Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 And Z Fold5 Review: The Folding Phones To Beat
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Galaxy Z Flip5 - Starting at $999 Samsung’s
Galaxy Z Flip5 is an excellent foldable handset that improves
over its predecessor with larger 3.4-inch cover screen and a more powerful chipset.
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Galaxy Z Fold5 - Starting at $1,799 Samsung’s
Galaxy Z Fold5 is still the best folding phone available in
the US, but its updates are more iterative than revolutionary.
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On July 26 in Seoul (South Korea), Samsung launched its latest folding
phones – the Galaxy Z Flip5 ($999) and Galaxy Z Fold5 ($1799), alongside new watches and tablet devices. As we mentioned in our hands-on article and
video, these new foldable handsets are more evolutionary, incremental updates to last year’s Galaxy Z Flip4 and Galaxy Z Fold4 than completely new designs.
Both folding phones benefit from revamped, fold-flat hinges along with the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, and the Z Flip5 also gains a much larger cover screen (3.4 inches), plus double the base storage (256GB). The overall design, displays, cameras, batteries, and charging speeds remain unchanged from last year's models, however. And, besides the new cover display experience and a few other tweaks, the software is mostly the same as well.
What is different this year is that both the Z Flip5 and Z Fold5 now have fresh competition in the US from the Moto Razr+ (2023) and Google Pixel Fold, respectively. So, are Samsung’s refined foldable handsets still the best option? We’ve been using these devices for a couple weeks now – alongside their competitors – and this is our full review. Let’s focus on what’s changed, and how these new handsets fare vs. the new entrants in the market.
Both folding phones benefit from revamped, fold-flat hinges along with the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, and the Z Flip5 also gains a much larger cover screen (3.4 inches), plus double the base storage (256GB). The overall design, displays, cameras, batteries, and charging speeds remain unchanged from last year's models, however. And, besides the new cover display experience and a few other tweaks, the software is mostly the same as well.
What is different this year is that both the Z Flip5 and Z Fold5 now have fresh competition in the US from the Moto Razr+ (2023) and Google Pixel Fold, respectively. So, are Samsung’s refined foldable handsets still the best option? We’ve been using these devices for a couple weeks now – alongside their competitors – and this is our full review. Let’s focus on what’s changed, and how these new handsets fare vs. the new entrants in the market.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 and Z Fold5 Hardware And Design
The design differences between Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip5 and Z Fold5
vs. last year’s Galaxy Z Flip4 and Z Fold4 can be counted on one hand.
Both now match the competition and close without a gap between their two
halves, thanks to redesigned fold-flat hinges. That’s a major improvement
since it makes them both about 2 mm thinner when shut and less prone to
gathering dust, lint, and other debris.
The next significant update is with the Z Flip5’s cover screen. It’s
now a mostly square 3.4-inch panel that spans almost the entire cover.
Obviously, it’s much roomier than the Z Flip4’s postage stamp-sized
1.9-inch outer display. However, unlike the slightly larger 3.6-inch cover screen found
on the Moto Razr+ (2023), the Z Flip5’s bezels are thicker, and instead of
the twin shooters jutting through the display, there’s half a notch around them.
Besides the new fold-flat hinge, you can also tell the Z Fold5 apart from
the Z Fold4 by the location of the LED flash. Instead of being placed
within the camera pod below the three shooters it’s been moved to the
right of the camera bump, next to the top-most lens. And if you think
we’re getting into the weeds here, that’s because we are. In fact, cosmetic differences between the previous generation and the Z Fold5 are few.
Oh yeah, the Z Fold5 is also 10g lighter than the Z Fold4 (253g vs.
263g), so there’s that. Everything else on these folding phones is pretty
much identical to their predecessors. The Z Flip5 packs the same 6.7-inch
main screen as the Z Flip4, and the Z Fold5’s 6.2-inch outer and 7.6-inch
inner displays are identical to last year’s. And despite the improved
fold-flat hinge, the crease is still there.
Build quality remains top notch with these foldable handsets. The Samsung Z Flip5 and Z Fold5 use the same
Armor Aluminum frame as their predecessors, along with Gorilla Glass
Victus 2 surfaces all around. Both folding phones also maintain their IPx8 rating,
making them water – but not dust – resistant. While the Pixel Fold is also
rated IPx8, the Razr+ (2023) boasts an IP52 rating that combines dust and
splash resistance. Keep this in mind if you’re around a lot of dust.
The layout for the buttons, openings, and ports is also identical to
last year’s. When open, both foldable handsets feature a volume rocker and
power/lock key (which doubles a capacitive fingerprint sensor) on the
right side; a speaker grille, USB Type-C port, and mics along the bottom
edge; a SIM tray and mmWave antenna window on the left; plus additional
mics on top – and in the case of the Z Fold5, an extra speaker port.
One important change worth mentioning is with the Z Fold5’s optional S
Pen case, which is a whopping 8 mm (27%) slimmer than before, thanks to a
thinner stylus. For reference, Samsung’s Galaxy A54 is about 8 mm thick,
so that’s pretty significant. This new slim case is available in fun
colors, including the Icy Blue and lime colorway that came with our review
unit. It reminds us of the Ocean Blue and yellow Galaxy Note 9 from 2018.
Speaking of colorways, the Z Flip5 comes in Mint (our review unit),
Graphite, Cream, and Lavender. The Z Fold5 is available in Icy Blue (our
review unit), Phantom Black, and Cream. Samsung also sells additional hues
on its website, including Blue, Gray, Green, and Yellow for the Z Flip5,
plus Blue and Gray for the Z Fold5. These exclusive colors are paired with
a matte black frame and matte black camera pod, making for a striking
combination.
Before we continue, don't miss our hands-on video:
Before we continue, don't miss our hands-on video:
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 Specs And Features
| Processing and 5G Platform | Qualcomm
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 + integrated Snapdragon X70 5G Modem |
| Display | 6.7"
FHD+ LTPO AMOLED, 2640x1080 resolution, 1-120Hz, HDR10+ - 3.4"
AMOLED 720x748 resolution, 60Hz |
| Memory | 8GB |
| Storage | 256/512
UFS 4.0 |
| Rear-Facing Cameras | 12MP f/1.8 Main OIS, dual-pixel PDAF - 12MP f/2.2 123º Ultra-Wide |
| Front-Facing Cameras | 10MP
f/2.2 |
| Video Recording | Up to 4K @ 60fps, 1080p @ 60fps, 1080p slow-mo |
| Battery | 3700
mAh, 25W wired charging, 15W wireless charging |
| OS | Android 13 With
One UI 5.1.1 |
| Dimensions | Unfolded:
165.1 x 71.9 x 6.9mm - Folded: 85.1 x 71.9 x 15.1mm |
| Weight | 187 grams |
| Connectivity | 802.11ax
Wi-Fi 6e, Bluetooth 5.3+LE, NFC, UWB, USB-C, LTE, 5G (sub-6GHz and
mmWave) |
| Colors | Mint, Graphite,
Cream, Lavender, Blue, Gray, Green, Yellow |
| Pricing | Find
Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip5 @ Amazon, Starting at $999 |
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 Specs And Features
| Processing and 5G Platform | Qualcomm
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 + integrated Snapdragon X70 5G Modem |
| Display | 7.6"
LTPO AMOLED, 2176x1812 resolution, 1-120Hz, HDR10+ - 6.2' LTPO
AMOLED 2316x904 resolution, 48-120Hz |
| Memory | 12GB |
| Storage | 256/512/1024GB
UFS 4.0 |
| Rear-Facing Cameras | 50MP f/1.8 Main OIS, dual-pixel PDAF - 12MP f/2.2 123º Ultra-Wide - 10MP f/2.4 3x Telephoto OIS, PDAF |
| Front-Facing Cameras | 10MP
f/2.2 - 4MP f/1.8 under display |
| Video Recording | Up to 8k @ 30fps, 4K @ 60fps, 1080p @ 120fps, 1080p slow-mo |
| Battery | 4400
mAh, 25W wired charging, 15W wireless charging |
| OS | Android 13 With
One UI 5.1.1 |
| Dimensions | Unfolded:
154.9 x 129.9 x 6.1mm - Folded: 154.9 x 67.1 x 13.4mm |
| Weight | 253 grams |
| Connectivity | 802.11ax
Wi-Fi 6e, Bluetooth 5.3+LE, NFC, UWB, USB-C, LTE, 5G (sub-6GHz and
mmWave) |
| Colors | Icy Blue,
Phantom Black, Cream, Blue, Gray |
| Pricing | Find
Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold5 @ Amazon, Starting at $1,799 |
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 and Z Fold5 Display Quality
The big news this year is with the Galaxy Z Flip5’s larger cover
screen. You now get a 3.4-inch (720 x 748 pixels, 306ppi) 60Hz Super
AMOLED panel that’s almost square and spans the entire cover. It’s not as
sharp as the 3.6-inch (1066 x 1056 pixels, 413ppi) 144Hz OLED display on
the Moto Razr+ (2023) and the bezels are thicker. But instead of using
punch holes for the twin 12MP shooters, the Z Flip5 features a half notch
around them.
At 1600 nits peak, the Z Flip5’s cover screen is also brighter than the Razr+ (2023)’s, which tops out at 1100 nits. No matter what, It’s a huge improvement over the Z Flip4’s diminutive 1.9-inch (512 x 260 pixels, 302ppi) Super AMOLED panel. The Z Flip5’s main display is the same 6.7-inch FHD+ (2640 x 1080 pixels, 425ppi,) folding LTPO AMOLED panel as last year, with the same 22:9 aspect ratio, 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, and HDR10+ support.
At 1600 nits peak, the Z Flip5’s cover screen is also brighter than the Razr+ (2023)’s, which tops out at 1100 nits. No matter what, It’s a huge improvement over the Z Flip4’s diminutive 1.9-inch (512 x 260 pixels, 302ppi) Super AMOLED panel. The Z Flip5’s main display is the same 6.7-inch FHD+ (2640 x 1080 pixels, 425ppi,) folding LTPO AMOLED panel as last year, with the same 22:9 aspect ratio, 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, and HDR10+ support.
Ditto the Z Fold5’s outer and inner screens, which carry over virtually
unchanged from the Z Fold4. These consist of a 6.2-inch HD+ (2316 x 904
pixels. 402ppi) LTPO AMOLED cover display with a 23.1:9 aspect ratio and
120Hz adaptive refresh rate, plus a 7.6-inch (2176 x 1812 pixels, 374ppi,
HDR10+) folding LTPO AMOLED main panel with a 21.6:18 aspect ratio, 120Hz
adaptive refresh rate, and 1750 nits peak brightness (up from 1200 nits
last year).
While the Z Flip5’s main screen and the Z Fold5’s outer display both have center punch holes for their respective 10MP selfie cameras, Samsung keeps insisting on using a first-generation 4MP UDC (under display camera) beneath the Z Fold5’s inner screen. Not only does this shooter deliver subpar image quality, but it’s often visible under the display. It seems that we’d be better off with just another standard 10MP selfie camera here.
While the Z Flip5’s main screen and the Z Fold5’s outer display both have center punch holes for their respective 10MP selfie cameras, Samsung keeps insisting on using a first-generation 4MP UDC (under display camera) beneath the Z Fold5’s inner screen. Not only does this shooter deliver subpar image quality, but it’s often visible under the display. It seems that we’d be better off with just another standard 10MP selfie camera here.
As you’d expect from Samsung, these AMOLED screens are superb. Colors
are vibrant, blacks are deep, and viewing angles are excellent. Plus they
are bright enough to read in direct sunlight, and unlike Google’s Pixel Fold, they are able to maintain peak brightness for more than a minute or
two. If we have one complaint, it’s with the Z Fold5’s awkwardly tall and
narrow cover screen. Here, we prefer the Pixel Fold’s passport-like form
factor, though that's highly subjective.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 and Z Fold5 Camera Performance And Image Quality
Imaging performance on Samsung’s latest folding phones is a bit of a
mixed bag, especially with the Galaxy Z Flip5. The bad news is that both
the Z Flip5 and Z Fold5 pack the same exact shooters as their
predecessors, some of which are getting a bit long in the tooth. On the plus side, both foldable handsets now benefit from the Snapdragon 8
Gen 2’s mighty Spectra ISP (image signal processor), which brings noticeable improvements, especially in
low light.
Next up: audio, performance, and battery life...
