The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is one of the best phones announced in 2023. The Z Flip 5's announcement wasn't as exciting as it could've been due to all the leaks and rumors leading into Galaxy Unpacked. Nevertheless, what little pre-release hype there was is now gone, and with the dust settled, all that's left is a solid foldable flip phone with no true rival on the market.
Samsung's new Z Flip 5 will likely be among my favorite mobile products of the year. I appreciate it for several reasons, from the physical upgrades it gained to the exquisitely designed user experience enabled by a well-rounded combination of hardware and software.
Even though I don't own the Galaxy Z Flip 5, my time for an upgrade draws near. I tend to use my Galaxy phones for roughly two years before I trade up, and I am strongly considering switching from my Galaxy S22+ to the Galaxy Z Flip 5 in early 2024, assuming the Galaxy S24+ won't impress me.
If I do switch, I sure hope I'll find as good a combination of deals as the ones we found for you earlier today, wherein you can save up to $800 and get the Z Flip 5 for as low as $199. Stacking deals can do wonders.
Regardless, if you want to hear more about my opinion on the Galaxy Z Flip 5, join me below and I'll share my three reasons why I have my eyes on this device and why I would love to own one — even though, in the end, there's an equal chance I'll end up trading up to the Galaxy S24+ early next year.
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My three favorite Galaxy Z Flip 5 features
The clever, well-balanced cover screen
The first thing I believe the Galaxy Z Flip 5 gets right is the cover screen. You might already know that I'm not a big fan of the Moto Razr 40's cover screen. In short, the giant camera cutouts come off as a gimmick and an afterthought.
But the Galaxy Z Flip 5's cover screen is not only a huge upgrade from the Z Flip 4, it's much better integrated with the software and offers a more pleasant experience. In large part, this is because Samsung and partner developers have created applets, or widgets, unique to the Z Flip 5's cover screen. These widgets seem perfectly optimized for the cover screen's shape and size and enable a new way to interact with your phone.
And even though I'm not a huge fan of running full-sized apps on the cover screen, you can do it as long as you have access to Good Lock.
The unmatched build quality and design
The second thing I love about the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is how it looks and how well-constructed it appears to be. Because of the Galaxy S22+, I've gotten used to smartphones that can take a beating. I've been using my Galaxy S22+ without a case for more than a year and a half now. I have dropped it so many times I lost count, and apart from a few scuffs on the Armor Aluminum frame, there's nothing wrong with my device.
Needless to say, my expectations for build quality have become higher, and the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is the only foldable flip phone that might be able to meet those expectations. It's IPX8 rated, it has an Armor Aluminum frame just like the S22 and S23 lineups, and because it has the Samsung badge, it gives me confidence. Not to mention that it passed some of the most brutal durability tests while other flip phones faltered.
In addition to high durability, I also love the look of the Galaxy Z Flip 5. Some may prefer the Moto Razr 40's design, but I honestly think the Z Flip 5 is vastly superior in this area. The Moto Razr 40 tries to impress with one thing, and one thing only: its big cover screen. Everything else is too plain to inspire any emotion.
Other foldable flip phones try to use giant circular camera housings and experimental cover screen designs, but in my eyes, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is the most mature and well-thought-out of all.
Great power and responsible firmware support
Last but not least, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is more powerful than I'll probably ever need it to be. It sports the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 “for Galaxy” overclocked chip regardless of where you are in the world, and the chip would probably satisfy my performance needs long enough for me to experience Samsung's five-year firmware support policy first-hand.
Which brings us to Android OS updates. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 ships with Android 13 and One UI 5.1.1 but will receive four OS upgrades to Android 17. What's not to love?
All in all, in my book, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is the pinnacle of foldable flip phone technology, and I'll always be on the lookout for opportunities to buy one cheap or share good deals with friends who may be searching for something new and exciting.
