Samsung’s fifth version, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 comes from a decent line of the Galaxy Z series.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 still feels somewhat like an experiment, in that the fact that the device folds up is the big selling point. So much so, that Samsung is a little lax on things like camera quality.

Relatively durable, Great performance, Sleek design, Good interior display

So-so camera, Battery is only fine

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 builds on the last-gen model with a serious of helpful upgrades. How much better is it?

Relatively durable, Great performance, Sleek design, Good interior display

So-so camera, Battery is only fine

“The Galaxy Z Flip 5 keeps everything that worked about the Flip 4, then combines that with a larger cover screen and a nicer hinge.”

No more gap when folded shut, Extremely well-built, Hinge feels outstanding, Much more useful cover screen, Fantastic performance, Good and dependable cameras, 5 years of updates

The crease is still there, Mediocre battery life, Cover screen requires lots of tweaking

Welcome to the foldable revolution with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 features welcome upgrades that elevate it to be the premier mainstream foldable phone for 2023. With a redesigned gapless hinge, a large cover display as well as a beefy Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset, this is the de facto mainstream foldable phone to buy.

New hinge lets it fold flat with no gap, Excellent performance with chipset, Larger and more versatile cover display, Improved camera performance especially in night mode

Tinkering needed to launch apps beyond the limited selection on the Cover display, No DeX mode, Not cheap

Here we are, staring at the fifth generation of Samsung’s Galaxy Z series of foldables and still asking the same question: Are phones with flexible displays ready for the mainstream?

The Galaxy Z Flip5 and Z Fold5 run on Samsung's One UI 5.1.1 skin on top of Android 13. Although we much prefer Google and Moto’s simple, lightweight, and close-to-stock Android user experience, One UI 5.1.1 delivers a comprehensive set of features that cater to a broader range of users.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is on one hand an iterative update - no real change to the main display, the cameras, or battery, a slight bump in the power on offer, while the design overall remains pretty much the same. But the exterior display changes the entire experience.

Premium and improved design, Exterior display is excellent, Great performance, Brilliant battery life

No optical zoom lens, Display durability could still be an issue, Charging could be faster

Samsung’s flip phone doesn’t break the mould for its fifth generation, still squeezing a big-screen smartphone into a much more compact folded form. But a collection of small, meaningful changes remove more of the compromises of the still-developing tech, making it feel like a more mature product.

Pros: a great large screen that folds in half, big cover screen, folds fully shut, IPX8 water-resistant, decent camera, good software with five years of updates, nano sim and esim, fun.

Cons: less durable than a regular phone, no telephoto camera, battery life a day but short of best, expensive.