Samsung’s new folding phone tablet raises the bar for high-tech devices, but it comes at a steep price. With a serious threat to the Google Pixel series, Samsung has released the Galaxy Z Fold 5, a significant improvement. The new folder costs £1,749 ($1,799.99/A$2,599). Which is £100 more than last year’s excellent Fold 4 and the same amount as Google’s Fold.
It is better to see these sophisticated gadgets as more than just phones Claiming to be the most versatile Android gadget available. Samsung’s Fold 5 can act as a tablet, phone, and PC, all folded up and carried in your pocket.
Since last year’s model, the design has been significantly improved. Thanks to the Z Flip 5’s new hinge design eliminating the wedge shape and folding plane when closed. Compared to its predecessor, the smartphone is 10 grams lighter, thinner, and has less noticeable wrinkles along the fold of the screen.
Although it weighs just 13g more than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, it’s still thicker than a standard phone. It weighs much less than its main competitor and feels less heavy in the pocket.
Although the external 6.2-inch display is a little small, which makes the keyboard feel a little crowded. It looks nice and has enough functions for phone-related tasks like messaging, listening to music, and other short tasks. When opened, the 7.6-inch internal display is still worth looking at for everything else.
Brightness has increased compared to last year, which helps reduce external glare. Although Samsung claims its new design has increased its durability by 25%. It should be handled with care because, like all folding screens, it’s still softer than standard tablet glass.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Specifications
| LAUNCH | |
| Announced | July 26, 2023 |
| First Release | August 11, 2023 |
| NETWORK | GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / 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 | 253 g |
| Build | Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2) (folded) plastic front (unfolded) glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame |
| SIM | Nano-SIM and eSIM or Dual SIM |
| DISPLAY | |
| Type | Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X |
| Size | 7.6 inches, 183.2 cm2 (~91.1% screen-to-body ratio) |
| Resolution | 1812 x 2176 pixels |
| Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| PLATFORM | |
| Operating System | Android 13, One UI 5.1.1 |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
| CPU | Octa-core |
| GPU | Adreno 740 |
| MEMORY | |
| Card Slot | No |
| Internal | 256GB/12GB RAM 512GB/12GB RAM 1TB/12GB RAM |
| MAIN CAMERA | |
| Triple | 50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide) 10 MP, f/2.4, (telephoto) 12 MP, f/2.2, 12mm (ultrawide) |
| Features | LED flash, HDR, panorama |
| Video | 8K@30fps, 4K@60fps, gyro-EIS |
| SELFIE CAMERA | |
| Single | 4 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide) under display Cover camera: 10 MP, f/2.2, 24mm (wide) |
| Features | HDR |
| Video | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS |
| 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, aptX HD |
| 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 4400 mAh, non-removable |
| Charging | 25W wired, 50% in 30 min (advertised)h |
| MISC | |
| Colors | Icy Blue, Phantom Black, Cream, Gray, Blue |
| Models | SM-F946B, SM-F946B/DS, SM-F946U, SM-F946U1, SM-F946N, SM-F946W, SM-F9460 |
| TESTS | |
| Display | Contrast ratio: Infinite (nominal) |
| Camera | Photo / Video |
| Loudspeaker | -25.9 LUFS (Very good) |
| Battery life | Endurance rating 95h |
Fast and long-lasting
One of the most powerful Android smartphones available is the Fold 5, which sports Qualcomm’s Galaxy S23 Ultra’s top-tier Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU with 12GB of RAM. Unlike most other phones, you can use all the power because running eight apps at once will tax the phone’s resources.
When using a combination of outer and inner screens for about six hours. The battery lasts about 48 hours between charges. Compared to the top ordinary phones, this model lasts longer than the competition and is superior to the previous year.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Design
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and its predecessor are almost identical. But upon closer inspection, you may notice some slight variations, such as where the LED flash is located and the colors used. The aluminum frame and shatter-resistant glass on the front and back make it one of the best-built horizontally folding phones ever. The gap is further reduced by a redesigned hinge, which enables the two halves to fold almost into each other. The phone has a water-resistant rating of IPX8.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5’s two displays are almost identical to the Fold 4, except for the folding display’s peak brightness. Which is now 1,750 nits instead of 1,200 nits. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 has the same sized display as its predecessor: a 7.6-inch QXGA+ primary panel and a 6.2-inch HD+ AMOLED outer display with a refresh rate of 120 Hz.
Both screens produce vibrant colors and are easily readable in direct sunlight. Although the external display is really helpful for completing simple tasks quickly. It is still a bit narrow for comfortable typing. The best uses for the internal foldable display are multi-app use and leisure activities such as gaming and watching movies. Even when viewing off-angle, the crease is still clearly visible. Though it’s hard to notice when looking directly at the screen.
A USB Type-C cable and a SIM removal tool are the only accessories included with the Galaxy Z Fold 5. Buying an S Pen cover case, which provides additional protection in addition to the stylus. It is a wise investment for a smartphone of this caliber.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Sustainability
Small parts of the Z Fold 5 are composed of reclaimed and recycled ocean plastic. The box is also mostly made of recycled materials. Glass also contains some recyclable materials. This is all a part of Samsung’s environmental initiatives.
While this is useful to know, it probably won’t make much of an impact unless a Samsung phone is at least 50% recycled. Although to be fair, Samsung is doing more than many of its rivals. No one has yet worked out how to assemble an entire device from a few plastic bottles and forty-five recycled tin cans.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Powerful Software
Samsung’s primary point of differentiation is its software, as Google’s Pixel Fold is a serious threat. For productivity-driven users, Samsung’s One UI 5.1, which is based on Android 13, is a boon as it lets you run three apps split screen at once and float windows on top if you want.
Running numerous apps simultaneously is easy thanks to the taskbar at the bottom of the screen. No other foldable can match Samsung’s fantastic S Pen stylus for note-taking and drawing. Which is supported by the Fold 5, but not included.
Additionally, apps can be made to fill the screen without relying on competitors’ claims for letterboxing with black bars on either side. However, some programs still require you to flip the Fold 5 into landscape orientation to use their two-pen interfaces, such as Gmail and Kindle.
Compared to the Pixel Fold, there are a lot more options for how things are configured. Apps associated with phones can be placed on smaller screens and apps associated with tablets on larger screens. For example, if you have separate home screen layouts for outdoor and indoor displays. For those who prefer to use Maps on the go. You can also select which apps stay open and appear on the small screen when you close them on the main screen.
One obvious change is the new “Flex Mode” panel, which lets you move an app to the top half of the screen when folded into an L shape. When using most video apps, the top video is displayed below with play controls like a progress bar and a skip button. It can act as a touchpad for a mouse cursor with other apps, similar to a small laptop.
Android desktop PC
When the phone is plugged into a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, Samsung’s long-standing Dex mode can be used to create a full Android desktop PC. The Fold 5 can be all the computer a person needs in some situations.
After its release, the foldable will receive software upgrades for at least five years, including monthly security patches and four major Android version updates.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 performance and battery life
A true blue flagship, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 keeps up with your every move, even when you put pressure on it. Thanks to the large RAM and powerful SoC, no matter what apps you use, there’s always enough power to keep going. During demanding tasks like gaming, half of the SoC-equipped phone stays alert, while the other half stays cool all the time. Be it playing games or multitasking, the performance is quite good.
Unfortunately, the outer screen doesn’t support the S Pen. Which means you have to open the phone to use it for anything other than taking notes. Other than that, the S Pen works fine. Note that the Z Fold 5 only supports a specific S Pen for the Fold version of the stylus. So the S Pen for standard S series phones (like the S23 Ultra) won’t work here.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 had excellent benchmark results, scoring 14,13,684 points in AnTuTu and several GFXBench graphics tests, producing 120 frames per second in the T-Rex test suite.
Even with moderate to heavy use, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 can last more than a day on a single charge. Though its battery capacity remains the same as last year’s model. When we tested the primary folding display with our battery loop. tt performed flawlessly for 19 hours and 53 minutes, which is excellent.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Camera
The Fold 5’s five cameras are practically the same as its predecessor. With three decent rear cameras, a regular selfie camera on the outer screen, and a 4MP camera hidden under the folding screen—which is only used for video calls—the combination isn’t too shabby.
The primary camera, featuring a 3x telephoto lens, produces high-quality photographs in many lighting conditions. Compared to the previous generation, the night mode works much faster and produces slightly clearer images. The Fold 5 can still do several tricks, like using the primary camera to take selfies and prompting it to take photos and videos without using your hands.
All things considered, the cameras are decent and roughly comparable to Samsung’s S23, though they fall short of the Pixel Fold’s excellence in this regard.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Price And Availability
- Prices start at $1,799.99, £1,749, or AU$2,599
- In the US, no price increases
- Too bad the matching S Pen isn’t included in the price
- For the same price, a small tablet and a thin smartphone
At its Samsung Unpacked presentation in South Korea on July 26. Samsung unveiled a selection of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Z Flip 5, Galaxy Watch 6, Watch 6 Classic, and Galaxy Tab S9 tablets. Pre-orders are accepted now, and shipments will begin on August 11. Our collection of the best discounts for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 has the lowest prices and offers.
With a price tag of $1,799.99 / £1,749 / AU$2,599, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is one of the most expensive smartphones. You’ll even save money on a 1TB iPhone 14 Pro Max, priced at $1,599 / £1,740 / AU$2,769. However, it’s just a phone with a great screen. With a gorgeous 6.2-inch screen on the outside and an intelligently designed 7.6-inch flexible screen on the inside. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a two-in-one gadget. And perhaps its five cameras will entice you if it doesn’t immediately scream “premium” to you.
Good news
Good news! US prices are the same as last year, so if this sounds familiar to US readers, it is. While it’s not the same phone, it’s a faster and flatter one, so you can consider it a free upgrade.
However, it is unfortunate that Samsung is unable to include S Pen compatibility in the price. Why not add it to the Z Fold 5 and instantly increase its appeal? Using it on the primary display is a lot of fun and improves utility.
Either way, they will ultimately be recommendations; some trade-ins and discounts can cut costs by up to half. In short, this smartphone should not be bought at full price.
Verdict
Samsung’s fifth-generation foldable phone-tablet is a more sophisticated device than ever, feeling better, lighter, and thinner than ever.
The Z Fold 5 requires more care than a regular phone and is still a lot more expensive. That’s the price you pay for the cutting-edge technology that makes the folding screen work.
However, it has the largest foldable display available, a long battery life. It is one of the fastest and most versatile devices. You can carry in your pocket. What makes Samsung unique is its powerful software. Which boosts productivity and optimizes the folding form factor even for non-folding apps.
The keyboard is a bit more restrictive for messaging due to the thin outer display. The cameras fall short compared to the Google Pixel Fold. While there are several competitors, in general, the Fold 5 is the largest folder available. That is if you can afford the eye-watering price tag.
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