Is a Flip Phone Better?

Although foldable phones aren’t mainstream yet, it seems more buyers are open to trying them out. And if you’re one of them, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is probably on your radar.

However, before you order the Galaxy Z Flip 4, it’s a good idea to compare it to the iPhone 14 Pro to see if a foldable phone is worth it over a traditional alternative. Both devices launched at $999, so let’s see which offers more value.

Dimensions and build quality

• iPhone 14 Pro: 147.5 x 71.5 x 7.9mm; 206 grams; IP68 dust and waterproof
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Unfolded: 165.2 x 71.9 x 6.9mm; Folded: 84.9 x 71.9 x 15.9-17.1mm; 187 grams; IPX8 waterproof

The Galaxy Z Flip 4 is taller, wider, thinner, and lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro, and because it folds flat, it takes up less space in your pocket. It can also stand on its own without the need for a stand.

The iPhone 14 Pro has a stainless steel frame with Ceramic Shield protection on the front glass. The Galaxy Z Flip 4 has an aluminum frame and uses ultra-thin folding glass with a plastic protective layer on top and Gorilla Glass Victus+ protection on the back.

Due to the protective layer of plastic on top, the ultra-thin glass below is less likely to break after an accidental drop. But at the same time, the screen is so fragile that you can easily dent or scratch it with your fingernails.

The iPhone 14 Pro has IP68 dust and water resistance, but the Flip 4 skips dust resistance due to its hinge design. For buyers in the US, the iPhone 14 series is e-SIM only and doesn’t have a physical SIM slot, so you might want to avoid this if your carrier doesn’t support e-SIM.

To show

• iPhone 14 Pro: 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display; 120 Hz promotion; 1179 x 2556 resolution; 460 dpi; 2000 nits maximum brightness; Always-on screen
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Main screen: 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X folding screen; 120Hz refresh rate; 1080 x 2640 resolution; 426 PPI; 1200 nits maximum brightness; Cover screen: 1.9-inch Super AMOLED screen; 260×512 resolution

The Flip 4 has two screens: a 6.7-inch 120Hz FHD+ AMOLED main screen and a 1.9-inch Super AMOLED cover screen. The iPhone 14 Pro has a 6.1-inch 120Hz FHD+ OLED display.

Both devices have LTPO 2.0 technology, which means they can lower the refresh rate down to 1Hz to save battery life. The iPhone has a higher maximum brightness of 2,000 nits, while the Flip 4 is limited to 1,200 nits.

After years of sporting the notch, the iPhone 14 Pro finally introduced a new pill-shaped cutout called Dynamic Island, which can intuitively morph into different shapes to show you visible information and ongoing activities in the background, serving as a smart multitasking tool. .

Flip 4’s cover screen shows you the date and time, weather, music playing, notifications, battery percentage, and lets you change quick settings—all without opening your device. The idea here is to reduce screen time by reducing the need to check your phone.

Camera

• iPhone 14 Pro: 48MP f/1.8 main, sensor-shift OIS, dual-pixel PDAF, 4K video at 60FPS; 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide angle (120 degree FoV), dual pixel PDAF, macro photography; 12MP f/2.8 telephoto, OIS, 3x optical zoom; Front: 12MP f/1.9, PDAF, 4K video at 60fps
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: 12MP f/1.8 main, OIS, Dual Pixel PDAF, 4K video at 60FPS; 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide angle (123-degree FoV); Front: 10MP f/2.4, 4K video at 30fps

iPhone 14 Pro has four cameras in total: an improved 48 MP main sensor, a 12 MP ultra-wide sensor with a 120-degree field of view, a 12 MP telephoto sensor with 3x optical zoom, and a front-facing camera. 12MP. You can record 4K video at 60FPS on the back and front.

The Galaxy Z Flip 4 has three cameras in total: a 12MP main sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide sensor with 123-degree FoV, and a 10MP front-facing camera. You can record 4K video at 60 FPS on the back and 30 FPS on the front.

We’ve written extensively about the camera differences between iPhone and Samsung phones, and the same observations apply here as well, with some minor variations.

iPhones are more consistent, take better video, and lean toward warmer, more realistic colors. Samsung phones are more versatile, have excellent edge detection, and lean toward cooler, nicer colors, making them more appropriate for sharing on social media.

On the Galaxy Flip 4, you can fold the device and use the main camera to take selfie photos and videos while using the cover screen for better posing. All of this can help to significantly improve the quality of your shots compared to the 10MP front-facing camera on the main screen.

In iPhone 14 Pro, the new 48MP main sensor promises sharper, more detailed shots with much better low-light photography. Due to the high resolution, you can zoom in and crop your photos without losing much detail.

Processor

• iPhone 14 Pro: A16 bionic; 4nm fabrication; 5 core GPU
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1; 4nm fabrication; Adreno 730GPU

Although the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 is a great chip, it doesn’t stand a chance against the Apple A16 Bionic, which is still the most powerful and efficient smartphone chip ever. On paper, the iPhone 14 Pro is the clear winner.

That being said, the average user shouldn’t worry too much about benchmark scores. When interacting with the user interface, you probably won’t find any significant difference between the two devices in terms of speed or fluidity.

RAM and storage

• iPhone 14 Pro: 6 GB RAM; 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB storage
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: 8 GB RAM; 128GB/256GB/512GB storage

Since iPhones are better at managing RAM, the 6GB RAM in the iPhone 14 Pro feels similar to the 8GB RAM in the Galaxy Z Flip 4. Both devices start with 128GB of storage, but only the iPhone offers a 1TB storage option.

Check how much storage you need if you’re not sure.

Drums

• iPhone 14 Pro: 3200 mAh battery; 20W wired charging; 15W MagSafe wireless charging stand; 7.5W with Qi wireless charging
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: 3700 mAh battery; 25W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, 4.5W reverse wireless charging

Like RAM management, iPhones also consume battery better. That’s why even with a physically smaller 3,200mAh cell, the iPhone 14 Pro can offer longer battery life than the larger 3,700mAh cell in the Galaxy Z Flip 4.

Both devices have similar charging speeds, so there’s no reason to choose one over the other. Sadly, the iPhone 14 Pro still comes with an outdated Lightning port instead of a USB-C port, which is far superior.

The folding ones are not perfect yet

As awesome as it is to own a foldable phone, we think the iPhone 14 Pro is still the safest and most reliable option for most people and offers more value than the Galaxy Z Flip 4.

The iPhone has better battery life, a telephoto camera, a more powerful processor, a dynamic island cutout, a sturdier build, crash detection, and emergency SOS via satellite, all for the same price.

The Galaxy Z Flip 4 is a good phone and will certainly turn heads, but it’s clear that the foldable design comes with compromises.