Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 – The best foldable device?

As with Samsung's Galaxy S series, the Z Flip and Z Fold have become an annual event with release schedules, on average, six months later. In 2023, the fifth generation of Samsung's foldable smartphones will be released in two forms: the Galaxy Z Fold5 and the Galaxy Z Flip5. Although it's technically in its fourth iteration, as with all previous models, we got our hands on the latest Flip smartphone.

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At first glance, it's not always easy to tell if there have been many, if any, improvements over the previous year's version. For the most part, the Flip5 looks a lot like its predecessor, the Flip4. However, Samsung has highlighted one main feature, more than any other improvement from one year to the next: the new hinge. But is it enough to warrant an upgrade from the previous model?

Construction and design

There's no escaping the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5's impressive new claim to fame. Its hinge is a real spectacle. After unboxing the device and immediately setting it up with all the Google and Samsung IDs, I started testing the hinge – trying to figure out how it works. Once I understand how it works, I am no less impressed by the sophistication with which it has been designed and mass-produced in such a small space to make it impactful. It's not a completely flush closure of the two halves of the smartphone, but it comes very close and quickly conveys what the brand claims to have achieved.

Beyond this design improvement, Samsung has also made some additional changes on the design front. These include a much larger exterior screen. The screen size has almost doubled in inches, from 1.9 to 3.4 inches. This results in a screen almost four times larger, with a resolution of 720x748px, compared to 260x512px previously. This is another important change in the Flip series, making it easier to use the device on the secondary screen without having to flip it. That said, I often only used this option to read notifications and switch between songs using YouTube music, which was nicely integrated with the changes.

The specifications of the rest of the device are virtually identical to its predecessor. When it comes to dimensions, there is only a 0.1mm difference between the three dimensions and the same weight of 187g. All of this is even more impressive when you consider that the screen is larger and the hinge has been improved, giving more flexibility and robustness to the build quality.

Even though there are only two main changes to the design, they are quite significant. It added more value, functionality and longevity to the device than previous editions.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 specifications

There are many more similarities than differences between the two generations of the Galaxy Z Flip. However, with the Z Flip5, Samsung added a newer Qualcomm chip to improve its performance. It is equipped with the Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, which has an octa-core processor. This includes x1 Cortex-X3 at 3.36 GHz, x2 Cortex-A715 at 2.8 GHz, x2 Cortex-A710 at 2.8 GHz and x3 Cortex-A510 at 2.0 GHz.

However, when it comes to other hardware specifications, they are virtually identical to its predecessor. The main screen is the same, with Samsung only increasing the brightness on the Flip5, while the main camera and battery are identical.

There have been a few changes to connectivity options, including improved Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. This is also due to Qualcomm's new SoC. To some, these are insignificant changes, but they do impact internet speeds and connectivity with modern devices via Bluetooth.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 performance and battery life

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 performs much better than its predecessor for daily use. This is mainly due to its new SoC and improved CPU performance and efficiency. These performance gains are felt in the speed of response, more lively animations (although partly due to the Android version update) and even overall battery life.

However, the biggest change is the addition of a larger secondary screen. At first I didn't pay attention to it, as previous models used it mainly for quick notifications. However, with a larger screen, you can now read and reply to messages using this screen, which is handy when you don't want to have to unfold it, unlock it and start your reply. These few seconds saved accumulate over time.

Additionally, Samsung has added some new widgets for the secondary screen. A set of default widgets is already loaded and, like the home screen of any smartphone, you can customize it by adding and/or removing them. For the most part, aside from reading and replying to messages, I used the YouTube widget to listen to music. The app and many other widgets were much better integrated, which makes me curious why they didn't get the same attention on conventional phones.

When it comes to battery life, the Flip5 improves slightly over the Flip4. However, it is still 200 mAh lower than the base Galaxy S23 and 1,000 mAh lower than the S23 Plus. Although it is possible to last all day on a single charge, it is often difficult to achieve this if you have not fully charged the device before leaving the house in the morning. The size and thickness of the Flip5 impacted battery size and overall performance, which is one of the main drawbacks of foldable smartphones.

Another aspect that worries many potential buyers is folding. It's true that it has improved every year since its first iteration, but it hasn't completely disappeared. Thanks to the latest hinge technology, the screen doesn't fold completely flat, despite that appearance. Instead, the outer shell folds flat while the screen inside is pushed back out of sight, helping to reduce pressure on the screen when folded. This makes a noticeable difference in crease visibility at the end of the day, which is a huge step forward for Samsung. The problem is not yet completely resolved, but we can easily expect further improvements as the technology evolves.

Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 worth it?

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 features two major changes compared to its predecessor: the larger secondary screen and the gapless hinge. These two elements significantly change the use of the foldable smartphone, making it aesthetically pleasing and easier to use.

There are a few other changes from year to year, and aside from the new Qualcomm SoC added, it feels like Samsung's designers spent most of their time improving the hinge. Although it's a small change, it would have been nice to add a better camera to the equation. If you're buying a foldable smartphone for the first time, this won't add much to your decision, but if you're looking for an upgrade, is it enough? Don't get me wrong, I still like the Flip5, and it's still getting used to the standard smartphone after a month-long trial period, which shows the impact it has on how you use your smartphone.