Galaxy Z Flip 4 Rumor Roundup: What's Next For Samsung's Flip Phone?
Samsung has changed the course for foldable smartphones with its Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3. Launched during the Galaxy Unpacked event in August 2021, the foldable smartphones from Samsung have been an unprecedented success for the brand. Due to the lack of competition and Samsung's robust supply chain, the Galaxy Z series is currently the market leader in the foldable phone segment.
That said, the South Korean smartphone manufacturer is expected to release the new Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 in the fall of 2022. There are already several rumors and leaks about the upcoming foldables. The Samsung Galaxy Flip 3 is one of the most affordable smartphones in its segment. It starts at $999 for the 128GB version and features a 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED display, a dual rear camera setup, and runs on the Snapdragon 888 5G chipset.
The latest update on the Galaxy Z Flip 4 relates to shipments. The CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants, Ross Young said that Samsung's display for the successor to the Galaxy Z Flip 3 is expected to ship as early as April 2022. Additionally, the company is expecting greater demand for its upcoming Flip phone compared to the 2021 version. Young mentions that Samsung is expecting to ship 8.7 million panels for the Galaxy Z Flip 4 in 2022, compared to 5.1 million Z Flip 3 panels it shipped in 2021. It makes sense for the company to expect an increase in sales since it sold a record-breaking number of foldable phones last year.
The most elaborate leak on the Galaxy Z Flip 4 comes from the Korean tipster yeux1122, who mentions that Samsung is experimenting with both under-display cameras and punch-hole models for the Galaxy Flip 4. Apart from this, the smartphone could feature improved water and dust resistance along with a lighter chassis. The same source also mentions that Galaxy Z Flip 4 will maintain the same-sized external display. However, another leak by Twitter user chunvn8888 suggests that there won't be an under-display camera on the upcoming Flip phone. Further, the tipster claims that Galaxy Z Flip 4 will come with a larger secondary display (possibly over two inches) and a battery that's up to 20% bigger. This is corroborated by the Korean site The Elec.
The tipster also mentions the smartphone could feature a triple sensor setup on the rear panel, but the quality won't be much improved. As of now, the Flip 3 features a 12MP primary lens and a 12MP ultrawide lens on the rear panel, and a 10MP lens on the front. Along with all of this, an upgraded battery would be a welcome addition since the Flip 3 features a 3,300 mAh cell which does not last very long. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 could be a major upgrade for the Galaxy Z Flip 4. As most other Android flagships in 2022 are equipped with Qualcomm's latest chipset, it's not far-fetched to expect that Samsung will incorporate the SoC in its upcoming foldable phone. As for the Galaxy Z Flip 4 launch date, Samsung could release the device in August 2022 along with the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
With the Galaxy Z Flip 3, Samsung was able to decrease the price of its foldable phone with a switch in form factor, and this price trend is also expected with the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 4. Additionally, users have expressed concerns about the durability of foldable phones in the past and that is something Samsung is highly likely to continue to improve on.
Source: Ross Young/Twitter, yeux1122/Naver, The Elec, chunvn8888/Twitter