The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is Samsung's book-like foldable, which joins the more compact Galaxy Z Flip 5. While the latter fits into the category of "clamshell" phones, the Fold can also be used when closed, with an external screen already useful for many of the daily activities, with the advantage of a large internal double panel, to work, play and enjoy multimedia content.
Robust and lightweight
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 might look identical to the previous one but it is not. Thanks to the engineering of a new hinge, Samsung has managed to further reduce the space that is created when the phone is closed, leaving not only more dust inside but also making it a bit difficult to manage the device with one hand. Thanks to the technical innovations of the current generation, the phone loses some thickness, all to the advantage of easy handling and greater safety of integrity of the panel. The Z Fold 5 comes in five colors, though two are exclusive to Samsung's site. The Cream, Icy Blue and Phantom Black variants are flanked by Blue and Grey. The cover screen and back panel are coated in Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which is more resistant to drops than the Victus+ and Fold 4. The Z Fold 5 maintains the same IPX8 rating, meaning it is completely water resistant, but not dust-resistant.
Excellent display
The 7.6-inch internal screen maintains the same resolution of 2,176 x 1,812 pixels, 4:3 aspect ratio and 120Hz refresh rate as the Fold 4, although it is brighter. The crease is still visible but less noticeable when you have two apps both open on the screen divided exactly in half. In addition, the crease area seems a little less deep to the touch than in the 2022 generation. The camera of the double panel is positioned at the top right and "camouflages" with the colors of what passes on the screen, to be practically invisible (photo below). The Z Fold 6's 2.5-inch external screen is also the same as its predecessor, with a resolution of 2,316 x 904 pixels, a 23.1:9 aspect ratio, and a 120Hz refresh rate. When opened, the two speakers are located in the upper left and bottom left of the Z Fold 5. At the bottom right there is a USB-c 3.2 Gen 1 port for fast charging via 25 Watt cable. The slot for nano sim cards is on the left edge while on the right we find the classic volume rocker and a combination of fingerprint sensor and power button.
Video Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, the test of the phone with dual screen
Hinge innovations
The new hinge finally allows the two halves of the Fold to fold perfectly against each other. The opening of the Fold 5 requires slightly more pressure but is probably a matter of use. According to Samsung, the new hinge ensures at least 200,000 folds, just like the Fold 4.
Software, Samsung's strength
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a champion of versatility. You can use it as a classic phone, tablet, notepad or as a complete computer by connecting it to a monitor in Dex mode. Since there are two screens on the Fold 5, Samsung offers the possibility to treat each as a separate space, also organized differently than the single front panel. The productivity of the Fold 5 is at very high levels for a device that, with the necessary limitations, can be kept in your pocket. The internal screen can hold up to three apps running simultaneously, with the option of having a window overlay for a fourth app. Will many use it this way? Difficult but it is a present option.
Extreme multitasking
The front screen can run two apps vertically or horizontally, as well as a pop-up video player. The dual screen works like an Android tablet, but Samsung has added a taskbar to the UI that makes it easy to switch apps or tile multiple software. Reading is excellent while writing is complemented by the new S Pen Fold Edition, slim and stylus-like on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. The S Pen for Fold 5 is an optional accessory that can be attached to the back of an ad-hoc cover, which makes it more ductile to carry around the biro rather than in a separate pocket or, as on the Fold 4 (pictured below), in a much thicker case. The feeling of writing is always excellent and the feeling is that of writing on paper. Even the design has its reason, as well as the activation of some shortcuts designed specifically to increase the usefulness of the S Pen, such as the intelligent selection with which to copy and paste texts and elements from one app to another.
Productivity to the nth degree
Samsung's Dex software allows you to turn the Fold into a real computer. Simply connect your smartphone, wired or wireless, to a supported monitor or TV and convert the mobile interface into a more computer-like one. All apps available on the phone can be played on DeX although with a limit, case by case, due to usability. No problem for email, documents and navigation while some video games may freeze or go too jerky compared to use on smartphones. The Fold 5 runs on Android 13 and promises four years of OS updates and five years of security patches. It works with Samsung's One UI 5.1, a useful and never invasive customization compared to, for example, Google's Pixel terminals, which rest on an operating system without frills and changes compared to the basic platform.
Class-leading performance
The base model Galaxy Z Fold 5 offers 12 GB of ram and 256 GB of storage, but you can opt for 512 GB or 1 TB. Each variant features the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, which first appeared in the Galaxy S23 lineup earlier this year. The Flip 5 has the same processor but comes with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB or 512 GB of storage. The internal 4.4000mAh battery supports 25W wired fast charging and 15W wireless charging like the Fold 4.
Mostly excellent photos
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 has a total of five cameras. On the back of the device there is a triple camera configuration, with a 12 mp f/2.2 ultra wide angle with a 123-degree field of view, a 10 mp f/2.4 telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom and a 50 mp standard af/1.8 with optical image stabilization. By default, pixel binning uses pixel binning to produce 12 mp final images for better detail. The outdoor screen features a 10 mp selfie cam at f/2.2 with an 85-degree field of view, while the camera below the internal screen display has a 4 mp sensor at f/1.8 with an 80-degree field of view. The images taken by the Fold 5 and Fold 4 are virtually identical, which makes sense considering the camera hardware is the same in both models. The Fold 5 seems to handle excessively bright areas a little better while preserving more detail than the Fold 4. The camera's low-light performance is excellent. In a dark room, the phone has no problem capturing details and colors. The only detail is the lack of contrast when looking closely at images in low light.
The best foldable
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is undoubtedly the best foldable of this size on the market. Competitors of the likes of Google's Pixel Fold or Honor Magic V2 may boast a more manageable and useful design when the phone is closed but they can't count on the amount of features and customizations that Samsung has been working on for some time for its line of Z Fold and Z Flip. In addition, here we have an addition absent elsewhere: the S Pen that expands the opportunities for interaction with the dual internal screen, still not supported for the single exterior panel. Perhaps Samsung could integrate it into the sales package and it is not said that it will not do so in the future. It is not a "cameraphone" and is positioned a step below the internal competition of the Galaxy S23 Ultra. But it remains a beautiful object to see, much more comfortable than the past to use and complete from every point of view. The best way to launch into the world of foldables, without any regrets.
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