Summary
- Key Takeaways:
- Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5 have notable upgrades, including a better chipset, more durable hinge, improved multitasking, and brighter displays.
- Samsung faces competition from Motorola Razr+ and Google's Pixel Fold, but its experience in foldables gives it an advantage.
- The Fold 5 offers a slimmer S Pen, while the Flip 5 introduces Samsung DeX support and comes with 256GB of base storage.
Samsung has launched the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5, and the foldable smartphones come with several key upgrades over their predecessors. These include a better chipset, more durable hinge, improved multitasking, and an all-new Flex Window on the Flip 5. While the Galaxy Z Fold 5 starts at $1,799, the Galaxy Flip 5 starts at $999.
Samsung is still the market leader in the foldables space, but it has some competition in 2023. The Motorola Razr+ is a clamshell foldable that features a large cover display and premium features, and is priced identically to the Flip 5. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 has to contend with Google's Pixel Fold, while the upcoming OnePlus foldable will also provide some competition. Samsung has the advantage with experience though, given that this is the fifth iteration of its foldable devices. Here's a list of all the new features and upgrades with the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5.
10 Galaxy Z Fold 5: Brighter Displays
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 carries forward the Galaxy Z Fold 4's 6.2-inch cover display and 7.6-inch main display. Both are Dynamic AMOLED panels and feature adaptive 120Hz refresh rates. However, the company has provided a subtle upgrade, as the Galaxy Z Fold 5's screens are brighter.
On the Galaxy Z Fold 4, both screens maxed out at 1,200 nits of peak brightness. However, the new Galaxy Z Fold 5 offers up to 1,750 nits of peak brightness, making it easier to use in well-lit environments, especially under direct sunlight. Further, the cover display now comes with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection instead of Victus+ on its predecessor, better safeguarding it against scratches and nicks.
9 Galaxy Z Fold 5: New Ways To Multitask
A large primary display has always been the selling point of the Galaxy Z Fold models, providing more space to multitask. To improve this experience, the Fold 5 comes with new gestures that make multitasking easier than ever. For example, a two-finger swipe from the screen's left or right edge opens two apps side-by-side. If users want to minimize one window, they can swipe diagonally from the corners of the screen.
Another feature lets users drag and drop files directly from one app to another by selecting the files with one finger and using the other to navigate to the required destination. The iconic Taskbar can now feature up to four recent apps, helping users switch between them with ease.
8 Galaxy Z Fold 5: A Slimmer S Pen
Samsung has released a new S Pen Fold Edition with the Galaxy Z Fold 5. While it doesn't offer any new functionality, it is about 40 percent slimmer than the previous model. It measures only 4.35mm across, while the older S Pen Fold Edition measures 7.4mm. It's worth noting that Samsung doesn't provide the new stylus in the Galaxy Z Fold 5's retail box, so buyers will need to purchase it separately.
While the Galaxy Z Fold 5 doesn't feature an inbuilt slot for the S Pen like the Galaxy S23 Ultra, buyers can purchase the Slim S Pen Case, which comes with an S Pen that's fitted into a dedicated slot. The case (with the S Pen) costs $99.99 and is available in Sand, Graphite, and Icy Blue colors.
7 Galaxy Z Flip 5: Samsung DeX Support
Most Samsung flagships support DeX, a platform that turns the phones into a desktop with the help of an external keyboard, mouse, and monitor. However, the feature was absent from Galaxy Z Flip models until now. With the Galaxy Z Flip 5, the DeX mode debuts on the Flip lineup.
Samsung DeX helps users create a makeshift desktop setup to efficiently perform basic tasks like checking emails, editing documents, browsing the internet, and consuming multimedia on a large screen. To enable the DeX Mode, enable screen mirroring mode on a supported monitor, swipe down from the top of the Flip 5's screen to view the quick settings panel, and hit the DeX button. On the following screen, select the TV or monitor to cast to.
6 Galaxy Z Flip 5: 256GB Base Storage
Most smartphones these days, iPhones included, come with 128GB of base storage. However, the storage can fill up faster than users think, particularly if they take a lot of photos and videos. Last year, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 offered 128GB of storage on the base variant, of which users only got about 110 to 115GB of usable storage. However, this year, Samsung has increased the storage on the Galaxy Z Flip 5 to 256GB, which is a fantastic upgrade. The smartphone is also available in a 512GB variant. More space will enable users to store more files on their phones, letting them create memories without worrying about running out of storage.
5 Galaxy Z Flip 5: New Flex Window
With the Galaxy Z Flip 5, Samsung has introduced Flex Window, a large cover display that enables users to access useful information without unfolding the smartphone. The cover display measures 3.4-inches diagonally and features a Super AMOLED panel with a peak brightness of 1,600 nits, a 60Hz refresh rate, and 306 ppi resolution. Unlike the Motorola Razr+, the cover screen on the Flip 5 is in the shape of a digital folder.
Although the screen doesn't allow users to take advantage of Samsung's One UI, it offers a widget-based user interface that lets users check the weather, control music playback, get stock market updates with Google Finance, view call history, and much more. Users can swipe through the screen to toggle between widgets or pinch toward the center to reveal all the active widgets.
4 Galaxy Z Flip 5: Interactive FlipSuit Case
Samsung has released a new FlipSuit Case for the Galaxy Z Flip 5 that can be personalized with swappable cards. The FlipSuit Case looks like a regular transparent bumper shell, but it stands out with its ability to hold interchangeable NFC cards. When users place an NFC card in the bottom half of the FlipSuit Case, the card transfers the required information and displays a matching animation on the Flex Window.
At launch, buyers can only get the FlipSuit Case with a pink and blue NFC card for $79.99. However, the company showcased themed NFC cards at the launch event, including those made in partnership with brands like Pringles, Marvel, and more. These will be available as additional purchases to use with the FlipSuit Case.
3 Galaxy Z Fold 5 & Flip 5: New Color Options
When it comes to colors, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 comes in a classic Phantom Black finish, as well as a Cream color the company introduced with the Galaxy Z Fold 4. An Icy Blue finish is a new addition to the lineup. At first glance, it looks like the phone is light gray, but it appears to be a subtle shade of blue upon closer observation. Samsung's online store also sells two exclusive colors, Gray and Blue, both with a dark gray frame.
The Galaxy Z Flip 5 provides more options. It comes in the standard Graphite and Cream colors, and a Lavender finish that is slightly lighter than what the company offered last year. There's a new Mint shade this year too. Online exclusive finishes include Gray, Green, and Yellow, with a dark-gray frame and hinge.
2 Galaxy Z Fold 5 & Flip 5: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC
Under the hood, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5 feature the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset. The octa-core chipset delivers about 20 percent more performance than the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC on the Fold 4 and Flip 4. The chipset is also more efficient than its predecessor, which should reflect in the phones' battery life. Even though the fifth-generation foldables have the same battery size as the previous versions, they should last longer.
With better graphical performance and an improved image signal processor, the new foldables run One UI 5.1.1 based on Android 13, and the company has promised to provide four years of Android updates and five years of security updates. The devices also offer improved wireless connectivity options, including Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
1 Galaxy Z Fold 5 & Flip 5: Refined Hinge
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5 come with the all-new Flex Hinge, which reduces the gap between the two halves of the phone and allows them to fold flat. This is important as it enables the phones to shut completely, avoiding the entry of any minute dust particles that might damage the display. The dual-rail hinge is also more resistant to impact.
When folded shut, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 measures 13.4mm, making it thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 4, which measures 15.8mm. The new Flip 5 features a thickness of 15.1mm compared to 17.1mm on the Flip 4. The Fold 5 is also lighter at 253 grams, compared to the previous model, which weighed 263 grams.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5
The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is Samsung's latest clamshell foldable smartphone, and it comes with a bunch of upgrades over the previous model. This includes a larger 3.4-inch cover display called the Flex Window which can be used to view notifications, change settings, and access widgets. The Flip 5 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor and comes with 8GB of RAM. It is IPX8 rated for water-resistance, and features both fast wired charging and wireless charging support.
- Brand
- Samsung
- SoC
- Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
- Display
- 6.7-inch inner display, 3.4-inch cover display
- RAM
- 8GB
- Storage
- 512GB
- Battery
- 3,700mAh
- Ports
- USB-C
- Operating System
- Android 13
- Front camera
- 10MP
- Rear cameras
- 12MP + 12MP
- IP Rating
- IPX8