Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Rumors: A Thinner Foldable May Be Coming

Foldable telephones should be new to most individuals, however Samsung is already on its fourth technology of the Galaxy Z Fold. If the smartphone maker maintains its typical product launch cycle, we might see one other new model of Samsung’s book-style foldable telephone this August.

Rumors counsel Samsung’s subsequent foldable, anticipated to be known as the Galaxy Z Fold 5, will likely be a minor replace to the Galaxy Z Fold 4. Among the largest adjustments is predicted to be a redesigned hinge that ought to scale back the system’s thickness. But, in fact, we cannot know for sure till Samsung makes an announcement. 

Still, the rumors pointing to routine adjustments like a thinner construct counsel Samsung remains to be fine-tuning the Galaxy Z Fold’s design. Each yr, Samsung has carried out modest however helpful adjustments to the Z Fold’s physique that make it extra palatable. With the Galaxy Z Fold 4, for instance, Samsung elevated the duvet show’s width, a small change that makes it really feel a bit extra like a daily telephone when closed. But the Z Fold 4 remains to be notably girthy when folded in comparison with a normal telephone, displaying there’s nonetheless work to be finished.

Here’s what we all know concerning the Galaxy Z Fold 5 thus far primarily based on rumors and historic Samsung product launches. 

Now playing:
Watch this:

The Most Exciting Phones I Want to See in 2023

7:28

Galaxy Z Fold 5 release date

Samsung typically releases new foldable phones in August. The Galaxy Z Fold 4, for example, was announced on Aug. 10 and went on sale Aug. 26. Before that, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 hit store shelves on Aug. 27 in 2021. 

Samsung seems to have built a tradition around launching its foldable phones in August, and it seems likely the company might do the same this year. Plus, it gives Samsung an opportunity to generate buzz around its own products heading into the fall, which is when Apple and Google typically unveil their new smartphones. 

Galaxy Z Fold 5 price

Samsung’s tablet-style foldable doesn’t come cheap. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 starts at $1,800 without a trade-in. That’s certainly cheaper than Samsung’s original Galaxy Fold, but it’s still considerably more expensive than your average phone. 

We haven’t heard much about the Galaxy Z Fold 5’s price when it comes to leaks and rumors. But TM Roh, president and head of Samsung’s mobile experience division, acknowledged when speaking with CNET last August that pricing is a challenge.

“It’s definitely a challenge that we are tackling, and we will need to tackle,” he said. 

Galaxy Z Fold 5 design

If the rumors turn out to be true, Samsung may make some design refinements to the Galaxy Z Fold 5. Korean news outlets The Elec and ET News, as well as prolific leaker Ice Universe, have reported that Samsung will implement a new water drop-shaped hinge for the Galaxy Z Fold 5. This could result in a less noticeable crease and a slimmer profile when closed, similar to the Oppo Find N, which has this hinge style. The biggest benefit would be that the phone folds completely shut with no gaps, making it feel more sleek when being used as a normal phone. 

That would be a much-appreciated improvement, considering one of the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s biggest drawbacks is that it still feels chunky when folded. Competitors like Oppo and Huawei have also done a better job at hiding the crease, as my colleagues Sareena Dayaram and Eli Blumenthal have written, so this new hinge could help Samsung catch up. 

Galaxy Z Fold 5 S Pen

Samsung’s book-style foldable has supported the S Pen since the Galaxy Z Fold 3, so it seems likely that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will as well. The question, however, is whether you’ll be able to store it within the device as you can with the Galaxy S23 Ultra. 

ET News reported that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will not include a storage slot for the S Pen. There’s less room for S Pen storage since the hinge structure has changed, the report said citing a person close to the issue.

However, a previous report from The Elec said Samsung cited adding a designated slot for the S Pen as a challenge that it believes needs to be overcome to further popularize foldable phones. This suggested that Samsung was indeed considering adding an S Pen holster to its next foldable. 

Embedding the S Pen in the Galaxy Z Fold 5 could make it more useful as a productivity device, further defining who that product is truly for. But doing so while reducing the device’s thickness is certainly a challenge. One solution could be to create a magnetic mechanism for attaching the pen to the Z Fold 5, similar to the way the Apple Pencil attaches to the iPad. 

Galaxy Z Fold 5 storage and other specs

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 will likely have some specifications in common with the Galaxy S23 lineup. The phone may be available in 256GB, 512GB and 1TB storage options, just like the Galaxy S23 Ultra, according to Sam Mobile. 

It’ll also likely run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, according to The Elec, just like the Galaxy S23 family. Samsung optimized the version of the chip that’s inside its latest flagship phones, so it’s possible it will do the same for its next foldables. 

We haven’t heard many rumors about the camera yet, but The Elec reports it could have a 12-megapixel selfie camera and a triple-lens rear camera with a 50-megapixel main camera. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 also has a 50-megapixel main camera, so it sounds like we won’t be seeing too much of an upgrade there. But if it does have the new Samsung-optimized edition of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, we may see some of the behind-the-scenes improvements to image processing that arrived on the Galaxy S23. 

The 12-megapixel front camera would also represent an upgrade from the 10-megapixel selfie camera on Galaxy Z Fold 4’s cover screen, provided that The Elec’s information is correct.

Overall, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 seems like it could be a modest improvement over the Galaxy Z Fold 4. But if the rumors turn out to be true, it’ll represent another step toward addressing some of the aesthetic compromises that come with foldable phones, like screen creases and thick designs when shut.