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Samsung recently launched the Galaxy Z Flip 4 amid massive media and public attention. The device arrives with quite a few notable upgrades over last year’s immensely popular Galaxy Z Flip 3. The overall shape and design of the device hardly change. But the company has made a lot of changes to its interior. A teardown video of the phone from PBKReviews on YouTube shows the new clamshell foldable from the inside.
Galaxy Z Flip 4 teardown
The Galaxy Z Flip 4 features a glass back. Either half of the rear panel can be removed fairly easily with the help of some heat and a pry tool. The upper portion has a cable attached to it, connecting the external display with the motherboard. Samsung has used a graphene layer on the back panels to help dissipate heat from the battery.
Once the rear covering is gone, you’ll immediately notice that the hinge area is smaller on the Galaxy Z Flip 4 than on the Flip 3. There are also a few other differences such as the location of the antennas and the battery connectors. But those hardly matter. What matters is that Samsung has once again glued the selfie camera in place. So removing it may not be a good idea.
Nonetheless, on lifting off the main board, we can see some graphite sheets and thermal paste to keep the device’s temperature in check. The board itself has a multi-layer design and comes off together with the dual rear cameras and the LED flash. Thankfully, the rear cameras can be removed by simply popping out the connectors.
The two batteries are where we see the next biggest change inside the Galaxy Z Flip 4. In the top half, we have a 1,070mAh battery, significantly bigger than the 930mAh unit inside the Flip 3. Hiding underneath the wireless charging coil in the bottom half is a second 2,630mAh battery. It is also much bigger than the 2,370mAh unit found in the 2021 model.
Unfortunately, this teardown video doesn’t dive into the hinge of the phone. So, we can’t see what changes Samsung has made this year to allow for a smaller hinge design. But we can see the company has put watertight meshes and rubber rings around openings and ports to keep water out. The Korean firm is still the only manufacturer of water-resistant foldable smartphones.
Samsung gluing components in place affects the device’s repairability score
PBKReviews awarded the Galaxy Z Flip 4 a repairability score of four out of ten. Samsung devices usually get these kinds of low repairability ratings because the company decides to glue components in place. The Korean firm doesn’t offer pull tapes for batteries. On top of that, it has glued components like the selfie camera and the vibrator motor, making it harder to replace them.
Nonetheless, watching this Galaxy Z Flip 4 teardown video can be pleasing to your eyes if you love seeing phones from the inside. You can watch the full video below.