Samsung has announced the release of the Galaxy Z Flip5 and Galaxy Z Fold5 smartphones, as well as the Galaxy Tab S9 line of tablets and Galaxy Watch6 smartwatches. A few days ago, I was invited to an event where I got to tinker with each of these devices for a few minutes. Out of all of them, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 phone caught my eye the most. Here’s my opinion on the most interesting features of this new foldable smartphone:
1. A bigger and more practical cover screen
The main foldable screen on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 is the same as its Z Flip4 predecessor. We get the same 6.7-inch size, a high-quality dynamic AMOLED panel with an adaptive refresh rate that can vary between 1 and 120 Hz depending on how it’s used, a resolution of 1080 x 2640 pixels, HDR10+ certification, which confirms the quality of the images displayed, and a maximum brightness of 1200 nits, perfect for outdoor use, including in direct sunlight.
The main screen is just as good
But the most exciting part is the new customizable cover screen. It’s significantly larger, from 1.9 inches and a 260 x 512 pixel resolution on the Galaxy Z Flip4, to 3.4 inches and a resolution of 720 x 748 pixels on the Galaxy Z Flip5. It’s a 60Hz Super AMOLED display with a 306 ppi pixel density. The new secondary cover screen lets you create your own custom Home Screen, with your favorite quick settings. Samsung offers 13 native widgets for it, as well as support for developers to create their own widgets for the Galaxy Z Flip5 cover screen. Without flipping open the phone, we can use this screen to view incoming notifications, answer calls or messages, turn off alarms or make quick payments with Samsung Wallet. The cover screen is now even more useful when taking photos, thanks to its larger size.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 features a generous cover screen
2. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 folds perfectly, which makes it thinner
When I tested the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4, I loved the phone’s form factor, how small, light and flexible it is, as well as the convenience of being able to fit it in your pocket. Well, the Galaxy Z Flip5 improves significantly on this, thanks to the new hinge, which makes the phone even thinner when closed. So the new Flip5 is just 15.1 mm or 0.59 inches thick, down from 17.1 mm or 0.67 inches. How is this possible? Well, unlike previous models, when the Galaxy Z Flip5 is folded, the two parts that make up the main screen fold neatly on top of each other, with no gap left between them.
The smartphone folds perfectly, with no gap in the middle
The phone’s weight is identical to that of its predecessor (187 grams or 6.6 oz), and its size is roughly the same, with very subtle differences.
3. Hardware and connectivity improvements
Like every new smartphone from the next generation lineup, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 comes with state-of-the-art hardware. That means we get a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset, offering better performance than the previous iteration and increased battery life. The news doesn’t stop here: Samsung made the switch from Wi-Fi 6 to Wi-Fi 7 connectivity and from Bluetooth 5.2 to 5.3, optimizing the power usage of Bluetooth connections and improving the connection quality.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 offers a fast and smooth user experience
However, the battery size (3700 mAh), the charging speed, the amount of RAM, the IPX8 certified water resistance, and other technical aspects are identical to the ones of the previous model. Still, the new hardware package should offer improved battery life and performance, including in terms of photo experience.
TIP: If you’ll purchase a Galaxy Z Flip5 for yourself, or another Samsung smartphone, here’s how to add and use the Battery widget.
4. Enhanced photo experience
The camera system comes with small improvements to the lenses, but not to their number. Samsung promises better results when recording at night, more fun when taking selfies thanks to the new cover screen, and the 10x digital zoom has been enhanced and now offers better results.
The photo experience is enhanced
As for the photo/video experience, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5’s real strength lies in its format and the flexibility provided by the different ways you can hold it to take photos from unusual angles.
5. Unique colors and cases
The available colors are an important aspect for a smartphone with Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5’s target audience. So far, the company announced the following colors: Graphite, Cream, Lavender, and Mint.
The colors for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5
The company will also offer a range of silicone or eco-leather cases, with or without a fastening ring. You can see them all in the picture below.
The covers for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5
What are your first thoughts about the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5?
Now you know my first impression after interacting for a few minutes with the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 foldable phone. Samsung has managed to be a real pioneer in this niche, and the Galaxy Z Flip phones so far have been popular. On the other hand, the competition is strong, and the number of models to choose from is now greater than ever. I’m curious if the new features introduced by the Galaxy Z Flip5 are enough for the company to continue as the market leader in this segment, and I can’t wait to hear feedback from the users about this foldable smartphone. But until I review the phone and we get the first sales figures, let me know how you feel about this phone. Comment below and share your perspective.
