Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Dead On Arrival: Smaller External Display, Half the Resolution of Moto Razr 40 Ultra

Samsung has officially unveiled the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 at the highly anticipated Galaxy Unpacked event. This latest addition to Samsung’s lineup of folding phones, including the recently released Galaxy Z Fold 5, is poised to enter the market and rival competitors such as Motorola’s Razr 40 series, Google Pixel Fold, and the Oppo Find N2 series.

Let’s dive in and see what’s all new with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5: Design

Samsung’s Z Flip 5 has undergone a significant change this year, notably increasing the size of its cover display, now known as ‘Flex Window.’ The display has expanded from a tiny and barely usable 1.9 inches to a more spacious 3.4-inch screen, occupying most of the cover and offering a resolution of 720x748px.

However, while the cover display resolution has improved, it still falls short when compared to the Moto Edge 40 Ultra’s impressive 1056×1056 resolution, equivalent to over 1 megapixel. In contrast, Samsung’s resolution is relatively poor, sitting at half a megapixel.

Another area where the Moto outshines Samsung is in the refresh rate of the cover display. The Moto boasts a much faster 144Hz refresh rate, leaving Samsung’s 60Hz in the dust.

For users, this means that a lower resolution can result in a decrease in image quality, which can lead to a less satisfying user experience. In terms of third-party app integration, the Moto’s larger screen size, coupled with higher resolution and faster refresh rate, would likely provide a better experience.

The new display of the Z Flip features a folder icon-like appearance and accommodates only the dual camera system and flash. While some might appreciate the folder-like design, others, including myself, prefer the cohesive and symmetrical look of the Razr 40 Ultra.

Samsung’s strategy for the larger cover display on the Z Flip 5 involves running specially optimized Google apps, such as Maps, Messages, and YouTube, to enhance user experience without unfolding the device. However, unlike the Z Fold 5’s cover display, which seamlessly supports all apps, the Z Flip 5’s cover display requires specific developer support due to its smaller screen size.

Apart from the display upgrade, the Z Flip 5 also boasts a new and improved hinge known as the ‘Flex Hinge.’ Addressing previous speculations about their foldables not closing flat, Samsung officially confirmed the hinge’s complete closure without any gaps just days before the event.

The introduction of the newer fold-flat hinge design raises questions about its durability over time and whether it will avoid the series of unfortunate failures Samsung has experienced with its foldable devices in the past. These previous issues have been well-documented, making it essential for users to wait and see how this new hinge design performs in the long run (just take a look at this unfortunate incident).

It’s common for newer iterations of foldable designs to encounter a higher degree of failure and raise concerns about issues like sand, debris, or grit getting trapped between the hinge, potentially causing damage to the screen.

Furthermore, the full contact of the folding screen resulting from the newer hinge design could increase its vulnerability to scratching. Unfortunately, if you do end up scratching the screen, it’s important to note that Samsung’s warranty policy does not cover such damages, leaving users without recourse in such situations.

As is tradition with the Flip series, Samsung is offering a bunch of new color choices so you can flaunt your clamshell. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 will be available in these hues: Lavender, Mint, Cream, and Graphite. As usual, there are several colors that are only available on Samsung.com: Gray, Blue, Green and Yellow.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5: Specifications

Regarding the technical specifications, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 comes equipped with a 6.7-inch FHD+ display (22:9) featuring an adaptive refresh rate of 1-120Hz. As previously mentioned, the cover display measures 3.4 inches and has a resolution of 720×748 pixels (306ppi). However, as stated earlier, this one runs at 60Hz.

Under the hood, the phone runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 “For Galaxy” SoC, which is a higher-clocked version compared to the standard one. It is paired with 8GB of RAM and offers 256GB or 512GB of internal storage. There is no 128GB configuration this time around.

Regarding optics, the camera configuration remains unchanged from the previous year. The primary 12MP module retains a 1/1.76″ sensor with large 1.8µm pixels equipped with Dual Pixel AF, while the f/1.8 lens provides Optical Image Stabilization (OIS).

Additionally, there is a 12MP ultra-wide camera featuring an f/2.2 123° lens with 1.12µm pixels. Inside, there still exists a dedicated selfie camera, a 10MP shooter with an 85° lens (f/2.2, 1.22µm pixels).

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is powered by a 3,700mAh battery and supports 25W charging along with 15W wireless charging. Although the new chip is expected to improve battery efficiency, it’s disappointing that Samsung has not made significant advancements in charging speeds for 2023. There should’ve been an improvement in this department honestly.

The fingerprint reader, a capacitive one, is located on the side of the phone. Furthermore, the device features a card slot for a single nano-SIM, which can be combined with the eSIM to enable the use of two phone lines.

Lastly, the phone ships with Android 13 out of the box with One UI 5.1.1 on top.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5: Price & Availability

In the UK, the 256GB version of the phone will be priced at £1,050, while the 512GB variant will cost £1,150. In the US, the Z Flip 5 will start at $999.

Samsung is expected to reveal the official prices for the Indian market tomorrow at 10 AM.

The company has already started accepting pre-reserve orders for their Galaxy devices. Interested customers can secure their smartphones by paying an upfront amount of ₹1,999. Additionally, Samsung has announced that those who pre-reserve the new Galaxy devices will receive benefits worth ₹5,000.

For those interested in pre-ordering, the option is available on Samsung India’s website. It’s essential to know that the pre-reserve amount of ₹1,999 is refundable.

What Do We Think About the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5?

Honestly, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 doesn’t bring much to the table. If you’re already rocking a Z Flip 4, there are hardly any exciting upgrades to drool over. As MKBHD even mentioned in his first impressions video of the folding phones, Samsung seems to have settled with lackluster improvements.

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