Years ago, foldable phones seemed like a futuristic concept, but they're slowly becoming more accessible. Samsung has been releasing foldable phones under its Z lineup for a few years now, and with them being a bleeding-edge technology, Samsung gets closer to nailing it every generation. The just-announced Galaxy Z Fold 5 is delivering on a few user requests for a change, making it Samsung's most solid foldable to date.
Samsung just took to stage to announce the new Galaxy Z Fold 5, alongside its newest flip phone, the Galaxy Z Flip 5. And while the Z Flip 5 will likely end up being the foldable most people get, the Z Fold 5 also deserves attention for several reasons. The phone looks relatively similar to last year's Galaxy Z Fold 4 on the outside, but Samsung has done a few under-the-hood refinements that will greatly improve your foldable experience.
For starters, Samsung has redesigned the hinge again, with the aim of getting the phone to fold completely shut — the gap that was previously present when the phone was folded shut is now finally non-existent after five generations, which means it should now be more easily pocketable. The phone itself feels thinner, and is also even a bit lighter as well.
As for other specs, the phone gets a 7.6-inch foldable display and a 6.2-inch external display, both 120Hz. The phone is running Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, which also powers other Samsung phones such as the Galaxy S23 series. You also get up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage (1TB if you buy through Samsung's online storefront rather than other retailers). Rear camera needs are served by a 50MP main sensor with a 10MP telephoto and a 12MP ultrawide, while just like its predecessor, we get two front cameras — one for the external display, which is 10MP, and one for the foldable display, which is an under-display 4MP sensor.
As for battery, things are mostly unchanged from its predecessor — you get a 4,400 mAh battery with 25W charging for quick top-ups. Finally, the device is running One UI 5 based on Android 13, with Samsung promising to deliver up to four major OS updates and five years of Android updates.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 starts at $1,799 for the base 256GB storage configuration, and it's available in Icy Blue, Phantom Black, and Cream (with two extra colorways, Gray and Blue, if you buy it through Samsung). The phone is now available for pre-order, and it'll ship by August 11, so make sure to get yours now.