Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Introduction, Specs, Unboxing

Introduction

What can you improve on a phone Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Review that already stands out as the default option in its class, particularly when its competition is either highly regional or, if available globally, just not popular enough to be a real threat? Samsung confidently answers: not much with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5.

The latest generation of foldables from this Korean powerhouse takes a measured approach, yet the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 undeniably represents a significant generational upgrade. This is primarily due to a critical enhancement in the cover screen, which is now larger and considerably enhances usability (with a few caveats). Additionally, the hinge design has been revamped, allowing the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 to fold completely flat rather than leaving an awkward gap.

That’s a notable achievement. Of course, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is equipped with the expected new chipset—the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The base storage has been doubled to 256GB, marking a significant improvement. While there are minor tweaks to the camera system, it retains its essential characteristics.

Similarly, the internal display has received a brightness boost, but this is hardly a revolutionary update.

It’s time to recalibrate expectations for groundbreaking changes. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 delivers just the right blend of enhancements to be recognized as a worthy successor. We will delve deeper into these features in the following pages.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 – Compact Foldable Smartphone

★★★★☆ (1,245 reviews)

6.7″ Dynamic AMOLED 120Hz Foldable Display
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 8GB RAM, 256GB Storage
12MP Dual Rear Cameras + 10MP Selfie Camera
3700mAh Battery, Fast & Wireless Charging

$537.00 (Check latest price on Amazon)

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Specs at a Glance

Body: 165.1×71.9×6.9mm, 187g; Plastic front (opened), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame; IPX8 water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min).

Display: 6.7″ Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1080x2640px resolution, 22:9 aspect ratio, 425ppi; Cover display: Super AMOLED, 3.4″, 720x748px, 306 ppi.

Chipset: Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4 nm): Octa-core (1×3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2×2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2×2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3×2.0 GHz Cortex-A510); Adreno 740.

Memory: 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM; UFS 4.0.

OS/Software: Android 13, One UI 5.1.1.

Rear camera: Wide (main): 12 MP, f/1.8, 24mm, 1/1.76″, 1.8µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS; Ultra wide angle: 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚, 1.12µm.

Front camera: 10 MP, f/2.2, 23mm (wide), 1.22µm.

Video capture: Rear camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@60/240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+; Front camera: 4K@30fps.

Battery: 3700mAh; 25W wired, 50% in 30 min (advertised), 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless.

Connectivity: 5G; eSIM; Wi-Fi 6e; BT 5.3; NFC.

Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); stereo speakers; Samsung Pay (Visa, MasterCard certified).

Unfolding Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5’s retail package packs no surprises. The half-height black box features a small stylized likeness of the handset, color-matched to the actual unit inside.

The list of accessories included is predictably short, too.

After the removal of the charger from the box with the S21 generation, Galaxies typically ship with just a USB-C cable and nothing else. Well, that, and a SIM eject pin, of course. But let’s shift our focus where it belongs – onto the handset.

2. Design, build quality, handling

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is built on two key pillars: its larger Flex Window cover display and the long-awaited gapless folding hinge. These two upgrades set it apart from its predecessor and make it more practical for everyday use.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Flex Window Cover Display

Samsung has branded the new outer screen as the Flex Window. Measuring 3.4 inches diagonally, the screen isn’t a perfect rectangle—the dual cameras cut into one corner, giving it a folder-like shape. This makes the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 look unique, though not quite as striking as the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra (Razr+ 2023) with its edge-to-edge design.

While not the flashiest, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 cover display is far more useful than the tiny screen on the Flip4. The extra space makes it better for:

Running widgets
Previewing notifications
Serving as a camera viewfinder

In short, what was barely functional on the Flip4 now feels practical on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Gapless Flex Hinge

The new Flex hinge is a game-changer. For the first time, Samsung has designed a mechanism that allows the two halves to fold flat against each other, eliminating the wedge-shaped gap of earlier models.

This improvement brings several advantages:

A sleeker, seamless appearance
Less risk of dust and lint buildup that could damage the display
Maintains IPX8 water resistance, proving durability wasn’t sacrificed for aesthetics

As a result, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is also thinner when folded, now measuring 15.1mm compared to the 17.1mm thickness of the Flip4.

Build and Handling

Beyond the slimmer folded profile, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 feels very familiar. It remains:

187g in weight (same as Flip4)
Almost identical in width and height
A bit taller than typical smartphones when unfolded

The internal 6.7-inch Infinity Flex Display hasn’t seen major changes either. The crease—still visible and easy to feel—remains one of Samsung’s weak points compared to other foldable makers, who have reduced crease prominence more successfully. On clamshell foldables like this, the crease is especially noticeable since most swipes cross directly over it. Still, many users adapt over time and learn to ignore it.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Flex Mode Features

Thanks to its sturdy hinge, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 supports Flex Mode, allowing it to stay open at various angles. This makes it great for:

Hands-free selfies with the rear cameras
Video calls with the phone partially folded
Framing shots more easily using the larger cover display

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Layout and Ports

Samsung has kept the familiar layout:

Bottom: USB-C port, main speaker, and dual microphones
Top: Third microphone
Left side: SIM tray (1 nano SIM + eSIM support for dual SIM)
Right side: Power button with integrated fingerprint scanner + volume rocker

The buttons are well-placed and offer a satisfying, tactile click.

Color Options and Finishes In Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

Samsung offers the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 in a wide range of colors, though availability depends on your market and retailer.

Standard colors: Mint, Cream, Lavender (new soft shades) + Graphite (carried over)
Samsung Online Exclusive colors: Gray, Blue, Green, and Yellow (bolder hues)

All models use Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for the back panels. The standard editions feature glossy, color-matched aluminum frames, while the exclusive colors come with a satin graphite frame for contrast.

A notable change from the Z Flip4 is the shift from a frosted anti-glare finish to a glossier surface, giving the device a more polished look—though it may attract fingerprints more easily.

Lab tests – display, battery life, charging speed, speaker

New 3.4-inch Cover Display and Familiar 6.7-inch Foldable Screen

One of the biggest highlights of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is its new 3.4-inch outer display, a cosmetic and functional upgrade that sets it apart from the 2022 model. This larger panel now covers a big portion of the top half of the device, with a small notch cutout for the cameras. On the inside, the foldable screen remains largely unchanged—though Samsung has improved its brightness performance.

Flex Window (Outer Display)

Samsung calls the external screen the Flex Window. Key specs include:

Size: 3.4 inches
Resolution: 720 × 748 pixels (306ppi)
Refresh Rate: 60Hz (limited compared to Motorola Razr 40 Ultra’s 144Hz)

While the sharpness is lower than the internal panel, the display is still crisp enough for everyday use. The main drawback is its 60Hz refresh rate, which feels dated in a market where competitors are pushing smoother, faster cover displays.

Where the outer screen shines is brightness. Thanks to a dedicated ambient light sensor, it auto-adjusts up to 1,092 nits in testing—matching the brightness levels of the internal display.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Main Foldable Display (Inner Screen)

The internal screen specs remain the same, but brightness has seen noticeable improvements:

Panel Type: Dynamic AMOLED 2X
Size: 6.7 inches
Resolution: 2640 × 1080 pixels, 22:9 aspect ratio (425ppi)
Refresh Rate: 120Hz (adaptive, down to 1Hz)
HDR10+ support

In our testing, the internal display achieved Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5:

1,101 nits with auto-brightness (up from Z Flip4’s ~900 nits)
Peak brightness rated at 1,750 nits (Samsung’s spec, though situational)
789 nits in “Extra brightness” mode (manual toggle)
481 nits with battery-saving brightness limits

For context, this places the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 slightly below the Galaxy S23’s 1,200 nits, but it’s still a solid upgrade over the Flip4.

Color Accuracy

Display color handling on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is the same as on most Galaxies. You get two modes – Vivid and Natural. In the default Vivid mode, you get livelier output and a wide color gamut. Overall accuracy is very good, but there is a moderate blue shift in white and grays. Nudging the five-position temperature slider one notch towards warm fixes that. Natural mode, on the other hand, is tuned for sRGB content and is remarkably accurate in its rendition, though it may look a little dull in comparison to Vivid (expectedly).

HDR And Streaming

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 supports HDR10+, and we got HDR streams from both YouTube and Netflix. The Widevine L1 certification means you get FullHD playback in apps that stream DRM-protected content.

Refresh Rate OF Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

Like most Samsung smartphones, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 offers two refresh rate modes under the Motion Smoothness menu: Adaptive and Standard. The naming can be slightly misleading, as both modes feature adaptive behavior. Essentially:

Adaptive Mode: Up to 120Hz
Standard Mode: Up to 60Hz

Adaptive Refresh Rate Behavior

During testing, the refresh rate behaved in a logical and predictable way:

Touch interactions: Reaches the maximum ceiling (120Hz or 60Hz depending on mode)
Idle screen: Drops down to 24Hz
Video playback: Matches content frame rate (24, 30, 48, or 60Hz)
Web browsing: Refresh rate capped at 60Hz

Interestingly, there are no brightness-related thresholds that affect refresh rate. Even at minimum brightness, the display can drop to 24Hz.

Although Samsung officially specifies that the display can go as low as 1Hz, we didn’t observe refresh rates below 24Hz in real-world use. It’s possible that the phone renders frames at lower rates than the screen refreshes, or that the 1Hz scenario is reserved for highly specific cases (such as Always-On Display).

Inner vs. Outer Display

Main 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel: Adaptive refresh rate, ranging 1–120Hz (per Samsung’s specs, though practical minimum observed is 24Hz).
Outer 3.4-inch Flex Window: Fixed at 60Hz, with no adaptive range.

Overall Display Quality

From a refresh-rate perspective, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 performs exceptionally well, offering smooth, responsive motion in almost all scenarios. The only drawback remains physical—the crease in the middle of the screen, which affects the overall experience more than refresh rate limitations.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 battery life

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is powered by the same 3,700mAh battery that the old model had. The Razr 40 Ultra is about there as well (3,800mAh), while the China-only clamshells opt for larger capacities – the Oppo Find N3 Flip stands at 4,300mAh, and the vivo X Flip adds another 100mAh on top of that.

In our Active Use test, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is noticeably behind the other clamshell we have data on, the Oppo Find N3 Flip. Compact conventional phones like the Galaxy S23 and the Zenfone 10 are also longer-lasting.

Charging speed

The barebones retail package means you’ll need to supply your own charger to keep the Z Flip 5 running. A good USB PowerDelivery unit with support for PPS (Programmable Power Supply) that supports 25W or more should do a fine job – the Z Flip itself is rated for 25W.

We tested using the company’s own ‘standard’ 25W adapter and didn’t really get any surprises. The Flip 5 charges as fast as the Z Flip4 in the first 30 minutes, but for some reason, the charging to 100% is much faster on the Z Flip4.

Update, 22 Aug 2024: We’ve retested the charging speed for Galaxy Z Flip4, Z Flip 5, and Z Flip6.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 can be charged wirelessly, and it can charge other devices, too. The certification listing at the WPC states that the phone complies with the Basic Power Profile for power transfer up to 4.4W.

As is normally the case with Galaxies, that rating only tells half the story, and using compatible pads will actually get you up to 15W of charging power – what Samsung calls Fast Wireless Charging 2.0.

Speaker test OF Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 sticks to a familiar setup: a dual-speaker system consisting of one bottom-firing speaker and another at the top, which also doubles as the earpiece.

In portrait orientation, the top speaker handles the left channel.
In landscape mode, the phone dynamically switches channels to match the device’s orientation.

Loudness

In our testing, the Z Flip 5 earned a “Good” loudness rating, matching both the Galaxy Z Flip4 and the Galaxy S23. However, the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra came out slightly louder, placing one step higher in numerical loudness rankings.

Sound Quality

When it comes to overall audio quality, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 performs very similarly to its predecessor:

Vocals: Clear and well-balanced
Treble: Crisp and well-defined
Bass: Decent, though not as strong as on the Galaxy S23
Comparison: The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 offers better high-frequency clarity than the Razr 40 Ultra, making it a stronger choice if audio balance matters more than sheer volume.

Verdict Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 on Audio

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 doesn’t revolutionize Samsung’s foldable audio experience, but it maintains a reliable, well-rounded speaker setup. If you value cleaner highs and balanced sound, it edges out Motorola’s Razr; if you prefer more volume and bass, the S23 remains ahead.

User interface, performance

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Android 13 with Foldable-Specific One UI 5.1.1

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 runs Android 13 with Samsung’s One UI 5.1.1, a version specifically optimized for foldable devices. This means you get the same experience as the Galaxy S23 series, but with extra foldable-specific features designed for the Flip form factor.

Cover Display Experience (Flex Window)

Over the years, Samsung has steadily improved the cover display, and on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 it’s more functional than ever. Unlike the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra, which offers a full mini-Android experience, Samsung still uses a widget-based system—though with useful flexibility.

Default Interface: A customizable stack of “lockscreen cards” (clocks, weather, notifications).
Navigation:
- Swipe left → unlock screen options (PIN, pattern, password).
- Swipe right → notification cards (expandable and readable).
- Swipe down → quick toggles + brightness slider.
Always-On Display: Shared settings with the main screen (always on, scheduled, tap-to-show, etc.), with clock styles based on the chosen card.

Once unlocked, you can swipe through a selection of widget-like apps, optimized for the cover screen’s shape. You can rearrange or remove widgets directly, but adding new ones requires going back to the main display. A pinch gesture brings up a thumbnail view of all widgets.

Running Apps on the Cover Screen

By default, only a few apps can run natively on the cover display (Google Maps, YouTube, Netflix, Samsung Messages, Google Messages). To expand this:

Enable Galaxy Labs toggle (limited apps supported).
For full app access, install Good Lock from the Galaxy Store → activate the Multistar module → enable the Launcher Widget.

⚠️ Note:Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Good Lock is region-limited and may require sideloading. It’s experimental, so some apps may misbehave. During testing, the module occasionally glitched but continued functioning.

Additionally, a double-press of the power button launches the camera Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 with the cover display as the viewfinder.

Internal Display & Unlock Options

On the main screen, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 offers more Always-On Display (AoD) clock styles, including image-based options. Music info can also be shown.

Unlock methods include:

Side-mounted fingerprint reader: Fast and reliable in open state, with occasional misreads when folded.
Face unlock: Convenient but less secure since it relies only on the selfie camera.

One UI 5.1.1 Features

Beyond the foldable extras, the Z Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 includes the full One UI experience:

Stacked Widgets: Group widgets together and swipe through them (developer support varies).
Modes & Routines: Similar to Apple’s Focus Mode. Automate settings (e.g., Driving Mode → auto-enables DND + launches Spotify).
Link to Windows: Manage notifications, calls, and photos directly from a PC.
Edge Panels: Quick access to contacts, apps, and tools.
Game Launcher: Organizes all your games, with distraction-limiting tools.
Samsung Internet & File Manager: Preloaded as standard Samsung apps.
Samsung Gallery: Still included alongside Google Photos.

Flex Mode Enhancements Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

When the phone is partially unfolded (75°–115°), supported apps split their interface:

Top half: Content (video, images, call feed).
Bottom half: Controls (buttons, comments, playback).

Native support exists in apps like YouTube, Samsung Gallery, and Calendar. For others, you can force a generic Flex Mode control panel, which is handy for video calls but less useful elsewhere.

Key Takeaways on Software OF Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 delivers the most polished foldable software experience yet from Samsung. While the cover display is still widget-focused rather than a full Android interface, the combination of Good Lock tweaks, Flex Mode, and One UI refinements makes the software versatile and smooth.

Performance and benchmarks

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy – the Samsung-specific version of Qualcomm’s high-end chipset for 2023. The main difference (that meets the eye) in this version of the chip is in the Cortex-X3 prime core of the CPU that’s clocked at 3.36GHz as opposed to the regular variant of the SoC, where it maxes out at 3.2GHz (technically, 3.19GHz).

We have started seeing the 3.36GHz spec on other phones recently (ZTE nubia Z50S Pro and Honor Magic V2, for example), so maybe Samsung’s exclusivity on those special Snapdragons has expired.

The Adreno 740 GPU has also gotten a boost, running at 719MHz in this souped-up version of the chipset, compared to 680MHz in the bulk of the SD8G2-powered models.

As was the case with the Galaxy S23 phones, the foldables use LPDDR5X RAM, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 has 8GB of it. Storage options here are two – 256GB and 512GB (there doesn’t appear to be a 128GB version anymore). Our Flip review unit is the 256GB spec.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 generally posted results in line with the similarly equipped S23, with minor deviations here and there. The new Flip is a meaningful step up in performance over all the currently available clamshells, seeing how they’re all powered by the previous-gen top-tier Snapdragon,

or even lesser chips. Meanwhile, the Zenfone 10 does tend to inch ahead of the Galaxies in most tests – so if you’re after a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 in order to get peak performance in a compact package, the Asus might be an option to look at.

What the charts above don’t tell you is that these numbers aren’t really sustainable, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 benchmark results do tend to drop relatively sharply with repeated test runs.

For example, in the CPU stress test, the phone managed to stay above 80% of peak performance for only about 6 minutes and then settled around 50% for most of the hour-long test. In the 3DMark Wild Life stress test, it only got an appalling 38% stability rating, too.

That’s well in line with the behavior of the previous Flip, and the Razr 40 Ultra is no better, albeit with the older Snapdragon. Then again, both the vivo X Flip and the Oppo Find N2 Flip show dramatically more stable behavior. The vivo has that same Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 that the Moto has, and that should be running hotter than the SD8G2 of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 , while the Find uses a Dimensity 9000+ chip.

Camera quality

Same dual camera on the back

Same Hardware, Smarter Usability

At first glance, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 brings no hardware upgrades to its camera system compared to the Flip4. However, dismissing it as “the same camera phone” would be unfair—the new 3.4-inch cover display (Flex Window) meaningfully changes how you shoot, especially selfies.

Cover Display: A Game-Changer for Selfies Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

The larger outer screen acts as a full viewfinder, making the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 one of the most selfie-friendly phones available.

Shutter controls: Choose between tapping anywhere or using a movable onscreen shutter button.
Zoom control: Pinch-to-zoom lets you switch between the main and ultrawide lenses. (Note: switching from 1x back to 0.5x requires pinching—less convenient than before.)
Quick toggles: Double-tap can be used for other gestures, though it no longer swaps cameras like on the Flip4.

Overall, the outer display simplifies framing and capturing selfies, but Samsung could refine zoom switching for single-handed use.

Camera App & Interface

On the main display, the camera interface mirrors Samsung’s usual layout:

Swipes:
- Vertical → switch between front/rear cameras.
- Horizontal → navigate between shooting modes (customizable).
Pro Mode (both cameras): Adjust ISO, shutter speed, exposure, white balance, and manual focus.
Settings Menu: Control geotagging, grid lines, Scene Optimizer, and file formats.
Cover Screen Preview: A handy toggle lets your subject see themselves during a photo.
Flex Mode Shooting: When half-folded, you can move the viewfinder to one half of the screen—perfect for waist-level or overhead shots.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Camera Hardware

Despite usability upgrades, hardware specs remain unchanged from the Z Flip4:

Main Camera:
- 12MP, Samsung S5K2LD sensor (same as Galaxy S20 main camera)
- 24mm equivalent, f/1.8 lens with OIS
- 1/1.76″ sensor size, 1.8µm pixels
Ultrawide Camera:
- 12MP, Sony IMX258 sensor
- 13mm equivalent, f/2.2 lens (fixed focus)
- 1/3.06″ sensor size, 1.12µm pixels
Front (Inner) Camera:
- 10MP, Samsung S5K3J1 sensor
- Slight spec tweak vs Flip4:
  - Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 → 23mm equivalent, f/2.2 aperture
  - Flip4 → 25mm equivalent, f/2.4 aperture
- 1/3″ sensor size, 1.22µm pixels

Key Takeaway Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

While the hardware is identical to the Flip4, the larger cover display completely changes the camera experience—making selfies and vlogging much easier. The main camera still performs well thanks to its stabilized lens and relatively large pixels, but Samsung is clearly leaning on software and usability improvements rather than sensor upgrades this year.

Daylight photo quality

Daylight photos out of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 main camera are great. Detail is excellent, and even random textures are rendered in a relatively natural way, while noise is kept to a minimum.

The recognizable Samsung take on colors means you’ll be getting vivid output with consistently accurate white balance. Dynamic range is great as well, and you get well-developed tonal extremes, but also nicely high contrast overall.

For practical purposes, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 main camera photos in daylight are identical to those you’d get from the Galaxy S23. We’d also say there’s an improvement over the previous Flip – a minor one, and not one that would make you run to upgrade.

Zooming it to 2x, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 does a good job, but things can look… unusual at times. Straight lines are rendered very well, but random detail tends to get a particular cross-hatch rendition that can be a bit distracting with certain subjects. Still, these are some of the best ‘digital’ zoom shots we’ve seen from a conventional 12MP sensor – Quad Bayers have been known to handle 2x well, but regular RGB Bayers not so much.

The Galaxy S23’s dedicated zoom camera does bring you closer to the action, and it renders fine detail better than the Z Flip 5’s digital zoom.

The non-bendy small Galaxy then remains a better option if you zoom in a lot, but the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 isn’t too far behind.

That said, if you’re particularly trigger-happy with your Flip, you may end up with differently processed 2x images. Apparently, when the phone’s ISP doesn’t get enough time to do its magic, it does a more basic crop-and-upscale routine – check out the samples below.

It’s a bit more of the same positive experience on the ultrawide camera. We’re looking at consistently solid images with great color and dynamic range.

Noise is competently removed, while detail is very good in the center, not quite as sharp towards the corners. The fixed focus also means you can’t shoot close-up subjects – or, rather, you can, but they’ll be blurry.

The S23’s slightly fancier, larger-sensor ultrawide doesn’t give it any meaningful advantage, and the Flip’s shots are essentially the same. We’re also seeing an improvement over the Z Flip4’s results, particularly in terms of sharpness.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Low-light photo quality

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Camera Performance in Different Scenarios

Low-Light & Night Photography

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 holds up surprisingly well at night.

Auto Night Mode: Produces well-exposed shots with strong dynamic range, vibrant colors, and excellent detail—without the watercolor-like overprocessing some phones suffer from.
Dedicated Night Mode: Improves highlight preservation in contrast-heavy scenes and slightly boosts shadows, while maintaining detail.
2x Zoom at Night: Night Mode clearly recovers more highlights, though the Galaxy S23 still edges ahead in sharpness and fine detail.
Ultrawide at Night: A big improvement over the Flip4—captures more detail with manageable noise. Night Mode enhances saturation, balances highlights, and lifts shadows, though some fine textures are lost to noise reduction.

📊 Comparison: The Galaxy S23’s larger sensor gives it sharper, more dynamic low-light shots, but the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 performs impressively for a foldable.

Portrait Photography

Portrait mode is excellent on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 :

Subject detection: Accurate and reliable.
Colors & skin tones: Natural and flattering.
Background blur: Effective, though the default intensity may feel slightly excessive (adjustable).

Selfies

This is where the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 shines:

The large Flex Window cover display turns the rear cameras into your ultimate selfie tool, leaving the internal camera mostly for video calls.
Rear camera selfies: Outstanding detail, natural colors, balanced dynamic range, and even natural background blur. Portrait mode adds adjustable bokeh with excellent subject separation.
Ultrawide selfies: Great for dramatic shots but limited by lack of autofocus—plus you may end up with too much arm in the frame when shooting closed.
Internal selfie camera: Decent, but lags behind the outer cameras in detail and skin tone accuracy.

Video Recording

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 offers versatile video recording options:

Resolutions:
- Main & selfie cameras: up to 4K60
- Ultrawide: up to 4K30
Stabilization: Available up to 4K30 (4K60 is unstabilized).
Codecs:
- Default → H.265 with quality/space modes
- Option to switch to H.264 (via “High efficiency videos” toggle)
Bitrates:
- 41Mbps (4K30, quality priority)
- 62Mbps (4K60, quality priority)
- 27Mbps (space-saving mode)
- Audio: stereo @ 256kbps

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Quality:

4K30 video is sharp, detailed, with accurate white balance, pleasant colors, and wide dynamic range.
4K60 looks equally good, but without stabilization, handheld footage can get shaky.
2x zoom video lacks the computational tricks of stills—results look upscaled but are usable.

Competition & Alternatives

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 faces limited competition in the clamshell foldable space:

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4:
- Now significantly cheaper (~half the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5’s launch price).
- Nearly as good in most respects, but misses out on the larger cover display, gapless hinge, and battery gains.
Motorola Razr 40 Ultra (Razr+ 2023 in NA):
- Pros: Larger, high-refresh-rate cover display; smoother crease; more flexible software for the outer screen; ultrawide with autofocus.
- Cons: Weaker speaker quality, no IPX8 water resistance, slower chipset, slower charging.
- Verdict: Great cover display implementation, but we’d pick the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 for camera quality and durability.
vivo X Flip (China-only import):
- Pros: Best-in-class battery life and arguably the best cameras on a small foldable.
- Cons: Import hassles, uncertain long-term support.
Oppo Find N2 Flip (China-only):
- Pros: Strong battery life.
- Cons: Cameras lag behind Galaxy; less compelling overall.
Samsung Galaxy S23 (bar phone alternative):
- Pros: Similar performance, better zoom camera, slightly longer battery life, DeX support, much lower price (€650–750).
- Cons: Not foldable—but smaller and pocket-friendly.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 may not reinvent its camera hardware, but thanks to the larger Flex Window cover screen, it delivers a massively improved shooting experience, particularly for selfies and vlogging. Night performance is solid, portraits are excellent, and video quality is dependable.

Where it falls short is in comparison with the Galaxy S23’s superior camera hardware and the occasional quirks of the ultrawide. Still, for those set on a foldable, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 remains the best clamshell camera phone on the market.

Verdict

Should You Buy the Galaxy Z Flip 5?

Samsung may not dominate the Chinese foldable market, but globally, the Galaxy Z Flip series continues to lead the clamshell foldable category without real threats. That also means Samsung didn’t need to reinvent the formula this year—and they didn’t.

Instead, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 brings two meaningful upgrades that make a big difference:

A gapless hinge design that looks sleeker, feels more compact, and fixes one of the Flip’s most-criticized quirks.
A larger cover display (Flex Window) that finally goes beyond aesthetics and adds genuine everyday utility.

Add in the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, improved battery efficiency, and better camera results despite unchanged hardware, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 feels like a refined, more polished version of its predecessor.

Still, Samsung is nearing a crossroads. The evolutionary upgrades won’t be enough forever—future models will need something bigger to keep the excitement alive. For now, though, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is the best clamshell foldable you can buy in 2025.

✅ Pros

Finally, a gapless design
IPX8 water resistance
Large and useful cover display (with room for more software tweaks)
Excellent 6.7-inch foldable display: bright, color-accurate, HDR, 120Hz
Great all-around camera experience for photos and selfies
Latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset
Improved battery life over the Flip4

❌ Cons

Performance throttles under heavy sustained load
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 No charger included in the box
Running full apps on the cover display requires workarounds

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 – Full Specifications

🔗 Network & Connectivity

5G Ready – Sub6 bands supported
SIM Options: Nano-SIM + eSIM (Dual SIM)
Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 6E, tri-band
Bluetooth: 5.3 with LE & A2DP
USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 with OTG support
NFC: Yes

🏗️ Design & Build

Dimensions (Unfolded): 165.1 × 71.9 × 6.9 mm
Dimensions (Folded): 85.1 × 71.9 × 15.1 mm
Weight: 187 g
Materials: Gorilla Glass Victus 2 + Armor Aluminum frame
Durability: IPX8 water resistance

🌈 Display Experience

Main Screen

6.7″ Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X
FHD+ (1080 × 2640), 120Hz refresh rate
HDR10+, up to 1750 nits

Cover Screen (Flex Window)

3.4″ Super AMOLED
720 × 748 px, Gorilla Glass Victus 2
60Hz refresh

⚡ Performance

OS: Android 13 → upgradeable to Android 14 (One UI 6.1.1)
Chipset: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy (4nm)
CPU: Octa-core (up to 3.36GHz)
GPU: Adreno 740
Storage & RAM:
- 256GB + 8GB RAM
- 512GB + 8GB RAM
Storage Type: UFS 4.0
❌ No microSD card slot

📸 Camera Setup

Rear Cameras (Dual):

12MP wide, f/1.8, OIS
12MP ultrawide, 123° FoV, f/2.2
Video: 4K@60fps, 1080p@240fps, 720p@960fps, HDR10+

Front Camera:

10MP wide, f/2.2
Video: 4K@30fps

🔊 Audio & Sound Beast Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

Stereo speakers (top + bottom)
Dolby Atmos support
❌ No 3.5mm headphone jack
Hi-Res 32-bit/384kHz audio

🛠️ Sensors

Side-mounted fingerprint
Accelerometer, Gyro, Proximity, Compass, Barometer

🔋 Battery Life

Capacity: 3700 mAh (non-removable)
Wired: 25W Fast Charging (50% in 30 min)
Wireless: 15W
Reverse Wireless: 4.5W

🎨 Variants & Models OF Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

Colors: Mint, Graphite, Cream, Lavender, Gray, Blue, Green, Yellow
Models: SM-F731B, SM-F731U, SM-F731N, others

📊 Benchmarks (Tested)

AnTuTu: 1,200,783 (v9), 1,507,319 (v10)
Geekbench: 5478 (v5.5), 4984 (v6.0)
GFXBench: 91fps (ES 3.1 onscreen)
Max Brightness: 1101 nits
Speaker Loudness: -27.1 LUFS (Good)
Battery Endurance: 87h

FAQ’S

Does the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 support 5G?

Yes. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 supports full 5G connectivity, including Sub6 FDD and TDD bands, ensuring fast internet speeds worldwide.

Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 waterproof?

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 comes with an IPX8 water resistance rating, meaning it can survive in up to 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes. However, it is not dustproof.

What is the battery life of Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5?

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 has a 3700mAh battery with:

25W wired fast charging (50% in 30 minutes)
15W wireless charging
4.5W reverse wireless charging
It delivers up to 87h endurance rating on a full charge.

Does the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 have a charger in the box?

No, Samsung does not include a charger in the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 retail box. Only a USB-C cable is provided.

Can you run full apps on the Galaxy Z Flip 5 cover screen?

By default, only selected apps (YouTube, Maps, Messages) run on the 3.4-inch Flex Window. However, with Samsung Good Lock (MultiStar module), you can enable almost all apps to run on the cover display.

How many years of software updates does the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 get?

Samsung promises 4 years of major Android updates (up to Android 17) and 5 years of security updates for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5.

What colors are available for the Galaxy Z Flip 5?

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is available in Mint, Graphite, Cream, Lavender, Gray, Blue, Green, and Yellow color options.

Does the Galaxy Z Flip 5 support Samsung DeX?

No, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 does not support Samsung DeX. However, it includes Link to Windows for PC connectivity.

How good is the camera on the Galaxy Z Flip 5?

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 has a dual rear camera setup:

12MP wide with OIS
12MP ultrawide 123°
The cover display helps capture high-quality selfies using the rear cameras. It records up to 4K@60fps video with HDR10+.

What is the difference between Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Flip4?

The main upgrades of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 over the Flip4 are:

Larger 3.4-inch cover screen (vs 1.9-inch)
Gapless hinge design for a slimmer look
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (faster, more efficient)
Better low-light camera performance
Improved battery life

Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 worth buying?

Yes. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is worth buying if you want a stylish foldable phone with a gapless design, powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, water resistance, and a much larger cover display. However, if you’re on a budget, the Galaxy Z Flip4 still offers great value at a lower price.