The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 will arrive in late 2023 to a much more crowded foldable phone landscape than in years past, so will it have what it takes to stay on top?
Samsung remains the driving force in foldables after essentially working magic with the Galaxy Z Fold 2, transforming what was a glorified prototype into a viable daily driver, but the last two generations have been much more incremental upgrades. In the face of the upcoming Google Pixel Fold and OnePlus foldable presumably coming later this year, Samsung needs to remind everyone why they belong on top.
Here's a closer look at everything we know so far about the Galaxy Z Fold 5 including the presumed release date, price, specs, design changes, and more.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 release date
Samsung has stuck to the second week of August for the last two Galaxy Z Fold announcements, coming on August 10 in 2022, and August 11 in 2021. Assuming it sticks to that same pattern the Galaxy Unpacked event for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 should be on August 9, 2023.
Oft-reliable leaker Ice Universe claimed in mid-April that the launch could be coming at the end of July at a Galaxy Unpacked event in Busan, South Korea. Other reports indicated that production had been moved up on the components for the foldable.
Additional leaks will likely narrow this down in the coming months, but for now, we've got a roughly three-week window from the end of July through the second week of August circled in pencil.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 price
Samsung moved to a $1,799 price point for the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and stuck to that again last year with the Galaxy Z Fold 4, so while there are no official leaks or credible rumors about the pricing at this time it is reasonable to assume it will hold steady at $1,799.
Obviously many, myself included, hoped to see the Galaxy Fold follow in the footsteps of the Galaxy Z Flip and get a considerable price cut. Even a drop to $1,599 would make it feel like a more reasonable proposition, but it doesn't seem likely in the current market.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 specs
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 will feature at least the same Qualcomm Galaxy Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset found in the Galaxy S23 Ultra, but it's possible we will once again get an enhanced 8 Gen 2+ chipset, similar to what we saw in the Galaxy Z Fold 4 last year. While not the same as a full-generation leap, it would likely give the Z Fold a slight performance and efficiency edge compared to the existing 2023 flagships.
Samsung could see fit to bump the RAM up from 12GB to 16GB, although from a cost maintenance standpoint, it will most likely remain at 12GB. Similarly, we expect the storage to start at 256GB once again.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 design
While the overall look of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is alleged to remain largely the same, one significant upgrade could change how some perceive the foldable. A leak from Korean site Naver in January claimed that Samsung is moving to what it's calling a "dumbbell" hinge that could almost completely eliminate the infamous crease from its interior display.
From a visual standpoint that would be an obvious upgrade and for those that make use of the S Pen on the Galaxy Z Fold it's a game changer as I stop noticing the crease after using the Fold for a day or two, it's impossible to ignore when writing on the display.
Other smaller, but welcome rumors are slimming down the Fold to roughly 13.5mm when folded. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is 14.2mm at its thinnest point, so while 0.7mm may not sound like much, it's significant for a phone that hovers right on the edge of comfortable pocketability.
Outlook
Samsung still owns the mindshare for foldables, while there are challengers arriving, the average consumer would probably be hard-pressed to name a foldable outside of the Galaxy Z Flip or Z Fold. This should be the year that changes with Motorola's Razr, Google's Pixel Fold, and the OnePlus foldable all likely to make a more mainstream play for the foldable market.
The early rumors suggest that Samsung is once again coasting through this update with fairly minimal upgrades. With that said, Samsung is far enough ahead in terms of its market dominance and the improving track record for foldable durability that it may be doing exactly as much as it needs to.
We're eager to see the competition hit the market and put some more pressure on Samsung, the company has done more for foldables than any other manufacturer, but it's time for greater innovation in this space again. It's hard to bet against the Galaxy Z Fold 5 being the best high-end foldable phone once again in 2023, but unlike in years past it's not impossible.
