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.

Six months of foldin’

We gave the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 our nod of approval when it launched in August 2022, but is the foldable worth getting this year? With the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 looming large, C. Scott Brown revisited the current foldable flagship six months after launch to weigh the positives and negatives. Should you buy one now or wait for the new model? Find out below.

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.”

The bad is still bad

• 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.

Roundup

🗓️ Samsung’s Galaxy S23 software is coming to older Samsung flagships later this month (Android Authority).

📺 I built a fully-connected smart home without breaking the bank, so can you (Android Authority).

⌚ Not trading in my old Samsung smartwatch solved my battery anxiety problem: It might be worth hanging onto that Galaxy Gear S3 (Android Authority).

🔍 The Fossil Gen 6 Hybrid Wellness Edition is health-focused but lacks focus (Android Authority).

🎈 What do we know about the four flying objects shot down by the US? (The Guardian).

👑 Jony Ive’s latest design is the emblem for King Charles’ coronation (The Verge).

🏈 ICYMI: These were the best Super Bowl commercials of 2023 (Polygon).

🚦 Windows 11 could get a feature for controlling RGB lighting (Engadget).

📱 Leaked: The next Sony flagship ups the camera resolution but keeps the headphone jack (Android Authority).

🌱 How Rihanna pioneered a new kind of Super Bowl performance to protect the pitch. No, seriously, that’s the reason (Wired).

🍲 How scientists are kept fed and happy in one of the most remote places on Earth: Food down south looks pretty good (CNN).

🚘 Electric vehicles could match gasoline cars on price this year (The New York Times, $)

👴 What do you enjoy more the older you get? (r/askreddit).

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.