Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 review (early verdict): it's flippin' great
This year has been super interesting for clamshell flip phones: following Oppo and Motorola upping the ante with their respective Find N2 Flip and Razr 40 Ultra (known as the Razr Plus in the States), all eyes focused on Samsung, which holds the biggest share of this market, and how it would respond to the theme of ever-increasing cover display sizes (I've previously written about three features the Z Flip could introduce to beat the competition).
Enter, then, the Galaxy Z Flip 5, Samsung's 2023 clamshell flip phone, which I've been using for a number of days in the run-up to Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked launch event, which I think is easily the series' biggest upgrade ever. I've already written about ways in which Samsung's latest Z Flip 5 bests the larger-screen Razr 40 Ultra, but having dug deeper into this Galaxy I think it feels like the best folding phone in this design format. Here's why it's flippin' great.
Galaxy Z Flip 5: Price & Availability
When the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 arrived with its £999/$999/AU$1499 asking price it was a bit of a revelation. A flip phone for barely more cash than the entry Samsung Galaxy S23 model? Yes please! It widened choice in a then typically super-high-priced foldables market.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, however, does bump up its price (in the UK anyway). Not by insane amounts, though, more in line with inflation (given the six per cent year-on-year rise). I think that's fair, especially in context to the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra, but the Flip 5's £1049 asking price is now into the four-figure region – which has a bit of a psychological impact. US customers get a better deal, with the $999 price tag holding, making it super competitive.
Galaxy Z Flip 5 review: What's new?
As you can see from my photo of the Z Flip 5 above, this generation is a true step-change in design compared to its predecessor, as it features a much larger cover display: it's 3.4-inches across the diagonal, significantly up on the 1.9-inch panel of the Z Flip 4.
It's not just that the screen is larger, though, it's altogether more functional too. It's highly responsive – which I didn't find to be the case with the Oppo Find N2 Flip, for example – and features a batch of widgets that vary from animated wallpapers, to a functional calendar, plus apps use (although available apps for the cover display are limited, but with more expected to come, such as Spotify, WhatsApp and more).
I'm looking forward to expansion of this functionality, but even as it is I've found using the Z Flip 5 great in its small form-factor. I said much the same of the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra, too, which features an even larger 3.6-inch cover display, but of the two I find the Galaxy's overall robustness, design and finish to give it the upper hand. I'm fine that it's a tad smaller, as it feels like a sweet spot for a pocketable device such as this.
Flip the Z Flip 5 open and its 6.7-inch internal screen is more or less the same as its predecessor. The same size, just as resolute, with 120Hz refresh rate (it's only 60Hz on the cover), and same brightness (the larger Z Fold 5 gets a brightness boost).
Like with the screen don't expect major shifts elsewhere either, as while the Z Flip 5 does opt for a faster processor – the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 – and a new lens coating for its main camera, the overall package is largely similar to before (including IPX8 water-proofing, which is a nice touch) in the same size of handset, albeit with an even flatter close to the hinge.
Galaxy Z Flip 5 review: Design & Displays
Cover display: 3.4-inch OLED, 60Hz, 720 x 748 resolution
Foldable display: 6.7-inch OLED, 120Hz, 1080 x 2640 resolution
Dimensions: 71.9 x 165.1 x 15.1 (6.9mm unfolded)
Weight: 187g
I've already detailed the two screens – and for at-a-glance info I've listed the two key specs of each above – and think both are decent iterations for a device such as this. But it's really the feel of this flip phone that sets it apart from others on the market.
That hinge feel is all-important and just to be sure I went back to my Motorola Razr 40 Ultra to get a proper comparison. It's night and day for me: the Galaxy Z Flip 5 just has this more resistive yet 'sprung' sensation about it, delivering even greater satisfaction in use, while that glass (Gorilla Glass Victus 2 here) and metal finish (Armour Aluminium in Samsung's book) marry together for the best-looking clamshell on the market.
As for finishes, the pictures of my review device scattered around this page are of the new Mint option. It doesn't look especially 'minty' to my eyes though, partly down to the subdued tonality of the green finish, partly down to mixed lighting causing a nuisance for my camera. But subtlety is the name of the game here: whether you pick the other Lavender, Cream or Graphite options they're all gentle (I've not seen the Yellow, Grey and Blue exclusive options as yet though).
If you ignore the obvious major increase in cover display size, the Z Flip 5 isn't significantly different to its predecessor – but I don't think that matters. I wasn't looking for an overhaul here, seeing as Samsung was ahead when it came to delivering a close-flat hinge type (which Motorola has been chasing ever since). That said the Z Flip 5 is even slimmer when folded – 15.1mm, down from 17.1mm – thanks to hinge design tweaks (the unfolded 6.9mm thickness remains unchanged).
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 review: Performance
Here's the part where this Z Flip 5 preview leaves me having to wait a little longer to reveal more information – hence it being an 'early verdict' assessment. I've not used the Z Flip 5 enough just yet to truly assess its performance and battery potential, which is something I'll dig into deeper when reviewing the device in full.
What I can detail, however, is what the Z Flip 5 houses under its hood: there's a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor (a mid-year bump over the 8+ Gen 1 of before) paired with 8GB RAM (LPDDRX5 type, helping with speedy loading) so this is every bit the flagship device. How much throttling will be seen I'll have to find out during extended use.
The battery capacity, at 3700mAh, is the same as in the older model, which in T3's Z Flip 4 review we praised as being "good battery life" for up to around 14 hours per charge. I'm hoping to eke a little more out of the Z Fold 5 in order to see it as truly flagship competitive, but we shall see.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 review: Cameras
Main camera: 12-megapixel, f/1.8 aperture, 1.8um pixel size, optical stabilisation (OIS)
Wide-angle camera: 12MP, f/2.2, 1.12um, 123-degree field-of-view
Selfie camera: 10MP, f/2.2, 1.22um
The last major part of the Z Flip 5 puzzle is its cameras. Which, you guessed it, is basically the same as the Z Flip 4's setup. It's not identical, though, as Samsung has flipped the script on the main camera by using a new lens to help "mitigate flare".
As per the performance section, I'm not currently in a position to comment on how these cameras truly perform. But I'm not expecting the Z Flip 5's setup to rival the company's Galaxy S23 Ultra by any means.
The relatively low resolution is something I'm surprised to see here, though, as I'd thought that Samsung might up its game. That said top-tier camera units are pricey to implement and I think the Z Flip series' appeal is that, while it's not cheap, it's not to Google Pixel Fold levels of expensive. That balance is important to strike.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 review: Verdict
As the title says: the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is flippin' great. In terms of design, build and visual appeal it's the best clamshell flip phone bar none – and I include the also excellent Motorola Razr 40 Ultra in that assessment.
The Z Flip 5's new, larger cover display is the real appeal, of course, with additional functionality that's a step forward for the series. That said, however, at the time of writing I think Samsung could implement even more functionality and improvements in this area – which is entirely plausible through updates.
For now this early verdict is based on a preview session with Samsung ahead of its Galaxy Unpacked showcase, plus two days using the phone. But even in that short time I'm smitten by the Z Flip 5. This Galaxy is the strongest flip phone suggestion I've used that could make me ditch my typical best Android phone.
Also consider
If you've got your heart set on a flip phone then the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is the best looking and best functioning one that I've used to date. That said, the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra's cover display is larger and, at the time of writing, even more functional. The prices are very similar, too. Not worried about a big screen? Then the smaller 1.9-inch one of the Z Flip 4 will suffice for much less cash if it's the flip function and larger screen that interests you most.
