Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 Review: The Best Foldable Just Got Better
Price when reviewed : 1,649 inc VAT ProsSamsung's large-screen foldables are here to stay, at least for a little while longer. Shown off during its August 2022 Galaxy Unpacked event, the brand-new Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the bigger brother of the pocketable Galaxy Z Flip 4, with a bigger price to match.
Appearing alongside a new pair of Galaxy Watch 5 wearables, as well as a fresh pair of ANC earbuds, the 2022 Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the latest in a long line of foldable smartphones from the company, although this time around the upgrades are much harder to spot than in previous years.
Compare the best Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 deals – LIVE! ↺Loading broadband comparison tool, please wait... Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 review: What you need to knowWith the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 4, we've finally entered the stage where foldables are simply being refined and tweaked, rather than receiving drastic design overhauls. Samsung is clearly satisfied with the general look and feel of the Fold 4, so expect things to remain as they are, at least for a little while longer. A dramatic redesign, this ain't.
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That's not to say the Fold 4 lacks any improvements over its predecessor, however. Perhaps the biggest change is the inclusion of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset, which promises a major performance uplift compared to the Snapdragon 888 it replaces.
Likewise, the Z Fold 4 uses the same rear camera array as the Galaxy S22. What this means is you're now getting a 50MP main sensor, 10MP 3x telephoto and 12MP 123-degree ultrawide, alongside a pair of selfie cameras: one on the front and another that sits underneath the inner display.
The hardy "Armour Aluminium" frame makes a return, albeit with a slimmer hinge, slightly narrower cover screen bezels and reduced overall weight, and the new design is now rated to withstand up to 200,000 opens and closes. Samsung's foldables are still the only IP-certified waterproof flexi-screen phones on the market, too, with an IPX8 rating.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 review: Price and competitionSadly, those slight changes come with a slight increase in price. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 starts at a whopping £1,649 for the 256GB model, which is a £50 price jump from the previous iteration. If you need more storage, you can always pay more for the 512GB or 1TB versions, but here you're looking at paying either £1,769 or £2,019 for the privilege.
If anything, I was hoping for a price reduction this year, especially if Samsung is really hoping to push foldables into the mainstream. Again, the Flip 4 and its retro clamshell flip-to-open design is the affordable option, although it, too, has increased in price to £999.
There's not much out there when it comes to bendy alternatives, either. The Huawei Mate Xs 2 is the only other rival you can buy in Europe, and it costs more than the Fold 4 at a lofty £1,700. Since it also lacks access to Google's core suite of Android applications, this isn't something we'd recommend buying, however.
Non-folding phones don't quite get that expensive, although some of them do come close. The iPhone 13 Pro Max, for instance, starts at £1,049 but can be configured with a healthy 1TB of storage for £1,549. Sony's Xperia 1 IV is also ludicrously expensive, with prices starting at £1,299, with the stylus-friendly Galaxy S22 Ultra fetching another high fee of at least £1,149.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 review: Design and key featuresThe core functionality of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 remains the same as past iterations, and its overall design hasn't changed much, either. When folded, the handset looks and functions the same as any regular smartphone, albeit a relatively thick one. Fold it open, however, and it doubles in width, transforming into a tablet and revealing a large 7.6in inner display.
The Fold 4 is lighter than the previous model, weighing 263g – a reduction of 8g. In addition, the hinge is supposedly slimmer, and both displays are 3mm wider, with narrower bezels. You also get a choice of three colours: Phantom Black, Beige and Graygreen, which is the model I received for review.
It's far less unwieldy than you might expect. Measuring 15.8mm when folded, the Z Flip 4 isn't much thicker than my iPhone 13 Pro Max in its protective case, and is roughly the same height (155mm), too. Likewise, the big bonus of its folding design – aside from the large inner screen – is that the Fold 4 isn't as wide as regular smartphones, either, measuring 67mm across compared to 78mm on the iPhone.
The circumference of the phone has switched from a matte plastic to a reflective silver, and in my view this looks a lot nicer than the previous model. The rear camera array is positioned in a vertical traffic light formation in the top-left corner, much like Samsung's S22 series, and this only protrudes from the rest of the frame by a few millimetres.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Flip 4 remain the only foldables on the market with an IPX8 certification. What this means is that both phones can survive being submerged in water for up to 30 minutes at a depth of 1.5m, although dust protection is still absent. The front and back of the phone are coated in a protective layer of Gorilla Glass Victus Plus, too.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 review: Dual displays and multi-taskingThe 23:9 6.2in cover display is the same size as the 2021 version, with a resolution of 2,316 x 904 and a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. The size of the square (22:18 aspect) 7.6in inner screen is also unchanged, and likewise supports 120Hz, with a boosted resolution of 2,176 x 1,812. The under-screen selfie camera on the inside is now much less visible to the eye – although quality suffers as a result, as you'll see in the camera section of this review.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 supports Samsung's S Pen stylus, which we didn't receive for review, alongside a handful of new productivity features courtesy of Android 12L and Samsung's One UI 4.1 interface. The first is a Windows-like taskbar that appears at the bottom of the screen when you open an app in big-screen mode. This allows you to add your favourite and most-used applications, as well as the option to group launch three apps at once for instantaneous multi-tasking.
On that note, some applications now work better with one another in the multi-window mode. For instance, you can now scroll your Facebook feed and reply to messages in Messenger at the same time, and you can finally join Google Meet meetings directly from the Calendar app.
Quality-wise, both screens are rather good. They each have two colour modes to choose from, with the Natural setting being the preferred mode as it remedies the exaggerated colours of the default Vivid setting.
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Switching to the Natural display mode, the Z Fold 4's inner screen achieved an average Delta E (colour accuracy) score of 1.19 when tested against sRGB. The only fly in the visual soup is the slightly over-saturated red tones – otherwise, all colours are represented perfectly. In short, this is an astonishing screen for both media consumption and social scrolling.
HDR video looks top-notch, with dazzling specular highlights piercing through dark scenes. I measured a peak brightness of 838cd/m2 during HDR playback, and 720cd/m2 during regular use with the brightness slider at maximum and the phone's 'Extra Brightness' setting engaged.
The main disadvantage of flexible screens still remains, however. The Fold 4's vertical crease in the middle of the display is as noticeable as it was in previous versions, and there's a possibility that things could get worse after months or years of use. The initial setup process is another reminder of how fragile this screen is, too, since it warns you not to scrape your fingernail across the surface lest you suffer scratches or dents.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 review: Performance and battery lifeThe Galaxy Z Fold 4 has received a major speed boost courtesy of the new Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset. Replacing the Snapdragon 888 of the previous model, we've seen this chip deliver some big performance increases on other handsets, so it's no surprise that it repeats the feat here.
The Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 inside the Galaxy Z Fold 4 achieved a multi-core processing result of 3,924 in the Geekbench 5 CPU test. This means you're squeezing an extra 10% worth of performance out of the Z Fold 4 compared to the previous model, and it really shows in operation – apps load instantly and multi-tasking is a breeze.
There's an even greater uplift when it comes to gaming, too. Displaying a practically perfect 119fps average in the GFXBench Manhattan 3 on-screen test, the Z Fold 4's gaming credentials have been improved by a massive 65% – that's the biggest gen-on-gen jump we've seen in a number of years.
Storage configurations include 256GB, 512GB and 1TB versions, with 12GB of RAM across all models. Like last year's phone, a 4,400mAh battery keeps things ticking along, which supports 25W wired charging alongside wireless and reverse wireless PowerShare functionality.
Battery life has improved, but as you'll see in the chart below, the Fold 4 has gained only one minute on its predecessor. That said, displaying a looped video in unfolded mode for 18hrs 24mins is still a remarkable result for a phone with a screen as big as this.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 review: CamerasThe Galaxy Z Fold 4's camera array consists of the same lineup as the Galaxy S22 series of smartphones. What this means is we're getting a 50MP (f/1.8) main camera, 12MP 123-degree ultrawide and a 10MP 3x telephoto zoom with up to 30x 'digital Space Zoom'. Samsung says that the optical image stabilisation has been enhanced on both the main and zoom cameras (OIS isn't available on the wide), and the wide sensor gathers 23% more light than the previous model.
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Like the phone's gaming upgrades, this is an area where the Z Fold 4 is massively improved. Images look exceptional, no matter the lighting conditions, with punchy, vivid colours and an astonishing amount of detail capture between 0.6x and 3x zoom. Pictures are captured in the blink of an eye, and the camera software is as intuitive and easy to use as ever.
Clarity is reduced once you increase the zoom level past 3x, but even then the results don't look too bad. As you can see from my picture of Canary Wharf's One Canada Square building below, the Z Fold 4's 10x digital zoom images can look rather good on occasion – provided you're blessed with decent lighting and a steady hand.
I even preferred the Z Fold 4's low-light images to the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Indoors and with the lights switched off, pictures taken on Apple's flagship looked quite soft. Intricate details such as the wood grain of my bookshelf were lost, and it also introduced a greater amount of visual noise. The Samsung exhibited none of these issues.
The image quality of the under-display selfie camera, meanwhile, still leaves a lot to be desired. Portrait selfies lack any discernible definition, and the spotlight bloom in the background is quite distracting. Thankfully, the regular front-facing camera is as good as any other – just make sure to turn off any face-smoothing beauty effects first.
Video can be recorded at up to 8K resolution at 24fps, or 4K resolution at 60fps. The latter is my preferred method of shooting, however, since the 8K mode looks quite choppy and lacks image stabilisation.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 review: VerdictThe Galaxy Z Fold 4 doesn't deliver much in the way of talking points – it's more an inter-generational upgrade than a substantial leap forward – but as the Fold 3 was the first foldable to hit the mainstream, I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing.
The IPX8 waterproofing remains a big bonus, and the design, despite imitations coming thick and fast from other manufacturers, hasn't been matched. Last year's phone defined the formula, and this year's model stirs in a handful of minor quality of life improvements – all of which make the phone more well-rounded than ever.
Except, of course, those slight changes will cost you. Starting at £1,649 for the 256GB model and rising to £2,019 for the 1TB version, this year's Fold is £50 more expensive than the last. Sure, with a starting price as high as that, this increase is a drop in the ocean, but it certainly doesn't make the Galaxy Z Fold 4 a more appealing purchase.
OnePlus Open Review: Sleek Hardware Isn't Enough To Take On Samsung
LikeOnePlus built its brand on the idea of "never settling" for compromises from your phone. Its first foldable, the $1,700 OnePlus Open, certainly delivers on that premise with impressive hardware (even with a few bizarre omissions). But its software and value, particularly in the US, make it a hard sell compared to established foldables like Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 5.
After testing the phone for a few weeks, I commend OnePlus for a strong first effort, particularly when it comes to the hardware. But even with OnePlus' aggressive trade-in offer that knocks a minimum of $200 off the Open's price with a trade-in of any phone (even an old or broken one), it's hard to compete with carrier discounts that cut $800 or more off of rival devices with a trade-in and financing plan. That's a solid deal, especially considering Samsung's software is far more optimized for foldable displays.
Those considering the Open should be encouraged to see OnePlus adding some much-needed competition to the US foldable arena. But they also may want to look elsewhere or wait for the second-generation model before spending so much money.
Note: Oppo, OnePlus' sister company, has released a similar version of this phone internationally under its Find N-series line of foldables. This review is of the OnePlus version that will be available in the US.
What's good: The hardware The front display on the OnePlus Open is a bit wider and easier to use than the Galaxy Z Fold 5's front screen. Numi Prasarn/CNETDesign-wise, the OnePlus Open is more of a hybrid between Google's Pixel Fold and the Z Fold 5. The 6.31-inch front screen isn't as wide as the Pixel's 5.8-inch display, but it is significantly more comfortable to hold and use than Samsung's 6.2-inch screen on the Z Fold 5.
There's a 7.82-inch display on the inside, which is slightly larger than Google and Samsung's 7.6-inch options. Both the front and interior screens are vibrant OLED panels capable of 2K resolution, and they each support variable refresh rates up to 120Hz. The larger tablet-size display is capable of going all the way down to 1Hz, which can allow for smoother scrolling and gaming, or more efficient battery life (the front display can go down to 10Hz).
What impressed me the most about the hardware is how thin OnePlus has made the Open, and how the company seems to have almost completely minimized the larger display's crease.
Watching YouTube on the OnePlus Open. Numi Prasarn/CNETThe phone is thinner than both Samsung's and Google's foldables. While I can still feel the crease and can see it at certain angles, I generally didn't notice it while browsing around Chrome, messaging in WhatsApp or navigating with Google Maps during the day or watching YouTube or Loki on Disney Plus at night.
I did notice that some videos seemed less sharp on the OnePlus' display than watching on other devices like an iPhone 14 Pro Max, though turning on some additional video settings (like "video color boost" and "bright HDR video mode") did help.
The Dolby Atmos-capable speakers are fine and clear, though I do wish they got a bit louder. And despite being thinner than its rivals (my emerald dusk green version measures 11.7mm thick when folded and weighs 245 grams, a voyager black variant measures 11.9mm and weighs 239g), OnePlus staples like the alert slider remain, and there is a fingerprint sensor integrated in the sleep/wake button on the right side of the device.
The OnePlus Open closes completely without any wedges, a feat that took five iterations for Samsung to accomplish.
The OnePlus Open is thinner than Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Google's Pixel Fold. The Open also keeps OnePlus staples like the alert slider. Numi Prasarn/CNETOpening up the Open is easy and effortless. The hinge doesn't require the same amount of force I've had to use on other foldables, like the Pixel Fold or Z Fold 5. I've only had the phone for a few weeks and obviously can't predict how this will last over months or years, but my early impressions are encouraging.
If your phone does have issues, OnePlus says you'll need to reach out to them directly as opposed to using any specific repair shops in the US.
The company tells CNET that in addition to its normal warranty, "we will bring in insurance services like OnePlus Care and will introduce a new service of exchanging a device instead of repairing the original." OnePlus adds that the new service will run $99 and that "if customers need any repairment under the standard warranty policy, OnePlus will replace it to a new or refurbished device."
OnePlus will also be offering a "60% discount on this price when buying a device at launch on Oct. 26."
Benchmarks, battery and interesting hardware choicesLike the Z Fold 5, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor runs the show, though OnePlus ups the RAM to 16GB compared to Samsung's 12GB on the Z Fold 5 (there is only one storage option for the Open, 512GB). Performance is zippy, with apps opening quickly.
The phone supports 5G on AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile's respective networks, and I had no issues when popping an AT&T or T-Mobile SIM card into the device. No US carrier will be selling the Open directly, however, though OnePlus will be selling the phone unlocked from its website as well as Amazon and Best Buy.
For benchmark fans, here is how it stacks up in our tests:
Benchmark testing results PhoneGeekbench 6 single-coreGeekbench 6 multicore3D Mark Wild Life ExtremeOnePlus Open 1,5714,5563,641; 21.80 fpsSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 2,0145,4193,708; 22.20 fpsSamsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 1,8925,0093,802; 22.8 fpsSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 1,8424,5082,777; 16.60 fpsGoogle Pixel Fold 1,4583,5401,733; 10.4 fpsFinally, OnePlus made a few interesting choices on the hardware side. First, there's the battery.
The 4,805-mAh cell provided impressive battery life and regularly lasted throughout the day even when watching plenty of videos, snapping photos and WhatsApp-ing. I often relied on the larger internal screen for most of these tasks.
In a bit of a break from the norm, OnePlus includes a 67-watt charger in the box (albeit one that is USB-A to USB-C). That wired charging took me from empty to 25% in under 8 minutes, around 43% after 15 minutes, and up to 50% in around 18 minutes. A 30-minute charge got me from empty to 76% and getting to 100% took less than 44 minutes.
Running CNET's 45-minute endurance test -- where I streamed YouTube TV, browsed TikTok, played a few races of Asphalt 9, did a WhatsApp video call, and browsed the web using the larger internal display and while connected to Wi-Fi -- the Open fell from 100% to around 88%. This is on par with a similar test on the Z Fold 5, but worse than the Pixel Fold, which only had a 5% drop in battery.
45-minute battery endurance test PhoneBattery loss over 45 minutesGoogle Pixel Fold 5%Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 6%OnePlus Open 12%Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 12%Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 18%Lower percentages are better.
Now the odd parts. OnePlus does not support wireless charging on the Open, which is surprising given how commonplace that feature is on modern smartphones, particularly considering this phone costs well over $1,000. The Open's lack of wireless charging feels like we're back to the 2019 OnePlus days.
With an IPX4 rating, the Open is also less durable than Samsung's Z Fold 5 when it comes to water, but it still can handle splashes. Samsung's foldable is IPX8-rated, which means it can handle a drop in water (though as neither foldable is suitable for dust, you shouldn't rush to take them to the beach).
While OnePlus didn't give the Open wireless charging or more advanced water and dust protection, it did throw in one other odd feature: An IR blaster for using your phone as a remote control. OnePlus includes a handy IR Remote app on the phone that allows for easy setup of devices ranging from cable boxes and TVs to electric heaters and air purifiers.
I tried it out on a few different TVs and it worked surprisingly well, even if IR blasters feel like a 2013 feature, not a 2023 one.
Cameras: What you'd expect from OnePlus The three rear cameras create a sizable bump on the back of the Open. Numi Prasarn/CNETThe OnePlus Open has five cameras, including a 32-megapixel fixed-focus main camera on the front screen and a 20-megapixel fixed-focus camera on the inside screen. The main rear camera system once again bears the Hasselblad name and consists of a 48-megapixel main sensor, a 64-megapixel telephoto lens and a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera. The company claims the telephoto camera can achieve a 6x zoom (doing an in-sensor zoom on a 3x optical telephoto lens) and a 120x digital zoom, while the ultrawide can shoot at 0.6x.
An ultrawide shot from the OnePlus Open. Eli Blumenthal/CNET 1x zoom from the OnePlus Open. Eli Blumenthal/CNETShots from all three rear cameras are, well, fine. With the right lighting, you can get some solid images. But closer inspection reveals an experience that seems to be on a par with what my colleague Andrew Lanxon found when he reviewed the OnePlus 11 earlier this year. When compared to Samsung's foldable, I personally preferred the greater detail and sharpness in photos taken with the Z Fold 5, even if Samsung still oversaturates colors.
I did like the 6x zoom, and it took some surprisingly solid shots. The 120x digital zoom, however, reminded me of Samsung's 100x "space zoom" when it was first introduced back on the Galaxy S20, both in terms of the quality of images it produced and the incredible difficulties it takes to find your shot, steady your hands and capture it.
It's a cool number to tout on the Open's marketing, but something I imagine will largely be pointless to everyone using the device in everyday situations.
6x zoom on the OnePlus Open. Eli Blumenthal/CNET 120x digital zoom on the OnePlus Open. Eli Blumenthal/CNETThere also was an odd occurrence when zooming in turned the entire Open screen purple, but that issue only happened once and corrected itself.
It is also worth noting that OnePlus issued a software update earlier this week that promised to "optimize the overexposure in certain scenes" and "enhance the clarity of tele night scenes."
Night photo from the OnePlus Open, taken after the recent software update. Eli Blumenthal/CNET Night photos from the OnePlus Open, taken before the software update. Eli Blumenthal/CNETAs for the other cameras, video calls over WhatsApp on Wi-Fi looked fine when using both the internal camera and the one on the front screen. However, I did appreciate the extra light the larger unfolded display provides when using the internal screen. Unlike Samsung's Fold line, the Open's camera is not hidden underneath pixels on the screen. While the Open's screen isn't as futuristic-looking when the camera isn't in use, this design does provide a bit more camera clarity and sharpness.
A group selfie using the 32-megapixel camera from the front screen on the OnePlus Open. Theodore Liggins/CNETLike other foldables, OnePlus allows you to use the more powerful rear cameras together with the outer screen for selfies. While it's a bit more cumbersome to hold, it is a nice touch and a good use of the more capable lenses.
Software: Lacking foldable polishOnePlus has long offered a close-to-clean Android experience, and with its OxygenOS it largely continues that trend. The phone ships with OnePlus' OxygenOS 13.2 software, which itself is built upon Android 13. OnePlus promises four years of major Android OS upgrades and five years of security updates.
The company says that Android 14 will arrive "around" the end of the year.
As has been the case with its other devices, the Open has a handful of OnePlus apps like "Zen Space" (for disconnecting from your phone) and "O Relax" for unwinding, but neither is particularly noteworthy. They aren't especially useful, and I found myself ignoring them.
There is also an interestingly named "Clone Phone" app for transferring data from an older device to the Open (or from the Open to a newer device).
Multitasking on the Open is doable, but not as refined as Samsung's implementation on the Z Fold 5. Numi Prasarn/CNETMy biggest issue with the Open is its multitasking software. I've made plenty of comparisons to Samsung already in this review, and for good reason. Right now, Samsung has set the bar for foldables in the US. The Galaxy Z Fold is already five generations old, and that shows in its significantly more refined software.
Both devices allow for multitasking complete with taskbars for easily summoning new apps. But Samsung's implementation made it easier to get multiple apps running side-by-side, though I did like OnePlus' two-finger slide-down gesture from the top of the screen for quickly enabling multitasking.
But when running Google Sheets alongside WhatsApp, I have a lot more flexibility to resize windows on the Z Fold 5 than I do with the Open. OnePlus often will treat these apps like windows and push them to the side just outside of view, as opposed to resizing them as split-screen apps so that both apps can run at once on the screen.
I could also open a third app much more easily on the Z Fold 5 than I could on the Open. Running Chrome alongside WhatsApp and Sheets and resizing them as I deemed fit was easy on the Z Fold 5. On the Open, I really only could do two at a time with the third available in a window below.
With time and effort, I expect OnePlus to improve in this area. I'd also like to see OnePlus offer its own take on Samsung's PC-like DeX mode, which turns the powerful Open into a more full-fledged computer when plugged into a monitor.
Is the Open worth it? Numi Prasarn/CNETThere is certainly plenty to love about OnePlus' first foldable. Although its cameras leave room for growth, its hardware is stellar with a thin design, vibrant screens and fast wired charging. I love that OnePlus includes a fast charger and a case in the box, too.
The software shows promise, even though it needs more refinement to truly take advantage of the larger foldable display. Perhaps some of this will come as Google improves the foldable Android experience as a whole. But you should never buy a product with the hope that a company might fix something later – even if OnePlus is promising four years of major OS upgrades.
At the end of the day, the Open's biggest issue is one that has plagued OnePlus for years: value. It's hard to justify spending $1,700 for the Open when you consider trade-in offers and carrier deals that knock hundreds off a Galaxy Z Fold 5 or Pixel Fold. Throw in Samsung's regular sales and its folding alternative isn't only more refined on the software front, but very likely is more affordable, too.
If you are looking for a foldable this holiday season, consider the OnePlus Open. But you probably will be better off buying Samsung's model instead.
How we test phonesEvery phone tested by CNET's reviews team was actually used in the real world. We test a phone's features, play games and take photos. We examine the display to see if it's bright, sharp and vibrant. We analyze the design and build to see how it is to hold and whether it has an IP-rating for water resistance. We push the processor's performance to the extremes using both standardized benchmark tools like GeekBench and 3DMark, along with our own anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution videos and playing graphically intense games at high refresh rates.
All the cameras are tested in a variety of conditions from bright sunlight to dark indoor scenes. We try out special features like night mode and portrait mode and compare our findings against similarly priced competing phones. We also check out the battery life by using the phone daily as well as running a series of battery drain tests.
We take into account additional features that can be useful, like support for 5G, satellite connectivity, fingerprint and face sensors, stylus support, fast charging speeds and foldable displays, among others. And we balance all this against the price to give you the verdict on whether that phone, whatever price it is, actually represents good value.
OnePlus Is About To Put The Google Pixel 8 Pro To Shame
Joe Maring / Digital TrendsTwo of the brightest smartphone displays on the market are featured on the Google Pixel 8 Pro and the OnePlus Open. However, in the ever-changing world of technology, there is always something better on the horizon.
On Tuesday, October 24, Chinese-based OnePlus and its parent company, Oppo, will announce "a new dawn" for smartphone screens. According to messages posted on Weibo by OnePlus and Digital Chat Station, the announcement is that BOE will manufacture a 3,000-nit panel for smartphones, which could be a game changer for the smartphone market. The soon-to-be-revealed display will offer 1440p resolution and support 2160Hz pulse width modulation (PWM) dimming.
The Google Pixel 8 Pro and OnePlus Open offer displays that are among the brightest on the smartphone market, with 2,400 nits and 2,800 nits of brightness, respectively. As a comparison, the recently unveiled Apple iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max offer 2,000 nits of brightness. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra maxes out at 1,750 nits.
Joe Maring / Digital TrendsSo, what might be the first smartphone to include 3,000 nits? It could be the OnePlus 12, which could launch early in the new year.
The brightness of a display, measured in nits, plays a crucial role in its usability. Displays with higher nit brightness are easier to view in brightly lit environments, such as direct sunlight or well-lit rooms. A display with higher nit brightness emits more light, making it easier to read or view content.
Furthermore, the contrast ratio of a display is affected by its nit brightness. A higher nit brightness translates to a more noticeable difference between the brightest and darkest parts of an image. Displays with higher nit brightness boast a higher contrast ratio, leading to more realistic and detailed images, with better color accuracy and deeper blacks. This feature is particularly crucial for images or videos with high contrast, such as movies or photographs.
A display's nit brightness is also essential for showcasing HDR (high dynamic range) content. This content is designed to be displayed on bright displays and features a broader range of colors and brightness levels than standard content, resulting in a super-immersive and lifelike viewing experience.
The Pixel 8 Pro held the title for the brightest smartphone display when it was announced on October 4, but that title was quickly taken from it by the OnePlus Open. And now, it looks like OnePlus is getting ready to one-up Google once again — and itself in the process.
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