Although the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is the latest model from Samsung, you can still buy the older Galaxy Z Flip 5 in some markets, including the USA. Should you, though? The older model is $100 cheaper, but is it worth it?
Without trade-in deals or discounts, you can buy the 256GB Galaxy Z Flip 5 for $999 or the 256GB Galaxy Z Flip 6 for $1,099. As of this writing, however, you can get the 512GB models for the same price as the 256GB ones, thanks to a free storage upgrade promotion.
Free storage aside, if you want to save that $100 and buy the Galaxy Z Flip 5 instead of the newer Galaxy Z Flip 6 on account that the phones look nearly identical, know that you'll be missing out on other benefits. It's not just looks.
The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is equipped with the newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, a bigger dual battery, a brighter foldable screen that can go up to 2,600 nits instead of 1,750, and a higher resolution 50MP primary camera. It also boasts a higher IP rating, a more resilient hinge, and a foldable display with a crease that's not as visible.
The story continues after the video
On the software side, if you buy the Galaxy Z Flip 6, you also get support for seven OS upgrades instead of four. And you get a head start in terms of One UI, as the Z Flip 6 ships with the latest One UI 6.1.1 version and has new Galaxy AI features, like Sketch to Image.
And finally, even though the Galaxy Z Flip 6 costs $100 more, you can benefit from 25% bundle discounts when you pair the phone with the latest wearables, i.e., the Galaxy Watch 7 or Ultra or the Galaxy Buds 3 series. The same bundle offer is not available when you buy the Galaxy Z Flip 5.
All in all, we think grabbing a Galaxy Z Flip 5 now is a bad investment. We're not sure why Samsung decided to keep it on sale, but you probably should avoid it if you can afford the extra $100. And even if you want to save that $100, it's probably better if you wait for a discount on the newer Z Flip 6 than buying the Flip 5.
There's just no benefit to picking up a brand-new Galaxy Z Flip 5 right now for just $100 off. The story might be different if Samsung drops the price considerably, but even then, you'd probably have to carefully weigh the pros and cons.
