Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 evaluate: The final flip telephone

Galaxy Z Flip 5 is the fourth iteration of the flip phone-style handset from Samsung (the South Korean agency skipped from Galaxy Z Flip straight to Galaxy Z Flip 3 to maintain the numbers aligned with the extra mature Galaxy Z Fold sequence). In that brief time – the primary mannequin solely launched again February 2020 – Samsung has actually managed to good its system.

Since final yr, Samsung has dramatically elevated the scale of the exterior Cover Screen (now generally known as the Flex Window), switched out the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 for the quicker and extra environment friendly Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 For Galaxy processor (that is the identical mannequin that we praised in our Galaxy S23 Ultra evaluate), and redesigned the hinge mechanism for a slimmer profile when the telephone is closed.

It’s a deceptively small record of modifications, however do not underestimate the impression a few of these tweaks have on the expertise of utilizing the Galaxy Z Flip 5. Our in-depth evaluate beneath has every part you should know…

Since the launch of the Galaxy Z Flip sequence, it is the beneficiant 6.7-inch AMOLED display screen that folds in half to shrink the scale of the handset that is been the star of the present. But that is not the case this time round.

Of course, the 6.7-inch foldable display screen – with a 120Hz refresh-rate for silky-smooth system animations – stays on the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and it nonetheless provides a surprising strategy to binge boxsets on Disney+, run a number of apps side-by-side, and play the most recent cellular video games. As we would count on from Samsung, the AMOLED show appears chic, with cavernous shades of black and vibrant colors that makes your content material actually pop on-screen. The refresh-rate is adaptive, which must be kinder in your battery life too.

But it is the brand new 3.4-inch display screen on the surface of the Galaxy Z Flip 5 that really transforms the expertise of utilizing this foldable each day.

Unlike earlier iterations of the Galaxy Z Flip sequence, which had small slithers of display screen on the surface – dubbed the Cover Screen – to shortly look at notifications, the present time and knowledge, and some different tidbits …the so-called Flex Window on the Galaxy Z Flip 5 provides a extra full expertise. You can scroll via your entire latest notifications and faucet for extra info or ship fast replies, entry frequently-used settings like Aeroplane Mode and Torch, a full-sized QWERTY keyboard to answer to textual content messages, and interactive widgets for climate, health monitoring, shares, Spotify, and far more.

Samsung has used an always-on show for the exterior display screen, so you can verify the date, time, and icons for unread notifications with out waking up the Galaxy Z Flip 5. Unfortunately, it is solely a 60Hz refresh-rate, which is not a dealbreaker, however is noticeable since you’ll be continually switching between the Flex Window and the flagship 6.7-inch foldable AMOLED display screen.

With the bigger canvas on the surface of the Galaxy Z Flip 5, Samsung has taken the chance to neatly tie collectively its ecosystem of gadgets by matching the customisable background, font sorts, and clock face kinds out there on the Flex Window with the watch faces discovered on the Galaxy Watch. That means you’ll be able to apply the identical theme to each devices.

It’s a very nice contact and implies that Samsung’s household of Galaxy gadgets really feel apiece. That slick consideration to element is one thing we would normally affiliate with the designers from Samsung’s greatest rival in Cupertino.

At launch, there are 13 interactive widgets out there for the Flex Window on the Galaxy Z Flip 5, together with family names, like Spotify. The South Korean model says it is working with third-party builders to fine-tune their apps to reap the benefits of the distinctive form of the display screen and all the options out there, so fingers crossed, we must always see extra apps up to date within the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, Samsung enables you to add non-optimised apps to the Flex Window by digging into the Settings menu and allow the Labs toggle, however we would hope to see a extra refined expertise from the likes of WhatsApp with future updates.

During our time with the Galaxy Z Flip 5, we would continually use the exterior display screen – Google Calendar reminders would inform us to dial-in to our subsequent assembly, we would fire-off replies to Slack messages utilizing the QWERTY keyboard, we would scroll via notifications to evaluate whether or not there was something that required us to unfurl the principle show.

Whether we had been shortly pulling the Galaxy Z Flip 5 from our pocket or bag, or checking the display screen because the handset sat beside us on the desk or dinner desk, the three.4-inch display screen was at all times our go-to. When we did take the time to unfold the 6.7-inch AMOLED display screen, it was not as a result of we would be compelled to take action due to an incomplete expertise on the Cover Screen (as would ceaselessly occur with earlier iterations of the Galaxy Z Flip) however as a result of we wished to make use of that bigger canvas for an extended time frame.

Sure, which means we flipped open the Galaxy Z Flip 5 fewer occasions than its predecessor, however it at all times felt like extra of a deal with once we settled down right into a seat on the practice to play video games, write an extended electronic mail, scroll social media, binge an episode (or two) on Disney+, or run two apps in split-screen for some further productiveness on the attractive 6.7-inch AMOLED display screen.

It’s value noting that, as we bemoaned in our Galaxy Z Flip 4 evaluate, the crease within the folding display screen nonetheless stays. Most of the time, your fingertips will probably be restricted to the bottom-half of the display screen, so that you’re unlikely to note it, however once you do cross over the small indent – it is positively noticeable. Likewise, the crease is not significantly seen when trying straight on the display screen …but when gentle catches the fold otherwise you’re viewing the display screen barely off-axis, then once more, it may be a distraction.

While the foldable glass display screen is sort of an identical to Samsung’s final rodeo, the corporate has put lots of work into the hinge mechanism.

Samsung has diminished the hole within the hinge, making the Galaxy Z Flip 5 a little bit thinner than its predecessor – now simply 15.1mm when folded, in comparison with 17.1mm on the Flip 4 – and eradicating the tapered look of final era.

This compact design is ideal should you’re planning to maintain the handset in a small pocket, small bag, or jacket. When closed, the tighter hinge design has the good thing about decreasing the possibility of mud or lint gathering inside your telephone.

The hinge remains to be robust sufficient to assist the Galaxy Z Flip 5 in a wide range of totally different positions, together with unfolding the handset midway in order that it appears like a small laptop computer so you’ll be able to take group photographs with no tripod, watch YouTube movies or take video calls with out precariously leaning the telephone in opposition to one thing for assist.

There’s no change within the measurement of the battery this time round, with Samsung sticking to the identical 3,700mAh cell discovered contained in the Galaxy Z Flip 4. That stated, the newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset from US producer Qualcomm is best optimised and extra environment friendly, which ought to assist battery life …however there’s a a lot bigger exterior display screen (3.4-inch versus 1.9 inches on Flip 4) that must be powered this time round.

Thankfully, we had no points with battery life throughout our time with the Galaxy Z Flip 5. Perhaps it was our elevated use of the Flex Window for quick replies to incoming messages, triaging emails, and checking the climate earlier than dashing out of the home …however we simply made it via the day with out going close to a plug. If you resolve to unfold the Galaxy Z Flip 5 at each out there alternative and stream hours of video on 5G, you would possibly must pack a charger with you.

Samsung helps fast-charging with its Galaxy Z Flip 5, so you’ll be able to refill 50% of the battery in roughly 30-minutes. You’ll must carry your individual plug to reap the benefits of these 25W most charging speeds, as Galaxy Z Flip 5 solely arrives with a USB-C energy cable within the field as a part of the industry-wide push to scale back e-waste. It does assist speedy wi-fi charging although, so you can top-up the battery from charging pucks constructed into the tables of your favorite espresso store, practice carriage, or fast-food restaurant, which could be a actual lifesaver.

Finally, there’s additionally reverse-wireless charging too (dubbed Wireless PowerShare), albeit at a fairly sluggish 4.5W, which means you’ll be able to sap power from the built-in 3,700mAh battery cell to top-up different folks’s telephones or equipment, like wi-fi earbuds. It’s actually helpful in a pinch, however it’s not the form of function you may be counting on day-to-day.

As talked about above, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is powered by the most recent Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy. Despite the title, that is solely a slight tweak to the usual Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset from Qualcomm, so do not count on efficiency to be radically totally different from different Android handsets fuelled by the identical silicon.

However, it is nice to see the Galaxy Z Flip sequence on-par with the efficiency of the most recent Galaxy S telephones from Samsung. In our time with the Galaxy Z Flip 5, it dealt with every part we might throw at it – operating a number of apps side-by-side with no hiccup and immediately reloading our last-saved state when flipping on the 6.7-inch foldable display screen.

More importantly, this newer chipset implies that Samsung can ship 5 years of software program assist with its smartphones, so you’ll be able to count on new options and safety updates for years to return. When you are spending four-figures on a brand new telephone, that is precisely the form of longterm software program assist you should see – and it is nice to see Samsung providing such a dedication to customers.

Galaxy Z Flip 5 has precisely the identical digital camera {hardware} as its predecessor, so these searching for the most effective cellular images that Samsung provides would possibly need to check out the Galaxy S23 lineup as an alternative. Building a brand new smartphone is all about compromise, and Samsung has clearly determined to prioritise different components of the Galaxy Z Flip 5 over its cameras.

Of course, it is a little bit disappointing that nothing has moved on inside the final yr …however that is to not say the cameras on the Galaxy Z Flip 5 (and by extension, the Galaxy Z Flip 4) are unhealthy.

The dual-camera system boasts two 12MP sensors – one wide-angle, one ultra-wide – that allows all the regular tips you’d count on from a telephone at this worth level. Yes, which means you can shoot ultra-wide pictures, Portrait Mode photographs and movies with a lovely (and adjustable) bokeh-style blur, tremendous slow-motion video at 960 frames-per-second, and a AI-powered Scene Optimiser that implies the most effective settings for the topic within the viewfinder.

If that feels like an awesome quantity of selection, it appears Samsung agrees. As such, it is created a intelligent Single Take mode that shoots 14 several types of picture with a single press of the Shutter Button, leaving you to choose the most suitable choice later (whereas feeling quietly smug that you simply’re assured to by no means miss the only option).

Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS) is included to scale back wobble when taking photos in low-light.

There is a small 10MP selfie digital camera on the prime of the 6.7-inch AMOLED display screen, which is beneficial in a pinch for video calls, Snapchat filters, and day by day Be Real pictures …however that is about it. For any photos that you simply would possibly need to revisit sooner or later, you are higher off utilizing the dual-camera system. Thankfully, the three.4-inch Flex Window show means utilizing the rear-mounted digital camera for selfies is best than ever earlier than – with loads of display screen actual property to correctly line-up your pictures. Unlike different flagship telephones, you can use the top-tier ultra-wide digital camera for selfies too.

Samsung introduced its Galaxy Z Flip 5 at its Galaxy Unpacked keynote in Seoul, South Korea in July 2023. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 launched alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Watch6 and Watch6 Classic, and all-new Galaxy Tab S9 sequence worldwide on August 11, 2023.

With the arrival of the Galaxy Z Flip 5, Samsung elevated the price of its foldable telephones within the UK. Galaxy Z Flip 5 begins from £1,049 for the 256GB mannequin, rising to £1,149 for the 512GB variant. For comparability, Galaxy Z Flip 4 began from £999 when it was launched final summer season, though that mannequin did solely have 128GB of built-in storage.

Still, those that need probably the most reasonably priced mannequin within the new Galaxy Z Flip vary might want to spend £50 extra this time round. While there would possibly solely be two variants of the Galaxy Z Flip 5, Samsung greater than makes up for that with a dizzying selection of colors.

Its new foldable arrives in a selection of Mint, Graphite, Lavender, and Cream, in addition to Grey, Blue, Green, and Yellow when purchased solely from the Samsung Store.

There are lots of smartphones that come via our workplaces for evaluate, however it’s been some time since we have seen a response just like the Galaxy Z Flip 5.

There was a palpable A-List draw to this intelligent telephone because it sat on our desk, with each passerby compelled to touch upon the gorgeous pastel color, intelligent folding glass show, attractive interactive widgets on the exterior display screen, the power to assist itself when taking video calls, the record goes on…

That degree of consideration is smart, there’s one thing extremely charming about Galaxy Z Flip 5.

It’s been just a few years because the Galaxy Z Flip made its debut, however its intelligent design nonetheless impresses. However, with the Galaxy Z Flip 5, Samsung has efficiently refined that profitable system with the addition of the three.4-inch Flex Window, which dramatically modifications how you may use its foldable. In our time, we actually solely unfurled the 6.7-inch 120Hz foldable display screen once we needed to take pleasure in it – preserving the magic of this unbelievable celebration trick alive for even longer and likewise stopping us from losing 10-minutes doom-scrolling after unlocking our telephone to answer to a fast textual content.

If you are already invested in Samsung’s ecosystem of gadgets, the power to synchronise the looks of the Flex Window in your Galaxy Z Flip 5 with the watch face in your Galaxy Watch is a pleasant contact. Unsurprisingly, Samsung’s personal apps are the primary to be up to date to correctly reap the benefits of the Flex Window too, so you’ll be able to verify your progress in Samsung Health already (however may be ready a little bit longer for the groups at Fitbit to create one thing comparable for its customers).

Samsung’s redesigned hinge creates a svelte bundle when every part is folded away, which is beneficial for these with small pockets (or no pockets of their outfit). It says the design has been rated for 200,000 folds. That equates to opening (and shutting) your Galaxy Z flip 5 100x every day for over 5 years. Obviously, we’ve not been capable of check that principle in our time with the handset, so we’ll must take Samsung at its phrase (the South Korean firm has acquired third-party certification for the sturdiness of the folding display screen and hinge) however we’ll replace this evaluate if we hear in a different way.

Galaxy Z Flip 5 now boasts the identical processor discovered within the flagship Galaxy S23 sequence – good for many who fear that Samsung has sacrificed processing energy to accommodate the distinctive form-factor. It additionally implies that Samsung is dedicated to supporting the Galaxy Z Flip 5 with software program updates for the subsequent 5 years, so you will not miss out on an important safety replace for a while.

In reality, there’s just one space the place the Galaxy Z Flip sequence nonetheless falls behind the Galaxy S sequence – the digital camera. Yes, those that need to take the most effective photographs and movies attainable from Samsung {hardware} will nonetheless must look elsewhere …however that is to not say you may be disillusioned with the pictures from the Galaxy Z Flip 5.

Samsung nonetheless cranks-up the brightness and saturation from its cameras in comparison with the competitors. As such, blue skies and inexperienced fields are inclined to look significantly zingy. But let’s be trustworthy, that is what most of us do earlier than posting a photograph to social media anyway. The AI baked into the sensor is intelligent sufficient to maintain pores and skin tones trying pure. Samsung hasn’t fitted a telephoto lens, so you may sacrifice high quality as quickly as you begin to zoom to your pictures. Given the selection, most individuals will get extra use from the ultra-wide digital camera anyway …a choice that Apple has additionally made with its iPhone 14 sequence.

Galaxy Z Flip 5 is a bit more costly than its predecessor, however it does arrive with extra built-in storage. Samsung has a refreshed the colourways out there on its new foldable with a selection of a surprising Mint, easy Graphite, Cream, and its trademark Lavender.

If you’ve got been curious in regards to the Galaxy Z Flip sequence since its debut, that is the second to make the leap. The unbelievable foldable design is simply as jaw-dropping as that first-generation mannequin, however every part else about this distinctive flagship telephone has been tweaked and refined. As a outcome, that is probably the most full bundle each launched by Samsung. It’s an unbelievable achievement.