Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Review Striving for Perfection

Since last year, Samsung's foldables have received iterative improvements, proving their peak innovation. Nothing wrong with that, but it means little to get excited about. The July debut of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 continued this year. Samsung used a redesigned hinge mechanism to reduce the phone's weight and thickness, in addition to a newer chipset. Though it doesn't transform the game, it's a good start. Existing Galaxy Z Fold 4 owners can skip this generation and wait for next year's model.

Indian Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 pricing

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 starts at the same price as last year's model (which is still marketed in India). Rs. 1,54,999 buys you 256GB storage and 12GB RAM. Two more models have the same RAM but extra storage. The 512GB variant costs Rs. 1,64,999 and the 1TB variant Rs. 1,84,999. Nice to have storage alternatives because you can't enlarge it. I recommend the base variant for most users. Icy Blue, Phantom Black, and Cream are available.

Samsung's S Pen must be purchased separately for the Galaxy Z Fold 5. If you'll be doing that, get the S Pen case with a stylus dock on the rear.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 design

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is nearly identical to its predecessor, however subtle differences like the LED flash positioning and colors may be seen. The aluminum frame and shatter-resistant glass on the front and back make it one of the greatest horizontally-folding phones. The redesigned hinge further reduces the gap by making the parts virtually flush when folded. The phone is IPX8 water-resistant.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5's folding display is now 1,750 nits instead of 1,200 nits, but otherwise, the screens are similar. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 has the same 6.2-inch HD+ AMOLED outer display and 7.6-inch QXGA+ main panel.

Both displays offer bright colors and are legible in direct sunlight. It's narrow to type on, but the exterior display is excellent for fast jobs. Multiple apps or leisure activities like gaming and viewing videos work best on the inner foldable display. The wrinkle is still visible at angles, but it's hard to spot gazing at the display head-on.

Only a SIM remove tool and USB Type-C cable come with the Galaxy Z Fold 5. Splurge on the S Pen cover case for enhanced protection and stylus for such a smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 specs and software

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 uses the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 "Mobile Platform for Galaxy" SoC like the S23 series. A strong, energy-efficient CPU with good performance. The 4,400mAh battery and 25W wired and 15W wireless charging remain from last year.

Galaxy Z Fold 5 battery life and performance

The top Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 doesn't lag when pushed. The strong SoC and RAM ensure enough power for all apps. The SoC-equipped half of the phone warns during gaming or demanding duties, while the other half keeps cool. Excellent multitasking and gaming performance.

The S Pen works fine, but the outer screen doesn't support it, so you have to open the phone to take notes or use it. Remember that the Z Fold 5 only supports the 'S Pen for Fold', therefore the S Pen for ordinary S series phones like the S23 Ultra won't function. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 cameras

Nothing has changed with the camera hardware. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 has a 50-megapixel wide, 12-megapixel ultra-wide, and 10-megapixel telephoto with 3X optical zoom (up to 30X total zoom) rear camera. Ten-megapixel selfie camera on outer screen, 4-megapixel under-display camera in foldable display. Photo quality is poor, hence the latter is preferable for video chats. Samsung could have used larger sensors and stronger optical zoom like on the S23 Ultra, but that would have made the foldable thicker.