Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: Reviews
We’re not expecting to see the device until late July, but there are plenty of leaks and rumors already, and you’ll find all of those below, along with information on the phone's possible release date and price.
There is a similar story for charging. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the fastest charging Samsung foldable yet at up to 25W (delivering roughly 50% battery in half an hour), but other Android phone makers regularly offer to charge that's twice as fast if not faster. We would expect Samsung to offer upgraded charging on the Galaxy S series before the Galaxy Z series though, so if it doesn't appear on the Galaxy S23 (and currently it looks like it won't), we won't hold out much hope for the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: Rumors and Wish List
As for the main display, according to one source the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will have a 7.6 inch main screen that's brighter than its predecessor's, plus a 120Hz refresh rate on both displays and better durability. The Galaxy S22 Ultra and the upcoming Galaxy S23 Ultra ought to remain the top Samsung camera phone, but the Galaxy Z Fold 5 needs to be a close second.
Samsung's most expensive phone shouldn't have this problem. Giving it is new foldable a more detailed main sensor or a stronger zoom magnification would help draw in flagship phone buyers who don't want to give up the typically excellent photography of premium smartphones, but are still tempted by a foldable.
We're likely to see some new One UI updates specifically designed for the Z Fold 5's inner display, just like how Samsung added a taskbar to the Z Fold 4's interface. Samsung's also said it hopes to make software that's adapted better for the 4:3 inner display, which we really hope is true. Most apps are still designed for use on rectangular displays, particularly when gaming on the Z Fold, which makes it hard to get the most out of the big inner folding screen.
As impressive as Samsung’s foldable screens are, the company hasn’t cracked the crease, with it being visible and something you can feel when you swipe across the display.
The next generation flagship foldable is only a few months away from making its debut, so there are plenty of rumors doing the rounds on what to expect. Here’s everything we’ve heard so far, along with a wish list of features we’d love to see Samsung include.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: Wish List
This isn’t a big deal and is something most people will quickly get used to, but it is an imperfection in an otherwise excellent screen, so we’d like to see Samsung successfully hide it on the Galaxy Z Fold 5. We get that folding inner screens are more delicate than a traditional phone display.
I'd like to reduce or even eliminate with the Galaxy Z Fold 5. The display crease is an unwelcome distraction when using the inner display, whether it's looking at it or feeling it as you drag things around the interface. Making the display flatter overall would likely attract a lot more potential users who would rather carry a separate tablet around than deal with the fold in the Z Fold
It will also apparently have an IPX8 rating (in contrast to some of the above reports that claim it would sport a full IP68. We've also elsewhere heard that the Fold 5 will have an improved under display camera for selfies, and be able to shoot video in up to 8K quality at 30fps.
seeing how Samsung and Qualcomm teamed up on a bespoke version of the regular Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for the Galaxy S23 series, that silicon might make a reappearance. Twitter tipster Yogesh Brar suggested as much recently and also gave some insight as to what cameras could show up on the device.
The Oppo Find N2 and Google Pixel Fold have shown us a shorter and wider outer display that is a lot easier to use while folded shut, single handed, or otherwise. Samsung following suit would make the Z Fold 5 much more usable as a phone, rather than a tablet that can be folded up to fit in your pocket.
Samsung has consistently launched new foldable phones since the first Galaxy Fold appeared in 2019. So there’s no reason to believe that Samsung won’t launch another set of folding phones this year. Samsung’s mobile head recently said that the company’s foldable phones could overtake its S series flagships in shipments by 2025. That company wants its flexible line to become the “new standard” for smartphones. Add to that, there are already multiple rumors flying around about the Galaxy Z Fold 5 (more on that later), and as they say, there’s no smoke without a fire.
As for the battery, we haven't heard what size this might be yet, but based on certification listings seen by MyFixGuide, Samsung will probably stick with fairly slow 25W charging.
That's early as Samsung usually unveils new foldables in August, but it makes sense, as we'd previously heard that Samsung was reportedly going to start mass-producing the hinges for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 almost a month early.
A possible Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 launch schedule is coming into focus now that Samsung has confirmed it will hold its next Galaxy Unpacked event in South Korea. In announcing the event, Samsung confirmed that foldable phones will be the focus.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: Thinner, Lighter, and More Durable
Thanks to this new dumbbell hinge design, the durability of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 might improve as well — and it will be able to withstand more folding and opening in its lifetime. According to The Elec Samsung is aiming to test the new hinge to 300,000 folds, 50% more than the Z Fold 4's 200,000. The report also claims that the Z Fold 5 will be thinner and lighter than its predecessor as a result of the new hinge design.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 launched like clockwork on August 10, 2022. The Z Fold 3 also came in August, albeit more toward the end of the month. Understandably, we assumed Samsung would stick to its usual schedule, and we would see the Galaxy Z Fold 5 announced sometime around mid-to-late August this year.
Another alleged benefit of this hinge will be that Samsung's making it (and the rest of the phone) IP58 water/dust resistant, an improvement on the current IPX8 rating of the Galaxy Z Fold 4. However, the design changes may mean the flexibility of the hinge is impacted, making Flex Mode harder to use.
The screens of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 should be a 6.2-inch outer display and a 7.6 inch inner display, both using 120Hz refresh rates and OLED panels going by previous models. We had hoped Samsung may enlarge the cover screen but Ice Universe reckons that's not happening.
The bad news is that leaker Yogesh Brar says that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will have the same camera specs (50MP + 12MP + 10MP). So don't expect the 200MP main camera on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. The good news is that he claims that the phone will offer new image sensors, that should result in better image quality.
That said, there may be a Plus or similarly enhanced version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 that the Z Fold 5 would use instead. For instance, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 uses a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1, giving it a performance and power efficiency edge over the regular Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chip in phones from earlier this year like the Galaxy S22 series.
A previous leak said the Fold 5 could upgrade to a 108MP main camera. This would be the same main camera we saw on the S22 Ultra. In addition, the leak mentions the phone could get a 64MP telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom and a 12MP ultrawide shooter.
That inner display may change by having a larger, but shallower, crease, at least according to Samsung's previous comments. Doing so makes the line through the display less visible overall. That said, a leak from MySmartPrice suggests that while the phone will be announced in South Korea in late July, it will have a separate global launch event on August 11. We're not convinced though, as it would be unusual for Samsung to hold two staggered events like that.
The next-gen Z Fold 5 needs to pull off the same trick to stay ahead of the pack. The latest rumors suggest it has done.
This new hinge design claim has since been backed up by a second report, which adds that the phone will be water resistant, just like the current model.
After a couple of years of smaller Z Fold updates, we're hoping to see bigger ones with the Galaxy Z Fold 5. Competition is only heating up with devices, especially now that the Google Pixel Fold has made its debut and will begin shipping in June. A foldable from Motorola is on the way, too, and one from OnePlus is likely to follow soon.
So how does Samsung maintain its edge? Leading Galaxy Z Fold 5 rumors point to a new waterdrop hinge design that could minimize the crease, a lighter build, a faster processor, and possible camera upgrades.
It might go beyond being water resistant though and also sport dust resistance according to another tipster, who's since more confidently said the same thing again, specifically that the Z Fold 5 could have an IP58 certification. If it did, the foldable would be the first of Samsung's to adopt IP58 certification, rather than the IPX8 the current model sports.
Samsung looks set to finally banish the gap between the two halves of the phone when folded shut. It’s a trick rival foldable have pulled off with a teardrop-style hinge, which also helps minimize the visible crease down the center of the screen.
The original Galaxy Fold was an outlier, arriving in March 2019, but all subsequent models landed in August. That said, a recent report from Korean news site The Elec suggests Samsung is bringing this year’s launch forwards by two or three weeks, which will mean a late July reveal. The 26th of July is the rumored date, with sales expected to start a week later.
We do not indicate pricing either, but we expect that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 would cost $1,799/£1,649/AU$2,499, just like the Galaxy Z Fold 4. We still think Samsung needs a cheaper full size foldable to tempt more users to swap to folding phones, but we'd be grateful if the price at least stays stable.
It’s far too early to start spitballing about prices. The global cost of living increases, more expensive raw materials, and higher shipping costs mean everything could change between now and the launch. But for context, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 arrived at a heady £1649/$1800.