Jason Cipriani/ZDNet Samsung is wrapping up a big week where the smartphone giant announced two new foldable phones — the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 — along with the Galaxy Watch 5 and Watch 5 Pro and the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. All of these are currently available for pre-order, with shipments and in-store availability starting on August 26th.
If you’re just getting ready for the idea of ​​a foldable phone and have your mind set on a Z Fold, you’re left with a tough decision: Should you go with the shiny new Galaxy Z Fold 4? Or do you get the older but still impressive Galaxy Z Fold 3?
There is no wrong answer as both phones are great. To help you take some of the hard work of deciding to get off your back, I break down which phone you should get and why below.

Standards

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 Screen (main screen) 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X with LTPO (1-120 Hz refresh rate) 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X with LTPO (1-120 Hz refresh rate) Screen (cover) 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X with LTPO (1-120 Hz refresh rate) 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X with LTPO (1-120 Hz refresh rate) Dimensions (unfolded) 130.1 x 155.1 x 6.3 mm 158.2 x 128.1 x 6.4 mm Weight 263 gr 271 gr Cameras 50MP wide, 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP telephoto, 4MP front (internal), 10MP front (external) 12MP wide, 12MP ultra-wide, 12MP telephoto, 10MP front (external), 4MP front (internal) Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 Snapdragon 888 5G Memory and storage 12 GB RAM with 256 GB, 512 GB, 1 TB 12 GB RAM with 256 GB, 512 GB Battery 4,400 mAh 4,400 mAh Stamina IPX8 IPX8 Software One UI 4.1.1 on Android 12L One UI 4.1 on Android 12 Colored Phantom Black, Beige, Greygreen, Burgundy Phantom Silver, Phantom Green, Phantom Black Price Starting at $1,799 $1,499

You should buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 if…

1. You want the latest and greatest

With the Galaxy Z Fold 4 being the newest Fold in the line, it’s naturally packed with all the latest and greatest technology available right now, from Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor to a completely redesigned hinge that’s smoother and it’s supposed to be more durable than what was used on the Z Fold 3. It also looks like Samsung is getting better at making screens foldable and dealing with the resulting crease it creates.
Also: Does the Z Fold 4 still have a crease? Yes, but we have good news

2. You care about the quality of your phone’s camera

Arguably one of the biggest updates to the Z Fold 4 over the Z Fold 3 is the cameras on the back. The Z Fold 3 has three cameras on the back, all of which are 12 megapixels. The cameras are good, but not great. This has actually been one of the loudest complaints over the years about the Z Fold series. This year, however, Samsung gave the Fold 4 an almost identical camera system to the one found on the Galaxy S22 Plus. That means it still has three cameras on the back, but now it’s a 50-megapixel wide-angle camera, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and a 10-megapixel telephoto camera. I haven’t used the cameras on the Z Fold 4 yet, but I can safely say that I avoided using the cameras on the Z Fold 3. They just weren’t good at all.
Left: Galaxy Z Fold 3 Right: Galaxy Z Fold 4 Jason Cipriani/ZDNet

3. You want a slightly bigger screen

The spec sheets for the Z Fold 3 and Z Fold 4 list the screens as the same size, but there’s a slight difference that might matter when it comes to your purchasing decision. The internal display is actually 3mm larger on the Z Fold 4 than its predecessors, while the cover display is 2.7mm larger. Again, I admit it’s not much of a difference. But looking at the two phones side by side, the difference is noticeable — especially on the front display.

You should buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 if…

1. You want to save some money

Left: Galaxy Z Fold 3 Right: Galaxy Z Fold 4 Jason Cipriani/ZDNet

2. You don’t need the latest technology

Even though the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is a year old, it’s not impossible. I’ve owned a Z Fold 3 for almost a year now and it continues to receive timely updates that fix bugs and provide security patches and add new features. And Samsung told 9to5Google that Android 12L, which it launched the Z Fold 4 with, with an app dock at the bottom, will eventually make its way to the Z Fold 3. Unfortunately, there’s no word on a timeline.

3. If you’re not really impressed with the Galaxy Z Fold 4

Personally, I’m thinking about whether or not I should upgrade my Galaxy Z Fold 3. The basic updates to the Z Fold 4 — new processor, better cameras, slightly bigger screen — are good, but not… big. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 still does exactly what it’s supposed to do and mine hasn’t shown any signs of age or wear yet. And, as I covered above, if you’re willing to shop around, you can find a good deal on a Z Fold 3. In the end, you’ll get almost the exact same experience for less money. Hopefully, by the time the Z Fold 5 becomes a reality, Samsung will have some competition that will force the company to do more with future updates.