How does the new Galaxy Z Fold 4 compare to the previous model? We take a look at what's the same, and how they differ.

Samsung is one of the biggest proponents of foldable smartphones on the market. After debuting the Galaxy Z Fold 3 in August 2021, Samsung is back with a successor to its premium foldable phone. With the debut of the Galaxy Z Fold 4, Samsung marks the fourth generation of its bendy devices.

As usual with any new gadget, the Fold 4 brings several new key features to the table. But how does it compare to its predecessor? Here are the key differences between the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and the Z Fold 3.

The processor is one of the main improvements to the Galaxy Z Fold 4. Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip, the best of the best from the American chip company as of writing, powers the new Fold 4. The new chip is way better than the Snapdragon 888, a 5nm chip that runs the Z Fold 3.

For specificity, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip has a more robust 3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 core for high performance aided by three Cortex-A710 cores running at 2.75GHz and finally, four Cortex-A510 cores for power efficiency.

It beats the Snapdragon 888 in nearly every aspect and enables the Fold 4 to take the mantle as the most potent foldable phone ever produced by Samsung. The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 also promises longer battery life.

The Galaxy Z Fold 4 has slightly upgraded cameras, one of which is a new 50MP wide lens. In contrast, the outgoing Fold 3 has a 12MP wide camera lens. With the new 50MP lens, expect better images with the increased pixel size.

The lens is 23% bigger and, as a result, will also prove beneficial in low lighting conditions where you need to capture as much light as possible. Another vital addition courtesy of the new camera lens is the ability to shoot 8K video at 24fps, unlike the Z Fold 3, which topped out at 4K.

Samsung also swapped the 12MP telephoto lens on the older model with a new 10MP lens. A lower resolution, yes, but the new lens adds a 3x optical zoom, an upgrade from the 2x zoom capability of the Fold 3's telephoto camera. The 12MP ultra-wide camera stays the same.

If you felt that the 512GB maximum onboard storage on the Z Fold 3 wasn't enough, the Z Fold 4 is what you should get. Like the Galaxy S22 Ultra unveiled in early 2022, it comes with a 1TB option.

That means that, unlike the Fold 3, the new phone offers three storage options, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. Remember, you're stuck with whatever memory option you choose since both lack an expansion slot.

Although the design stays the same, Samsung has tweaked the Fold 4 a bit, making it more compact. It has a slimmer aluminum hinge and narrow bezels on the cover screen, and hence weighs a few pounds less than its predecessor.

Granted, you will barely notice these changes in real life unless you're hawk-eyed. Another change is the replacement of the Corning Gorilla Glass Victus with an upgraded version on both the cover and primary screen for more durability.

Wireless charging has received a boost in the Fold 4. If you prefer to use wireless charging, you'll be excited to hear that it maxes out at 15W. Although this is not a big jump from the 11W rating on the Fold 3, it's not unwelcome.

If you feel your foldable phone is charging slowly, you can use the included USB Type-C port instead which tops out at 25W, like on the Z Fold 3. Reverse wireless charging is also supported on both but tops out at 4.5W.

In the grand scheme of things, there's not much difference between the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Fold 4. However, if you're keen on using the latest high-end foldable phone from Samsung, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is what you should get.

Suppose you don't care so much about the upgrades to the processor and camera. In that case, the Fold 3 is still a solid foldable phone in 2022 especially considering the company has cut its retail price a bit to accommodate its latest sibling.

Alvin Wanjala has been writing about technology for over 2 years. He writes about different facets, including but not limited to mobile, PC, and social media. Alvin loves programming and gaming during downtimes.

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