Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Review: It’s All About the Cover Screen

A month in the past, I used to be satisfied that Motorola’s Razr Plus was the perfect flip telephone cash might purchase. But after two weeks utilizing the brand new Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5, which additionally begins at $1,000 and launches on Aug. 11, I modified my thoughts. 

Samsung’s new flip telephone now has an even bigger cowl display that almost occupies your complete entrance of the machine when closed. That won’t sound like a giant deal, however it goes a good distance in making the Z Flip extra helpful. 

Foldable telephones have beforehand felt like a solution to a nonexistent downside. That nonetheless could also be true, however having the choice to ship messages, snap pictures and reply to notifications on a tool that matches within the palm of my hand provides a level of comfort that is arduous to grasp except you’ve got tried it.

Watch this: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Review: Flip Phones Are Cool Again

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Motorola’s new Razr Plus raised the bar for what a flip telephone ought to be in 2023, and it deserves credit score for that. But there are just a few elements that make the Z Flip 5 the superior selection for many consumers all in favour of a flip telephone. The design and construct high quality really feel sturdier, the software program is extra polished and the telephone will get a further 12 months of Android model help in comparison with what Motorola provides. 

8.6

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

Like

• 
  Big cowl display is enjoyable to make use of
• 
  New hinge eliminates the hole when closed
• 
  Solid battery life
• 
  More storage in base mannequin

Don’t like

• 
  Expensive
• 
  Not all apps work on the quilt display natively
• 
  Apps do not transition from fundamental display to cowl display
• 
  Minimal digital camera updates

That doesn’t suggest Samsung will get all the pieces proper. At $1,000, the Z Flip 5 nonetheless calls for a excessive value for a telephone that does not have a telephoto digital camera. Like earlier Z Flips, you are paying for the comfort of getting a tool that may slot in your pocket extra simply. While portability remains to be the driving issue behind the Z Flip’s enchantment, the Flip 5 represents Samsung’s try at giving customers one more reason to contemplate giving foldables an opportunity. And it is off to an important begin. 

Galaxy Z Flip 5’s smaller display will get a giant improve

The Galaxy Z Flip 5’s bigger new entrance display, which Samsung calls the Flex Window, is difficult to overlook. It measures 3.4 inches, making it a lot greater than the miniscule 1.9-inch display on the entrance of the Galaxy Z Flip 4, however smaller than the Razr Plus. 3.6-inch cowl show.

That extra spacious entrance display means there’s much more I used to be in a position to do with the Z Flip 5 closed. As I wrote in my first impressions story, the small display’s interface is primarily designed to run widgets somewhat than full apps. Widgets present the kind of data you’d anticipate to see on a small display, such because the climate, your calendar, alarms and pinned apps and contacts. 

From the principle lock display, I can swipe from proper to left to cycle by means of varied widgets, whereas swiping from left to proper will present my notifications. There’s a small dot positioned on the left facet of the display to point whether or not you will have any unchecked notifications, which feels very smartwatch-esque.

The Z Flip 5 additionally has a intelligent pinching gesture for displaying thumbnails of all my widgets on display without delay, which will be useful for shortly leaping to a selected display with out swiping a number of instances. It feels very Apple-like, and it is a good instance of how Samsung is considering navigation and consumer interface design in a different way on a show this small.

But Samsung solely permits sure apps on the quilt display natively, whereas virtually each app I’ve used on the Razr Plus was supported on its outer show with out a lot additional fuss. On the Z Flip 5, I needed to set up the Good Lock app from the Galaxy Store to realize entry to a broader number of apps on the quilt display. 

Still, the Z Flip 5 natively helps lots of the apps that make sense for the quilt display, similar to Google Maps, the digital camera app, and messaging apps like WhatsApp. Even although Spotify does not present up as a suitable app, I used to be in a position to entry album artwork and playback controls from the Z Flip 5’s entrance display after I performed music with the telephone open. 

I spent most of my time utilizing the Galaxy Z Flip 5 whereas vacationing in South Korea, and there have been just a few apps that might have been very helpful on the entrance show whereas touring round Seoul. Google Translate is a giant one which involves thoughts. Being in a position to shortly pull up the app from the quilt display might have made a few of my interactions go a bit smoother. Quickly searching by means of information headlines or social media feeds with the machine closed whereas using the Seoul Metro additionally would have been good contemplating I used to be often utilizing one hand to grip the subway handles. 

It wasn’t till I returned from my journey that I used the Good Lock app to carry apps like Google, Google Translate and Slack to the quilt display. Even although these apps technically aren’t optimized for the quilt display, they ran surprisingly properly. My solely gripe is that they seem on a separate widget, which means I’ve to swipe between two separate widgets on the quilt display to entry my apps.  

It’s additionally value mentioning that apps on the Z Flip 5’s fundamental display additionally do not seamlessly transition to the quilt display when closing the telephone as they do on the Razr Plus. Instead, it solely works the opposite approach round, with apps transferring from the quilt display to the principle display after opening the machine.

Regardless, Samsung’s execution of the Flex Window is a promising begin. It’s clear and intuitive, and there is plenty of potential for Samsung to increase its capabilities. 

Galaxy Z Flip 5 will get a brand new hinge

Samsung’s new foldable telephone additionally has an upgraded hinge that permits the machine to shut fully with no hole when shut. This is one other space the place Samsung is enjoying catch-up; Motorola and Google each launched foldable telephones in June that don’t have any hole when closed. 

Samsung additionally says the brand new hinge ought to make the Z Flip 5 extra sturdy because it has fewer transferring elements, and the hinge’s construction must also enhance shock absorption. There’s nonetheless a visual crease operating throughout the telephone’s 6.7-inch fundamental show, however it feels a barely flatter to the contact in comparison with the  Z Flip 4.

Motorola’s Razr Plus appears to be like thinner than the Z Flip 5, however Samsung’s telephone has a sturdier really feel. I’ve solely used the Razr Plus for a few weeks, however I already discover that it does not all the time unfold fully straight. I have not used the Z Flip 5 for very lengthy but, so it is unattainable to know the way it will maintain up over time.  

That additionally raises a bigger query about long-term sturdiness for foldable telephones. Although foldable telephone designs have improved during the last 4 years, it is value remembering that these gadgets include the next danger of injury in comparison with conventional smartphones. They’re additionally not dust-resistant like customary, non-folding gadgets. Both the Z Flip 5 and Z Flip 4 have an IPX8 ingress safety ranking, which means they’re water resistant however not dust-resistant. 

Galaxy Z Flip 5’s digital camera is barely higher than the Z Flip 4

It’s clear that Samsung centered most of its assets on the Z Flip 5’s cowl display and hinge. The Galaxy Z Flip 5’s digital camera is essentially the identical as final 12 months’s mannequin, besides it has a brand new coating that ought to scale back lens flare. That means the Z Flip 5 has a 12-megapixel extensive and ultrawide digital camera and a 10-megapixel selfie digital camera.

Instead of upgrading the digital camera sensor, Samsung is counting on the machine’s new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip to do the heavy lifting with regards to enhancing picture high quality. It’s considerably disappointing to not see an improve in digital camera {hardware} contemplating Samsung has been positioning the Z Flip as being ideally suited for snapping pictures because of its flexibility. But pictures taken on the Z Flip 5 are sharp and colourful sufficient to fulfill most individuals.  

And you’ll be able to actually inform the distinction when evaluating pictures alongside these taken on the Z Flip 4. I noticed that colours look bolder and particulars are crisper in pictures taken with the Z Flip 5 versus the Z Flip 4.

When it involves the Razr Plus and Galaxy Z Flip 5, outcomes differ relying on the state of affairs. There had been instances when the Razr’s pictures felt drab and missing in shade in comparison with the Z Flip 5’s.

Take a take a look at the pictures under to see how the Z Flip 5’s digital camera compares to the Razr’s and Z Flip 4’s under. The variations could also be arduous to identify, however they’re extra distinguished when viewing these pictures at their full measurement on a laptop-sized display. 

Galaxy Z Flip 5

Galaxy Z Flip 4

Motorola Razr Plus

Galaxy Z Flip 5

Galaxy Z Flip 4

Motorola Razr Plus

Galaxy Z Flip 5

Galaxy Z Flip 4

Motorola Razr Plus

But there have been additionally instances when Motorola’s telephone succeeded in sure areas over Samsung’s. In the picture under of a scrumptious boiling pan of tteokbokki, a Korean avenue meals staple that often consists of sentimental chewy rice muffins and different elements soaked in crimson pepper sauce, Samsung did a greater job at capturing the effervescent sauce’s orange shade extra precisely. But Motorola’s picture is noticeably sharper.

Galaxy Z Flip 5

Motorola Razr Plus

As was the case with earlier generations of the Z Flip, you should not anticipate to get the identical top-notch digital camera high quality you’d discover on a telephone just like the Galaxy S23 Ultra or Google Pixel 7 Pro. But I’m impressed with the enhancements I’ve seen to date. While the Z Flip 5 does not help the identical zoom vary or the supply choice to seize tremendous high-resolution pictures like S23 Ultra, its cameras are a lot able to documenting meals and journey for Instagram. And that is precisely what I did whereas testing it in Seoul.

Check out the gallery under to see the pictures I took all around the metropolis, from cultural landmarks like Gyeongbokgung Palace, unbelievable views from the bottom of Namsan Seoul Tower and nightlife hotspots like Hongdae. And after all, I’ve included pictures of the scrumptious meals I ate whereas in Seoul, too.

On a telephone just like the Z Flip 5, it is not nearly picture high quality. The machine’s foldable design additionally helps you to seize pictures in numerous methods. I can, for instance, open the telephone midway and relaxation it on a floor to seize a photograph hands-free.

The cowl display additionally means that you can seize selfies with the principle rear cameras somewhat than the decrease decision inside selfie digital camera. The entrance display can present previews of pictures being captured with the principle cameras earlier than hitting the shutter button, permitting the topic to see a dwell preview. However, this requires urgent a selected button inside Samsung’s digital camera app whereas taking pictures, whereas Motorola’s telephone does this mechanically. And I preferred having a a lot bigger viewfinder for capturing selfies on the Z Flip 5 in comparison with the Z Flip 4.

Galaxy Z Flip 5: Main 12MP digital camera

Galaxy Z Flip 5: Inner 10MP digital camera

Galaxy Z Flip 5 software program, efficiency and battery life

A foldable design doesn’t suggest a lot with out helpful software program options. Samsung’s reply to that is Flex Mode, which shifts apps to the highest portion of the show when the machine is positioned half open like a laptop computer.  

There is not a lot new with Flex Mode this 12 months, however it’s nonetheless extra purposeful than Motorola’s equal function for the Razr Plus, which solely labored within the digital camera app for me. 

Performance on the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is what’s anticipated from a telephone at this value. Apps launch shortly, I did not discover any lag or stuttering, and supported apps seamlessly change from the quilt display to the principle show.

I additionally ran benchmark assessments meant to judge common computing efficiency and graphics energy. Geekbench 6, the overall computing check, assesses how the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip contained in the Z Flip 5 performs at each the single-core and multicore degree. 3DMark Wild Life Extreme assessments graphics by simulating gaming environments. 

Take a take a look at the chart under to see how the Galaxy Z Flip 5 compares towards final 12 months’s Z Flip 4 and the Motorola Razr Plus in these assessments.

Battery life on the Z Flip 5 is lengthy sufficient to make it by means of a busy day of wandering round Seoul snapping pictures, wanting up instructions and discovering close by factors of curiosity. I usually took my telephone off its charger within the late morning, between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m., and nonetheless had 25 to 30% of my battery left between midnight and 1:30 a.m.

During CNET’s 45-minute battery endurance check, which entails performing on a regular basis duties like streaming YouTube, making a video name, enjoying video games and scrolling by means of social media, the Z Flip 5’s battery dropped from 100% to 90%. That’s higher than final 12 months’s Z Flip 4 and about on par with the Galaxy S23.

These enhancements are largely because of the Z Flip 5’s new processor. It has the identical battery capability as final 12 months’s Z Flip 4 however there’s extra native storage on the base degree. 

The $1,000 Galaxy Z Flip 5 comes with 256GB of storage, which means you get double the area for identical beginning value as its predecessor.

Galaxy Z Flip 5 exhibits foldables are enhancing

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 additional proves that phone-makers are getting nearer to answering the query of why foldable telephones are helpful within the first place. The new cowl display goes a good distance in reaching that objective.

As I wrote when reviewing the Motorola Razr Plus, the larger exterior show exhibits that flip telephones are about extra than simply portability. Having a tool that is straightforward to navigate with one hand and also can unfold to a full-sized telephone makes the Z Flip 5 and different comparable telephones extra versatile than the telephones most individuals carry immediately. Companies like Samsung and Motorola are beginning to notice that the so-called “killer app” for foldables might come all the way down to the advantages of getting two screens that work collectively, somewhat than focusing totally on how the principle display behaves when folded and unfolded.