The company was not just trying to be different anymore. It wanted to change the game. And it did. But this time they were taking on everyone else instead of starting from scratch.
For five years now, Samsung has been working hard to bring down Apple’s device dominance in mobile technology. The latest iteration is ready for another round and will go one step further by targeting the foldables market.
The biggest question right now is whether or not it can compete with Google’s own Pixel 6 Pro, which costs $1,449 and comes equipped with an impressive new design. Or maybe it should go one step ahead, and offer something truly unique and stand out with its own innovative approach. Either way, we’re going to have a look at what that means for our dear little Galaxy Z Fold 5.
Design & Display
As mentioned earlier, while the Galaxy Z Flip 3 Plus may be the most important product of all, it’s also the least beautiful. With rounded edges on both sides and a punchy matte glass back, the entire device feels like a cheap plastic shell over a metal frame. For comparison, Google’s flagship Galaxy S, also made of aluminum, starts off with glossy surface and features a smooth finish.
It isn’t enough. At times, I felt like there was too much excess material on top of things that needed attention, such as the camera bump at the bottom (which looks incredibly big if you do your calculations correctly) or the fingerprint sensor (which was actually quite small) on the left side, where the two lines are joined by a single flap, making them appear almost indistinguishable.
The only thing that works against those elements is the overall thickness. While folded down into its smallest form, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 measures 7.9mm thick at the base and rises to 8.8mm when unfolded. That’s nothing compared to some other phones around the world, such as the iPhone 12 mini, which is 9.4 mm thick and weighs about 100 grams. This would be even more noticeable if it didn’t look exactly the same on either side.
The main selling point of any smartphone, whether it’s a tablet or a foldable one, is not necessarily the screen size. Instead, it’s how well it displays information with crispness, clarity, and legibility. We’ll get onto that later on in this review.
Display
I have to say, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 does everything right. Its large 16MP primary camera with Portrait lighting mode (which helps reduce ghosting) is still among the best you’ll find, especially when you consider the fact that you can use Night Mode to darken the background of the shot while you take photos or videos. There’s no denying that the camera quality can improve by using better software, but the results are there. Moreover, thanks to the secondary and tertiary cameras, you get great-looking selfies, too. What's more, once you have mastered the technique of faking facial expressions, it's easy to capture video footage.
There’s also built-in AI that will help you capture video, record audio, and even translate text. You don’t need anything complicated to set up the system, and it takes less than a minute to configure all that.
Of course, if you want to really elevate your photography, you would need to invest in the expensive and probably unnecessary 48 MP ultra-wide lens which has a focal length of 2x and supports portrait mode. However, you can make the zoom work for you with the second-gen Ultra-Wide Lens, which offers a 20x magnification.
If you want to do creative things, you can opt for the 10X Super SteadyShot, which allows you to keep focus on the subject, while letting you move around and zoom in or out. Otherwise, you can shoot videos at 30 fps at 1080p resolution. If you want to take professional shots, you can choose Cinematic Mode, which lets you switch between slow motion 1080p at 120 FPS and high-res 720p 1080p at 150 FPS.
In short, if you know how to use the software and have a bit of patience, then this is the perfect phone for you. All the necessary tools can be downloaded in under half an hour, and you won't need to spend too much money to get it up to an acceptable level.
Display Quality
The bigger issue for me was the aspect ratio. On one hand, this is good. Yes, it doesn’t seem “normal” when folded down, and it isn’t ideal to be seen from angles, but you can get used to it over time. When seen from 90 degrees, you won’t notice anything but the black border around the edge of the screen that you can easily ignore.
On the other hand, when viewed horizontally, there are parts of the phone that are so thin and the corners look uneven. To overcome this problem, you can turn on Max Brightness and Reduce Blue Light on Settings > Display.
The result is that it looks fantastic even when folded. Of course, if you want to make sure you have the maximum brightness in every part of the screen, you can always add the slider from the lower middle, which adjusts the contrast ratio automatically.
However, this doesn’t guarantee absolute clarity. Some colors aren’t exactly clear, and the images look washed out after being processed. This happens due to lack of sharpness, especially along the edges. Overall, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is capable of capturing pretty decent images. However, if you want more control over brightness, you might want to wait until the end of the day.
The rest of these issues should be resolved by turning on Adaptive Color Correction on the Dark Theme setting and adjusting the color temperature slightly depending on the area you have chosen to edit in the photo editing tool.
Performance
When it comes to real-world performance, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 can’t be beaten. Not by far. While running Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset, the phone runs smoother than any Galaxy before, giving you the ability to multitask without having to worry about overheating. It’s a shame because it would allow for faster graphics cards and hardware-accelerated gaming, which is why we recommend spending in the higher range for gaming.
The RAM is fast too, with 4GB available in the 32GB variant for $1,199, whereas the 64GB model goes for $2,199. As you can see in the table below, the 128GB model also has a few extra RAM upgrades (which include 256GB of storage), but the RAM performance remains pretty solid.
If you use apps frequently that require intensive processing power, such as games or media files, you’ll probably feel the effects soon and have a harder time holding the phone steady. This is likely due to processor throttling, which is essentially when your phone constantly struggles to run the required tasks, leading your battery usage to spike.
In terms of charging, the Z Fold 5 can last for up to 18 hours of moderate use before needing to charge, while the larger Galaxy Z Flip 3 Plus lasts for 25 hours. Both devices also have support for wireless charging.
In addition to a relatively long battery life, you can enjoy extended conversations and uninterrupted calls by switching off notifications and allowing voice calls during playback. This is definitely worth considering if you spend much time on social media.
If you’re looking for more advanced features, you might want to look into the Galaxy Note lineup. Although they aren’t as budget-friendly as their counterparts, they get you a lot of powerful functionality that many competitors simply cannot beat. They're compatible with Android 11, which is very nice to have since the majority of people are already on the latest version.
You might also be interested in testing them out. The recently added Bixby integration makes them easier to use for virtual assistants and personal organizers.
Overall
Overall, if you find the Z Fold 5 interesting and useful, it’ll be well worth it. After all, you’ll only pay $1,000 for the phone, which is significantly cheaper than the competition. If you’re curious about the tech inside, check out my recent overview of it. However, if you’re in the mood for a stylish and powerful device that delivers on what it promises, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will surely impress.