Samsung’s Fold is the showcase, but the Flip still has all the sex appeal

Samsung’s latest foldable devices — the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 – are almost polar opposites when it comes to their target market. On the one hand, the Fold is built for the business and power user, putting maximum screen real estate and state-of-the-art multitasking software at your fingertips, beating size and mass. The Flip is relatively graceful and understated; it doesn’t claim to be brilliant at everything, instead relying on its aesthetics and the enduring popularity of social media to defend its case.

Depending on your view of what the ideal is foldable phone “should” be, it may or may not come as a surprise that the Flip is by far the most popular of Samsung’s two foldable form factors. At the end of 2021, Samsung noted that the Galaxy Z Flip 3 accounting for 70% of the foldable sales in Korea, then confirmed the device’s popularity during its most recent launch.

Early Thoughts: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 hands on

Based on what we’ve seen so far, this generation’s foldables won’t change the fact that the Flip is more popular than the Fold.

There is no denying that, from a technological point of view, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the superior device. It offers a more powerful multitasking setup, with a huge 7.6-inch internal display and the new taskbar as part of Android 12L. Samsung has also tackled a few lingering bugbears, upgrading the camera package with more competitive hardware, even if it’s not quite the best setup in the business. The outdoor display is slightly wider for one-handed typing, and wireless charging is also faster.

For the first time, Samsung has managed to squeeze almost all of its flagship-tier smartphone technology into a foldable form factor. There are a few more compromises, such as the so-so battery size and slow charging, but far fewer than with the Flip. Broadly speaking, customers no longer have to choose between specs and form factor; they can now have both. That’s a tantalizing reality, especially for those who were hesitant to jump or not based on compromises in previous generations. That said, the handset still isn’t great for watching videos, there’s arguably more screen real estate than most people usually need, and it’s still a bit too bulky if you’re relying on the more familiar screen on the front.

As we know, the target market of the Fold series is the power user; in that sense it is a successor to Samsung’s defunct Galaxy Note series. However, even the famous Note range couldn’t sell for close to the same volume as its more mainstream Galaxy S siblings, for the simple reason that specs aren’t everything. Value for money, portability and brand appeal also play a role. Like the Note, enthusiasts may love the Z Fold 4 for its advanced capabilities, but most customers are not enthusiasts.

First impression: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 hands-on

The Galaxy Z Flip 4 is not the technological showcase that the Fold is. It’s still a powerful and reasonably worked-out piece of hardware, but it still makes a few compromises on the classic phone formula rather than being more of a design statement. The clamshell design, for example, is instantly familiar to those of us old enough to remember the pre-smartphone era. In modern times, there’s still something to be said for an ultraportable phone that leaves room for something else in your pocket. And, unlike the Fold, its familiar screen layout makes it as recognizable to use as any other phone in the past decade.

At the same time, Samsung is marketing the phone as a social powerhouse. Between the slightly upgraded camera, Quick Shot to take selfies in clamshell mode, Cover Screen photo previews and FlexCam angled snaps for Instagram, whatsapp, and Facebook, Samsung is capitalizing on today’s avid social media user with a number of new features. Coupled with the new Cover Screen previews and split screen app support to leverage video calling, social media, image editing, and whatever, there’s a lot for the social butterfly to fall in love with.

And for the fashion-conscious, the introduction of the color Bora Purple is undoubtedly a statement. But Samsung also offers the Bespoke Edition, with 75 unique frame, front and back panel combinations to create a phone that’s all yours. It’s another design that harks back to the good old days of removable back covers. It’s interesting that the Fold or any of Samsung’s other flagships don’t get the same treatment, don’t you think? The Galaxy Z Flip 4 isn’t just any phone; it’s a fashion statement that has an appeal that the Fold just can’t command.

Also see: The Galaxy Z Flip 3 convinced me that clamshells are the best foldable

Of course, price also plays a big part in the Flip’s appeal. Exciting new tech for $999 is much tastier than the $1,800 Samsung is charging for the Z Fold 4. That always gives the small model an edge, but the cost is only part of the picture. While the Z Fold 4 is Samsung’s technology showcase, the Z Flip 4 gives us greater insight into where foldable devices are likely to find long-term commercial success – taking on new form factors to do something fun and exciting that can get consumers excited about something really different.

I’d say the Fold is like a free jazz solo; appreciated by those who like the complexity, but it’s a bit of a niche to get into. Meanwhile, the Flip is the pop earworm; catchy, instantly familiar, with a mass-market appeal that even some more critical critics might secretly enjoy. You can love either one, neither or both, but the Flip is sure to be more commercially successful in the near future.