Samsung has wrapped up its second Galaxy Unpacked event for the year 2023, during which it unveiled a number of upgrades to its lineup of tablets, Galaxy smartwatches, and foldable phones. Here is all you need to know about the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is now available, equipped with a 3.4-inch cover screen, which is significantly larger than the 1.9-inch front display on the Z Flip 4. A Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset customized for Samsung, a novel hinge design with a completely flat closing mechanism, and 256GB of storage are all included in the base model. It’s still $999 despite these considerable changes. It can go head-to-head with Motorola’s brand-new Razr Plus, which costs $999 and has 256GB of storage. However, the Razr Plus is in a difficult position considering Samsung’s expertise in producing folding phones and some of the hardware enhancements seen in this year’s Z Flip.
The internal display of the Z Flip 5 is still a 6.7-inch 1080p OLED panel with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. A 720p OLED with a customary 60Hz refresh rate serves as the outside screen. This screen, which Samsung is rebranding as the “Flex Display,” spans the majority of the phone’s front panel aside from the two massive camera cutouts.
One of the series’ long-standing issues is resolved with the redesigned “teardrop”-style hinge on the Z Flip & Fold: when folded, the two sides of the phone now shut flat rather than leaving a gap at the hinge. Additionally, according to Samsung, the new hinge is more robust and its double-rail construction can better withstand the impact of a drop.
The Flip 5 is waterproof to 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes and has the same IPX8 rating as its predecessor. Although Samsung doesn’t make any formal claims regarding dust resistance unlike Razr Plus claims some dust resistance with an IP52 rating, it does integrate various safeguards intended to reduce the likelihood of dust penetration. It is preferable to avoid using a folding phone around sand or dust, IP rating or not, as dust is particularly bad news for a folding phone in either case.
The Z Flip 5 offers small-screen-friendly widgets on its cover screen and also allows you to run complete programs if you desire. If you want to run complete apps, Samsung enables this as well, but it hides this functionality in its Good Lock app, so you’ll need to search for it. The new cover screen gives a full-size keyboard so you can reply to texts, previously the Flip 4 only lets you send a limited number of prewritten responses, so you don’t have to be that daring to take advantage of it.
The 3,700mAh battery, 25W cable charging, 15W wireless charging, and 8GB of RAM are the only other specs that haven’t changed. The 12-megapixel f/1.8 main rear camera with optical image stabilization and this year’s enhanced lens coatings to prevent flare are still present, in addition to the 12-megapixel ultrawide and 10-megapixel front-facing cameras.
Finally, let’s face it, Motorola Razr Plus is in big trouble thanks to the Z Flip 5. In addition to having a Snapdragon chipset that is one generation older than the 8 Gen 2 in the Z Flip 5, the Razr Plus has a lower water resistance certification. Although Samsung’s fifth generation of folding phones has a lot more reputation than Motorola’s, the Razr brand has a lot of sentimental appeal. If Motorola wants to appeal to potential flip phone users, it may only need to lower its pricing.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is so hot and off the radar; preorders for the mint, graphite, cream, and lavender colors begin today, and delivery is set for August 11. There are a few more unique color options available when ordering from Samsung.com, including blue, gray, green, and yellow.