Unpacked 2022: Samsung launches new foldable Galaxy phones

The Z Flip 4 and the Z Fold 4 were announced alongside the new Galaxy Watch 5 and the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro

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Samsung has announced its new foldable Galaxy phones at its Unpacked 2022 event - the Z Flip 4 and the Z Fold 4.

It also brought out a new smartwatch - the Galaxy Watch 5 - and made changes to the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro to make them smaller and support hi-fi audio.

The Fold is a traditional-sized smartphone which opens horizontally, like a book, to reveal a larger, tablet-sized screen, while the Flip is a smaller device which opens vertically to reveal a nearly 7in smartphone display.

The Galaxy Fold 4 has a new sleeker design, with a slimmer hinge and bezels, and includes the new Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.

It also has a new camera: replacing the 12-megapixel lens on the Galaxy Fold 3 with a 50-megapixel main lens, alongside a 3x telephoto lens, which keeps it up to date with the S22 and S22 Plus.

A new PC-style taskbar has been built into the software to speed up jumping between apps.

The Flip4 has undergone a more modest upgrade, with improvements to the small cover screen used to view notifications when the device is closed and expanded camera features when the phone is open.

The smaller outer screen now has a SmartThings widget for quick access to smart home controls, and users can now send quick replies to texts or use it to access Samsung Wallet. Inside is the same Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1, but this smaller clamshell has 8GB of RAM.

The two phones will also come with better battery life; however, both will cost more than last year’s models. The Flip4 will start at £999, up from £949, and the Fold4 starts at £1,649, up from £1,599. Both phones will go on sale on August 26.

Samsung’s key smartphone rivals – Apple and Google – are yet to release a foldable device, and while other manufacturers have entered the space, none has yet grabbed the public’s attention.

Additional reporting by Associated Press