Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 specs, info and release date: everything we know
Update: reveal date confirmed - Increased competition means the next Galaxy Fold needs to be a winner
When it comes to foldables, Samsung has long been a trailblazer. We don’t just rate the Galaxy Z Fold 4 as an excellent folding phone – it’s one of the best smartphones on sale right now. But there’s always something newer and better in the pipeline, so it’s time to look at its imminent successor, the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
The next generation flagship foldable is now barely a week away from making its debut, with Samsung ramping up its teaser campaign – and increasing numbers of leaks doing the rounds. Here’s everything we’ve heard so far, along with a wish list of features we’d love to see Samsung include.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 expected release date and price
Folding phones are the new high-end battleground – and are one area where Samsung categorically has the lead over long-time rival Apple, which hasn’t dipped a toe on the category yet. A Galaxy Z Fold 5 is all but certain, and will make its first official appearance soon. Originally, we’d have said the smart money was on a reveal being in August 2023, and a quick look back at previous launches explains why:
- Galaxy Z Fold 4: launched 10th August 2022
- Galaxy Z Fold 3: launched 24th August 2021
- Galaxy Z Fold 2: launched 5th August 2020
The original Galaxy Fold was an outlier, arriving in March 2019, but all subsequent models have landed in August. However, Samsung announced that the 26th of July was the date for your diary, when it sent out invites to an Unpacked event in Seoul, South Korea. It will be the first time the firm has used a location on home soil for an Unpacked launch.
With Samsung using the tagline “join the flip side”, we will almost certainly see the Z Fold 5 revealed there alongside the Z Flip 5. President of Samsung Electronics TM Roh said the company had “raised the standards for foldable smartphone ergonomics” and to “mark your calendars for July 26”.
A report from Korean news site The Elec suggested the reason Samsung is bringing this year’s launch forwards by two or three weeks was to bring both new phones into its Q2 earnings report, which had been on the weaker side following the launch of the Galaxy S23 line earlier in the year.
It’s far too early to start spitballing about prices. Global cost of living increases, more expensive raw materials and higher shipping costs mean everything could change between now and launch. But for context, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 arrived at a heady £1649/$1800. We’d expect a successor to cost slightly more, unless Samsung pulls off a minor miracle with its supply chain. Google’s rival Pixel Fold costs £1749, for context.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 hardware rumours
The most convincing info so far comes from Twitter leaker Snoopytech, who cryptically shared detailed specs for both the Z Fold 5 and the Z Flip 5 clamshell. They suggest screen size will stay the same as last year, meaning a 6.2in outer and 7.6in inner setup with 120Hz AMOLED panels. Overall dimensions should see the phone slim down by 0.8mm compared to the outgoing phone, and shed 10g of weight. Phantom Black, Cream and Ice Blue colours are expected at launch. IPX8 water resistance seems a lock, just like last year.
A Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU, 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage seem certain on the inside. Battery capacity will apparently remain unchanged, at 4400mAh, and the trio of rear cameras will be familiar as well. Expect a 50MP main snapper, 12MP ultrawide and 12MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom.
That all backs up previous rumours that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 would look an awful lot like its predecessor. The bezels might shrink a bit though, bringing overall dimensions down ever so slightly. It should also be thinner overall, meaning it doesn’t bulge out of your pocket like the current model. Leaked press renders show a device that looks very similar to last year’s effort.
More importantly, Samsung looks set to finally banish the gap between the two halves of the phone when folded shut. It’s a trick rival foldables have pulled off with a teardrop-style hinge, which also helps minimise the visible crease down the centre of the screen. Samsung even showed off a concept device to Korean blog Naver at the CES trade show in January, proving it had the tech ready to go.
Underneath, the Z Fold 5 will almost certainly use a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. Qualcomm likes to give its chips mid-life refreshes, so there’s a possibility this may be a yet-to-be-announced Plus variant. But seeing how Samsung and Qualcomm teamed up on a bespoke version of the regular Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for the Galaxy S23 series, that silicon might make a reappearance. Twitter tipster Yogesh Brar suggested as much recently, and also gave some insight as to what cameras could show up on the device.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 feature wish list
As much as we loved the Galaxy Z Fold 4, it only earned four stars in our review. There’s plenty of room for improvement, and these are the areas we reckon Samsung should address first so its next model scores even higher.
Fold flat, with no gap
This one’s pretty obvious: almost every folding phone that landed after the Galaxy Z Fold 4 made a huge deal about being able to fold completely flat, instead of leaving a gap between the two halves as Samsung has done. The next-gen Z Fold 5 needs to pull off the same trick in order to stay ahead of the pack. The latest rumours suggest it absolutely has done.
A shorter, wider outer screen
This is very wishful thinking on our part, given Samsung seems set on keeping the tall, skinny screen seen on the Galaxy Z Fold 4, but we’d love to see some different dimensions instead. The Oppo Find N2 and Google Pixel Fold have shown us a shorter and wider outer display is a lot easier to use while folded shut, single-handed or otherwise. Samsung following suit would make the Z Fold 5 much more usable as a phone, rather than a tablet that can be folded up to fit in your pocket.
Find room for an S Pen
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 officially supports Samsung’s S Pen digital stylus – but you don’t get one in the box, and there’s nowhere to store it inside the phone itself like there is on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. We get that folding inner screens are more delicate than a traditional phone display, but another year of research into materials hopefully means the Z Fold 5’s display will be tougher – meaning more owners can be trusted with a stylus.
Tom Morgan-Freelander
Deputy Editor