Category: Technologies

At its Galaxy Unpacked event Wednesday, Samsung showed off the latest version of its flagship foldable phone — the Galaxy Z Fold 5. It features a new, gapless hinge and a speedier processor, but it keeps the same $1,800 price tag as last year’s model, the Galaxy Z Fold 4.

The new Galaxy Z Fold 5 comes in the lighter and slimmer design teased by T.M. Roh, the president of Samsung’s mobile division. The Z Fold 5 weighs 253 grams (8.92 ounces), which represents a 10-gram decrease from last year’s Z Fold 4 and a 18-gram decrease from the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

The Z Fold 5 is 13.46 mm thick when folded closed, making it 2.44mm slimmer than its predecessor. Despite Samsung’s progress, the world’s thinnest foldable phone is the Honor V2, made by Huawei’s former subsidiary Honor. The Honor V2 is 9.9mm thick when in phone mode. However, that foldable is only available in China.

The key to the Fold 5’s more portable design is what Samsung calls the flex hinge, which allows for a more streamlined construction with fewer moving parts. The new hinge also makes way for both displays to fold completely flat.

Apart from this, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 received a series of incremental improvements such as the newest Snapdragon processor and a brighter internal screen (1,750 nits). It’s the brightest screen on any Z Fold. There’s also support for three SIMs, and the upgraded hinge. For more specifics, feel free to check out the details in CNET’s specs chart below for a side-by-side comparison.

Z Fold 5 vs. Z Fold 4 vs. Z Fold 3

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5	Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 5G	Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G
Cover: 6.2-inch AMOLED (2,316 x 904 pixels), 1-120Hz; internal: 7.6-inch AMOLED (2,176 x 1,812 pixels), 1-120Hz	Cover: 6.2-inch (2,316 x 904; internal: 7.6-inch AMOLED (2,176 x 1,812 pixels)	Cover: 6.2-inch AMOLED (2,268 x 832 pixels); internal: 7.6-inch AMOLED (2,208 x 1,768 pixels)
Cover: 402 ppi, internal: 374 ppi	Cover: 402 ppi, internal: 374 ppi	Cover: 387 ppi, internal: 374 ppi
Open: 6.1 x 5.11 x 0.24 in; closed: 6.1 x 2.64 x 0.53 in	Open: 6.11 x 5.12 x 0.25 in; closed: 6.11 x 2.64 x 0.62 in	Open: 5.04 x 6.22 x 0.25 mm; Closed: 2.64 x 6.22 x 0.63 in; hinge ~0.57in (sagging)
Open: 154.94 x 129.79 x 6.1 mm; closed: 154.94 x 67.06 x 13.46 mm	Open: 155.1 x 130.1 x 6.3 mm; closed: 155.1 x 67.1 x 15.8 mm	Open:128 x 158 x 6.4 mm; closed:158 x 67 x 16 mm; hinge: ~14.4mm (sagging)
253 g (8.92 oz)	263 g (9.27 oz)	271 g (9.56 oz)
Android 13	Android 12L	Android 11
50-megapixel (main), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto)	50-megapixel (main), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto)	12-megapixel (ultrawide), 12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (telephoto)
4-megapixel (under display); 10-megapixel (cover screen)	4-megapixel (under display); 10-megapixel (cover screen)	4-megapixel (under display); 10-megapixel (front cover)
TBD	4K	4K
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2	Snapdragon 8 Gen Plus 1	Snapdragon 888
12GB + 256GB/512GB/1TB	12GB +256GB/512GB/1TB	12GB + 256GB/512GB
None	None	None
4,400 mAh (dual-battery)	4,400 mAh	4,400 mAh
Side	Side	Side
USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
None	None	None
5G-enabled, IPX8 water-resistance, S Pen support, 25W wired charging, wireless charging, wireless power share, triple SIM	5G, 30x space zoom camera, IPX8, 25-watt fast-charging (no in-box charger)	5G-enabled; Foldable display, 120Hz refresh rate (front cover and main display), water-resistance, S Pen support
$1,800 (256GB)	$1,800	$1,800 (256GB); $1,900 (512GB)
1,749	1,549	1,599 (256GB); 1,699 (512GB)
AU$2,559	Converts to AU$2,970	AU$2,499 (256GB); AU$2,649 (512GB)

With the new Galaxy Z Fold 5 and recently launched Pixel Fold, Samsung and Google are both trying to combine the phone and tablet experience. But that convenience comes at a sky-high price of $1,800, which is more expensive than buying a phone and a tablet separately in most situations.

Despite their similarities in price and shape, Samsung and Google’s approaches differ slightly. Samsung has given the Z Fold 5 a skinnier cover display that’s easier to use with one hand but feels less like a regular phone when closed. Google’s Pixel Fold has a wider cover screen that makes apps look more natural, but the internal tablet-size screen didn’t look as immersive or bright as Samsung’s in my testing.

Read more: Samsung Unpacked: Everything You Need to Know

Otherwise, both devices run on the same new processors found in other premium phones in each company’s lineup. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 has the same custom Qualcomm chip as the Galaxy S23 series, while the Pixel Fold has the Pixel 7 family’s Tensor G2 processor. The cameras on each phone are a step down from those found on Galaxy S23 Ultra or Pixel 7 Pro, but still fall into what’s typically expected of a high-end phone.

Since they both cost the same, the biggest factor to consider when deciding between the two comes down to display preferences. If you’d rather have a wider cover screen and a design that feels more like a notebook when closed, the Pixel Fold might be the better choice. Although I haven’t tested the Galaxy Z Fold 5 extensively yet, the Galaxy Z Fold 4‘s internal screen looked sleeker and more enveloping than the Pixel Fold’s, thanks to its slimmer borders.

We’ll have more advice once we’ve had a chance to review the Galaxy Z Fold 5. But in the meantime, check out the table below to see how the two phones compare on paper.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 specs vs. Google Pixel Fold

	Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5	Google Pixel Fold
Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate, brightness	Cover: 6.2-inch AMOLED (2,316 x 904 pixels), 1-120Hz; internal: 7.6-inch AMOLED (2,176 x 1,812 pixels), 1-120Hz	Cover: 5.8-inch (2,092 x 1,080 pixels) 60-120 Hz; internal: 7.6-inch OLED (2,208 x 1,840 pixels)
Pixel density	Cover: 402 ppi; internal: 374 ppi	Cover: 408 ppi; internal: 380 ppi
Dimensions (inches)	Open: 6.1 x 5.11 x 0.24 in.; closed: 6.1 x 2.64 x 0.53 in.	Open: 5.5 x 6.2 x 0.2 in.; closed: 5.5 x 3.1 x 0.5 in.
Dimensions (millimeters)	Open: 154.94 x 129.79 x 6.1 mm; closed: 154.94 x 67.06 x 13.46 mm	Closed: 139.7 x 79.5 x 12.1 mm; closed: 139.7 x 158.7 x 5.8 mm
Weight (grams, ounces)	253 g (8.92 oz.)	283 g (9.98 oz.)
Mobile software	Android 13	Android 13
Camera	50-megapixel (main), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto)	48-megapixel (main), 10.8-megapixel (ultrawide), 10.8-megapixel (telephoto)
Front-facing camera	4-megapixel (under display); 10-megapixel (cover screen)	8-megapixel (inner screen); 9.5-megapixel (cover screen)
Video capture	TBD	4K
Processor	Snapdragon 8 Gen 2	Tensor G2
RAM/storage	12GB + 256GB/512GB/1TB	12GB + 256GB, 12GB + 512GB (US, UK, Germany)
Expandable storage	None	None
Battery	4,400 mAh (dual-battery)	4,821 mAh
Fingerprint sensor	Side	Side
Connector	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	None	None
Special features	5G-enabled, IPX8 water resistance, S Pen support, 25W wired charging, wireless charging, wireless power share, triple SIM	5G (mmw/Sub6), IPX8 rating, 5x optical zoom, dual SIM, estimated 24-33 hours battery life
US price off-contract	$1,800	$1,799
UK price	1,749	1,749
Australia price	AU$2,559	Converts to AU$3,340

The Galaxy Watch 6 may be the newest Samsung wearable on the block, but the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro is getting a software update to add some long-awaited features for hikers, runners and walkers. The Galaxy Watch 5 Pro remains in Samsung’s watch lineup at $450 as the company’s rugged offering, targeted to outdoor adventurers and anyone who wants a Samsung watch with the longest-lasting battery.

Samsung already teased several updates coming to One UI 5 Watch earlier in the year, like sleep tracking improvements and personalized heart rate zones during workouts, but the Galaxy Watch 5 Pro gets some exclusive features.

Now, the watch can tell you the required time needed for a route, as well as the remaining distance left on a trail. It will also give you altitude alerts. Apple is also bringing elevation alerts to all compatible Apple Watches with an update to WatchOS 10 arriving in the fall.

The Watch 5 Pro is the only Samsung watch that’s compatible with GPX files to get route information and turn-by-turn navigation on the wrist. You’ll be able to access the Trailforks database to find maps and GPX files of new routes, or get recommendations on nearby trails sorted by rating or popularity. The route workout option now supports walking and running, alongside the existing cycling and hiking options.

Samsung has slowly been adding more features to the Galaxy Watch 5 series with software updates. The skin temperature sensor wasn’t active at launch, but in April this year the company turned it on to support menstrual cycle tracking. A new Thermo Check app uses this same sensor to measure the temperature of surroundings and WhatsApp recently launched for the watch.

Samsung has routinely impressed us with its unique Z Series foldable phones, with both of the previous models earning a spot on our list of the best Android phones for 2023. And now, after months of rumors, the latest generation is here. Samsung just announce the new Z Fold 5 — along the smaller Z Flip 5, a new generation of smartwatches and a new tablet lineup — at its massive Unpacked event.

The new Z Fold 5 won’t officially begin shipping until August 11, but if you’re looking to upgrade to one of these sleek new foldables, you’ll want to get your order in before then. Samsung has some great preorder offers available right now that can save you up to $1,000 when you trade-in your old phone, and you’ll get a storage upgrade for free. That mean’s you’re getting the 512GB model for the same price as the 256GB model, which saves you $120.

For the time being, Samsung is the only place to order the new Z Fold 5, but we expect other retailers and carriers to start listing it soon, along with plenty of other great preorder offers. We’ll continue to update this page as new deals become available, so be sure to check back often.

What colors does the Galaxy Z Fold 5 come in?

There are three main color variants for the new Galaxy Z Fold 5 — phantom black, cream and icy blue. However, there are also two exclusive variants — gray and blue — that are only available if you order through Samsung directly.

How much does the Galaxy Z Fold 5 cost?

The new Galaxy Z Fold 5 retains the same list prices as the previous-gen Z Fold 4, and starts at $1,800 before any discounts or offers are applied.

• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 (256GB): $1,800
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 (512GB): $1,920
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 (1TB): $2,160

Best Galaxy Z Fold 5 deals

At the moment, Samsung is still the only one carrying the new Z Fold 5, but we expect plenty of other offers from more carriers and retailers to start popping up shortly.

Now that Samsung Unpacked has been and gone, there are a number of new products to be had, with the Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic the company’s latest wearables. They’re available for preorder right now, with up to $250 off and a free second band thrown in, too.

Samsung’s latest wearables are an iteration on the previous year’s offerings and are sure to be popular, with prices starting at $300, depending on the model you’re looking at. But you can actually pick up a new Galaxy Watch 6 for just $50 if you’re trading in an old watch.

Even if you aren’t trading anything in, you’ll still benefit from a freebie — Samsung is throwing a free second fabric band in with all orders.

What colors do the Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic come in?

If you’re picking up a Galaxy Watch 6 you can choose between graphite and gold colors, with both shipping for delivery on Aug. 11.

The Galaxy Watch 6 Classic is offered in more muted colors, with black and silver models available with the same Aug. 11 delivery date.

How much do the Galaxy Watch 6 and Galaxy Watch 6 Classic cost?

Pricing up a new Samsung wearable will depend on which model and configuration you’re in the market for, and that’s before we start to look at trading an older watch in. That being said, the general gist isn’t all that complicated once you know what you’re looking for.

Without discounts, the Galaxy Watch 6 offerings cost:

• Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 (40mm): $300
• Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 (40mm, cellular): $350
• Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 (44mm): $330
• Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 (44mm, cellular): $380
• Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic (43mm): $400
• Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic (43mm, cellular): $450
• Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 (47mm): $430
• Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 (47mm, cellular): $480

Best Galaxy Watch Series 6 deals

The new Galaxy Z Fold 5, announced on Wednesday at Samsung’s Unpacked event in Seoul, is a modest improvement over its predecessor, the Z Fold 4. Samsung is gradually refining the design of its foldable phones and attempting to reduce the compromises that come from prioritizing a foldable screen over battery life and photography.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5, along with the newly announced Galaxy Z Flip 5, Galaxy Watch 6 series and Galaxy Tab S9 family, launches on Aug. 11. It starts at $1,800 just like the Z Fold 4, proving foldable devices that double as phones and tablets are still a luxury.

The biggest change I noticed in my short time with the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is the new hinge, which enables the new phone to fold completely shut without a gap. The redesigned hinge, which is also found on the Galaxy Z Flip 5, makes Samsung’s new foldables look and feel sleeker than previous models. Samsung says the new hinge should provide better durability since it has fewer moving parts, although both the Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 still have an IPX8 water resistance rating like their predecessors.

The ability to close more seamlessly makes a significant difference, especially on a device like the Z Fold that’s already bulky when closed. It’s also a notable change since Google’s Pixel Fold, which is likely to be the Z Fold 5’s biggest foldable competitor in the US, also has a gapless design.

During my time with the Z Fold 5, the 7.6-inch folding screen’s crease was still very visible. But it felt flatter when I scrolled and swiped on it.

Samsung also says the internal screen’s brightness now matches the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s peak brightness, making it the brightest display on a Fold device. It was difficult to tell during the limited time I had with the phone, but I imagine this will be more noticeable when using it outdoors. Samsung’s displays are already usually very bright in my experience, especially compared to Google’s Pixel phones, so I’m looking forward to seeing how this change pushes that further.

On the Galaxy Z Fold, that internal screen is the star of the show. Using the Galaxy Z Fold 4 as my main phone made me see the benefit of having a larger screen that fits in your pocket. Samsung knows this, which is why it’s improving the way multiple apps work on the Z Fold 5. You can now use two hands to drag and drop, which should make it easier to move content between apps without stretching your fingers. Samsung says TikTok is now optimized for the internal display, which should make browsing video clips more satisfying.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 both get a processor upgrade to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, the same chip that powers the Galaxy S23 series. The new processor is expected to bring improvements to battery life and image processing, a claim that I found to be true when I reviewed the Galaxy S23 series. Hopefully that holds true for the Galaxy Z Fold 5, because the camera hardware and battery capacity are otherwise the same as last year. There’s also a thinner new S Pen for the Galaxy Z Fold 5, although you’ll still have to buy it separately.

While the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is an improvement, there’s still plenty of room for Samsung’s book-shaped foldable phone to further evolve. That’s especially true now that Samsung is facing more competition from Google and others. The $1,800 price, for example, is likely to be a major barrier for most shoppers. Samsung should also bundle the S Pen with the Galaxy Z Fold 5 at that price, much like it does with its tablets. In its fifth generation, I was also hoping to see a less visible crease.

However, some of these criticisms come from the notion that foldables are still relatively niche and expensive to produce. But Samsung’s early start in the foldables arena should give it an advantage when that eventually changes.

And based on data from market research firms, it looks like foldable phones are slowly but surely gaining traction. While foldables only accounted for a fraction of global smartphone shipments in 2022, according to the International Data Corporation, the worldwide foldable phone market grew by 64% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2023, according to Counterpoint Research. Samsung is leaning into productivity and entertainment to convince shoppers that the $1,800 Galaxy Z Fold 5 is worth the price, as evidenced by the device’s more luminous screen and minor software updates.

Verizon’s partnership with the NFL and YouTube is extending to NFL Sunday Ticket. On Wednesday the wireless carrier announced that it would be making the popular out-of-market football package available at a discount through its Plus Play content management platform, and bundling in the upcoming NFL season for free for some new wireless and home internet subscribers.

Plus Play, which was announced last year, is Verizon’s attempt to become the hub for managing your various subscriptions and streaming services. The carrier handles billing and has partnered with a host of major brands including Disney Plus, Max, Netflix and Xbox to sell their respective subscriptions on its platform as well as offer discounts to Verizon users.

The company has long partnered with the NFL, including selling its NFL Plus service on Plus Play, and has similarly offered YouTube TV subscriptions as part of Plus Play. With YouTube taking over from DirecTV as the exclusive home of NFL Sunday Ticket starting this season, a new deal for Verizon users isn’t a big surprise.

The ways to save on Sunday Ticket with Verizon

As for how to get the savings on Sunday Ticket when the deal enters the market on July 27, well, it’s a bit complicated.

The simplest and largest savings: Switch to Verizon, sign up for its pricier, new Unlimited Plus plan and get a new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 or Z Fold 5, and the carrier will give you a year of Sunday Ticket for free. That’s a savings of $449 compared to the regular price YouTube will charge for Sunday Ticket if you don’t also pay for YouTube TV, or a $399 savings from what the company is currently charging (with the $50 discount coming via a promotion it’s running through September 19).

Other eligible phones for this offer include Google’s Pixel Fold, Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro as well as Motorola’s Edge Plus and Samsung’s Galaxy S23 line. Verizon tells CNET the deal will similarly be available with Apple’s iPhone 14 line.

It is worth noting that this version of Sunday Ticket doesn’t include the popular RedZone channel, but you can add that in for $40. It also isn’t offering YouTube TV proper, which is Google’s cable-like streaming service and has local channels for ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox.

As NFL Sunday Ticket only streams games that are available outside your local television area (or what is known as out-of-market broadcasts), you will need a subscription to the $73-per-month YouTube TV proper — or an antenna, satellite, cable or streaming provider — to watch NFL games that air on local CBS and Fox stations in your area on Sunday afternoons even if you have Sunday Ticket.

New home internet users who sign up for one of Verizon’s pricier plans — 5G Home Plus or LTE Home Plus for wireless broadband, Fios 1 Gig or 2 Gig for wired broadband — can similarly get a free season of Sunday Ticket. Home internet users in the “select cities” of Pittsburgh, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. can also get “up to” $150 in Fanatics gift cards.

Those signing up for Fios Gig can get a $150 gift card, while those choosing the 500Mbps or 300Mbps options can get $50 gift cards.

As for existing wireless customers, Verizon is offering $100 off a subscription to Sunday Ticket, but the carrier tells CNET that these users will need to switch to its new Unlimited Plus plan to be eligible. Existing Fios users can also get $100 off.

In either scenario, you will then need to sign up for Sunday Ticket through Plus Play.

Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip 5 gains a significantly larger cover screen, an upgraded hinge and a new processor that should improve performance and photography, addressing some of the Galaxy Z Flip 4’s biggest shortcomings. It launches on Aug. 11 starting at $1,000, showing that consumers still have to pay a high price to get their hands on phones that fold in half.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5’s biggest upgrade is its new cover display, which I found compelling during my brief time using the device. With this upgrade, the external display actually feels functional and useful rather than just cosmetic, helping Samsung’s flip phone catch up to those made by Motorola and Chinese tech giant Oppo.

Samsung introduced the new flip phone at its Galaxy Unpacked event in Seoul on Wednesday, alongside a bevy of other products such as the Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Watch 6 series and Galaxy Tab S9 family. The launch underscores Samsung’s bet that foldable designs are the future of high-end smartphones, especially as a differentiator to Apple just ahead of iPhone launch season.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5’s cover display, which Samsung now calls the Flex Window, measures 3.4 inches compared to the Z Flip 4’s 1.9-inch external display. That makes it just slightly smaller than the 3.6-inch front screen on the Motorola Razr Plus.

Most people will still use the Z Flip 5’s 6.7-inch internal screen for tasks like reading the news, playing games and browsing social media. But the bigger cover display could make the Z Flip more useful in other ways. When I reviewed the Razr Plus, for example, I was enamored with the phone’s spacious cover screen. I loved propping it open like a tent while playing music, and even typing to quickly respond to a text message.

Samsung is attempting to provide a similar experience with the Z Flip 5. During my brief time with it, I scrolled through Google Maps, typed in the messages app and even watched the Barbie movie trailer on YouTube without opening the phone. You can’t do any of that on the Z Flip 4’s cover screen. Although you can on the Razr Plus.

But you won’t be able to use every app on the front display. For the most part, Samsung limits cover screen apps to ones it believes have a good reason to be there, like Google Maps, YouTube and WhatsApp. Samsung wants to focus on use cases that make sense for the cover screen, like quickly checking directions or replying to a text, which is why only about 10 apps will be available on the Flex Window at launch. That differs from the Razr Plus, which can run just about any app (including TikTok) on the front screen.

If you want to try other apps on the cover screen you can install Good Lock, an app for Samsung devices that lets people customize their phones’ interface.

Cover screen apps seamlessly transition to the 6.7-inch internal display when you open the phone. But this doesn’t work the other way around, as it does on the Motorola Razr.

The cover screen feels like it was primarily designed to run widgets more than full apps. These widgets are the first thing you see when turning on the cover screen, and they provide a larger view of the weather, your calendar, alarms, connected device controls and other tidbits of information compared to the Z Flip 4’s minuscule screen. You can remove or reorder these widgets, either on the cover screen or in the phone’s settings menu.

The Z Flip 5 also has a new hinge, which Samsung calls the Flex Hinge. This enables the device to fold completely closed, like the Razr Plus, without the wedge-shaped gap found on previous Galaxy Z Flip and Fold devices.

This not only makes the phone feel more compact, but it should improve durability, according to Samsung. The new hinge has fewer moving parts compared to the previous version, which should make it less susceptible to damage. Both of Samsung’s new foldables have an IPX8 water resistance rating, which should allow them to withstand submersion in 1.5 meters (roughly five feet) of water for up to 30 minutes. That’s the same durability rating as last year’s devices.

The cover screen and hinge are the Galaxy Z Flip 5’s biggest upgrades. Otherwise, the phone gets a routine processor upgrade to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy. It’s the same chip that powers the Galaxy S23 lineup, which helped improve the battery life and image processing. I’m looking forward to seeing whether that holds true for the Galaxy Z Flip 5. Samsung is leaning on this chip to shoulder the burden of extending the Z Flip 5’s battery life since it has the same 3,700-mAh battery capacity as the Z Flip 4.The base storage is also increasing from 128GB to 256GB on the Z Flip 5 compared to the Z Flip 4, a change that Samsung also made to the Galaxy S23 Plus earlier this year.

Cameras have always been an important part of the Galaxy Z Flip series, but the Z Flip 5 has similar camera hardware compared to last year’s model. That includes a 12-megapixel main camera, a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera and a 10-megapixel selfie camera. This difference this year is that the cameras have a new lens coating that should reduce lens flare. Hopefully this, combined with the new processor, will improve the Galaxy Z Flip’s cameras from what my colleague Patrick Holland called “B-grade cameras” in his review last year. And of course, the Z Flip 5’s enlarged cover screen also means you’ll have a roomier viewfinder for taking selfies when the phone is closed.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5’s software experience is largely the same as that of the Z Flip 4, but Samsung added more integrations with its new Galaxy Watch 6. For example, when the camera app is open and you fold the Flip 5 halfway to put it in Flex Mode and you’ll see the icon for the camera controller app pop up on your Galaxy Watch 6’s watch face. This lets you see a preview of what you’re shooting and change angles from your wrist. The app itself isn’t new, but the watch’s ability to surface it when it detects that you’re taking a photo in Flex Mode is.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 feels like Samsung’s attempt to address the previous generation’s biggest compromises: A cover screen that felt too tiny to be useful, a relatively short battery life and a hinge that didn’t fold as flat as some competitors. Whether I’ll recommend this phone depends on how well Samsung executes on that goal.

But most importantly, I hope the cover screen gives the Z Flip 5 a clearer purpose. Having a phone with a built-in tripod that can fit in your pocket more easily is helpful, but it’s not enough to convince most people to switch to a $1,000 flip phone for. The Razr Plus’ larger external display proved that flip phones can be about more than just portability. With the Z Flip 5, I’ll be expecting Samsung to push that idea further.

Samsung took to the Unpacked stage on Wednesday to show off its latest wave of foldable phones. The new line includes the Galaxy Z Fold 5, an $1,800 foldable phone that opens up to reveal a larger inner screen. It’s a minor upgrade (at least on paper) to 2022’s Galaxy Z Fold 4, which shares the same price tag.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 comes in the lighter and slimmer design teased by TM Roh, the president of Samsung’s mobile division. The Z Fold 5 weighs 253 grams (8.92 ounces), which represents a 10-gram decrease from last year’s Z Fold 4 and a 18-gram decrease from the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

The Z Fold 5 is 13.46 mm thick when folded closed, making it 2.44mm slimmer than its predecessor. Despite Samsung’s progress, the world’s thinnest foldable phone is the Honor V2, made by Huawei’s former subsidiary Honor. The Honor V2 is 9.9mm thick when in phone mode. However, that foldable is only available in China.

The key to the Fold 5’s more portable design is what Samsung calls the flex hinge, which allows for a more streamlined construction with fewer moving parts. The new hinge also makes way for both displays to fold completely flat.

Apart from this, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 received a series of incremental improvements such as the newest Snapdragon processor and a brighter internal screen (1,750 nits). It’s the brightest screen on any Z Fold. There’s also support for three SIMs, and the upgraded hinge. For more specifics, feel free to check out the details in CNET’s specs chart below for a side-by-side comparison.

Z Fold 5 vs. Z Fold 4 vs. Z Fold 3

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5	Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 5G	Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G
Cover: 6.2-inch AMOLED (2,316 x 904 pixels), 1-120Hz; internal: 7.6-inch AMOLED (2,176 x 1,812 pixels), 1-120Hz	Cover: 6.2-inch (2,316 x 904; internal: 7.6-inch AMOLED (2,176 x 1,812 pixels)	Cover: 6.2-inch AMOLED (2,268 x 832 pixels); internal: 7.6-inch AMOLED (2,208 x 1,768 pixels)
Cover: 402 ppi, internal: 374 ppi	Cover: 402 ppi, internal: 374 ppi	Cover: 387 ppi, internal: 374 ppi
Open: 6.1 x 5.11 x 0.24 in; closed: 6.1 x 2.64 x 0.53 in	Open: 6.11 x 5.12 x 0.25 in; closed: 6.11 x 2.64 x 0.62 in	Open: 5.04 x 6.22 x 0.25 mm; Closed: 2.64 x 6.22 x 0.63 in; hinge ~0.57in (sagging)
Open: 154.94 x 129.79 x 6.1 mm; closed: 154.94 x 67.06 x 13.46 mm	Open: 155.1 x 130.1 x 6.3 mm; closed: 155.1 x 67.1 x 15.8 mm	Open:128 x 158 x 6.4 mm; closed:158 x 67 x 16 mm; hinge: ~14.4mm (sagging)
253 g (8.92 oz)	263 g (9.27 oz)	271 g (9.56 oz)
Android 13	Android 12L	Android 11
50-megapixel (main), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto)	50-megapixel (main), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto)	12-megapixel (ultrawide), 12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (telephoto)
4-megapixel (under display); 10-megapixel (cover screen)	4-megapixel (under display); 10-megapixel (cover screen)	4-megapixel (under display); 10-megapixel (front cover)
TBD	4K	4K
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2	Snapdragon 8 Gen Plus 1	Snapdragon 888
12GB + 256GB/512GB/1TB	12GB +256GB/512GB/1TB	12GB + 256GB/512GB
None	None	None
4,400 mAh (dual-battery)	4,400 mAh	4,400 mAh
Side	Side	Side
USB-C	USB-C	USB-C
None	None	None
5G-enabled, IPX8 water-resistance, S Pen support, 25W wired charging, wireless charging, wireless power share, triple SIM	5G, 30x space zoom camera, IPX8, 25-watt fast-charging (no in-box charger)	5G-enabled; Foldable display, 120Hz refresh rate (front cover and main display), water-resistance, S Pen support
$1,800 (256GB)	$1,800	$1,800 (256GB); $1,900 (512GB)
Converts to 1,400 from USD. International prices TBC.	1,549	1,599 (256GB); 1,699 (512GB)
Converts to AU$2,655 from USD. International prices TBD.	Converts to AU$2,960	AU$2,499 (256GB); AU$2,649 (512GB)

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