Samsung today in Seoul at the Galaxy Unpacked event, officially released the Galaxy Z Fold 5 folding screen cell phone, claiming that this is “the ultimate productivity device with a large screen”. While the new phone shares a lot of similarities in design language with its predecessor, it brings a few upgrades in both hardware and software.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is globally unified with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and comes with an advanced cooling system that Samsung says dissipates heat more intelligently. The new model offers 12GB of RAM and 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of storage.
One of the most notable hardware upgrades on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a brighter 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X internal display. while the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s internal display topped out at 1200 nits, the Galaxy Z Fold 5’s is 30 percent brighter with a maximum brightness of 1750 nits, and the panel also features a 1-120Hz The Galaxy Z Fold 5’s external screen is a 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 23.1:9 aspect ratio, 2316 x 904 pixel resolution, and an adaptive refresh rate of 48-120Hz.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 has also gotten a little thinner and lighter, while retaining an IPX8 waterproof rating and features like Wireless Charging 2.0 and Wireless Reverse Charging, with its dual 4400mAh batteries supporting 25W fast charging. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is 13.4mm thick when folded (compared to 14.2mm on its predecessor) and 6.1mm thick when unfolded, and weighs 253 grams (compared to 263 grams on its predecessor). While the Galaxy Z Fold 5 looks very similar to the Z Fold 4, it features a new hinge design that allows it to close completely without leaving a gap between the screens. Of course, the new model still offers a Flex mode, which allows users to partially fold the phone to use it in a new form.
For many users, the most exciting upgrade coming with the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will be the software experience, with the new phone coming pre-installed with the new One UI 5.1.1, which focuses on improving multitasking and productivity.The Galaxy Z Fold 5 still offers Multi-Window and App Continuity functionality, but the taskbar has been improved to allow users to switch between frequently used apps quickly. Also new is the two-handed drag-and-drop feature, which allows users to drag an element, such as a picture in the Albums app, with one finger and then open a different app with another.
Where the new camera hasn’t changed is the camera hardware, the Galaxy Z Fold 5’s main rear camera is still a 50-megapixel wide-angle camera with Dual Pixel Autofocus and Optical Stabilization support, complemented by a 12-megapixel super wide-angle camera, and a 10-megapixel telephoto sensor with PDAF, OIS and 3x optical zoom support. The outer screen camera is a 10-megapixel selfie camera, and the folding screen hides a 4-megapixel under-screen camera that’s almost completely invisible.
The new phone supports Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, a side fingerprint sensor, two Nano-SIM slots and an eSIM, and there’s an (optional) improved Slim S Pen Case available in a variety of styles and colors. There are other optional accessories such as a clear gadget case and an eco-leather case.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is available for pre-order following today’s announcement and will go on sale on August 11, offering a choice of five colors – Ice Blue, Phantom Black, Cream, Grey, and Blue – with the latter two available only through Samsung’s online store. As for the price, the 256GB version is priced at 1,749 pounds (currently about RMB 16,073), the 512GB version is priced at 1,849 pounds (currently about RMB 16,992), and the 1TB version is priced at 2,049 pounds (currently about RMB 18,830).
