The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a very good folding phone but it’s still a niche, expensive device. Samsung’s foldable software impresses, but the cameras are disappointing.
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As someone who’s still optimistic about foldable devices and has owned the last three generations of Samsung’s flagship flexible phone, I can't help but like the Z Fold 5. It’s faster and sleeker, with a brighter main display and even longer battery life than before. The question I wrestle with is how many tweaks and updates should we really expect from a device now in its fifth generation.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a foldable phone done right, with a sleeker, lighter build than previous models, loads of power, and genuinely useful continuity between its two screens.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a very good folding phone but it’s still a niche, expensive device. Samsung’s foldable software impresses, but the cameras are disappointing.
It’s a slow and steady process, but Samsung’s been at it for a while. Theirs continues to be the most fully realized foldable on the market from a hardware and software perspective. I continue to lean toward the Flip for reasons of personal preferences (ditto the Pixel Fold), but if the Fold is your cup of tea, it continues to be the one to beat.
Hands on: I’m not keen on the £100 price increase – £1,749 is an awful lot of money for a phone – but if you’re blessed with the funds and you’re a fan of the phone/tablet form factor, I doubt there will be anything better than the Galaxy Z Fold 5, at least for a little while longer.
Hands on: However, my issue with the Z Fold 5 is that while a lot of the changes are nice in a vacuum, for a company that has had such a head start in the foldable phone space, it seems like Samsung isn’t pushing that advantage as hard as it should.
Hands on: On the whole, the Fold 5 doesn’t look like it’s designed to entice current Fold owners to upgrade. Instead, Samsung seems to be shoring up its position against its newest foldable competitor: Google. The things that Samsung was already doing better — a lighter device, robust multitasking features — are improving even further.
Hands on: Samsung has made a number of small but important updates to pull the Galaxy Z Fold 5 within shooting distance of its nearest rival, the Google Pixel Fold. It's faster, thinner, lighter – and, yes, flatter.