Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs. Galaxy Z Fold 3: The biggest upgrades

A split image with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 on the left and the Galaxy Z Fold 4 on the right
(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs. Galaxy Z Fold 3 is a battle of old vs. new. And while the newer Fold is definitely better, just how much better it is than the outgoing model is another matter.

While it's hard to see the upgrades at first glance, Samsung has made some handy changes to the Galaxy Z Fold 4 over the Galaxy Z Fold 3, like a more powerful and efficient chipset, a wider shape and better cameras that help round out the device into something much easier to use, and closer to non-folding phones in terms of abilities.

Read on to see how much of a difference one year can make to a foldable and how the showdown between Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs. Galaxy Z Fold 3 plays out. 

Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs Galaxy Z Fold 3: Specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Row 0 - Cell 0 Galaxy Z Fold 4Galaxy Z Fold 3
Price $1,799/£1,649$1,799/£1,599
Main display7.6 inches AMOLED (120Hz, 2176 x 1812)7.6 inches (120Hz, 2208 x 1768)
Cover display6.2 inches AMOLED (120Hz, 2316 x 904)6.2 inches (120Hz, 2268 x 832)
CPUSnapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1Snapdragon 888
RAM12GB12GB
Storage256GB, 512GB, 1TB256GB, 512GB
Wide camera50MP (f/1.8)12MP wide (f/1.8)
Ultra-wide camera12MP (f/2.2)12MP ultrawide (f.2.2)
Telephoto camera10MP (f/2.4)12MP telephoto (f/2.4)
Cover camera10MP (f/2.2)10MP (f/2.2)
Under-display camera4MP (f/1.8)4MP (f/1.8)
Battery4,400 mAh4,400 mAh
Charging25W25W
Size closed6.1 x 2.6 x 0.55-0.62 inches 6.2 x 2.6 x 0.56 to 0.62 inches
Size open6.1 x 5.1 x 0.21 inches6.2 x 5 x 0.25 inches
Weight9.28 ounces9.55 ounces
ColorsGraygreen, Phantom Black, Beige, Burgundy (Samsung.com only)Phantom Black, Phantom Green, Phantom Silver

Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs Galaxy Z Fold 3: Price

In the U.S., the Galaxy Z Fold 4 costs the same at launch as the Galaxy Z Fold 3 did: $1,800. Unfortunately for U.K. readers, the Galaxy Z Fold 4's start price is £1,649, up from the £1,599 of the Galaxy Z Fold 3. It's only a small increase given the overall cost of the phone, but it's still an increase.

You can buy the Galaxy Z Fold 3 right now if you wish, but the Z Fold 4 isn't quite on sale yet. It's open for pre-orders now, and buying through Samsung will get you a free memory upgrade and Standing Case with S Pen, but will only hit store shelves on August 26.

Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs Galaxy Z Fold 3: Design

You won't be able to tell the Z Fold 4 and Z Fold 3 apart from a distance, but there are some welcome changes here.

Starting with the phone closed, the Z Fold 4's a little more compact than the Z Fold 3, making it easier to fit in your pocket or bag. It's also lighter, although only by 0.6 ounces/17 grams.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4

(Image credit: Future)

Despite this, the Z Fold 4 should in theory be tougher. It uses Gorilla Glass Victus Plus like the Galaxy S22 series, an update to the Gorilla Glass Victus used on the Z Fold 3. However, initial durability testing for the Z Fold 4 shows that it is awfully similar to the Z Fold 3

Both the foldables offer IPX8 water resistance, which hopefully means either phone should survive a dive into a pool, pond or sink if it had to. 

The outer cover display has smaller bezels on the Z Fold 4, making it much easier to use the Z Fold 4 without opening it. The Z Fold 3's cover display is usable, but too narrow for comfortable use.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3

(Image credit: Future)

Samsung's also shaken up the colors a little from year to year. Both foldables are available in Phantom Black, but the Z Fold 3 also comes in Phantom Silver and Phantom Green, while the Z Fold 4 offers Graygreen and Beige.

Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs Galaxy Z Fold 3: Display

Both displays on both phones are technically the same size - 6.2 inches outside and 7.6 inches inside. The difference comes in the aspect ratio however. The Z Fold 4 is a little shorter and a little wider than the Z Fold 3, making it easier to get the most out of the phone whether it's open or shut.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4

(Image credit: Future)

The patch of screen covering the Z Fold 4's under-display camera is now more densely packed with pixels, which makes it harder to spot than the Z Fold 3's hidden camera. Combined with the less visible crease down the middle, the display on the Z Fold 4 does a better job of simulating a regular non-folding display.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4

(Image credit: Future)

When we measured screen brightness for the two phones, we found the Z Fold 4 is a fair bit brighter, achieving 905 nits maximum brightness for the inner display (870 nits for the outer display) compared to 740 nits (688 outer) for the Z Fold 3. The Z Fold 4 also has more accurate colors and greater color gamut coverage, which is great news for keen video streamers.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 hands-on review

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Both phones utilize 120Hz refresh rates for both their screens for a smooth scrolling experience. There's a slight difference in precise screen resolutions, but both phones still share the basic WQGA inner/ HD+ outer display quality.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 hands-on review

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs Galaxy Z Fold 3: Cameras

The changes to the camera loadout on the Z Fold 4 mean it's now in line with the Galaxy S22 or Galaxy S22 Plus. The main sensor is now 50MP (up from 12MP), and the telephoto camera is now a 10MP sensor capable of 3x optical zoom, a boost from the 12MP, 2x optical zoom on the Z Fold 3. Both phones have a 12MP ultrawide camera to round out the rear camera block, but the Z Fold 4 should offer superior snaps to the Z Fold 3.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4

(Image credit: Future)

Both the Z Fold 3 and 4 use identical front-facing cameras though. Those are a 10MP sensor on the cover display, and a 4MP under-display camera on the inside. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 hands-on review

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

While the Z Fold 4's cameras still don't match up to Samsung's best camera phone (the Galaxy S22 Ultra), they're still much better than they used to be, fixing what one TG staffer called their biggest problem with the Z Fold series.

Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs Galaxy Z Fold 3: Performance

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 comes with a Snapdragon 888 chipset, which is still a powerful chip. However the Z Fold 4 uses a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1, the enhanced version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 that succeeded the 888.  You can see that makes a big difference in the table of results below.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs Galaxy Z Fold 3: Benchmarks
Row 0 - Cell 0 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
Geekbench 5 score (single-core/multi-core)1,328 / 3,8311,107 / 3,418
Wild Life Unlimited (score/fps)8,819 / 525,622 / 33
Wild Life Extreme Unlimited (score/fps)2,772 / 161,462 / 8
Adobe Premiere Rush (mins:secs)0:450:50

However, don't think that this makes the Galaxy Z Fold 4 a good gaming phone. As good as the chip is, it doesn't matter when game devs don't design their titles for the unique screen aspect ratios that the Z Fold uses.

The Z Fold 4 also has the option for extra storage compared to the Z Fold 3. The Z Fold 4 offers 512GB and 1TB storage options, the latter being a first for a Z Fold model. The most you can get on the Z Fold 3 is 512GB.

Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs Galaxy Z Fold 3: Battery and charging

Samsung's left the Galaxy Z Fold 4's battery and charging abilities untouched from the Z Fold 3. Both phones have a 4,400 mAh total battery capacity, and can charge at up to 25W when plugged in.

Z Fold 4 survived our custom battery test for 7 hours and 9 minutes on a single charge, using the inner display at full 120Hz refresh rate. The Z Fold 3 managed 6 hours and 35 minutes on the same test. While neither result is particularly inspiring compared to regular phones, the Z Fold 4 has definitely improved.

Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs Galaxy Z Fold 3: Verdict

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4

(Image credit: Future)

As expected, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is definitely the superior model to the Galaxy Z Fold 3. Additional power, improved efficiency, a more user-friendly shape and true flagship-grade cameras are big reasons to go for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 if you can afford it.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 battery life

(Image credit: Future)

It's a shame the Galaxy Z Fold 4 didn't upgrade some elements, like the battery size, but we're also glad the price is staying (almost) the same as last year. 

While the Galaxy Z Fold 3's likely to start seeing deeper discounts now it's no longer Samsung's latest and greatest foldable, you won't feel like you've missed out on getting a brand-new foldable for a good price.

TOPICS
Richard Priday
Assistant Phones Editor

Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.