Key Takeaways

• The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 showcases Samsung's innovation in the foldable smartphone sector, with notable improvements in design and functionality. It caters to tech enthusiasts and professionals who prioritize innovation and productivity.
• The device serves as a promising multitasking hub that bridges the gap between a tablet and a smartphone, offering a sleek design, a gapless Flex Hinge, dual Dynamic AMOLED displays, and a powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset.
• Potential buyers who value camera excellence and a mature app ecosystem may find more satisfaction in other premium smartphones or by waiting for further advancements in the foldable market. The steep price and potential durability concerns are also factors to consider.

We got our first glimpse at Samsung’s ambitions for the foldable smartphone only four years ago. In the years since, we’ve seen massive interest in this form factor, with companies like Oppo, Xiaomi, Vivo, and even Google making their own. With that initial Galaxy Fold, Samsung was determined to be the pioneer of the industry. But now, in 2023, with its Galaxy Z Fold5, it appears the company is seemingly comfortable in its reign as the industry leader, giving what seems to be an iterative update over the Fold4—which was already just a marginal improvement over the Fold3.

Starting at $1800 once again, is the Galaxy Z Fold5 worth it?

Design

At a glance, you'd be hard-pressed to find any discernible difference between the new Galaxy Fold5 and the Fold4 or Fold3 that came before. However, there are some key improvements that go a long way in making this iteration a more polished and refined experience.

This year's main addition is the gapless Flex Hinge, which allows the device to fold almost completely flat without leaving any space between the two halves. This not only enhances the device’s aesthetic appeal but also increases its durability, shielding the inner display from dust and debris. The Flex Hinge also enables the device to lie flat and offer a secure hold within a range of 75 to 115 degrees, giving Flex Mode a larger sense of versatility, especially when using the rear cameras to take photos and videos.

Having used the Fold3 for the better part of the past two years, the addition of this new hinge design makes using the inside screen much more enjoyable as it reduces the visibility of the crease, and also makes the overall device fit better in your pocket.

The new hinge of the Galaxy Z Fold5 enables it to be slimmer, lighter, and more portable than its predecessor.

The Fold5 has a thickness of 6.1mm when unfolded and 13.4mm when folded. Weighing in at 253g, this new Galaxy Fold is 10g lighter than the Galaxy Z Fold4. In usage, this reduced weight and thickness makes the Fold5 feel much closer to that of a regular slab-style smartphone, and it’s a step in the right direction to reducing the overall footprint of these larger book-style foldables that may be cumbersome for many people.

Aside from these key differences, it's true that the Galaxy Fold5 remains largely unchanged from last year’s model, but that’s not a bad thing. It still maintains an IPX8 rating, making it water-resistant up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes, and it still has that satin finish on the rear glass panel that not only feels amazing in the hand, but looks just as good. You can pick it up in either Phantom Black, Cream, or Icy Blue.

Being so similar, however, the Galaxy Fold 5 still suffers from the persistent design limitations of its form factor. Notably, the handleability, dust resistance, and long-term durability.

In terms of handleability, I would say the Fold5 presents a paradoxical experience; folded, it gives you a sense of confidence when you pick it up, because it’s not as thin as a regular smartphone. Yet, due to the material choice of the satin-finish glass back, the phone is quite slippery and has slid out of my hands or pocket on numerous occasions.

The other issue that plagues the Fold5 is the lack of dust resistance. This is not a critique of the Fold5 alone, but broadly touches on foldables as a whole; however, it’s still worth mentioning, especially when you factor in long-term usage. The mechanical aspect of having a hinge will always present a durability concern, but there’s an upside here; the nearly gapless hinge of the Fold5 ensures the inner screen is much more protected from trapped dust particles than before, which is great.

Finally, a prominent buying decision you should consider is the longevity of owning a device like the Galaxy Fold5. These devices are heavier, have more surface area, and have moving parts, making them more susceptible to fatal drops and accidents. These physical aspects are things traditional phones don’t really need to account for, but when you’re paying $1,800 for a device, chances are you’re not going to be upgrading every year or even every two years.

My Galaxy Z Fold3 has been my daily driver for nearly two years, and over time, I unfortunately got a hairline crack on the glass of the inner screen from day-to-day use. This isn’t to say everyone’s experience will be the same, but the long-term usability of this form factor is still uncertain compared to traditional smartphones.

Display

The Galaxy Z Fold5 has two displays: a 6.2-inch cover display and a 7.6-inch main display. Both displays have Dynamic AMOLED panels with 120Hz refresh rates, delivering smooth and vibrant visuals. The cover display is long and narrow, which makes it easy to hold but also limits its usability for some tasks like watching most YouTube videos, but makes it great for things like watching Instagram Reels/TikToks, widescreen movies, and TV shows.

The main display is large and almost square, which makes it ideal for multitasking and media consumption, though due to the aspect ratio, the visible screen for watching video is only marginally larger than the biggest of slab phones.

The Galaxy Z Fold5 also supports the S Pen stylus, which can be used to write, draw, and navigate on the main display. However, the S Pen is sold separately and does not have a built-in slot on the device. You’ll have to buy a special case or carry the S Pen separately, which can be inconvenient, and the S Pen also only works on the main display, not on the cover display.

Camera

When it comes to the camera experience of the Samsung Galaxy Fold5, it’s hard to find any immediate faults, but to say it’s one of the top contenders in terms of camera quality would be a stretch. The Galaxy Fold5 has the same rear camera array you’ll find on the non-Ultra Galaxy S line of phones in the past couple of years.

The triple rear camera consists of a 50 MP wide-angle camera, a 10 MP telephoto camera, and a 12 MP ultra-wide camera. The wide-angle camera has optical image stabilization (OIS) and dual-pixel autofocus, and the telephoto camera has 3x optical zoom with OIS. Finally, the ultra-wide camera has a 123-degree field of view, which lets you capture more of the scene in one frame.

The cover screen selfie camera is a 10 MP sensor, while the inner-screen camera is a 4 MP sensor hidden under the display.

In terms of video, you can record in 8K at 30fps, 4K at 60fps, and 1080p up to 60 or 240fps.

Using these cameras in various lighting scenarios, a few things stood out to me. First, Samsung’s image processing has gotten much more consistent than in previous years, and I don’t mind that they use the same sensors year-over-year if it means improved software optimization. But you can definitely tell that the Galaxy Fold5 cameras are not the company’s latest and greatest.

Under proper lighting, the Fold5 produces stunning photos. Samsung’s color-science has steadily been improving over the years, and it really shows. Photos look mostly true-to-life but have Samsung’s signature punch and vibrancy, especially with the warmer hues. Another thing to point out is the look of photos generally stays consistent across all the back sensors, which is also great to see.

So you might be wondering, what makes the Fold5’s cameras second-tier to devices like the S23 Ultra?

The two main things that differentiate the camera experience between the Fold5 and Samsung’s Ultra phones are low-light performance and autofocus. Even though you can expect consistent results with the Fold5’s camera under bright lighting, the same can’t be said for low-light shots. Details and sharpness fall off quite aggressively, and when the phone’s processing tries to compensate by dialing up the sharpness, you’ll get a less-than-ideal grainy mess.

Autofocus is also another area you can see the Fold5’s camera system hindered in comparison to the Galaxy S Ultra phones. This means for close-up subjects that tend to move, like a flower in the wind, you’ll probably have to snap the photo multiple times until you get focused.

Overall, the Galaxy Fold5’s camera isn’t bad by any means, but there’s room for improvement in terms of diversifying the range of photos and videos you’re able to capture in various challenging scenarios which you can’t achieve yet with the phone’s current setup.

Performance and Software

In terms of software and hardware performance, the Galaxy Z Fold5 offers an excellent experience that takes advantage of its foldable design and powerful hardware, so much so that it almost feels like the device is overbuilt for what it is currently able to do. The device runs on One UI 5.1.1 on top of Android 13, and is equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset—the same one used in the Galaxy S23 series. This chipset is based on a 4nm process and has an octa-core CPU, an Adreno 740 GPU, and a Hexagon 8 NPU, supporting 5G connectivity, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and UWB.

The Galaxy Z Fold5 also has 12 GB of RAM and either 256 GB or 512 GB of internal non-expandable storage, which is based on UFS 4.0 technology, offering faster read and write speeds than the previous generation.

What does all of this mean in terms of actual usability? The Galaxy Z Fold5 excels at multitasking, has virtually no hiccups in day-to-day use, and is the first foldable that I’ve used that is able to make it through the full day comfortably on the large screen. Surprisingly, it can also make it through a day and a half on the cover screen alone.

If you’re a chronic multitasker, the phone’s Multi-Active Windows and personalized app pairings in the Edge Panel are perfect for you; apps can easily split into the screen, you can drag and drop files between app windows, and access up to four recent apps in the taskbar. You can also use the cover display for quick tasks and notifications, while the main display is for productivity and entertainment.

On top of all of this, the Galaxy Z Fold5 also has a great update policy, as Samsung promises five years of security updates and four years of major OS updates for its flagship devices. This means that the device will receive Android 14, 15, 16, and 17 in the future, as well as monthly or quarterly security patches to keep it safe and secure.

My only gripe with the whole experience of the Fold5 is simply the fact that Android just isn’t a mature software platform for big screens. Sure, Samsung includes some excellent app options that take advantage of this larger display like Samsung Notes or Flex Mode in the camera app, but Android still doesn’t have the app ecosystem that would really make good use of this larger real estate. So while the Fold5 performs beautifully, I can’t help but feel like the hardware is bottled off from unleashing truly exceptional software experiences simply because the platform isn’t what developers want to create apps for. That's a shame, but I hope as this form factor matures, so too does Android’s app selection for foldables.

Battery Life

This great software experience extends to battery life as well. Credit where due: Samsung’s software optimization this year with the Snapdragon chip and OneUI has been delivering insanely great battery life and performance that takes the anxiety out of carrying around a massive foldable phone.

The phone features the same 4,400mAh battery as last year’s Fold4, but that is underselling just how big of a jump in optimization the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is. I had to try hard to get this device to dip below 20% in day-to-day use; I ended most days with 35% primarily using the inner screen, and close to 50% when using the cover screen. I’m sure over time, with larger workflows and gaming, you can drain the battery much quicker, but the fact that you’re able to get all-day battery life on a 7.6-inch display is incredible.

Should You Buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5?

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 unmistakably showcases the advancements and expertise Samsung has honed in the foldable smartphone niche. The revamped Flex Hinge technology lends a seamless and more durable design, substantially enhancing the aesthetics and functionality of the device.

Its impressive chipset facilitates stellar performance and multitasking capabilities, backed by promising battery life, which stands as a testament to Samsung's ongoing optimization efforts. However, these advancements are somewhat marred by the phone's lingering issues. The handset is still plagued with considerable challenges, including an exorbitant price tag, questionable long-term durability, and a camera system that, although competent, doesn't quite match up to the premium tier that its price point suggests. Furthermore, the Android ecosystem still seems unprepared to fully capitalize on the expansive screen real estate that the Fold5 offers, hindering the device from reaching its full potential.

The Galaxy Z Fold5 seems to cater to a niche segment of technology enthusiasts and professionals seeking a blend of innovation and productivity in a singular device. It serves as an excellent tool for multitasking, offering a commendable balance between a tablet and a smartphone. This device would be an excellent pick for individuals who are willing to overlook the hefty price tag to experience the cutting-edge features it promises, and who prioritize having a multitasking hub over having the best camera system in their pockets. Moreover, the Fold5 could be a worthy upgrade for users of older foldable models like the Galaxy Fold2, offering tangible improvements in design and performance.

However, if you're someone who values traditional smartphone usability, camera excellence, and a mature app ecosystem, it might be prudent to explore other premium smartphones or wait until foldables mature further in the market.