Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Evaluate: Our full, in-depth verdict

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is a giant enchancment on the Z Flip 4 with a bigger cowl show, improved efficiency and a gapless fold, however with elevated competitors in 2023, it’s not fairly as tempting an possibility because it as soon as was.

Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is now obtainable to pre-order at Samsung.

Introduction

As a fifth-generation foldable from Samsung, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 ought to ship the right clamshell expertise – however whereas it’s a big enchancment on the Flip 4, it doesn’t fairly do sufficient to compete with the elevated competitors in 2023.

Don’t get me fallacious; there’s loads to love in regards to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5. It’s a way more refined foldable, lastly ditching that annoying hole when closed, and it’s simply probably the most highly effective foldable with the customized Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset. 

The issue is that it has not gone fairly far sufficient to compete with different top-end foldables in 2023, just like the Motorola Razr 40 Extremely and Oppo Discover N2 Flip. Take the duvet show for instance; it’s gone from a diddy 1.9 inches to three.4 inches, however it’s restricted in comparison with the competitors. 

It additionally has the identical twin 12MP digital camera setup, the identical 3,700mAh battery and the identical 25W charging as its predecessor, which might’ve been acceptable in earlier years, however not in 2023 – and at an elevated £1049 within the UK. It’s barely rosier within the US, nonetheless, with the identical $999 price ticket as its predecessor.

Design

• No extra hole when folded
• Thinner and lighter
• Far more muted color choices

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 intently resembles the Z Flip 4, which in flip resembled the Z Flip 3, which… Okay, you get the purpose. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 isn’t a whole redesign of the flip telephone’s blueprint, however there are a number of notable variations on provide this time round.

Let’s begin with the obvious: no extra annoying triangular hole when folded. That’s attainable because of an improved teardrop hinge system that gives a close to gap-less fold and helps scale back the crease on the interior show – however extra about that in a bit. It makes an instantaneous distinction to the general feel and appear of the system, actually elevating it to premium standing. 

It has simply the correct amount of resistance too, permitting me to open the telephone one-handed whereas nonetheless being inflexible sufficient to remain half-folded with out snapping into an open or closed place. 

The telephone is extra compact, measuring 15.1mm when folded and 6.9mm unfolded, although that’s nonetheless just a little chunkier than even the thickest Candybar flagship. Regardless, it’s a ridiculously compact dimension for a telephone that packs a big flagship-quality 6.7-inch show. 

There’s additionally a a lot bigger cowl panel at 3.4 inches, however I’ll get into that in additional element later. 

The satin end of the rear panel has additionally been ditched, with the shiny rear of the Z Flip 3 making a comeback on the brand new mannequin. It definitely feels good and higher enhances the polished rims of the telephone, however it does imply it’s vulnerable to sliding off clean surfaces. 

The color choices, although nonetheless assorted with choices together with Mint, Pink, and Cream, are way more muted this time. The mint mannequin, which I used to be despatched for evaluation, is extremely delicate, and the tint utilized to the body is much more so. Nevertheless, I feel it seems to be extra premium and refined than the Razr 40 Extremely’s Viva Magenta end. 

Rumours had been swirling round forward of reveal that the Z Flip 5 may boast water and dirt resistance. Since mud is the number one enemy of foldables and their intricate hinge techniques, it’d undoubtedly be a game-changer. Nevertheless, that’s sadly not the case, with the Z Flip 5 sporting the identical (nonetheless spectacular) IPX8 water resistance as its predecessor. 

The Z Flip 5 can also be a fairly environmentally pleasant product – so far as telephones go. It’s partly constructed from plastics from recycled fishing nets, and the cardboard field that the Z Flip 5 is available in is 100% recyclable with 0 single-use plastic, permitting you to eliminate the packaging responsibly.  

Display

• Massive 3.4-inch cowl show
• Not as useful because the Razr 40’s cowl show
• Foldable 6.7-inch show feels extra sturdy

Design tweaks apart, the principle new function of the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is its giant exterior show. Measuring in at 3.4 inches and resembling an upside-down folder, it’s simply shy of the three.6-inch possibility from the Razr 40 Extremely. It’s an enormous enchancment from the 1.9 inches of the Z Flip 4, altering from a small show for notifications to one thing fully extra helpful. 

In fact, it’s all about performance, and the Z Flip 5 comes ready. Samsung has designed a bunch of canopy display screen widgets starting from climate to current contacts, calendar, shares, now taking part in and extra, all accessible by swiping left and proper from the principle panel.

It’s not simply widgets although; notification fast reply assist lets you reply to incoming messages by way of the complete QWERTY keyboard rapidly, you possibly can reply calls on speaker and even use the show as a full-size digital camera viewfinder to permit your topics to excellent their poses earlier than you seize the second. 

The issue is it doesn’t go far sufficient by way of software program assist. Take apps, for instance; you possibly can run a choose few apps on the duvet display screen, together with Messages, WhatsApp, Netflix and Google Maps, however even enabling that possibility requires you to delve deep into the telephone’s Settings menu. 

It’s severely limiting in comparison with the Razr 40 Extremely and its means to run any app you want on the duvet show, offering entry to music apps, good dwelling controls and the rest you’d like with out having to unfold the telephone. That’s not the case right here.

There are additionally minor points with the duvet show software program, like the very fact you possibly can’t customise the short setting toggles (making the very fact it doesn’t embrace DND much more annoying), and you’ll’t entry Bluetooth or Wi-Fi settings from the duvet show both.

It’s an odd one, then; whereas the {hardware} is strikingly much like the Motorola Razr 40, it’s hamstrung by irritating software program restrictions that cease it from offering the very best expertise attainable.  

Open the flip telephone and also you’ll discover a acquainted 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X show with an FHD+ (2640 x 1080) decision and a dynamic 120Hz refresh charge. It’s simply as vibrant, vivid and clean as its predecessor, significantly noticeable when watching HDR content material from the likes of Netflix. It’s a beautiful panel that’ll serve you effectively whether or not you’re scrolling via TikTok, taking part in video games or binging a sequence on Netflix.

In fact, that was by no means the problem with the Z Flip; it was all the time the crease that allow the show expertise down a bit. Whereas the improved hinge mechanism has lowered the interior crease of the Flip 5, it’s nonetheless noticeable when wanting on the show off-angle, neither is it fairly as shallow as choices from Oppo and Motorola. 

If there’s one space the place the Z Flip 5 excels, it’s the sensation of the plastic foldable show. The foldable nature of versatile shows means producers can’t use customary glass, as a substitute counting on a plastic end to guard the interior show.

This can lead to a comparatively tender, mushy feeling when tapping and swiping on the display screen, however that’s not the case with the Z Flip 5. From the second I began utilizing it, I seen how agency the show felt below my finger as I poked and swiped round. It’s nonetheless not as stable as actual glass, however it’s a big enchancment over what I’ve seen earlier than. 

Cameras

• Twin 12MP cameras are succesful in well-lit environments
• Low-light photos look just a little tender
• 4K@60fps with EIS

In contrast to the duvet show, the dual digital camera setup hasn’t had a considerable improve this 12 months, sporting the identical 12MP main and 12MP ultrawide lenses because the Z Flip 4. Samsung claims that the first lens is now much less vulnerable to lens flare, however other than that, these are an identical sensors and, as such, the picture high quality could be very a lot in-line with that of the year-old foldable. 

The first 12MP snapper is able to well-lit out of doors eventualities, with loads of element regardless of the shortage of pixel-binning tech. The colors are vivid and vibrant, nearly unnaturally so, although that’s a trademark of virtually each Samsung telephone – they usually look nice on the telephone’s AMOLED show. 

Nevertheless, there’s some work to be finished with the telephone’s HDR processing, with an over-processed and shadow-heavy look on photos with a very huge dynamic vary. 

Photographs taken from the ultrawide sensor are simply as tantalisingly vivid as these from the first sensor, with an almost an identical color palette making certain that colors don’t differ wildly between the 2 lenses. The 123-degree discipline of view is ideal for expansive photographs and lacks distortion generally current on ultrawide lenses. 

It’s a barely completely different story as soon as gentle ranges drop, nonetheless. The first sensor does an admirable job sucking in as a lot gentle as attainable with its f/1.8 aperture. Nonetheless, with no high-resolution digital camera and binning obtainable, photos lack the extent of element present in daytime photographs. 

It’s additionally behind what’s produced by the Razr 40 Extremely and it’s 50MP f/1.5 main lens in low gentle, with extra element and higher lighting than Samsung’s possibility.

The low-light efficiency takes an additional downturn on the subject of the ultrawide sensor and its f/2.2 aperture, with photos wanting reasonably darkish and muddy, however that’s comparatively widespread amongst ultrawide sensors.

The selfie digital camera inside the foldable show has had a downgrade from 12MP to 10MP this 12 months. It’s okay for video calls, however it lacks the element and vibrant colors you’ll discover from the snappers on the lid of the system. Nevertheless, I’d argue that it’s not that necessary with the first lenses available for selfies. 

Video caps out at 4K@60fps with picture stabilisation that may simply clean out shakiness from strolling and holding a digital camera one-handed. It’s nice for capturing these particular moments, although I’ve seen it’s extra centered on horizontal stabilisation, with a slight jitter if I pan up or down because the telephone fights in opposition to my actions and tries to maintain the horizon regular. 

High quality apart, it’s the foldable nature of the telephone that makes it such a deal with to shoot on; you possibly can fold the telephone half open and put it down on a flat floor for a makeshift tripod, now with a full preview of the digital camera on the duvet display screen to assist excellent your pose. You’ve additionally bought gesture assist to remotely activate the shutter when you’re prepared, and you’ll maintain it like an old-school video digital camera for recording steady video too. 

Efficiency

• Strongest clamshell available on the market
• 256- or 512GB of storage
• First rate audio efficiency with Dolby Atmos assist

If there’s one factor I can confidently say in regards to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, it’s that it’s probably the most highly effective flip telephone round for the time being. That’s as a result of, just like the flagship Galaxy S23 sequence, the Z Flip 5 sports activities Qualcomm’s customized Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset unique to Samsung gadgets. 

In comparison with the common 8 Gen 2 discovered on flagships just like the OnePlus 11, the Samsung-exclusive variant boasts greater CPU clock speeds and a further GPU core to squeeze probably the most out of the chipset, and it’s secure to say that’s evident in real-world use. 

That’s paired with 8GB of quicker LPDDR5X RAM and both 256- or 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage, with the 128GB entry-level mannequin from final 12 months seemingly going the best way of the Dodo. There is no such thing as a microSD card slot, nonetheless, so be sure to’re getting the correct amount of storage to your wants. 

This telephone is fast typically use, immediately loading apps, swiping via screens and working power-intense AAA video games like Genshin Influence with out even a touch of lag. It does get heat over longer durations of play, which can make it much less suited to devoted cell players, however for most individuals, it ought to greater than suffice. 

It’s additionally a real benchmark beater, with chart-topping leads to the CPU and GPU departments in comparison with different foldables and flagship smartphones. This stage of energy is way of a muchness proper now, however it ought to permit the telephone to remain on the prime of its recreation for the subsequent few years. 

Audio efficiency can also be unexpectedly robust with a stereo setup that delivers first rate spatial audio when watching Netflix on the audio system, and it’s additionally lots loud regardless of its pocketable dimensions. 

It’s not sufficient to ditch your Bluetooth speaker or high-end headphones, however it’s a serviceable choice to take heed to music whereas studying or cooking. You’ve additionally bought Dolby Atmos assist for headphones that additional enhance the immersion when utilizing a pair of cans. 

Software program

• Android 13 with OneUI 5.1
• Loads of pre-installed Samsung-branded apps
• Longest software program promise for a foldable

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 runs Android 13 with Samsung’s OneUI 5.1 pores and skin utilized on prime. It’s not precisely what I’d describe as inventory Android – in reality, it’s fairly removed from it – however the UI is usually simple to make use of for those who’re accustomed to the Android OS. 

My large hang-up with OneUI is the sheer variety of pre-installed Samsung-branded apps, with some changing the Google equivalents that almost all of us are used to. 

Google Assistant turns into Bixby, Google Pockets turns into Samsung Pockets, Google Chrome turns into Samsung Web, and even Google Autofill has been swapped out with Samsung Go. Most of those may be reverted to Google variants – aside from Bixby, a lot to my chagrin – however it takes a little bit of effort and time. That’s to not point out a wholly separate app retailer for Samsung-branded app updates. 

A bunch of Microsoft apps come pre-installed, persevering with Samsung’s long-time partnership with the PC model, and options like Home windows Hyperlink to PC are baked straight into the OS. That’s nice for those who’re already within the Microsoft ecosystem, however for many Google customers, it’s simply extra bloatware that must be deleted. 

It’s not all unhealthy although; there are additionally options unique to Samsung gadgets like Modes and Routines. This acts equally to Focus Modes on iOS, permitting you to set particular modes for sleep, work, enjoyable and extra with completely different wallpapers, dwelling display screen layouts, notification settings and extra relying on what you’re doing. 

There are additionally a bunch of Samsung-designed widgets, together with Sensible Recommendations that use AI to offer shortcuts to apps you’re doubtless to make use of at that second in time. In fact, the telephone additionally performs exceptionally effectively with any Samsung-branded equipment and merchandise.

The benefit of the Z Flip 5’s software program is that it’ll preserve enhancing, with Samsung committing to 5 years of bi-monthly safety patches and 4 OS upgrades, the longest software program assist for any foldable proper now. 

Battery life

• Identical 3,700mAh battery as its predecessor
• Nearly an all-day system
• Full cost in an hour

Battery life has by no means been a powerful swimsuit for Samsung’s flip telephones, with earlier generations struggling to final a complete day while not having a cheeky top-up. I hoped that might lastly change with the Z Flip 5 – the Oppo Discover N2 Flip and Razr 40 Extremely can get to the top of the day with a little bit of cost to spare – however sadly, I’ve not discovered that to be the case.

That’s primarily as a result of the Z Flip 5 sports activities the identical comparatively small 3700mAh battery as its predecessor did, although with a a lot bigger exterior show to energy this time round.

With that mentioned, I’ve made it to the top of the day with just a little cost left within the tank, however not that a lot – and I’m not precisely what I’d classify as an influence person. 

Sooner or later, I took the telephone off cost at 11am, used it to snap a number of images, scroll on TikTok for some time, test Instagram and ship a number of WhatsApps, and by 11pm, I used to be down to fifteen%. General, that equated to simply 3 hours of display screen time. 

It wasn’t only a one-off both; on one other day, I took the telephone off cost at 12pm, used it via the day (together with an hour of Netflix and half-hour of gaming, once more equating to simply over 3 hours of display screen time) and by 11pm, it was down to simply 5%. 

That’s backed up by benchmarks too, with an hour of Netflix playback draining 10% battery, whereas half-hour of sunshine gaming noticed an 8% drain. That mentioned, the Z Flip 5 received’t be the foldable to rid you of your battery anxiousness. If something, it’d make it worse. 

25W charging permits for a ‘quick’ charging expertise, although it’s not precisely fast by flagship smartphone requirements, and also you’ll must supply it your self with no brick within the field. 

Granted, it achieved 50% in 26 minutes and a full cost in 62 minutes in testing utilizing a spare 30W charger I had helpful, however that’s nonetheless just a little sluggish in comparison with common flagship smartphones. 

Newest offers

Pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is now obtainable to pre-order at Samsung.