Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: Release Date, Price, Specs, Rumors, & More
The smartphone wars have dominated the tech world for years, but they certainly aren't about to let up. Currently, tech titans such as Apple, Samsung, Motorola, and Google are fighting for consumer dollars. As customers become more discerning, it takes even more effort to attract attention.
While screens continue to get bigger and cameras capture even more pixels, the most interesting innovations can be found in the foldable screen arena. Samsung’s Galaxy Fold lineup was the first to break onto the scene in a big way in North America — and now, Google’s Pixel Fold is poised to give it some stiff competition.
How does Samsung’s latest Galaxy Z Fold 5 measure up to the competition from Google and its older, more affordable selection of Fold phones? We’ve compiled everything you need to know about this exciting new Android phone release from Samsung.
Release Date
Pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 hit online retailers like Amazon in late July, giving foldable phone fans something to look forward to as autumn approaches. As is tradition with Samsung phone releases, those who completed the pre-order process didn’t have to wait long before their newest device was in their hands. The official release date? August 11th.
Price
Samsung’s annual Galaxy Unpacked event is a summer staple. This July, the smartphone behemoth unveiled the much anticipated Galaxy Z Fold 5. Samsung raised a few eyebrows by unveiling the price for their newest foldable phone: $1,799 for the 256GB base model. This MSRP matches that of the previous generation’s Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. Consumers with more cash to spend can bump up to the 512 GB version for $1919 — or shell out $2159 for the storage upgrade provided by the 1 TB model.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Specs
The most interesting development for the Galaxy Z Fold 5? Its shocking similarity to its previous generation sibling —the Galaxy Z Fold 4. At first glance, these phones appear to be nearly identical, but a few key improvements by Samsung may be enough to justify an upgrade for the truly devoted foldable phone fanatics.
Key Features
Prior versions of the Z Fold presented a major conundrum: a notable gap arrived whenever the screen was closed. Samsung remedied this with a new hinge, which, while incapable of eliminating the gap entirely, does make it almost nonexistent. Is it perfect? No. Is it greatly improved over previous designs? Absolutely.
Display
Samsung took the “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” approach to the screens inside and outside the Galaxy Z Fold 5. The outer display remains a satisfyingly sharp 6.2-inch dynamic AMOLED screen. The inner screen’s tablet-style 7.6-inch AMOLED display was also brought over from the Z Fold 4.
No changes to refresh rate, nits, or peak brightness can be expected. As such, owners of the Z Fold 4 won’t be able to find any discernible difference between their devices and the new Z Fold 5. One slightly improved element? These displays are able to take plenty of abuse and stand up to punishment thanks to Gorilla Glass Victus 2 cover screens.
Performance
Samsung is banking on a Galaxy-exclusive version of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU to entice tech enthusiasts into giving the Galaxy Z Fold 5 a look. The Galaxy S23 Ultra and its siblings were the first Samsung phones to feature this exclusive chip. It goes a long way toward boosting the overall performance of these phones, despite the physical specs being so similar to last year's offerings.
Camera
While the Z Fold 5 features the same selfie and main cameras as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, early hands-on reviews indicate that photos taken on the newer device look slightly better. Chalk this up to improved Android 13 software. Still, some users won’t find the very minor improvements noticeable.
Battery
The greatest smartphone in the world isn’t worth much if the battery quickly dies. Consumers may wonder, then, why Samsung elected to release a new phone with the same sized battery as the one they put out just a year earlier.
While it’s true that the Z Fold 5 sports the same 4,400 mAh battery as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, improvements to battery life have still been made. This is thanks to the new Galaxy-exclusive version of the previously mentioned Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset.
The CPU is more efficient, which results in a longer battery life of nearly two hours per charge. What's more, 15W wireless charging is provided.
Software
Android 13 powers every new phone in Samsung’s Galaxy of devices. This includes the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and many S23 models. It’s a tried-and-true OS that’s a welcomed alternative to Apple’s iPhone and the iOS ecosystem. As usual, Samsung packs every new phone with a variety of proprietary software, some of which can be useful, while others are simply bloatware.
Design
Another key difference that makes the Z Fold 5 unique from its siblings is the slimmer overall design. It’s thinner than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, as well as lighter, and the improved hinge design allows it to fold up easier and makes it a better phone to carry around in a pocket or bag.
Colors
Phone colors have become fairly conservative and bland in recent years, and sadly, Samsung is doing little to change that reputation. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is available in five different colors: cream, icy blue, phantom black, blue, and gray. Thankfully, custom skins and wraps can instantly amp up the phone's appearance.
Comparison with Previous Models
As we’ve discussed, it’s a bit of a letdown that the latest version of the Galaxy Z Fold is so similar to the previous generation model. It’s no wonder Samsung didn’t dare raise the price for the Z Fold 5. Yes, the Galaxy-exclusive Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset allows for slightly improved battery life — and the phone is about 10 grams lighter than the Z Fold 4.
Are these incremental improvements enough to warrant a purchase for those who already own a Z Fold 4? Decidedly not. Still, the much-improved build quality of the phone — along with the new hinge and sleeker design — just may give Galaxy fans a reason to upgrade.
Community and Expert Expectations
Tech enthusiasts have realistic expectations when it comes to the nature of new smartphones in 2023. There are no more revolutions — just evolutions of well-worn designs and trends that get ever-so-slightly better from year to year. That’s exactly what Galaxy fans were expecting from the Z Fold 5, so it’s fair to say expectations were met.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are several pressing questions that foldable phone fans may have, with several answered below:
Should I buy the Samsung Fold 4 or wait for 5?
Given the identical price points for both the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and 5, there really is no reason to purchase the previous generation model. The Z Fold 5’s improved design and enhanced battery life put it over the top.
Will the Z Fold 5 fold flat?
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 looks fantastic when folded flat, thanks to the gorgeous AMOLED main display. However, it won’t lay completely flat on a table or other hard surfaces due to the protruding rear cameras on the backside. This shouldn’t be an issue for most users.
Does the Galaxy Fold 5 come with a pen?
Unfortunately, the $1,799 base price consumers will pay for a Galaxy Z Fold 5 won’t get them a pen. It’s disappointing that Samsung didn’t include the S Pen stylus for multitasking.
Does Fold 5 have an SD card slot?
There are no expandable storage slots to be found on the Fold 5, but Samsung is more than happy to add more subscribers to their Samsung Cloud storage plans.
So, Should You Buy a Galaxy Z Fold 5?
It’s hard to look into the future and see where Samsung could potentially innovate further with the Z Fold lineup. This means smartphone shoppers can rest easy, knowing that the phone they buy today won’t become irrelevant tomorrow. For those who simply must have the latest and greatest, cashing in that “old” Z Fold 4 via a trade-in just might be the way to go.
Whether you ultimately invest in the Galaxy Z Fold 5 or another advanced smartphone, you can rest assured, knowing that your wrap or skin from MightySkins will provide valuable protection. Check out our many attractive options or create your own.