Samsung today announced its latest phones – and the company is predicting a future that folds in half. The latest unveiling came in the form of a lavish, large-scale event – Samsung is never known for doing these things by halves. Seeing the glitzy launch from up close in the vast Coex Centre in Seoul, it was apparent to me that the company knew this was something it needed to get right – not least because it was playing to a local as well as a global audience.
For the first time, Galaxy Unpacked was being held in Samsung’s home country. The wide range of products made it one of the biggest Samsung product reveals in years.
The company announced two new smartwatches and three tablets, but the real buzz at the event was for its next generation of folding phones.
Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip
The two handsets have similar names but are strikingly different. There’s the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, which is like a chunky smartphone when folded but opens out to reveal a tablet-like display. And the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 – which stole the show because of a stunning cover display called the Flex Window, of which more later.
The Flip 5 is the size of a regular smartphone but folds in half to transform into something much smaller – I’d argue this is a much better design for a folding phone.
Both offer the key benefit of folders: an outside screen with a regular pocket fit. Folding phones are exotic and innovative, though there are downsides, such as fragility that plagued some earlier models and high prices. In terms of robustness, the latest Samsung models have come a long way, feeling solid and resilient in the hand.
Where smartphone design innovation has slowed to a crawl, folding phones are evolving fast. So, Samsung talked about an all-new “teardrop” hinge mechanism which allows both sides of the phone to press against each other with no gap in between. This helps avoid dust and debris sneaking in while the phone is in your pocket. This difference may not sound like much but in the flesh, the Fold 5 has a noticeably snappier and more assured look than its predecessor. Durability is enhanced, Samsung says, by a shock dispersion layer on the main screen. Even so, I wouldn’t recommend running your fingernail heavily down the join between the two halves.
The Fold 5 is slimmer than all previous Samsung Fold models – though it’s still thicker than a non-folding phone and really bulks out if you add a case. Only when it’s opened out to its tablet-like manifestation does it feel as slim as a regular phone or tablet. Samsung really feels it has hit its stride when it comes to the Fold design, it seems, as this model is close in design to the last one.
The new hinge also helps de-emphasise the crease between the two halves of the open screen. It’s still clearly visible on both the Fold 5 and the Flip 5 when the display is off, but largely vanishes when it’s illuminated with apps, games, video or whatever.
While the technology for the folding screen itself remains cutting-edge, with glass so thin it’s flexible, the standout design change is the Flip 5’s external display. The previous Flip had a 1.9-inch outside screen, useful to alert you when a text or call arrived, but not much more.
The new cover display, which Samsung calls the Flex Window, is almost four times bigger, making it significantly more useful. That’s down to a series of widgets you can use without unfolding the handset. You can check the weather, control music playback, keep apprised of the latest stock market changes or launch Samsung Wallet for contactless payments. All from the Flex Window. It’s simple to use, bright enough to be used on a sunny day, and easily customisable.
Best of all, it works with the phone’s built-in cameras. You can take a selfie from this screen, simply by waving your hand, which is useful if you’re in a group or the phone is propped up just out of reach.
And when you’re taking a shot with the Flip 5 open, using the rear cameras, you can turn the Flex Window on so that your subject can see themselves before you take the shot. Not only can they strike a pose more confidently, this set-up means they really can’t complain if they don’t like the result as they’ve colluded in taking the shot.
The cameras on the Flip 5 are good enough for decent pictures, even if the wide and ultra-wide rear cameras are only 12-megapixel resolution, and the selfie camera just 10 megapixels – a far cry from the 200-megapixel sensor found on the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
The larger Fold 5 has three rear cameras, including a main lens with 50-megapixel resolution. Again, that’s not S23 Ultra territory, but it’s not bad.
Both the phones have cutting-edge processors powering them: Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy is the mouthful of a name (because it’s been optimised for Samsung). This is the same as in the Galaxy S23 Ultra, so the days when foldables were underpowered have gone.
Both phones also have good water-resistance, something that earlier foldables lacked.
Technology tends to get cheaper as time passes, but foldable phones are still at the very top of the price ranges. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 costs £1,049 and the Fold 5 an eye-watering £1,749. Compare this to the S23 at £899 and the S23 Ultra at £1,399 and there’s quite a difference.
They may be worth it: folding phones are far from perfect, but they offer a novelty which is exciting. They feel like the future – for a price.
The Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic
Samsung’s other new products today were the Galaxy Watch 6 and Watch 6 Classic. The Classic sees the return of a rotating bezel which lets you scroll through menus fast, for instance. Both have strong health and fitness features, including blood pressure tracking, which is something the Apple Watch can’t match.
And there were three tablets, the Tab S9 series, all with OLED screens (also something Apple’s iPads lack) and a supplied smart stylus. The largest model, the Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra has a huge, 14.6-inch display.
Folding phones: the rivals
Samsung doesn’t have the folding phone world to itself, with models from Honor, Huawei and others. Here are three of the key alternatives.
Oppo Find N2 Flip £1,039
One of the first flip phones to include a dominating external screen (3.26 inches), Oppo’s has a great design and is a strong performer. It also includes a 50MP camera and features the same cool way to use the outer display to frame your subject when taking shots.
Motorola RAZR 40 Ultra £1,049
Another great external display, here so big it surrounds the cameras, the latest RAZR has a strikingly wider shape that takes a little getting used to but is attractive and highly usable.
Google Pixel Fold £1,749
Google’s first full-size folder has a clever trick: because the phone is wider, it opens out to have a big screen that’s rectangular like a regular tablet. This phone feels great in the hand, open or closed.
