Samsung launches Galaxy Z Flip5 and Z Fold5 to new ways of flexibility

Note: This article was first published on 26th July 2023.

Samsung today (26 July 2023) announced the launch of its 2023 generation of premium flagship smartphones, the clamshell-styled Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 and the book-style Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5.

Both foldable Android smartphones see several vital tweaks to the device’s form and function, bringing on board improvements based on past user feedback and demands for more flexibility, versatility, and durability as foldables become mainstream mobile choices.

Samsung uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy chipset for both the Z Flip5 and Z Fold5. The mobile chipset is a custom-made version of the popular processor for premium flagship smartphones released in 2023. However, Galaxy Z Fold5 gets a 38% larger vapour chamber to keep up with its thermal management, especially for large-screen gaming needs.

Without further ado:

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 keeps to Samsung’s decision to make its Z Flip series the premier choice as a pocket-sized, stylish handset built entirely for self-expression.

The most significant change lies in its secondary display, where it’s no longer the tiny 1.9-inch Cover Screen its predecessors had. The new Galaxy Z Flip5 has a brand new Flex Window, a 3.4-inch Super AMOLED display rated at 60Hz, 720 x 748 pixels resolution, and an astounding 306 PPI. This is 3.78 times larger than the Galaxy Z Flip4’s secondary display. 

The size increase to Flex Window confers a host of secondary display benefits new to the Samsung foldable. Right out of the box, Flex Window has full QWERTY keyboard support for replying to messages and 13 Samsung-made widgets for an even more expansive view of your notifications. You can also use Samsung Labs (a feature under Settings) to convert third-party apps into Flex Window versions of the apps for added convenience and useability. 

The widgets also now come with Multi Widget View, where a pinch zoom on Flex Window shows you all your widgets at a glance.

Naturally, the Flex Window is highly customisable with animated wallpapers, Always-on Displays, and a host of informative or graphical clocks that can match other Galaxy devices and wearables like the Galaxy Watch6 series.

Flex Window also supports Samsung Wallet so that you can use the secondary display for digital payments, QR code access, boarding passes, digital keys, and membership cards stored on your device. 

Finally, there’s a new Media Control Playback feature for Flex Mode (upright usage), giving users full media controls at the tap of a button for their shows and videos.

The two cameras on the Galaxy Z Flip5 stayed at dual 12MP main and 12MP ultra-wide, with a 10MP shooter on the inside. The improvements primarily address their function, with FlexCam (hands-free shooting), Flex Mode photo editing, and Dual Preview all returning. 

Also returning are Super Steady, which gives more camera stabilisation when shooting on the go, and Auto Framing for automatic subject focusing in video calls and video recording. An improvement would be the phone’s Nightography (low-light shooting), now supported by up to 10x digital zoom, thanks to the enhancements made to its AI-based image signal processing.

Inside sits the same 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with 1 to 120Hz refresh rate at 2,640 x 1,080 pixels resolution in 22:9 aspect ratio. You’re also getting 8GB RAM, a 3,700mAh battery, with 25W fast charging. 

The Galaxy Z Flip5 comes in four default colours (Mint, Graphite, Cream, Lavender), with four more Samsung Exclusive colours if you choose to buy the device directly from the Korean brand (Gray, Blue, Green, and Yellow). 

Pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 begin on 26 July 2023, 7 PM, with its official retail date beginning on 11 August 2023 onwards. It starts at S$1,498 (256GB) and S$1,678 (512GB). 

For more details, please refer to our comprehensive pricing and availability article here. We have a closer look at the Galaxy Z Flip5 in our hands-on experience here. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 doubles down on productivity, but it also saw improvements to its design to help users enjoy a more portable book-style experience without compromising on the value its display real estate offers.

Galaxy Z Fold5 is the thinnest and lightest book-style foldable made by Samsung, with a 10g reduction in weight, and a 2.4mm reduction in overall thickness.

Despite the shrinkage, the new model still retains the same 4,400mAh battery capacity with 25W fast charging, with the same sizes for both displays (7.6-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Main Screen with 1-120Hz refresh rate, and 6.2-inch HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Cover Screen with 48-120Hz refresh rate).

Software improvements are primarily its multi-tasking features, with an improved Taskbar that supports up to four recent apps for quick switching. There’s also two-handed drag-and-drop now where you can use one finger in Samsung’s Gallery app, while using another finger to open Samsung Notes for drag-and-dropping images.

A new add-on is Hidden Pop-Up, which lets you run an app full-screen in the background (like a video), while the floating pop-up lets you take on messages on the side.

The optional and sold-separately S Pen Fold Edition is also more compact now, at 4.35mm instead of the predecessor’s 7.4mm S Pen. Like before, you can get a Slim S Pen Case for the Fold, so you can keep the stylus with the device.

Finally, the Main Screen is getting a 30% increase in peak brightness, now at 1,750 nits under bright sunlight.

Fold5 also gets the same Media Control Playback feature, allowing users to get media controls when propping up the phone for movie watching or song listening.

The book-style foldable kept the same camera combo as before, touting a 50MP main (Dual Pixel AF, OIS), 12MP ultra-wide, and 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 pre-orders begin in Singapore on 26 July 2023, 7 PM, with its official retail date on 11 August 2023 onwards. It’s available in Icy Blue, Phantom Black, and Cream, in 256GB (S$2,398) and 512GB (S$2,578) variants. The 1TB variant (S$2,938) is a Samsung Exclusive and comes only in either Blue or Gray.

For more details, please refer to our comprehensive pricing and availability article here. We also have a closer look at the phone's physicality in our hands-on experience here.

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