Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Hands-on: A Bigger Flex Window for This Pocket-sized Foldable
The biggest new product at Samsung Unpacked is probably its smallest folding phone. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 makes bigger changes to its design and functionality than the larger Fold 5, largely on account of having a bigger, more functional exterior screen.
Having had a chance to go hands-on with both the new Fold 5 and the Flip 5, both are solid incremental updates to existing products, but worth a look if you’ve been thinking of making the leap to a folding phone.
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When flipped open, the 6.7-inch screen on the Flip 5 looks and feels a lot like any other modern smartphone, if a bit on the narrow side. While folded in half, it shrinks down to a tiny square that should fit into any pocket, and simultaneously keep the main screen protected.
A bigger screen on the outside
The previous Flip models had a secondary outer screen. Unlike the Fold line, this Flip’s outer screen was small, and frankly, not all that useful. This big upgrade here is that the outer screen goes from a tiny 1.9-inch model to a much larger 3.4-inch one, with added functionality and easier access to key apps and info.
The other main difference between last year’s Flip and this one is the CPU, which goes from a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 to a newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.
Like the earlier Flip and Fold phones, some apps automatically recognize when the screen is half-folded and rearrange themselves to take advantage of that, including the Camera app and YouTube. Setting up the Flip as a self-contained selfie-cam is satisfying, as it acts as its own stand and preview monitor, and gives you a simple timer to allow time for posing.
Less of a crease problem
Like every folding phone, there’s still a crease in the screen material. It’s more visible in some lighting conditions than others, and I found the crease on the larger Fold 5 phone much more noticeable under most lighting conditions. Even several generations in, it’s a problem phone makers have yet to fully solve.
Stay tuned for a full hands-on review of both the Samsung Galaxy Flip 5 and the Samsung Galaxy Fold 5 as part of our ongoing coverage of Samsung Unpacked.
Pre-order the Galaxy Z Flip 5 here.
Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs. Galaxy Z Flip 4: Specs
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