The fifth generation of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold has arrived, a new iteration of its predecessor, with a little extra processing sparkle. A phone series already known for multitasking and high productivity gains a new entrant which rides on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, which has been clocked higher for Samsung’s Fold and Flip5. The South Korean tech veteran, however, hasn’t changed the camera set-up or the battery capacity for the Galaxy Z Fold5.
Let’s unfold!
Design
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 is similar to Z Fold4 in many ways, but the few differences are palpable. The Z Fold5 uses a new Flex Hinge that folds it flat without any gap between the two screens and is 2.4mm thinner. It’s also 10 grams lighter than its predecessor. The phone feels heavy when folded, but the weight distribution evens out when it is unfolded.
The Icy Blue variant that we got adds to the premium look of the phone. There’s Samsung branding on the hinge that hides away when you open the phone. The rear has three lenses set up along with a flash to assist. The key placement, too, is similar to the Z Fold4.
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The Z Fold5 does not slip, a common feature in the high-end phones. The smartphone gets Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection on top of Armor aluminium- a sturdy combination. Further the device is IPX8 rated for protection from water.
The Flex mode on the Fold5 allows you to do a host of things. Get used to it and you may not even require to carry a laptop with you. The phone has the support of the S-Pen, but it doesn’t ship with it.
Overall, Z Fold5 is a good step forward in design when compared to its predecessor.
Display
It’s all about display when it comes to a foldable phone. The Z Fold’s cover screen has a 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x display with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The cover screen has 2316x904 resolution and 23.1:9 aspect ratio; this takes time to adjust to, unless you’ve been using a Fold already. The cover display shifts between the 60Hz to 120Hz refresh rates quite well. The primary interface, the cover display renders pleasant colours and makes scrolling fun.
The main display on the Z Fold5 is of 7.6 inches, again Dynamic AMOLED 2x. This year, Samsung improved the peak brightness of the main screen to a remarkable 1,750 nits from the 1,300 nits of its predecessor. With 2176x1812 resolution, 21.6:18 aspect ratio and an adaptive refresh rate of 120Hz, the Z Fold5 main screen is an absolute treat to the eyes. The colour reproduction is so vivid that you’ll get addicted to watching video content and playing games on the gadget.
The phablet-like display can help you use four different apps simultaneously, which is great for when you’re overworked.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 main display | Photo Credit: Haider Ali Khan
Having said that, the crease on the Z Fold5 can be seen and felt. It is especially evident when you read text in the portrait mode, while it doesn’t have much of an impact when in landscape mode.
Processor
The Galaxy Z Fold5 uses the same processor and UI as the Z Flip5 which we reviewed last week. These were also present in the Galaxy S23 series launched earlier this year, in February. An over clocked version, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is no doubt the fastest mobile platform available today in the Android space, and Z Flip5 makes full use of it. The 4nm octa-core chip drives the multi-utility Flip5 comfortably. The backing of 12GB RAM is ample to tackle the daily tasks thrown at it. We found its performance smooth so far, with no observable heating up of the phone till date.
The backing of an entire ecosystem makes the Z Fold5 unique compared to other foldables in the market. It operates on OneUI 5.1.1 based on Android 13.
Camera
Samsung makes no changes in the camera set up for the Z Fold5, continuing with the same lenses as in Fold4. Even though this camera wasn’t bad, the Z Fold5 offers nothing new.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 camera sample | Photo Credit: Haider Ali Khan
It has the same 50MP main lens with OIS, a 12MP ultrawide camera and a 10MP telephoto sensor on the rear. The images are better processed thanks to the upgraded ISP in the Gen 2 SoC but overall, the difference is minute. Daylight images preserve details, with the colours coming out naturally. The lowlight photography is good too-- provided you have a steady hand. The zoom up to 3x maintains balance. The ultrawide sensor captures ample information while having good contrast.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 camera sample | Photo Credit: Haider Ali Khan
There are two front facing lenses, again the same as its predecessor. The main selfie camera on front is of 10MP which does good job in getting the desired output. It retains the natural tone of the skin if you so choose, or you can add some filters. The 4MP lens inside, however, produces grainy images.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 night mode | Photo Credit: Haider Ali Khan
Battery
Here too, Samsung uses the same 4,400mAh battery we saw in the Fold4. Again, this is an ample amount of power, which can drive this multitasking phone for a day with ease. A better processor saves it from draining quickly even if we put on videos, click pictures and browse. Charging is prescribed at 25W but it takes around an hour to charge completely.
Verdict
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 improves on its predecessor yet calls back to it. With a much brighter display and improved Flex hinge, Z Fold5 progresses a lot in the foldable space. The processor helps it achieve multitasking with ease while offering better power consumption.
Ironically, the lenses remain the same in Galaxy Z Fold5, which starts at ₹1,54,999.
Despite this, Samsung has aced the foldable segment with its connected ecosystem and continues to shine, without no competitors approaching its capabilities; at least in the near future.
