11.09.2023 
The market for good quality foldable smartphones has become more competitive than ever, with people getting all kinds of options, including at prices that are more affordable than ever. This is a positive trend, and I hope it continues. This year’s Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 brings some interesting novelties, like a much larger cover screen and a different hinge design. But are they enough to make you want to buy the Galaxy Z Flip5? Read this review and find out:
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5: Who is it good for?
This smartphone is a good choice for:
- Those who appreciate its pocketability and foldable design
- People who are interested in fashionable devices that stand out
- Users who want new ways to take pictures and videos
- Those looking for a smartphone with excellent performance
Pros and cons
The best things about the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 are:
- Flexible design that looks good
- Excellent cover screen, which allows for new ways of using the phone
- Outstanding long-term software support
- Top-notch performance
- IPX8-certified water resistance
There are some downsides to consider as well:
- Slow “fast” charging
- No telephoto lens, optical image stabilization only on the main camera
- Incompatible with Samsung Dex
Verdict
The Galaxy Z Flip line-up is steadily evolving from one generation to the next, and the Flip5 makes no exception to this rule. While the new model doesn’t change many things over its predecessor, it does improve in some key areas, which make it a better phone and keep it competitive in a market that’s getting busier. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 is one of the best phones in the foldable market, and if you want to make the jump, you’ll get the most fine-tuned experience available today. If you’re willing to try a new way of using a smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 is the device for you.
Unboxing the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5
Just like its predecessor and most other Samsung smartphones these days, Galaxy Z Flip5 comes in a simple black box made of recycled cardboard. You see a picture of the device and its name on the top cover. There’s little information on the sides of the box, except for details like the model number, IMEI code, and your phone’s serial number.
The box for Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5
Open the box, and you see the Galaxy Z Flip5 packaged in a protective coating and another smaller cardboard box with the Samsung logo printed on it.
When you unpack everything, you find the following items: the Galaxy Z Flip5, its USB-Type C cable, the tool for ejecting the SIM card, the quick start guide, the warranty, and other leaflets. Unfortunately, there’s no charger bundled with this phone, and neither is a protective case.
Everything you find inside the box
Samsung’s use of recycled materials for packaging is to be appreciated. While the company’s approach is practical and the packaging looks good, the unboxing experience is underwhelming, as you don’t find a charger or other accessories inside the box.
Design and build quality
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 is a relatively ambitious upgrade over its predecessor. While its general design has remained the same, the cover screen has been thoroughly extended from 1.9 inches on the Flip4 to 3.4 inches and is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The positioning of the rear camera system has also been changed from vertical to horizontal.
The hinge is different on the Flip5
The folding mechanism was also changed, and it is now gapless. Many people will like this, even though it doesn’t necessarily help increase the durability of the folding screen. However, the new armor aluminum frame has increased drop and scratch resistance, and the Flip5 is IPX8-certified for water resistance. This means the device can be submerged in 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes.
The new folding mechanism also makes the phone thinner by 2 mm compared to its predecessor. When folded, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 is 85.1 x 71.9 x 15.1 mm or 3.35 x 2.83 x 0.59 inches in size.
The gap is gone!
When unfolded, the Flip5 is 165.1 x 71.9 x 6.9 mm or 6.5 x 2.83 x 0.27 inches in size. It also weighs just 187 grams or 6.60 oz. As you can see in the picture below, the back cover (the one without a screen) can come in different colors, and it is also protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
The back is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 is available in the following colors: Mint, Graphite, Lavender, and Cream. You can see them pictured below. There are also some Samsung-exclusive colors, which you can get only when purchasing the phone from their website: Gray, Blue, Green, and Yellow.
The color versions for Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5
The bottom of the Galaxy Z Flip5 holds the USB-Type C port, the primary speaker, and two microphones. On the top, you find a third microphone. One small annoyance visible in the picture below is that the phone gathers dust and dirt quite easily between the rear cameras. Put it in your pocket and take it out a couple of times, and you’ll notice the dirt. This means you have to clean the device regularly.
Dirt quickly gathers between the cameras
You have the Power button and the Volume rocker on the right side of the phone. The Power button doubles as a fingerprint reader, and it’s useful when you want to unlock the Galaxy Z Flip5 as fast as possible.
I like to flip this phone 🙂
On the left side, you will find only the SIM tray. The phone offers dual SIM connectivity, but the second SIM must be an eSIM. Unfortunately, you don’t get a microSD card slot and can’t extend the available storage space.
On the left side, you find the SIM tray
When you unfold the phone, you notice the earpiece, which acts as a stereo speaker on the top of the screen. There’s also a small perforation at the top, right under the earpiece, where you find the selfie camera.
Notice the selfie camera at the top
I like how the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 looks and how it feels when you hold it in your hands. Its form factor makes it easy to use with one hand, and its pocketability is great.
Hardware specifications
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 packs all the latest flagship hardware: it has an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen2 for Galaxy processor and an Adreno 740 graphics chip, as well as 8 GB of RAM and 256 or 512 GB of storage space for the firmware. The 3.4-inch cover display uses a Super AMOLED panel with a resolution of 720 x 748 pixels, a 60 Hz refresh rate, and a maximum brightness of 1600 nits.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 has a beautiful cover screen
The foldable display has a size of 6.7 inches, and it uses a Dynamic AMOLED 2x panel, HDR10+ certified, with an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120 Hz, a resolution of 1080 x 2640 pixels, and a maximum brightness of 1750 nits. While the cover screen has a PPI of 306, the main display has a pixel density of 425 ppi. If this term is too technical, here’s what PPI means and why it matters.
Unfolding the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5
The camera system hasn’t changed from last year’s model. We have the same 10-megapixel front camera, with an f/2.2 aperture, capable of recording video at a maximum resolution of 4K and 30 frames per second.
Using the front camera
Both main cameras have 12 Megapixels. One is a wide lens with an aperture of f/1.8 and optical image stabilization, while the second is an ultrawide lens with an aperture of f/2.2. Unfortunately, there’s no telephoto lens; we get only digital zoom up to 10x. Optical zoom is missing from the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, and that’s quite disappointing for a smartphone in its price range.
Taking pictures from the cover screen
Regarding connectivity, we get Wi-Fi 6E, which is great, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS, and NFC. The battery has a small capacity of only 3700 mAh, and the phone requires a 25W Samsung fast charger, meaning that it is quite slow to charge compared to many other smartphones. On the upside, you also get 15W wireless charging, and you can reverse wireless charge accessories, like your Galaxy Buds2 Pro. For more technical information about this smartphone, visit its official page: Galaxy Z Flip5.
Now that you know the basics about how the phone looks and what’s inside it, go to the next page of this review to see my experience using the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, what I’ve found about its cameras, and the results the smartphone got in a couple of benchmarks.
