Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Review: Is this the Best Foldable Phone Ever?

Samsung’s latest folding phone, Galaxy Z Fold 5, sets new standards for the high-end tech gadgets. It’s thinner, lighter, and powerful than ever.

The South Korean tech manufacturer has produced an excellent phablet device in the wake of a stiff competition presented by Google Pixel line.

This fantastic device brings significant upgrades in terms of hardware and software.  

This is a comprehensive review of this powerful device from Samsung, and will answer the most important questions you might have in your mind.

By the end of this review blog post, you will know everything you need to know about this phone, whether you should buy it or not, and much more.

Ready to learn?

Let’s dive right in.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: Pros and Cons

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Australia: Design and Colours

The design is lightweight and thin, and you will hardly feel it carrying in your pocket. The weight is almost equals that of the iPhone 14 pro Max. The phone looks sleeker than the Galaxy Fold 4, thanks to the Flex hinge. The two halves fold flat, with no gap in between, which means there is no risk of debris stuck in there.

The device is IPX8 rated with a water-resistant body, that can sustain 1.5 meters of water immersion for up to 30 minutes. But, it is not dust-resistant.

The camera bump is less protruding, with the flash built on the right of the three camera lenses in a vertical line.

The phone comes in three colours; icy blue, phantom black, and cream. The icy blue offers trendy looks, while the phantom black is more suited for professionals.

The S pen is smaller than the Fold 4’s pen, but there is still no place to hold it. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: Price and release date

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 has been available for sale in Australia since August 18, 2023. The phone is available at $2599 for 256 GB model, and $2799 for 512 GB model on Samsung’s website. The 1 TB model comes at $3149.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: Display

The Fold 5 has beautiful and vivid displays; the front panel is a 6.2-inch OLED display and the inner panel is 7.6-inch. With 1750 nits of rated brightness, the inside display is 30% brighter than the Fold 4.

The crease is still visible in the inside, but it is less noticeable in indoors than in daylight. The front panel offers crisp and smooth viewing experience with the 120 Hz refresh rate, but it’s narrow compared to the wider but smaller Pixel Fold phone’s display. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: Multitasking and Flex Mode

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is well known for its improved mult-tasking capabilities. You can now run three apps simultaneously, while you could use only two apps in the Pixel Fold phone. 

Also, Samsung has added new swipe options to introduce more flexible drag and drop actions. You can now swipe and drag an app from left side to the right with two fingers. Or, you can swipe from bottom to up to open a second app.

The taskbar shows four of your most recently used apps, while you can also pin your favourite apps.

The Flex mode is one of the key features of the device which allows to position the phone in the mini laptop position using the hinge. The content appears in the top screen while controls and menus are accessible in the bottom half. 

You can also use the device as a PC by plugging it into a monitor and enjoy apps and games on a big screen. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: Cameras

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 has a brilliant triple-lens camera profile. The main camera is 50 MP along with the 12 MP ultra-wide lens and a 10 MP telephoto lens with a 3x optical zoom.

The front selfie camera is 10 MP with a low resolution under-display ends on the inner display.  

The low light performance is less impressive when compared with the low-light shots taken with the Pixel Fold. Bright light and indoor pictures are better with the Galaxy Z Fold 4 in terms of brightness, while more details are revealed with the Pixel Fold.

The under-display camera is not a stunner either. The selfies are average, not revealing impressive details of the objects.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: Performance

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is powered by the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset – the same process or that runs Galaxy S23 Ultra. So, you should expect a fast processing no matter what you do.

Whether you browse multiple tabs or switch between different apps, you will not experience any annoying surprises. You will also enjoy immersive and smooth gaming sessions with graphics-rich action games like.

Overall, the experience is flawless and impressive, and the flagship phone is one of the fastest Android phones available.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: Battery life and charging

Thanks to a more efficient processor chip, the battery lasts longer compared to the Fold 4. Although, the battery specification is same, but the energy-efficient processor drains battery slower.

You will get almost 11 hours of battery life on a single charge. This is a significant jump from the Fold 4, but falls short from other high-end phones including Galaxy S23 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro Max. 

The phone disappoints in the charging space as well. While the Galaxy S23 Plus and Galaxy S23 Utra offer a faster charging at 45W, the Fold 5 has a slower 25W charging. 

Galaxy Z Fold 5 Specifications

Main screen: 7.6 inches QXGA+ 120 Hz Amoled 

Cover screen: 6.2in HD+ 120Hz Amoled

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

RAM: 12 GB 

Storage: 256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB

Battery: 4400 mAh

Camera: 50 MP wide, 12 MP ultrawide, 10 MP 3x telephoto; 10 MP and 4 MP selfie cameras

Operating system: One UI 5.1 based on Android 13

Connectivity: 5G, dual sim, esim, USB-C, wifi 6E, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3, GNSS

Water resistance: IPX8 (1.5 metres for up to 30 minutes)

Dimensions folded: 154.9 x 67.1 x 13.4mm

Dimensions unfolded: 154.9 x 129.9 x 6.1mm

Weight: 253 grams

Colours: Icy Blue, Phantom Black, Cream

Galaxy Z Fold 4 vs Galaxy Z Fold 5

The Fold 5 is thinner and lighter than the previous year’s model, Fold 4. It weighs 8.9 ounces compared to the 9.2 ounces. 

The device is thinner as well; measuring 0.53 inches when folded, and 0.24 inches when unfolded versus 0.62 inches, and 0.25 inches respectively, for the Fold 4 phone.

The displays of Fold 5 and Fold 4 are the same size; a 6.2-inch OLED front panel, and 7.6-inch inside panel. The only difference is the brightness of the inside panel in Fold 5 with rated 1750 nits brightness, a 30% brighter display than Fold 4.

Overall, the Fold 5 beats Fold 4 in various departments and offers some unique perks and upgrades that were missing in the previous year’s foldable phone.

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is the best foldable phone for those who want a powerful 2-in-1 phone plus tablet in one device. With new flex hinges, lighter build, and improved multi-tasking capabilities, this is an excellent device for power users. The brilliant upgrades and powers come in a hefty price, though. If you can pay for the premium features and capabilities, this is a no-brainer deal. If you are looking for the best deals on smartphones, laptops, and other tech gadgets, have a look at Skyphonez. Whether you want a new phone or looking for a refurbished one, you’ll get a lot of options to choose from.