This is the NEW Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 – settling for a few improvements!
House of Tech
Samsung's Foldable Phone Evolution
For four years, Samsung has had a monopoly on foldable phones. However, in the 12 months since it launched the Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4, Samsung has seen a huge number of competitors launch their first foldables. Now it's time for Samsung's response: this is the new Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5.
"Samsung's new teardrop hinge aims to solve this problem, resulting in two phones that finally fold with no gap."
Let's start with the most obvious change. While others have launched foldables with little or no gap, Samsung's U-shaped hinge design has been glaring for the wide gap it leaves when unfolded and the large crease it creates. Everyone else uses a teardrop hinge, resulting in a far less visible crease and little to no gap. Now, Samsung is changing track and adopting the same type of hinge. The result is two phones that finally fold with no gap. The hinge is still rigid as in previous years, but the crease is reduced, and the hinge can still flex to any position.
"Despite there being few changes, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 still feels great to me."
The Galaxy Z Fold 5, in particular, offers basically the Galaxy Z Fold 4 in a new shell. The Fold 5 is 11 grams lighter and slightly shorter, but it still feels identical in the hand. The display is the same, as are the cameras, the overall software experience, and even the charging speeds. Even the battery size is the same, although both phones get the latest Snapdragon processor that delivers better battery life for many people. The lack of real changes will be a problem. All of Samsung's rivals have adopted wider, shorter designs, forcing customers to choose which design is more comfortable.
"Samsung's approach to software is why I keep coming back to the fold, but also why I'm disappointed in the new Galaxy Z Flip 5."
I personally prefer the taller, narrower design of the Z Fold because it's more easily used in one hand when folded, but everyone I speak to prefers the opposite. For Samsung, this presents a problem. It almost feels like they got caught by surprise by the amount of competition. Google has launched the Pixel Fold in the US, and OnePlus is expected to launch theirs later this year. Despite there being few changes, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 still feels great to me. I think Samsung really nails multitasking and understands the big screen experience. There's nothing new per se here, but it doesn't truly matter because, in my opinion, the user experience is already the best.
Galaxy Z Flip 5: A Mixed Bag
I've recently used five rival foldables, including Google's Pixel Fold, and none of them come close to Samsung's software. Samsung's approach to software is why I keep coming back to the fold, but also why I'm disappointed in the new Galaxy Z Flip 5. The Z Flip range is the better-selling of Samsung's foldable lineup, and the Galaxy Z Flip 5 finally brings a much larger front display, taking cues from Motorola.
"The Galaxy Z Flip 5 feels fairly limited compared to the Razer Plus."
The new front display measures 3.4 inches and features a design reminiscent of an upside-down folder on a PC. Despite this glorious amount of real estate, Samsung has mostly limited it to a series of widgets out of the box. These widgets include favorite contacts, stocks, weather, and popular apps like WhatsApp and Google Maps. Yes, with a few taps, you can run a larger selection of apps, but the process doesn't feel anywhere near as seamless as Motorola's implementation. The Razer Plus also feels more fun than the Galaxy Z Flip 5.
There are some awesome games you can run on the Razer Plus with just a tap, and there's even a native Spotify widget. Samsung's approach just doesn't feel as complete. Both let you run a specific keyboard on the front, but while Motorola uses the very popular Gboard, you have to use Samsung Keyboard on the Galaxy Z Flip 5. For a lot of people, this is a deal breaker.
In previous years, the Flip 5's new front display would have been enough of an improvement. This year, however, the Razer Plus is just as good. Where the Razer Plus falls short is the camera, and this is where the Flip 5 should hopefully be the better of the two. That's not because the Flip 5 has upgraded cameras, but rather it has the same cameras as the Flip 4, which are already better than the Razer Plus.
Final Thoughts on Samsung's New Foldables
Samsung could still launch a whole set of new experiences for the cover screen after launch, but at first glance, the Flip 5 is on par with the Razer Plus. No one expected Motorola to achieve that a year ago, and it means that Samsung has real flip competition in Western markets for the first time ever. The Flip 5 comes in four new colors: cream, graphite, lavender, and my favorite, mint. It will launch on August 11th for $999.99 and comes with 8GB of RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of storage. The Fold 5, meanwhile, comes in three new colors: phantom black, cream, and icy blue. It also launches on August 11th for $1,799.99 and comes with 12GB of RAM as standard and 256GB of base storage, with options to upgrade to 512GB or 1TB.
After seeing them for a two-hour exclusive preview session, I am less sure about recommending them. With so much competition and the Pixel Fold featuring an excellent camera with five times optical zoom, the cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 feel tired. There's been little innovation there for a couple of years, and in the meantime, everyone else is doing much better. I struggled to see how the Fold 5 cameras can truly compete right now.
The design of the Fold 5 won't be for everyone either. Previously, you had no choice as the Fold was the only one easily available in the West. Now there is more and more choice, and everyone has Samsung in their sights. All things said, though, there's no better phone for multitasking, and no other foldable comes anywhere near close, so the Fold 5 will probably end up in my pocket. If you're on the fence, I don't think you'll be disappointed, but I'll know more after a full review.
It's far less clear with the Galaxy Z Flip 5. Based on my first impression, I'll probably keep the Razer Plus in my pocket instead. I had truly hoped the Galaxy Z Flip 5 would be the best flip phone right now, but I have a sneaking suspicion that the Razer Plus might be slightly better overall. This could easily change when I do review the Flip 5, but for now, I'm less enthusiastic about it than in previous years. That really sums up my overall thoughts about both of Samsung's new phones. The company was so far ahead of the competition that it felt like a different experience. Now, the competition is firmly caught up, and the choice is much harder.
Ultimately, whichever you do buy, you're likely still getting a great phone. I've used the Galaxy Z Fold 4 for large parts of the last year, and I still really like it. The new crease makes things slimmer and lighter, and these phones are likely just as durable as last year as well. I've dropped the Fold 4 and Flip 4 a few times and used them in the rain, and I have no qualms about durability. If anything, this year feels like a step that will force Samsung to innovate further in foldables. The company single-handedly put the category on the map, but just like the Galaxy Note and big screen phones all those years ago, the competition is relentless, and everyone wants the top spot. Perhaps next year, we'll see Samsung rethink the foldable experience yet again.
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