Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 vs. Galaxy Z Flip 3: Should you upgrade?
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 may be a relatively small upgrade over its predecessor. However, it still fixes one of the biggest issues with the Z Flip 3 as it offers much-improved battery life. That’s why it’s clear that you should opt for the Flip 4 when you have the chance.
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The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 ushered in a new era for the Flip line. It has good performance, good cameras, but the battery life leaves a bit to be desired. It was good enough that the new Flip 4 doesn’t offer much in terms of upgrades.
TheSamsung Galaxy Z Flip 5has been released, but if you want to save a few dollars, it’s a good time to look at Samsung’s previousfoldables. Despite being the last generation, theGalaxy Z Flip 4and Z Flip 3 still have much to offer — gorgeous displays, great performance, and impressive build quality. While theFlip 3is still good if found for a discount, the Flip 4 features some key improvements that make it the better choice.
Price, availability, and specs
Both the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Flip 3 are available almost anywhere you can get smartphones — on Amazon, Best Buy, and Samsung’s online store. More often than not, the Z Flip 3 is available refurbished or renewed, though. Those models were traded in or otherwise given away by previous owners, only to be overhauled to feel almost new again. This has the benefit that the Z Flip 3 starts as low as $350 with no strings attached. If you want the Flip 3 as a brand-new device, you’ll still have to shell out more than $600. The Galaxy Z Flip 4 can be found renewed for $550, but a new device will still cost close to $900.
You will have difficulty telling them apart when you put the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Flip 3 side-by-side. They still share almost the exact same footprint, display size, and button layout. The Z Flip 4 may be ever-so-slightly bigger than the Z Flip 3, but it retains nearly the same weight. The Flip 3 measures 72.2 x 166 x 6.9mm unfolded, 72.2 x 86.4 x 17.1mm folded, and weighs 183g.
The Flip 4 measures 71.9 x 165.2 x 6.9mm unfolded, 71.9 x 84.9 x 17.1mm folded, and weighs 187g. There are some noteworthy improvements to the build quality, though. The Flip 4 has a slimmer hinge and straightened edges, making it feel slightly more premium. Like the Flip 3, it also offers a glossy metal frame and hazed back glass.
Not much has changed between these two devices in a single generation. The Flip 3 and the Flip 4 are unique in that they offer two different displays. A smaller 1.9-inch 260 x 512 display is on the front of both devices when folded. This display area is small, and it only shows you essential information and notifications while your phone is closed. Unfolding the device reveals a large 6.7 inch 2640 x 1080 display with up to a 120Hz refresh rate on both devices.
Both devices run on Samsung’s custom Android skin called One UI. One UI is a heavily modified and customizable skin that lets you configure the software just about any way you want. The Flip 3 launched with Android 11 and One UI 3.1 but has since been updated to Android 13 and One UI 5.1. The Flip 4 launched with Android 12 and One UI 4.1 but received the One UI 5.1 upgrade. Like the Z Flip 3, the Z Flip 4 is getting Samsung’s promised four years of software upgrades and five years of security patches. This means the Flip 4 should last you one additional year compared to the Flip 3. The software runs great on both, as One UI is well-optimized and one of the better versions of Android you’ll find on a device.
Performance
Talking about the actual hardware, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 only offers hand-picked but still significant upgrades. It comes with the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, which is a considerate step-up compared to the Snapdragon 888 in the Z Flip 3. The Flip 4 is also available in a 512GB variant rather than in 128GB and 256GB only. It also packs a much bigger battery than the Flip 3, but more on that in a bit. Other than these, we’re mostly looking at the same hardware. Samsung kept the amount of RAM the same for the Flip 4 as it did for the Flip 3 at 8GB.
The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 should also bring some enhancements compared to the Snapdragon 888. The new Qualcomm processor uses a smaller transistor size (4nm vs. 5nm), which improves efficiency and allows for better performance. The CPU clock speed is also ever so slightly higher. While none of the improvements coming with the 8+ Gen 1 are groundbreaking, they represent some great iteration over the 888. It’s also good that Samsung opted for the 8+ Gen 1 rather than the regular 8 Gen 1, which suffers from heat issues. You might not notice much difference in everyday usage, but the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 will certainly be better in the long run. Samsung also improved the thermal performance of the Flip 4, which ran noticeably cooler than the Flip 3 in ourGalaxy Z Fold 4 & Flip 4 hands-oncomparison.
Battery life
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 drastically improves battery size compared to the Z Flip 3. We’re looking at 3,700mAh rather than 3,300mAh in what is essentially the same footprint — an impressive engineering feat. The Z Flip 4 also slightly ups charging speeds, now supporting up to 25W wired charging rather than only 15W. This new battery size and charging speed are still worse than oncomparable regular Samsung phones, but those don’t need space for a hinge and a secondary display. Given that poor battery life has consistently been a pain point for Z Flip 3 users, the bigger battery in the Flip 4 can only help.
While the camera specs remain the same across the two generations of Flip phones, the Flip 4 has received a new, slightly bigger primary sensor. It’s still the same 12MP f/1.8 that the Flip 3 offered, but we can expect somewhat better image quality.
As noted in our review, the Flip 4 promises enhanced light sensitivity, making it a great choice for night photography. That’s even more impressive, considering the Flip 3 already offered good performance in low-light situations. Other than this, the camera experience is very similar. Both phones allow you to make intelligent use of the cover display. This makes it possible to use the rear cameras for selfies, which still offer a better image quality than the dedicated front-facing camera inside the phone.
As for the rest of the cameras, we’re looking at a secondary 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide that was already in the Flip 3 and the same 10MP f/2.4 punch-hole selfie camera we know from it.
Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4?
If you own the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 right now, there aren’t too many enticing upgrades to justify the switch to the Z Flip 4 for most people. However, if you’re deciding between the two, it’s clear that the Z Flip 4 is the phone to opt for. The bigger battery is the most important factor, especially when you can get the Z Flip 4 at a good discount.
The Samsung Galaxy Flip 3 ushered in a new era for the Flip line. It has good performance and cameras, but the battery life leaves a bit to be desired. However, it was good enough that the new Flip 4 doesn’t offer much in terms of upgrades.
The Z Flip 4 still isn’t a revolutionary change compared to the Z Flip 3, but it might be able to fix the biggest concern many reviewers and users had with it. The same goes for the Flip 4’s more robust hinge. These kinds of iterative improvements are much needed in a device category that is still brand new and has its kinks and issues to work out.
Samsung’s decision to stick with a small upgrade just may be the right decision to make its foldables as great as its phones, especially since the company sticks to that sweet $1,000 price spot for the entry-level 128GB model, making it one of thebest 5G phonesyou can buy. And these days, the Flip 4 can often be found for much less.
Even though the Flip 5 has been released, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 still has a lot to offer. It features great performance, a solid hinge, and good battery life for the category. If you are choosing between older foldables, the Flip 4 is a step up from the previous Flip 3.
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