We're on the fifth Samsung Galaxy Z Fold now, and while many of the previous iterations just focused on ironing out the kinks in the original design, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 seems like an actual evolution for Samsung's foldable phone/tablet hybrid. This results in a device that retains the foldable glory of the original phone, but in a way that's actually usable for long periods of time without your hands wanting to fall off.
Samsung trimmed down the thickness of the device, and added a new hinge mechanism that allows the phone to fold completely flat for the first time. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, at least at first glance, seems to finally realize the vision of the phone that folds out into a tablet – without the massive downsides of the previous devices.
I got a chance to try this phone out for a bit before release, but only for a very limited time. So, this is just my very first impressions on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and I'll be updating this to a full review once I get my hands on it in a non-controlled environment.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 – Design and Features
At first glance, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 looks similar to its older siblings. It's a long and narrow phone that folds out into a tablet, and in either configuration you get a gorgeous AMOLED display. In tablet mode, that's a 7.6-inch QHD display, that folds down to a 6.2 inch display that's more pocketable. That's a bigger outside display than earlier models, too, which makes the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 easier to use without turning it into an unwieldy tablet.
The most noticeable difference, though, is the new hinge design. Previous models of the Fold would leave a little gap between the two halves of the device when folded, which was just a recipe for dirt and dust to scratch up the screens. This time around, Samsung created a completely new hinge that not only has fewer moving parts, but lets the device fold completely flat.
It also has new glass, with the outside screen using the same Gorilla Glass Victus 2 as the Samsung Galaxy S23. Combine that with the fact the phone doesn't have a massive gap in the middle when closed and the Fold 5 should be much more durable than the Fold 4.
Finally, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 comes in three colorways: Icy Blue, Phantom Black and Cream. I would have loved to see more playful color choices, but at least its smaller counterpart, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, will be a bit more colorful.
I've only got the chance to play with the phone at a Samsung event, so I'll have to update this as I live with the device, but it seems a lot more portable than it was in the past. Still, the time that I have spent with it has me excited to play with it more. Playing mobile games like Genshin Impact on this huge, beautiful screen is going to be incredible, especially with the brightness turned up to its full 1,750 nits.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 – Specs and Performance
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, a slight improvement on the Gen 1 chip in last year's model. This means it'll be a bit better in games, and should have slightly better battery life. However, while I went hands on with the device at New York, I wasn't able to install any third-party software, so it's hard to get a grasp on exactly how powerful the new foldable is.
Either way, though, it's more than powerful enough to run pretty much any game you throw at it on the massive 7.6-inch inner display. I got a chance to play some Genshin Impact on the thing, and it was a breeze.
I'll be updating this article when I get my hands on a review unit of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 later today. And I'll keep this article updated as I spend time with the device in my daily life to see whether or not it's worth keeping in your pocket every day.
