Samsung’s new foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Flip 5, features a redesigned, smaller clamshell design. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, which will go on sale in August 2023, will look similar to its predecessors but will have a faster processor, a better hinge design, and a larger display on the cover that allows you to quickly and easily operate texting without opening the phone.
While it’s a great concept and probably the best Android phone available in a folding clamshell design, its price makes it incomparable to a standard phone with a longer battery life and better camera. The space-saving design requires compromises, and folding and unfolding it can become tiresome after a while. Ultimately, the Z Flip 5 is still a niche product that appeals to certain users but not others.
Motorola unveiled the Razr 40 Ultra, their latest foldable, a few months ago. Its nearly bezel-less cover display features a floating camera as part of an avant-garde, bold design. With high-end foldables, Motorola was once again a strong contender and was now up against Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4, which had been out for a year.
After years of dominating the market, it looks like Samsung is finally catching up this year with the release of the Galaxy Z Flip 5, which features a large outer display that the company now refers to as the “Flex Window.” However, having a large cover display alone won’t win you the battle unless the software is equally powerful, which Motorola’s foldable delivered.
Does the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 have what it takes to maintain its leadership position in the global market for vertically folding smartphones? Let’s investigate.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Full Specifications
| LAUNCH | |
| Announced | July 26, 2023 |
| First Release | August 11, 2023 |
| NETWORK | GSM / CDMA / LTE / 5G |
| BODY | |
| Dimensions | Unfolded: 161.2 x 74.2 x 7.3 mm Folded: 154.9 x 67.1 x 13.4 mm |
| Weight | 187 g |
| Build | Plastic front (unfolded) glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2) aluminum frame |
| SIM | Nano-SIM and eSIM |
| DISPLAY | |
| Type | Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X |
| Size | 6.7 inches, 102.0 cm2 (~85.9% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 1080 x 2640 pixels |
| Protection | Super AMOLED (Gorilla Glass Victus 2) |
| PLATFORM | |
| Operating System | Android 13, One UI 5.1.1 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
| CPU | Octa-core |
| GPU | Adreno 740 |
| MEMORY | |
| Card Slot | No |
| Internal | 256GB/8GB RAM 512GB/8GB RAM |
| MAIN CAMERA | |
| Dual | 12 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide) 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚ (ultrawide) |
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@60/240fps |
| SELFIE CAMERA | |
| Single | 10 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide) |
| Features | HDR |
| Video | 4K@30fps |
| SOUND | |
| Loudspeaker | Yes, with stereo speakers |
| 3.5mm jack | No |
| COMMS | |
| WLAN | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band, Wi-Fi Direct |
| Bluetooth | 5.3, A2DP, LE |
| Positioning | GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS |
| NFC | Yes |
| Radio | No |
| USB | USB Type-C 3.2, OTG |
| FEATURES | |
| Sensors | Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro |
| BATTERY | |
| Type | Li-Po 3700 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging | 25W wired, 50% in 30 min (advertised) |
| MISC | |
| Colors | Blue, Green, Yellow, Mint, Graphite, Cream, Lavender, Gray. |
| Models | SM-F731B, SM-F731B/DS, SM-F731U, SM-F731U1, SM-F731W, SM-F731N |
| TESTS | |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Camera | Photo / Video |
| Loudspeaker | -27.1 LUFS (Good) |
| Battery life | Endurance rating 87h |
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Price
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5 is significantly more expensive than the Galaxy Z Flip 4, which was released at £1,049 ($999/A, $1,649, Rs. 89,999) – £50 more than the model from last year. The entry-level 256GB storage model is priced at Rs. 99,999 in India. 1,09,999, there is also a 512GB storage option.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Design
As we mentioned in our post on initial impressions, the new Galaxy Z Flip 5 and older Galaxy Z Flip 4 models are very similar in terms of their looks. With its redesigned hinge, the gadget feels more compact and slim when folded. With both halves folded flat against each other, the hinge space that previously allowed dust to enter the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is closed. It also improves the aesthetics of the phone.
One of the main cosmetic changes to the clamshell is its front half. This model’s larger cover display is made possible by the expansion of the small pane that covered the previous model’s cover display. The phone looks like a small, thick slab of black glass surrounded by a flat metal border when folded with the display off.
Thanks to its glass and aluminum build, the Z Flip 5 is undoubtedly a high-end gadget. If you have a preference, you can choose between a clear or frosted glass texture behind a variety of colors.
Although the Z Flip 5 is larger than a conventional flat phone, when folded it’s a solid, small, square that fits neatly in pockets and bags. In fact, one of the primary appeals of a clamshell-folding phone design is its compact shape when not in use.
For the Z Flip 5, Samsung has also tweaked the hinge design, which now allows it to close completely flat instead of having gaps in the hinge like previous Z Flip models. Besides giving the whole thing a sleeker look, it also reduces the chance of debris getting between the two halves and damaging or scratching the primary display.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Software
The Samsung Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ models, which were released earlier this year, are mostly based on the same formula as the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5. This indicates that the only major hardware change is a new processor, which should result in significant gains Imaging, performance, and battery life. The top-of-the-line Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile platform for the Galaxy, a modified version of the standard CPU, will be that processor this year. Fortunately for Samsung, this processor is not used in any of the clamshell foldable devices launched in India this year.
Connectivity standards include Wi-Fi 6e, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, support for the standard Global Positioning System and a Type-C USB port with USB 3.2 (Gen 1) support. The device comes without a charger from Samsung, but it can be charged wirelessly with a 3,700mAh battery that supports 25W of power. Additionally, the smartphone supports 15W wireless charging.
Android 13, A UI 5.1.1
A UI 5.1.1, based on Android 13, comes pre-installed on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5. At the time of writing this review, the phone was slightly out of date with the 1st May 2023 security patch. Typically, Samsung and One UI are software, offering a plethora of customization options for both the home screen and the recently introduced Flex Window.
Samsung offers several highly customizable card-like cover screen patterns similar to watchfaces on smartwatches. What you need to remember is that, with the exception of the camera button, none of these cover screen designs (as well as the corresponding buttons or hints within them) are interactive. You cannot access the Notifications or Battery section by tapping on icons such as Pending Notifications or Battery. In my opinion, most of these designs are purely decorative and impractical; To find what you’re looking for, you have to swipe through a long list of native widgets or simply open the main display.
The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra’s useful cover display stems from the fact that it has a full-feature phone on the outside, in addition to its ability to run full apps. To expand the notification you receive, just swipe. For email applications, it displays more information and a set of action buttons (Delete, Reply, Archive, etc.) that allow you to respond to a notice without opening the program.
Samsung’s Flex Window
Samsung’s Flex Window lacks in this important area. Nothing happens if you swipe down or long-press the notification. The only way to reply to a notice is to swipe it to ignore it or tap on it to open it. Depending on the app and whether Samsung supports it, tapping the notification opens a small card with brief information.
Tapping a notification from a messaging app, like the Galaxy Z Flip 4, displays the entire message on a compact card with “Reply” and “Clear” buttons below, followed by a list of pre-programmed short replies. However, if you touch the “Reply” button on the Galaxy Z Flip 5, you now have a pop-up keyboard on the cover display to type your personalized response.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Notifications
When you tap a notification from another app’s section, it will enlarge to reveal a card with brief information—a portion of the email in plain text—and a “Clear” button that lets you dismiss the message. You’re basically at a loss for what to do next, which is to open your phone and read or quickly scan the contents of that notification—a process that can be really annoying.
Notifications related to third-party apps now go under a third category supported This will include what is offered by the Lab features, which allows you to run and view a few select apps directly on the cover display while in beta. The problem with this is that tapping a notification from a supported app will launch the app immediately.
For example, WhatsApp will open the chat window of the relevant conversation directly on the cover display without using the traditional “reply” and “clear” buttons. While this sounds exciting and fun, managing such notifications requires you to constantly switch between apps from the notification area, which can be very tedious.
These three types of alerts can be very annoying for an inexperienced user because you have to remember which app (a basic card) can reveal useful information and which can’t (a card with a feedback button). I like opening the main display to manage notifications from the drop-down tray, just like on a regular Candybar smartphone, after keeping it for a few days.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Claims
Currently, there are only a few apps that you can launch through the cover display. It must be enabled under the Labs section as it is not enabled by default. It covers YouTube, Netflix, WhatsApp, Messages and Google Maps. Samsung claims that more apps will be added in the future and that these programs are optimized to run on external displays.
The implementation can help these supported apps complete tasks without having to seamlessly access the main display and functions. App transitions from the cover display to the main display are also supported by the cover display. Allowing programs to instantly adjust to the tall aspect ratio of the main display.
Sadly, it’s not compatible with the Razr; Programs can only move from the cover display to the main screen, not the other way around (or when the phone is folded).
The Z Flip 5 Cover Screen
Samsung’s Z Flip phones before the Z Flip 5 used smaller cover displays. They were helpful for quickly checking and managing data from widgets such as calendar, weather, and music controls, as well as notifications. Additionally, they did a really good job when folding to see who was calling, answering, and using Samsung Wallet to make payments.
However, these compact cover screens were always limited, and to perform certain functions, such as responding to a message or accessing additional information from widgets, you had to uncover the phone.
Flex Window, the larger cover display on the Z Flip 5. It is infinitely more useful than smaller cover displays because it lets you see significantly more information, or at least see it more clearly. You can do all the functions of the small cover display. Without unlocking the phone, you can also access standard options like airplane mode and flashlight. You can even use the full-size keyboard to compose text messages.
As of the time of writing, third-party apps are not well supported, although some do exist – Google Maps, WhatsApp, and YouTube, to name a few. Additional third-party app compatibility for the Z Flip 5’s cover display would be handy. But it’s unclear whether additional developers will release their apps for download.
Nevertheless, you can at least respond to messages from various apps like Instagram and Google Chat when you tap on a notification. Although many messaging apps aren’t supported on the cover display.
To be clear, you can do a lot more with the Z Flip 5’s large cover display than previous Z Flip phones. But it’s still much more limited than phones in open mode. If you don’t want to unfold your Z Flip 5, don’t expect to use the cover display in place of the main display.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Performance
The software interface of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 works really well on the main display. However, the interface on the cover display is currently underwhelming. Even with a fair amount of bloatware and third-party apps installed, One UI runs without any hiccups or lags. Although these third-party apps can be easily removed, it’s a little surprising that an expensive phone comes pre-installed with them.
The Galaxy Z Flip 5 performed as expected in benchmarks. In AnTuTu, the phone scored 12,87,359 points. While in Geekbench’s single and multi-core tests, it scored 1,998 and 5,176 points respectively. These results are undoubtedly the best we’ve seen from a clamshell folding smartphone to date.
Gaming Performance
Gaming performance levels exceeded expectations and were quite good. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 performs much better in this regard. Although I wasn’t happy with the Galaxy Z Flip 4’s touch sampling rate when playing games like Call of Duty Mobile. Yes, while using ‘Very High’ graphics and ‘Max’ framerate. The phone gets a little hot, but even after 30 minutes of intense competitive gaming, performance was unaffected.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5’s 3.4-inch exterior Super AMOLED display performs smoothly despite its typical refresh rate of 60Hz. Inside is a 6.7-inch full-HD AMOLED foldable display with a refresh rate of 120Hz. Because it’s an LTPO panel, it can reduce the refresh rate to 1Hz if necessary to preserve battery life. When viewed outdoors, both panels’ default settings produced rich colors but had outstanding sunlight legibility. When watching movies or playing video games, both the twin speakers and the primary display enable HDR10+ playback, resulting in an immersive multimedia experience.
Video Loop Battery Test
When put to our video loop battery test, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 lasted a respectable 16 hours and 45 minutes. Still, the daily usage statistics are a bit alarming. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 dropped to nine percent at six in the evening after being unplugged from the charger at seven in the morning. It’s also not great for a foldable device. Especially after regular use which includes scrolling through several social media apps, synchronizing two email accounts, about thirty minutes of camera use, thirty minutes of gaming, an hour of video streaming, and a few calls.
The primary reason can be attributed to my reduced use of the cover screen (discussed in the software section). Which, if implemented correctly, would have been a great way to conserve battery life.
The phone is charged to 26 percent of its battery life in 30 minutes. When placed on a 61W USB PD charger. It took a full two hours and fourteen minutes to complete the charge, which is much slower than competitors. Fortunately, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 can still be charged wirelessly. Which is useful for trickling charging when the phone isn’t in use.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Battery Life
After going through our battery test, the Z Flip 5 had 56% battery left. Which isn’t too bad for a phone with a 6.7-inch display. We’d estimate something closer to 65% for a phone this size. Comparable to the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max (6.7 inches) or the Samsung Galaxy S23 Plus (6.6 inches).
The Z Flip 5’s score is in line with 6.1-inch phones that are more common in size. Such as the Samsung Galaxy S23 (56%) and the Apple iPhone 14 Pro (58%). That means if you use the Z Flip 5 a lot during the day. It will run to a lower battery % by the end of the day. If you’re used to the battery life of a larger 6.7-inch phone, you may need to charge it during the day.
While the Z Flip 5’s 25W charging speed is good, it’s not very fast. For a $1,000 phone with a large screen like the Galaxy S23 Plus, I’d expect 45W charging. Additionally, given the short battery life compared to the screen size. Fast charging would be a wise choice to get quick top-ups throughout the day when needed.
Standard, expected wireless charging power up to 15W is supported.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Cameras
With the Galaxy Z Flip 5, Samsung has stuck with the same camera setup as its predecessor for the third year running. The only improvement is limited to what the ISP can provide with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC. The camera hardware of last year’s Galaxy Z Flip 4 is still the same despite its initial poor performance.
The main folding display houses a 10-megapixel selfie camera, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and a 12-megapixel primary camera with OIS. The Galaxy Z Flip 5’s primary camera doubles as a selfie camera. But other than that, the camera interface is the same as any other Samsung smartphone. The Galaxy Z Flip 5’s larger cover display makes this mode and framing shots easier. Even if it’s still possible with the Galaxy Z Flip 4. It’s also capable of taking pictures with the rear cameras in tent mode. Because the display makes for a larger cover.
Compared to the previous model, the overall quality of images is still the same. In daylight, the primary camera produces crisp-looking images with the typical saturated colors we associate with Samsung devices. While still adequate, details fall well short of the better photographic prowess of the comparably priced Galaxy S23.
Compared to the previous model, the overall quality of images is still the same. In daylight, the primary camera produces crisp-looking images with the typical saturated colors we associate with Samsung devices. While still adequate, details fall well short of the better photographic prowess of the comparably priced Galaxy S23.
Selfies Camara
In portrait mode, selfies taken throughout the day look crisp and clear with good edge recognition. But the main camera does it better with much more definition and detail. So I recommend using it instead of the selfie camera.
When using the dedicated night mode or auto-night mode (enabled by Scene Optimizer). The primary camera captures good details in low light. As with photos taken during the day, dynamic range is a bit lacking, especially in the shadows. Streetlight scenes have moderate detail and feel a bit crisp with crushed blacks in the shadows. Additionally, the primary camera has difficulty focusing in low light, resulting in soft photos, especially when using night mode.
Unlike the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5’s camera configuration lacks macro capabilities. Still, objects as close as 10-15 cm can be focused with the primary camera, and the results are perfectly sharp.
Details of videos recorded at 4K 30 frames per second are moderate, with good color saturation but underexposed shadows. Furthermore, stability is not an issue when shooting in these conditions. Videos shot at 4K 60 frames per second seem stable but choppy. HDR10+ videos, which managed to capture better detail in shadows. Didn’t look spectacular when shot at 4K 30 frames per second. Textures were blotchy or flattened due to the lack of noise in low-light footage.
Should you buy the Galaxy Z Flip 5?
Thanks to its larger, redesigned cover display, the Z Flip 5 is a great upgrade. If you’re actively looking to upgrade from an older Z Flip phone. You can trade it in for the cost of a new Z Flip 5 from your carrier.
Although the Z Flip 5 has a larger and slightly more useful cover screen than the Z Note 5. Those considering switching from a flat phone to a foldable phone. It should be aware of some drawbacks, such as the potential difficulty of unfolding. When you want to use the phone for the most essential tasks.
You’ll find better cameras on similarly priced flat phones. The Z Flip 5’s battery doesn’t last as long as a 6.7-inch flat phone. It’s up to you if these are acceptable trade-offs for novelty, easier hands-free content recording, or a smaller package.
Verdict
In general, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 outperforms Motorola Razr 40 Ultra in terms of image and video quality. However, both are mediocre compared to the competition, so should not be purchased alone for this reason. Folding antics aside, the Samsung Galaxy S23 is a better option if you’re looking for good camera and video quality.
Given the choice between the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra. I’d choose the Razr because of its superior cover display experience. With less bloatware and other programs, Motorola’s MyUX software experience is still unmatched. It has a more user-friendly interface than the Google Pixel. Also, the Razr 40 Ultra has a significantly improved look thanks to its sleek design and attractive cover display.
When it comes to overall performance, optimization, and picture quality, Samsung excels. In our previous comparison between Oppo Find N2 Flip and Galaxy Z Flip 4, Samsung also emerged victorious. Its primary function, though, is not as helpful as I had hoped. I would suggest you stick with the Galaxy Z Flip 4 if you own one.
Also read: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Review
