TechPhonesAndroid PhonesI tried Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 5 – now you can forget about the Google Pixel FoldSamsung’s 2023 foldable flagship, the Galaxy Z Flip 5, feels like the best-considered large folding phone that I’ve triedWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
TechPhonesAndroid PhonesI tried Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 5 – now you can forget about the Google Pixel FoldSamsung’s 2023 foldable flagship, the Galaxy Z Flip 5, feels like the best-considered large folding phone that I’ve triedWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Samsung’s 2023 foldable flagship, the Galaxy Z Flip 5, feels like the best-considered large folding phone that I’ve tried
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
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Jump to category:US PreordersUK Preorders
Samsung GalaxyUnpacked’s July edition is done and dusted and in the wake of a mass of product reveals – there are new Galaxy watches, Galaxy tablets and Galaxy foldables for 2023 – it’s at the top-end of the range where I thinkSamsunghas its most interesting product: the Galaxy Z Fold 5, which replaces and upgrades the earlierZ Fold 4.
I’ve handled the Z Fold 5 ahead of its reveal to get a taste of what this foldable is all about, but it’s left me with a lingering initial sense: I prefer this Galaxy to theGoogle Pixel Fold. Which I wasn’t necessarily expecting to be the case some weeks ago, but I’ve had issues with my Pixel Fold from day one, with poor app stability and, in the end after a fortnight of use, a totally dead internal screen (which wasn’t the result of any impact or damage).
Now I’m not bashing the Pixel Fold unduly, after all theGoogle Pixel 7 Prohas been my favouriteAndroidphone of the previous 12 months (and a2023 T3 Awards-winner too) – but the foldable Pixel just hasn’t gelled with me yet (I’ve got a new model to fire up and hope it’ll convince me otherwise). It’s big on the front, the screen bezels are large, and the internal screen isn’t optimised for much either.
Samsung’s competitor is different: the Z Fold 5 has a slimmer front screen and the software is more overtly aware that it’s trying to be one ofthe best foldables, not just a ‘normal’ smartphone. You can even buy an S Pen stylus to go with it and use it for note-taking, sketching and such like. It’s just a more complete and more complex device – in a good way, from my point of view.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: what’s new?
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
Not that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is hugely different from its Z Fold 4 predecessor, though, I must admit. Samsung’s smaller clamshell device, theGalaxy Z Flip 5, is a much more significant generation-on-generation step forward for this year. In the larger Fold model, it’s really more a case of refinement and smoothing out of minor factors to give the series a more up-to-the-minute focus.
So just what is different? Headline additions includeIPX8 water- and dust-resistance(including the sold-separately S Pen), Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection front, Armour Aluminium finish to the shell, and the so-called FlexHinge has been tested to 200,000 cycles to ensure longevity (although that’s no improvement over the previous device).
The Z Fold 5 is 10g lighter than its predecessor (it’s down from 263g to 253g), making it far lighter than the Pixel Fold’s 283g weigh-in. However, while Samsung has shaved a fraction of a millimetre off the height and width, and dropped the folded thickness to 13.4mm (down from 15.8mm),Google’s foldable is actually even slimmer, at just 12.1mm – but, to me, it doesn’tfeelit because of the front screen’s aspect.
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Galaxy Z Fold 5: Two screens are better than one
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
Not everyone will agree with form-factor preferences of course: the Z Fold 5’s 6.2-inch exterior screen may read as bigger than the Pixel Fold’s 5.8-inch one, but it depends on how you look at it really. The Google foldable has a much more traditional aspect ratio, which to me feels like using a wider ‘normal’ phone and, for me, largely mitigates the reason for opening the device. The taller screen of the Samsung almost gives incentive to open the device up for that much larger panel’s visuals.
Another upgrade is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor at the Z Fold 5’s heart, whichthanks to a Samsung partnershiphas been overclocked – a relationship that we expect to see continue for many years now, with Samsung’s previous Exynos option no longer part of the formula. Snapdragon means no limits to pushing multiple apps, and with Samsung’s FlexMode panel – i.e. the ability to divide and portion the screen for multiple app openings – I find Samsung’s approach to a foldable just has greater practicality than others.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: Price & Competitors
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
I’ve seen plenty of others, too, from theHonor Magic Vs, to the not-Google-Play-capableHuawei Mate X3, and while there are certainly design perks to both of those in being slimmer still, for me it’s the balance of proportion and software that makes the Samsung Z Fold the most appealing for me.
The Z Fold 5 is not perfect, mind, as I’d like the under-display camera to be improved at the very least, better still removed and replaced with a punch-hole visible one. And no S Pen integration (it’s sold separately) also feels like a miss. I could also try and lambast the price but, you know what, Samsung’s £1,749/$1,799 entry-level price for the 256GB model is still on par with the Pixel Fold’s asking price. Foldables are justpricey.
Available from 11 August, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 will come available in Icy Blue (as you can see in my pictures), Cream or Phantom Black. Special edition colours –Blue and Grey – will also be available from Samsung direct. Pre-order deals will offer up to £650 off with handset trade-in (other territories' reductionsTBC), which could bring that sharp price down to a more sensible level that’s worth considering.
Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 in the US
Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 in the UK
Today’s best Google Pixel Fold, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 dealsGoogle Pixel Fold$1,799.99ViewSee all pricesSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 5$50ViewSee all pricesSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 4$1,799.99ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Google Pixel Fold, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 dealsGoogle Pixel Fold$1,799.99ViewSee all pricesSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 5$50ViewSee all pricesSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 4$1,799.99ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Google Pixel Fold, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 dealsGoogle Pixel Fold$1,799.99ViewSee all pricesSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 5$50ViewSee all pricesSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 4$1,799.99ViewSee all pricesWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
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Google Pixel Fold$1,799.99ViewSee all pricesSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 5$50ViewSee all pricesSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 4$1,799.99ViewSee all prices
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(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
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