The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is here, and it’s continuing the trend of reimagining how we use smartphones with its foldable design. As foldable technology evolves, Samsung’s flagship device remains at the forefront, offering a unique combination of a compact phone with the power and flexibility of a tablet.
In this hands-on review, we’ll take a closer look at the Galaxy Z Fold 5, exploring its design, performance, foldable display technology, and the features that make it one of the most advanced foldable smartphones on the market today. Let’s dive in!
A Refined Design: Beauty in the Details
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is Samsung’s most polished foldable to date, with refinements across every aspect of its design. At first glance, it feels like a familiar evolution from the previous generation, but with a more streamlined and durable construction.
Sleek and Slim Profile
The most noticeable change in the design is how much slimmer and lighter the Z Fold 5 feels compared to its predecessors. The phone is now more compact when folded, making it easier to slip into your pocket or bag. This new, thinner design is achieved without compromising on the large 7.6-inch main screen, a major win for portability.
Despite its foldable nature, the device feels incredibly premium, with a sturdy metal frame and a matte glass finish on the back. Samsung has also refined the hinge mechanism, making it more sleek and nearly seamless, allowing for a smoother folding and unfolding action. This is a key improvement that reduces the device’s overall weight and enhances its structural integrity.
Durability Improvements
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 has made strides in durability with the introduction of Armor Aluminum and a Gorilla Glass Victus 2 exterior. These materials make the device significantly more resistant to scratches and drops, addressing one of the most common concerns with foldable devices.
The folding mechanism has also been refined to reduce the visible crease when the device is unfolded. While you can still feel the crease when you run your fingers across the screen, it’s much less noticeable compared to previous models.
Stunning Display: Bigger and Better
Samsung has always been known for producing top-tier displays, and the Z Fold 5 is no exception. The 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display is nothing short of spectacular. It offers stunning color accuracy, deep blacks, and bright whites, making it ideal for watching content, gaming, or multitasking.
Improved Aspect Ratio
One of the key upgrades this year is the improved aspect ratio of the main screen. The 6.2-inch Cover Display is more usable and wider than ever before, providing a more comfortable experience when using the phone in its folded form. This screen offers a full-sized smartphone experience, making it easy to text, browse, or check notifications without unfolding the device.
When unfolded, the 7.6-inch screen offers a nearly tablet-like experience, perfect for media consumption or productivity. The 120Hz refresh rate ensures that scrolling, gaming, and interactions are smooth and fluid, making the device feel incredibly responsive.
Enhanced Flex Mode
Another standout feature of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is its Flex Mode. This feature allows users to prop the phone open at different angles to create a more comfortable viewing or typing experience. Whether you’re watching a video, taking hands-free selfies, or video chatting, Flex Mode makes the Z Fold 5 feel even more versatile.
Performance: Powerhouse Performance
Under the hood, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 packs some serious power. Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, the device delivers lightning-fast performance, even when handling demanding tasks like gaming, multitasking, or heavy app usage.
Smooth Multitasking
The Z Fold 5 continues to shine in multitasking. With the large 7.6-inch screen, users can easily run multiple apps side by side, allowing for greater productivity and flexibility. Samsung has improved the One UI software to make better use of the foldable display, offering features like App Continuity, which lets you seamlessly transition between the Cover Display and Main Display.
If you’re someone who uses a lot of apps simultaneously, the Split Screen and Pop-up View features are incredibly useful. You can have up to three apps open at once, allowing for multitasking that feels natural and intuitive on the larger screen.
5G and Connectivity
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 supports 5G connectivity, ensuring that you get the fastest internet speeds available, whether you’re streaming videos, downloading large files, or playing online games. It also supports Wi-Fi 6E, which provides faster and more reliable internet connections when you’re on a Wi-Fi network.
Camera System: Professional-Grade Photography
While the camera system on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 may not be as flashy as some of Samsung’s other flagship devices, it still delivers a great photographic experience.
- Main Camera: The 50MP primary sensor delivers stunning photos, with rich colors, excellent dynamic range, and sharp details. The ultrawide lens and telephoto zoom lens (up to 3x optical zoom) round out the system, providing versatile options for different types of shots.
- Selfies: The 10MP front camera on the Cover Display is excellent for quick selfies or video calls, while the under-display camera on the main screen is perfect for a more immersive experience when unfolded.
Samsung has also packed AI-driven photography features, such as night mode, portrait mode, and enhanced video stabilization, to ensure that every shot is well-lit, detailed, and professional-looking.
Battery Life: Lasting Power
Despite the foldable design, the battery life on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is solid. The device houses a 4,400mAh battery, which offers enough power to get you through the day with moderate usage, including some screen-on time with the large display and regular multitasking. It supports 25W fast charging, which means you can charge the device up quickly, though wireless charging is also supported.
If you’re a heavy user, you may need to top up the battery by the evening, but for most users, the Z Fold 5’s battery life should last through a full day without issue.
What’s New? Key Improvements
Samsung has introduced several new features and enhancements in the Galaxy Z Fold 5, making it stand out even more in the foldable market:
- Refined Hinge Design: A smoother, more durable hinge mechanism makes opening and closing the device feel more effortless.
- Improved Cover Display: The Cover Display is now more usable, offering a wider screen for a better overall experience when using the phone in its folded state.
- Enhanced Durability: The Armor Aluminum and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 exterior make the phone more resistant to scratches and drops.
Final Thoughts: The Future of Foldables
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a major leap forward for foldable smartphones. It combines cutting-edge design with powerful performance, all while maintaining a level of durability and usability that’s crucial for a device that folds.
Whether you’re a tech enthusiast, a productivity powerhouse, or just someone looking for a unique smartphone experience, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is an impressive device that showcases the future of foldables. With a sleek design, beautiful displays, and powerful features, it’s clear that Samsung is continuing to push the boundaries of what foldable smartphones can do.
For anyone interested in the next evolution of smartphones, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is definitely worth considering.