Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Galaxy Z Flip 4: It’s a whole new ballgame

The much-awaited launch of Samsung's new foldable phones has taken place today. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 has pretty much been the star of the show, and with good reason. Samsung feels that this handset in particular will enable it to really democratize foldable phones.

Its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Flip 4, was very well received even though it brought minor upgrades compared to the model before it. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is a whole new ballgame, so much so that it's going to make perfect sense to upgrade even if you bought last year's model.

Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Galaxy Z Flip 4: Larger cover display is a gift from the heavens

The Galaxy Z Flip 4's 1.9-inch cover display was quite restrictive in what it could do for you. There wasn't much that could be done beyond some basic tasks, even though Samsung had done a good job of maximizing the utility from that tiny screen. It almost seems like our prayers have been answered with the substantially larger 3.4-inch Super AMOLED 60Hz cover display on the Galaxy Z Flip 5.

Samsung is lovingly calling it the “Flex Window,” and it's now so much easier to use the device when it is folded. You can use multi-widget view for easy access to information, check notifications, launch optimized versions of apps, send replies using a full QWERTY keyboard, and even use Dual Preview to take amazing pictures.

Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Galaxy Z Flip 4: Sharper design with cleaner lines

There isn't much room to play around with the design on this clamshell form factor but Samsung has given the latest model a bit of a sharper design compared to its predecessor. The lines are cleaner and almost appear to have been drawn with a purpose of making the device look modern yet minimalist.

The dimensions are pretty much the same, with the newer model measuring in at 71.9 x 165.1 x 6.9mm when unfolded. It also weighs 187g, exactly the same as its predecessor and features IPX8 water resistance as well.

Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Galaxy Z Flip 4: Nightography on steroids

Even though Samsung hasn't made any major upgrades to the camera hardware itself, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 does bring some noticeable improvements for the camera software. Chief among them is the AI-powered Nightography, a software solution that helps improve low-light photography.

It has been considerably improved in this handset, with an AI algorithm sprucing up your low-light images while also enhancing the details and color tones.

Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Galaxy Z Flip 4: The latest flagship chipset

As you'd probably expect, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 features the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the latest flagship chipset, so you'll get top-notch performance. It's paired with 8GB of RAM and is available with 256/512GB of storage, just like its predecessor.

So question thus needs to be asked, is the Galaxy Z Flip 5 a better phone compared to the Galaxy Z Flip 4? In some ways, it completely outshines the predecessor, particularly with its cover display. Even for those who upgrade from last year's model, it's going to be a completely new user experience, and for that reason alone this device deserves its buy recommendation.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is available for pre-order from Samsung.com starting today at $999. It's going to be released on August 11, 2023.

Samsung
Galaxy Z Flip 5

Select model SM-F731B SM-F731U SM-F731U1 SM-F731N SM-F731W SM-F7310 Buy Full specs

Samsung
Galaxy Z Flip 4

Select model SM-F721B SM-F721U SM-F721U1 Buy Full specs