We're hoping that the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is going to get its official unveiling next month, and in the meantime we've got a leaked image showing off the foldable clamshell smartphone from the side.
The picture, courtesy of 91mobiles, looks like it comes from the promotional material that Samsung is presumably preparing. As expected, it doesn't seem as though there are going to be a huge number of aesthetic changes from the previous version.
Alongside the tagline "Next Galaxy", the Galaxy Z Flip 4 appears in a new purple shade that Samsung is apparently calling Bora. It's a color that is rumored to be coming to several other Samsung devices in the near future.
All in the details
While the design of the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is thought to be similar to that of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3, it's unlikely to be identical: in the leaked image you can see the side buttons are larger and more pronounced this time around.
The camera lenses also look to be sticking out further than on the previous model, while the overall design is not quite so tapered. We're hoping that means camera upgrades as well as extra battery capacity for the Galaxy Z Flip 4.
While this image doesn't tell us a whole lot about the upcoming foldable phone, it's more evidence that the handset is coming soon. We're expecting to see a host of new Samsung devices at the same event, including some smartwatches.
Analysis: bring on the foldables
Foldable phones are continuing to edge closer and closer to becoming mainstream devices – both Google and Apple are rumored to be working on their own foldable handsets, which is a promising sign for the future of the form factor.
However, the rise of the foldable owes an awful lot to Samsung. Without the yearly releases of the Z Fold and the Z Flip handsets, consumers wouldn't have much choice in this category at all, bar occasional offerings from Huawei and Xiaomi.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold is the more conventional foldable, opening and closing like a book, and we're expecting to see the Galaxy Z Fold 4 alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 4 whenever Samsung decides to hold its next hardware showcase.
By all accounts, they should be the best foldable phones we've seen yet, and we're hoping the prices are going to be appealing as well. August is shaping up to be an important month for the near future of foldable phones.
