For nearly a year, I have used the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 and Galaxy Z Flip4 during work trips. The two devices didn’t fail me. At the same time, I wanted to see more from both devices. So the first device I’ve unpacked this year is the Galaxy Z Flip5, which now offers a transformative experience. These are just my first impressions of the phone since it has only been a few days.
The first thing you notice is a giant new cover screen. It’s a lot bigger than the one on the Galaxy Z Flip4, which means there’s a lot more that you can do with it. The 3.4-inch Flex Window is compact and eye-catching from every angle. It seems like Samsung designed the front screen with widgets in mind, so there are plenty of helpful widgets, like for weather, alarms, calendar, your steps… a lot of the things that you would expect and, at the same time, run apps on the cover screen.
You may say that Moto Razr 40 Ultra also allows you to do a lot on the cover screen. Kind of but we will get into that in our full review of the Galaxy Z Flip5.
What Samsung is trying to do is make the experience appear curated by offering some of the best apps on the cover screen. I have been using it a lot for messages, Google Maps and YouTube. Here’s the deal, the apps are well optimized for the cover screen unlike on the rival device. Moving from the inner screen to the outer while watching a YouTube video is a joy. There is also the option to watch Netflix and use WhatsApp on the cover screen.
And I enjoy texting with the device closed because it’s small and comfortable and it fits nicely in the hand.
Everybody wants to know about the hinge and the crease. When you open the phone you still get the same 6.7-inch gorgeous screen on the inside just like on last year’s device and yes there is slight crease, which is barely noticeable after five minutes of usage. When the device is closed there’s no gap because Samsung has a new hinge mechanism and it makes the Z Flip5 feel more compact and it’s generally just better. I feel the Z flip 5 is sturdier than before. Samsung says the new hinge should help with durability.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 comes with a massive outer screen.
To ensure durability, there is an armor aluminium frame, flex hinge and water resistance (IPX8). Yes, you can dunk it in water without fear.
The phone is running on Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 and Qualcomm’s image signal processor contained within should help out with photo and video quality. It’s the same chip as the Galaxy S23 series, which means we should be seeing a longer battery life.
Galaxy Z Flip5 is equipped with a 10MP front camera with a wider angle than Galaxy Z Flip4. On the other side, it features a 12MP ultra-wide Camera and 12MP wide camera. The bigger improvement is having Super Clear Lens and on the software side — like adaptive VDIS — there are changes to deliver crisp and colourful photos, selfies and videos. Lens flare appears to have reduced.
The inside screen has enough software chops to make life easy
The idea behind the Flip this year is that you shouldn’t need to open it nearly as often because of the bigger cover screen or Flex Window. Given the size of the screen, Samsung can keep adding widgets to make the phone appear meaningful.
The Galaxy Flip5 can mark a new phase when it comes to the way we use smartphones — you can stop doomscrolling.