Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5: First impression

The major upgrades include a the big cover display, durable build quality and a powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor.

In late July, Samsung pulled the wraps of the next generation Galaxy Z series foldable phones along with the new Galaxy Watch6 and Tab S9 tablet series in Seoul.

As, the new premium phones finally come to the stores in India, I have the opportunity to test them. In this edition, I will be sharing by inital thoughts on the Galaxy Z Flip5.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5

Design, build quality and display

The shape and structure of the Z Flip5 remains pretty much the same as the predecessor, but there are several valuable upgrades. It is slimmer (when folded) and also the big change we see in the new model is large cover display- 3.4-inch compared to 1.9-inch in the 2022 series model.

It now allows users to easily respond to messages and emails without having to flip open the phone. Users can install Good Lock and MultiStar from Galaxy App Store to get some of the popular apps on to cover screen. You can even watch TV series via Netflix on the cover screen.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5

Besides the cover screen, you will also find two horizontally aligned cameras with LED flash.

The new Galaxy Z Flip5 features a dual rail structure to sustain impacts from accidental drops. It has a durable armor alumnium case and comes with IPX8 water-and-dust protection rating. Add to that, the device is protected by Corning's Gorilla Glass Victus 2 shield against scratches.

Like with Galaxy Z Fold5, the Flip5 too boasts a new flex hinge. It is designed in such a way that there is minimal space between the two panels and this reduces the chance of dust particles from sneaking through crevices and stops them getting accumulated inside the device.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5

When unfurled, the Flip5 sports a 6.7-inch Infinity Flex Display-design-based Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen with full HD+ (2640 x 1080p) resolution and an aspect ratio of 22:9. It supports an adaptive refresh rate(1~120Hz).

The screens, both on the cover panel and the wide foldable display inside are bright and good to read messages without any issues so far.

Like the the previous iterations, the crease at the folding part of the display is visible. But, people will get used to it within a few days of usage, as it doesn't obstruct much when viewing any multimedia content.

The company is offering the device in four colour options-- Mint, Cream, Graphite, and Lavender. Our review unit is a Mint variant; the light colour beautifully blends with the premium metal rails with a chromium finish. But, the device is a dust magnet and needs to be cleaned more often.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5

Configurations

The new Galaxy Z Flip5 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor and the company is offering the device in two configurations-- 8GB RAM + 256GB storage, and 8GB RAM +512GB storage.

The new phone runs on Android 13-based One UI 5.1 OS and most of the popular apps are optimized to run on flex mode and split screen and so far, there are no bugs to report.

The company offers a really good number of themes and dynamic wallpapers to make the cover display so pretty and fun to use.

The device houses a 3,700mAh battery. Though it is less than what most Android phones have, the smaller cover display can now handle more functions and help people respond to messages and emails better than before and there is less need to open the full screen to operate.

Users now have to open only for more important stuff only. So, there are complaints to flag, right now, but will see how the device handles heavy use cases such as gaming and binge-watching of TV series/movies on OTT apps.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5

Camera hardware

The primary camera module of the Galaxy Z Flip5 features two sensors- 12MP Ultra Wide Camera (f/2.2, Pixel size: 1.12μm, FOV: 123-degree) + 12MP Wide-angle Camera (Dual Pixel AF, OIS: Optical Image Stabilisation, F1.8, Pixel size: 1.8μm, FOV: 83-degree) with LED flash.

Inside, the device houses a 10MP Selfie Camera (f2.2, Pixel size: 1.22μm, Field-Of-View: 85-degree).

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5

One of the benefits of owning a foldable phone is that users can switch between primary and dedicated selfie cameras for video chatting or take selfies for DPs for social media platforms. So far, both cameras work great in the sunlight to capture good crisp photos.

But, I have to test the camera in the low light and night modes. Do come back for the full review coming soon.

Samsung's new Galaxy Flip5 is available in two configurations for 8GB RAM + 256GB storage and 12GB RAM + 512GB storage-- for Rs 99,999 and Rs 1,09,999, respectively.

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