We might be a little over a month from the next Unpacked event, where Samsung will reveal the next-gen Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5. While the latter model is said to bring more striking design changes thanks to a larger folder-shaped cover screen, the book-like foldable might have a much tamer approach to its exterior and may focus on improving other aspects. The hinge is among those upgraded components, and as a result, a new rumor says the Z Fold 5 will have a less visible crease compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Samsung hasn't obsessed over eliminating the display crease of its foldable phones, and that's probably by choice. Most people who have used a Fold device don't care as much about the crease as they thought they would before they experienced the phone. The Z Fold's foldable display crease can be an eye sore in photos, especially from certain angles, but in real-life usage scenarios, it's mostly a non-issue.
Nevertheless, the crease may become even more of a non-issue with the Z Fold 5. The phone is expected to adopt a new waterdrop hinge design, which should bring multiple benefits. First, the redesigned hinge will allow the phone to fold perfectly flat without leaving a gap between the two halves. And secondly, the hinge will lead to a less obvious foldable display crease.
The improved Galaxy Z Fold 5 crease might not be a big deal in itself
Twitter tipster @UniverseIce says the Galaxy Z Fold 5's crease will be “only 15% less [visible]” than the Z Fold 4's crease. In other words, the crease will still be visible, although less so. The tipster seemingly downplays this advancement and blames it for his “initial information error.”
Personal views and opinions aside, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will have a better hinge, and the display crease will be less visible. Furthermore, other recent reports say that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will be the first foldable phone to boast an IP5x dust resistance rating, even though other OEMs that have used the waterdrop hinge design before have barely started adding water resistance to their foldable phones.
At the end of the day, although the Galaxy Z Fold 5 might be an incremental upgrade over the Z Fold 4 rather than a revolutionary release, Samsung will probably keep doing what it's doing best, which is: slowly upgrading the user experience across the board rather than obsessing over one or two specifications while neglecting the rest.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 might not be an upgrade meant for Z Fold 4 users that don't have access to the best trade-in deals, but that alone shouldn't make it an insignificant step in the evolution of Samsung's foldable. We'll have to wait and see until next month when the Korean tech giant should unveil its next-gen foldable phones at Unpacked.
