On July 26, Samsung unsurprisingly presented new hardware as part of its Galaxy Unpacked event. There was the new Galaxy Watch 6 (hands-on) and the new Galaxy Tab S9 lineup of premium tablets to marvel at. However, the main focus was on the foldables, including the new flagship foldable Galaxy Z Fold 5 (hands-on) as well as the Galaxy Galaxy Z Flip 5 (hands-on). We will focus on the flip phone and compare it with its predecessor in this article. As usual, we start with the technical specs:
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Z Flip 4: Technical data comparison
| Samsung’s new flip phone | Samsung’s 2022 model | |
|---|---|---|
| Product | ||
| Image |  |  |
| Inner display | 6.67″ OLED | |
| 2640 x 1080 pixels | ||
| 120 Hz refresh rate | ||
| Outer display | 3.4″ OLED | 1.9″ OLED |
| 720 x 748 px | 260 x 512 px | |
| SoC | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy | Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 |
| RAM | 8 GB | |
| Storage | 256 / 512 GB | 128 / 256 / 512 GB |
| Expandable memory | ❌ | |
| OS | One UI 5.1 based on Android 13 | One UI 4 based on Android 12 |
| Four years of Android upgrades Five years of security updates | ||
| Camera | Main: 12 MP, f/1.8, OIS Ultra-wide-angle: 12 MP, f/2.2 | |
| Selfie camera | 10 MP, f/2.2 | 10 MP, f/2.4 |
| Battery | 3,700 mAh 25 W wired charging 15 W wireless charging | |
| Connectivity | 5G / LTE / Wi-Fi 6E / Wi-Fi Direct / Bluetooth 5.3 / NFC | 5G / LTE / Wi-Fi 6E / Wi-Fi Direct / Bluetooth 5.2 / NFC |
| eSIM | ✔️ | |
| IP Certification | PX8 | |
| Dimensions and weight | Folded: 85.1 x 71.9 x 15.1 mm Unfolded: 165.1 x 71.9 x 6.9 mm | Folded: 84.9 x 71.9 x 17.1 mm Unfolded: 165.2 x 71.9 x 6.9 mm |
| 187 g | ||
| Advantages |
| |
| Cons |
| |
| Rating | Read the Galaxy Z Flip 5 hands-on | Read the Galaxy Z Flip 4 review |
| To the offer* | ||
A look at the table shows you quite a few similarities between both devices. This makes it sound like a rather incremental update, but don’t let that fool you. The larger cover display alone promises significant added value and the new SoC more performance.
We’ve had very little hands-on time with the new foldables so far. This means that we can only compare on the basis of our experiences once we have finished the review for the Galaxy Z Flip 5. So, this comparison here is mainly based on the technical specs and first impressions.
Table of contents:
Display and design
“Hmm, looks a bit like before”. Yes, somehow it’s always a bit manageable how Samsung’s foldables change from year to year. In this case, things are a wee bit different, even if the dimensions—84.9 x 71.9 x 17.1 mm for 2022, 85.1 x 71.9 x 15.1 mm in the 2023 model—don’t reflect that.
But it is: it has become two millimeters thinner, which is related to the new, improved “Flex Hinge”. Thanks to the new technology, the display now closes completely flat when folded. If this does not lead to problems with the display in terms of the crease, this would definitely be a fine achievement for the Galaxy Z Flip 5.
More noticeable is the significantly larger outer display, which grows from 1.9″ to 3.4″ and is thus more than three times larger than the predecessor. This should bring huge advantages not only visually, but especially functionally. You can therefore use the Galaxy Z Flip 5 much more often when it is folded.
Apart from that, Samsung actually stays true to itself in terms of design again, which is clear. The inner display also seems identical to that of last year’s model. Adaptive 120 Hz again for the identically sized AMOLED panel with identically high resolution. Did the displays become brighter? We will have to wait for the final review for that answer, unfortunately.
Performance and connectivity
Samsung remains loyal to the Snapdragon (for now): While it used the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 last year, the second generation of the Snapdragon 8 is now available—and even with the addition “for Galaxy”. This is Samsung’s way of signaling that Qualcomm’s SoC is specifically tailored for Samsung’s phones, but we are basically only dealing with an overclocked version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
We have already run the first benchmark tests, but please consider the results for the Z Flip 5 as preliminary for now. In any case, we can expect an improved performance with better heat management. However, our detailed test still has to confirm that.
| Galaxy Z Flip 5 (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2) | Galaxy Z Flip 4 (Snapdragon 8 Gen 1) | |
|---|---|---|
| 3D Mark Wild Life | Maxed out | 5,682 |
| 3D Mark Wild Life stress test | Best loop: 9,653 Worst loop: 5,464 | Best loop: 10,586 Worst loop: 4,145 |
| Geekbench 6 | Single: 1,985 Multi: 5,151 | Single: 1,309 Multi: 4,213 |
Samsung still relies on 8 GB of RAM, but the Galaxy Z Flip 5 starts with a minimum size of 256 GB of internal, again non-expandable storage. Thus, there is no longer an entry-level version with 128 GB. Alternatively, you can again go for the 512 GB storage this year.
You will also look for the improvements in connectivity with a magnifying glass, but they are there: Bluetooth 5.2 has been improved to 5.3.
Cameras
This category is the biggest disappointment for me—at least on paper. Comparing the specs, only one thing stands out to me: The selfie cam retains the 10 MP, but now relies on an f/2.2 aperture (previously f/2.4). Is everything else exactly the same in terms of hardware? It seems so.
It is true that Camila reported in her short test that post-processing seems to be improved as well as light capture. But are these improvements that might still come to older models via software update? I cannot assess that, but regardless of that, we prefer to wait until our test device has arrived in the office before comparing the two Flip phones in this category as well. But honestly: I am quite pessimistic that Samsung has improved a lot here.
Even though the gallery for the Flip Z 5 is not yet conclusive—here are the galleries for both smartphones:
Test photos of the Galaxy Z Flip 5
Test photos of the Galaxy Z Flip 4
Software
Boredom is deadly—unless we are in the software section of a comparison of two Samsung smartphones. In that case, it means that nothing has changed in terms of software support. That means: Yep, the Korean tech giant again relies on four years of Android updates and five years of security updates for the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and thus remains the industry leader.
Everything else is expected: Of course, the Z Flip 5 now comes with Android 13 preinstalled, and of course, the brand-new foldable also presents itself in the “One UI” look. Do you want more information about Samsung’s popular Android overlay? Then read our article with tips and tricks for One UI and definitely take a look at our review of One UI 5.
One thing will change with the new flip device in terms of software: You will be able to do a lot more with the cover display due to its increased size. How exactly has Samsung implemented this and what possibilities does it open up? You guessed right, we will discuss that with you here as soon as we have finally tested the foldable.
Battery and charging
I could copy and paste the introduction of the camera section above. Here, too, there is a bad innovation standstill.
- Charger? Still not included.
- Capacity? Still 3,700 mAh.
- Charging speed? Still 25 W.
Will the battery perhaps last longer thanks to a more efficient display and/or SoC? We will have to see, but that does not change the fact that Samsung wastes potential here. Samsung is simply not the speed world champion when it comes to charging, I can live with that. But if it is possible to charge the Galaxy S23 series (with the S23+ and S23 Ultra) with 45 watts—why does that not work here?
Price and availability
Let’s move on to the price. It has increased—at least when we look at the entry-level price. It is $999 and that is even a hundred dollars more than the 2022 model. However, you have to consider there is not a 128 GB model anymore. This means that you pay more, but you also have twice as much storage. You can see that clearly in the table here:
| Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 | Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| 8+128 GB | ||
| 8+256 GB | ||
| 8+512 GB |
More good news: Those who pre-order until August 10th can look forward to a storage gift from Samsung. This means: If you pay for 256 GB model, you will get the Galaxy Z Flip 5 with 512 GB from Samsung! You can read more about this in Dustin’s article, which explains in detail where and how you can buy the new Samsung smartphones:
Is it also worth looking at the Galaxy Z Flip 4 from last year? But of course! After the Flip 5 launch, it is worth keeping an eye on discounts for the Flip 4—after all, you get a foldable that was originally launched for $900 and that you can easily have fun with for another three years.
Conclusion
This brings us to the (preliminary) conclusion: As of now, i.e. without a final review of the Galaxy Z Flip 5, I would definitely advise you to buy the new model. Precondition: You do not own a Samsung foldable from last year! The new flip phone outperforms its predecessor, especially due to the large display, and it also has the edge in terms of performance. However, the update is hardly worth it if you already own the Z Flip 4.
And even for those who want to get into the foldable game for the first time, it is worth taking a look at the offers for the 2022 model. Yes, Samsung has improved and optimized some parts in a sensible way—but users who do not want to shell out at least 1200 bucks will undoubtedly be happy with the Galaxy Z Flip 4.
