Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Debuts With A New Hinge

The Galaxy Unpacked event has come and gone, but the memories remain through its latest unveils. Samsung saved its most significant innovations for the flip phone this year. The larger Z Fold 5 receives a redesigned hinge and a brighter inner screen, but not much more compared to  Z Flip 5. The cost remains at $1,799.

The same overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU seen in Samsung’s S23-series flagship phones powers the upgraded model, which is also somewhat smaller and lighter than the Z Fold 4 thanks to a new teardrop-shaped hinge that enables it to close flat. When closed, the Z Fold 5 is 13.4mm thick, while the Fold 4 was 14.2mm thick at its thinnest point. Additionally, it weighs around 10g (two nickels) less, moving from 263g to 253g.

The Fold 5 should be a little more durable even if it has the same IPX8 grade for water resistance as the one from the previous year. Along with the newest Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and inside screens, the new hinge’s double-rail construction may better handle impacts.

The 7.6-inch screen’s maximum brightness has been increased to 1750 nits, matching the screens of the Galaxy S23 series. Additionally, the S Pen that was created for use with the Fold series is now 40% thinner. Although Samsung claims that the Fold 5 stylus case is “nearly the same thickness as a regular case for the Fold,” there is still no silo built into the phone for it.

There are also a few minor software updates: the taskbar now displays four recent apps instead of two, and there is a new two-handed drag-and-drop feature to make content-copying between apps easier. subsequently, a One UI upgrade from Samsung will add these functions to previous Fold phones.

Overall, it doesn’t seem like the Fold 5 is intended to persuade current Fold customers to upgrade. Instead, it appears that Samsung is fortifying its position against its newest foldable rival, Google. The advantages Samsung already had, such as a lighter smartphone and powerful multitasking functions, are now getting even better. The benefit of the Pixel Fold in closing completely flat is now a wash. But the Pixel Fold’s broader form factor has earned a lot of fans, including me, and the Z Fold 5’s outside screen is still just as narrow and awkward as it was last year.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is now available for preorder; it will begin shipping on August 11 and comes in the standard color selections of icy blue, phantom black, and cream. If you order directly from Samsung, you’ll have two more options: blue or gray.