Samsung foldables are some of the best options on the market right now, but there’s plenty of competition from brands like Oppo, Huawei, and Honor to keep things interesting. The tug of war for the attention of the foldable market is going to be what drives innovation further in this market, and Samsung’s latest lineup of Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 clamshell devices look set to be the best yet from the South Korean manufacturer.
While neither is officially out in the open just yet, we’ve been lucky enough to hear more about the Z Fold 5’s new gapless design and smaller frame. Today, we have leaked information that the Z Flip 5 will be flaunting a larger cover display with a somewhat unusual design.
It’s a folder, get it?
Reliable tipster Ice Universe may have just revealed the Z Flip 5’s potential new design on Twitter, showcasing a render of the device featuring a larger external screen with a folder-like shape angling around the phone’s main camera array.
Confirmed!Galaxy Z Flip5 adopts a "folder" shaped external screen for 100% confirmation. Now adapting the software design. pic.twitter.com/89feYGmRjgApril 26, 2023
If the images are accurate, it indicates a massive bump in size for the Z Fold’s external display. There were no measurements included alongside the render, however, the same tipster has previously claimed the cover display will be 3.4 inches in size.
Judging the render by eye, it does appear to be over twice the size of the previous model’s 1.34-inch cover screen even without including the ‘tab-like’ extrusion, lending further credit to that previous claim.
However…
While that’s impressive, Evan Blass would take to Twitter with a leak of his own showcasing the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra’s new cover screen — and if you ask me, it’s way more impressive.
The original Motorola Razr was the flip phone of choice for many in the early-to-mid 2000s, so it was the obvious candidate for a revival once foldable screens brought back the clam-shell design. Motorola’s latest version of this iconic product goes a step further than Samsung’s Z Flip 5 by expanding its external display to almost the entirety of the phone's cover, with cutouts for the Razr’s camera array.
The Motorola Razr 40 Ultra is yet to be officially unveiled, though Lenovo (of which Motorola is a subsidiary) has confirmed that the announcement isn’t too far away now, with CEO Yang Yuanqing stating the new foldable will be released “very soon.”
Outlook
Not to undercut Samsung’s effort here, but in my opinion, this does wonders for the Razr’s cover. Not only does this screen look incredible when showcasing a dark wallpaper like in the leaked images, but it ‘feels’ nicer to look at. Even when showcasing lighter content with the edges and cutouts of the display on full show, it appears less awkward and obtuse.
There are some gripes to be had with notches in displays, our own Sean Riley has a few words to say about Apple’s “Dynamic Island” for one. However, given the limited use of the cover display on most phones already, this is entirely acceptable and has me salivating for the next wave of Razr phones that could push the bar even further and potentially deliver true edge-to-edge displays.
