Samsung Galaxy Flip4 review

I started the new year by testing the Galaxy ecosystem. In early January Samsung gave me the chance to spend a month with the newest members of the Galaxy family, unveiled six months earlier at Galaxy Unpacked 2022 August: the Galaxy Flip4 phone, the Galaxy Watch5 and the Galaxy Buds2 Pro earbuds.

It probably won't surprise anyone that I'm a Galaxy user (a fan, to be precise 😊). A Galaxy S22+ helps me every day (and often distracts me 😄), a Galaxy Watch4 sits on my wrist tracking my health, and Galaxy Buds2 Pro help me relax and find inspiration. So the Galaxy ecosystem is very close to me.

In this review I’ll cover the main features and capabilities of the new Galaxy devices and the advantages the Galaxy ecosystem offers every user. I’ll share my thoughts and reveal what I liked most and what brought me the most joy.

Design

I’ll start with the central member of the ecosystem — the Galaxy Flip4. The first thing that surprises everyone is this device’s design. It isn’t the usual glass “sandwich” but an innovative phone that folds in half. Not long ago we wouldn’t even have dreamed of holding folding phones today. It’s hard to believe these devices are real rather than something from a science fiction film about the distant future.

The Galaxy Flip4 has a 6.7-inch main display and a 1.9-inch cover screen. Unfolded, the phone is very thin at just 6.9 mm. Folded it's somewhat thicker but becomes half the size of an ordinary phone. What pleased me most is that the Galaxy Flip4 fitted in the pocket of everything I wear. On the right side sit the volume down and up buttons and the power button, which doubles as the fingerprint reader. Top and bottom are two stereo speakers and two microphones, and the device charges over USB-C (wireless charging is supported too).

The Galaxy Flip4 comes in four colours: blue, bora purple, graphite and pink gold. I’ve no doubt these colours are lovely, but I’d add that graphite goes with any style.

Display

The impressive main display is 6.7 inches, 120 Hz, HDR10+, with 1,200 nits of brightness. It's not only colourful and contrasty, like most Samsung displays, but special: it FOLDS!!! For the first few days I felt like a small child with a new toy. I kept folding it, unable to believe it bends in half. The oddly elongated aspect ratio disappointed me somewhat — it isn't well suited to videos or Instagram stories, but it's very convenient for browsing, reading and multitasking. I'd add that a protective plastic frame surrounds the display. This year a smaller folding mechanism is fitted. The phone folds very smoothly, though unfortunately opening the screen one-handed is almost impossible.

On the outside sits a 1.9-inch cover display, bright and protected by Gorilla Glass Victus+. On it you can see the time, view notifications, your calendar and reminders, control music, see the view from the main cameras and take a photo or record video. I did notice there’s no way to quickly reply to a message.

Camera

I’ve no doubt good photo and video quality is currently the most important quality in a smartphone. The Galaxy Flip4 has three cameras: a 12 MP wide, a 12 MP ultra-wide and a 10 MP front-facing selfie camera. The megapixel count isn’t astronomical, but we all know perfectly well that megapixels don’t reflect camera quality.

Photos taken with the main camera are sharp, detailed and contrasty, though I noticed the colours are sometimes pushed a little too hard (the green in a forest setting). The ultra-wide falls short of the main camera's quality — its photos show more noise and are blurrier and darker. Samsung could try harder to even out the camera quality. The selfie camera isn't the best on the market, but it takes decent photos. You barely need the front camera anyway, since you can take selfies with the main camera using the cover display. I did feel the lack of a telephoto lens keenly — the Galaxy Flip4 can only zoom digitally up to 10x.

The Galaxy Flip4 films well, with a maximum resolution of 4K at 60 frames per second. Video quality is very good and the footage is smooth. Stabilisation is excellent and the microphones record better still. I’d also mention that together with Galaxy Buds2 Pro earbuds, the Galaxy Flip4 can film and record 360 audio, which brings out the sound further and gives video a sense of space.

The Galaxy Flip4 stands out from other phones with FlexCam mode. You don't need to prop the phone up or use a tripod — simply find a flat surface and set the phone down opened at 90 degrees. This mode helps you discover photographic angles you haven't found before. While filming, you can also hold the phone like a camcorder.

On my Instagram account I asked my followers which phone takes better photos. The result was even, but the Galaxy S22+’s colours were more natural while the Galaxy Flip4’s photos were more detailed.

Performance and One UI

The heart and mind of the Galaxy Flip4 is the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, which lifts the phone's capabilities to unprecedented heights. Every app runs excellently. Games launch quickly and the Galaxy Flip4 supports high graphics settings. Of course, after a while the back starts to warm up, so I'd suggest using it with a case. That protects you not only from unpleasant heat but also shields one whole half of the phone.

The One UI 5.0 interface gives the user a comfortable experience. The system is not only easy to control but easy to adapt to your needs. One UI unlocks a great many possibilities that help you use the device far more productively. One of my favourite system features is Quick Share, which lets you move photos quickly from the Galaxy Flip4 to another Galaxy device. You can also automate the phone using the Modes and Routines app, where you can set up all sorts of modes — arriving at work could automatically close your social media apps, for instance, or starting a presentation could silence the phone entirely.

Flex mode is another distinctive Galaxy Flip4 feature. Fold the phone just slightly and the app automatically "splits" in half. In the YouTube app, for example, the top of the screen shows the video while the bottom lets you read comments and browse suggestions. In Instagram Stories the camera view appears on top with filter choices and the shutter button below. Another example: in Google Meet you see the person you're talking to on top, with call settings and the mute, screen share and end call buttons below.

The Galaxy Flip4’s battery capacity is 3,700 mAh, which isn’t very large compared with the 5,000 mAh in the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Thanks to the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, the Galaxy Flip4 beats many older Galaxy phones on battery life. The device comfortably handles a full day’s load. I’d like to charge it less often, of course, but overall the battery didn’t disappoint me.

The Galaxy ecosystem

To make the most of everything Galaxy offers, a phone alone isn’t enough. The Galaxy Watch5 and Galaxy Buds2 Pro expand what the Galaxy Flip4 can do.

The Galaxy Watch5 smartwatch monitors your health and helps you reach your fitness goals. This year's model lasts longer, records health data more accurately and is more durable. The screen is covered in Sapphire glass and the metal body is made from Armor Aluminum. With the watch on your wrist you needn't even reach for your phone. With the Galaxy Watch5 you can easily control music, check your calendar and notifications, reply to messages, answer calls, use navigation and pay for purchases. You can change watch faces daily — everyone will find a favourite. The Galaxy Watch5 comes in 40 mm and 44 mm sizes, in LTE and Bluetooth models, and four colours: graphite, silver, pink gold and sapphire. There's also a more capable 45 mm Galaxy Watch5 Pro.

The Galaxy Buds2 Pro are high-quality earbuds. I’ll admit I’m not a serious audiophile, but music through these sounds unreal to me. The sound is rich, sharp and loud. 360 audio immerses the listener at an even deeper level — I only had to close my eyes to feel like I was at a concert. Excellent active noise cancellation lets you concentrate and shut out a noisy environment. Listening to music with these earbuds in particular feels very good.

My favourite Galaxy ecosystem features

The Camera Controller, which lets you see the Galaxy Flip4’s camera preview on the Galaxy Watch5.

The Samsung Health app brings together the health data recorded by the watch and the phone and shows a detailed breakdown of your activity each week.

The Galaxy Buds controller works on the Galaxy Flip4’s cover display and on the Galaxy Watch5. It makes adjusting the Galaxy Buds2 Pro’s noise controls and 360 audio easy.

Spotify, available on both phone and watch, also lets you listen to and control music or podcasts.

Verdict: pros and cons

Testing the Galaxy Flip4, Galaxy Watch5 and Galaxy Buds2 Pro left me with a good impression. I recommend these devices to all current and future Galaxy users. Personally I haven’t tried a more convenient ecosystem than Galaxy. The devices are very simple to operate, easy to adapt to your needs, and if you catch some decent deals you can pick up the whole ecosystem inexpensively. If folding phones aren’t for you, I’d suggest looking at the Galaxy S23 series, whose review I’ll publish shortly.