Daily Authority: 👏 Flagship foldable revisited

🫠 Good morning all, and welcome to the Daily Authority. It was absolutely sweltering here this past weekend, so much so that I seriously considered sleeping outside. I didn’t because I dislike mosquitoes even more than the heat.

It’s still very good

• Some elements of Samsung’s smartphones don’t seem to age, and one of these is the software.
• This is especially true on the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
• Currently running One UI 5 on top of Android 13, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 still “feels so intuitive,” according to Scott.
• “It includes tons of multitasking features, a desktop-like home screen dock, and smooth, easy-to-understand transitions as you open or close the display to varying degrees.”
• The smart camera controls are a particular favorite.
• “If you fold the phone halfway, a new camera interface appears that puts the controls on one half and the viewfinder on the other, allowing you to prop the phone on a table for a timer-controlled group selfie.”
• The camera hardware also still holds up.
• The 50MP+12MP+10MP combo is the first time Samsung introduced a flagship-level camera experience on one of its modern folders.
• Finally, the price isn’t too bad either.
• Yes, it’s one of the most expensive devices you can buy, but C. Scott argues it’s no longer an issue.
• “Thanks to the rapid depreciation Android phones experience within only a few months of release, it is incredibly easy to get a Galaxy Z Fold 4 at a much, much cheaper price.”

• You’ll get a vast display with the Galaxy Z Fold 4, but you’ll also get a large crease down the middle.
• “This appears in the middle of the phone when it is fully opened, and it’s just as much of an eyesore now as it was in previous generations.”
• It’s especially jarring when rivals have found ways to minimize the crease impact on their devices.
• Then there’s the battery life.
• Samsung didn’t upgrade the battery on the Galaxy Z Fold 4, giving it the same 4,400mAh capacity as its predecessor.
• Charging also remains notably slow compared to today’s flagships.
• Just 25W wired and 15W wireless features.
• Finally, let’s talk about the under-display camera.
• This is Samsung’s second take on the technology, after the Z Fold 3, but Scott said images taken with this camera were “pretty weak.”
• At least you have the rear cameras and the smartphone screen’s selfie camera if you want higher quality snaps.

Should you buy one?

• Well, do you need a foldable phone right this minute?
• If yes, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is still worth it.
• It remains the best foldable on the market, has great software, and can be had at a relatively low price.
• However, if you can wait, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 (as well as several other foldables) is launching this year.

Monday Meme

Rihanna’s grass-friendly Super Bowl halftime performance was impressive, to say the least, but it also reminded a few people of a certain Nintendo title…

Have a great week,
Andy Walker, Editor.