The Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5, unveiled at Unpacked in Seoul, are Samsung's first foldable phones to feature a gapless hinge. What does that mean exactly? And how has the user experience changed because of this upgraded component, if at all?
Samsung calls it “Flex Hinge.” In short, the gapless hinge allows the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 to fold shut without leaving a gap between the two folding halves. It makes the phones thinner and more aesthetically pleasing.
The gapless hinge design can also prevent small foreign objects from reaching the foldable panels when the devices are closed shut, potentially minimizing the risk of damage to the AMOLED Dynamic 2X displays.
Flex Hinge durability and usability
Samsung says the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 “provide the protection consumers expect, enhanced further by Flex Hinge.” The company states that the dual rail structure of the hinge diffuses external impacts.
The tech giant hasn't revealed much else about the Flex Hinge, so it's unclear if it has a sweeping mechanism to keep dust out. But both the Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 have an IPX8 water-resistance rating, so at the very least, this characteristic hasn't changed from the previous generation, either for the better or worse.
Durability-wise, it will be interesting to see how the Flex Hinge performs in independent stress tests and whether it makes the new foldable phones even more resilient than before or more fragile. Will they bend? Only time will tell.
Usability-wise, the new Flex Hinge doesn't take away from Samsung's now-iconic Flex Mode. Both the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 can stay open at almost any angle, which enables interesting use cases through Flex Cam and numerous apps that support the form factor. Flex Mode splits the user interface between the two folding halves of the phones, thus creating new and unique ways to interact with One UI and mobile apps.
Anyone interested in buying the new foldable phones can pre-order the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 online. Pre-order bonuses (in select markets) include Samsung Care+ bonuses and a free memory upgrade from 256GB to 512GB. The devices will hit the shelves on August 11.
Image credit: Samsung
