once again, it's practically impossible to know right now what kind of subtle design revisions Samsung might have up its sleeve, but we can safely assume that the Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 will look pretty much identical to the hugely popular Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 at first glance.
Enhanced durability could be a key focus area this year too, and in total, foldable Galaxy shipments are projected to circle 13 million units in 2022. While nowhere near as high as the combined sales goal of the S22 trio, that number would represent solid growth over all the foldables shipped by all manufacturers in 2021.
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'.
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