The time has come for Samsung to announce a new model in its now-established Galaxy Z Fold line. Today at Galaxy Unpacked in Seoul, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 5 as “the ultimate productivity powerhouse with a large screen.” And although the latest model doesn't reinvent the concept of the foldable phone and thus shares its design language with the previous model, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 brings several hardware and software upgrades that can hopefully carry the series to its next evolutionary step with success.
Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset globally, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 ensures top-tier performance and an immersive gaming experience backed by an advanced cooling system that Samsung claims dissipates heat more intelligently. The foldable flagship pairs its application processor with 12GB of RAM and 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage.
Galaxy Z Fold 5 brings a brighter foldable display
One of the most significant hardware upgrades the Galaxy Z Fold 5 consists of a brighter 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X foldable display. Where the Galaxy Z Fold 4 had a foldable panel that peaked at 1200 nits of brightness, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 boasts a 30% improvement and has a new foldable display that can top 1750 nits. This panel also has a 1-120Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 2176 x 1812.
When folded shut, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 presents a 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display featuring a 23.1:9 aspect ratio, a resolution of 2316 x 904 pixels, and an adaptive refresh rate of 48-120Hz.
A slimmer and lighter design with a new hinge
Samsung succeeded in making the Galaxy Z Fold 5 both slimmer and lighter — albeit only slightly — without sacrificing the phone's functionality. The foldable phone retains an IPX8 water resistance rating and features such as wireless charging 2.0 and Wireless PowerShare for its 4,400mAh dual battery with 25W charging.
Without compromising the phone's feature pack, Samsung trimmed some fat off the Galaxy Z Fold 5, so it now measures 13.4mm (instead of 14.2mm) when folded and 6.1mm when unfolded, all the while weighing 253 grams (down from 263g).
Even though the Galaxy Z Fold 5 looks very similar to the Z Fold 4, it now has a completely new hinge design that allows it to close perfectly shut without leaving a gap between the two sides of the folding panel. And, of course, there's Flex Mode, which lets users fold the phone partially and use it in a new form factor.
A productivity powerhouse boasting a magical two-handed mode
For many users, the most exciting upgrades brought by the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will consist of the software experience. The new foldable phone runs a new version of One UI (5.1.1), which is all about improving multitasking and productivity.
Galaxy Z Fold 5 users will benefit from the usual Multi-Window and App Continuity features. But it also has an improved Taskbar through which users can quickly switch between frequently used apps.
But perhaps the most impressive advancement is the new two-handed drag-and-drop feature that allows users to drag and drop one element, such as an image from the Gallery app, with one finger and open a different app with another.
For the first time in years, this clever addition has the potential to redefine how we look at multi-touch.
Other Galaxy Z Fold 5 features, improvements, and unchanged specs
One aspect Samsung hasn't changed from the previous generation is the camera hardware. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 borrows the Z Fold 4's camera system.
Rear-facing cameras include a 50MP wide-angle camera with Dual Pixel Auto Focus and Optical Image Stabilization, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, and a 10MP telephoto sensor with PDAF, OIS, and 3x optical zoom.
The cover screen camera is a 10MP selfie unit, and the foldable display conceals a 4MP Under Display Camera that's almost entirely hidden.
The device has Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, two Nano-SIM slots and one eSIM, and an (optional) improved Slim S Pen Case available in a variety of styles and colors. There are other optional accessories, such as a Clear Gadget Case, an Eco-Leather Case, and a Standing Case with Strap.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 became available for pre-order today upon unveiling. It comes in Icy Blue, Phantom Black, Cream, Gray, and Blue. The latter two colors are exclusively available through the Samsung online shop.
