Reportedly described as "not even a Galaxy Z Fold 4s" by unhappy Samsung employees who are evidently familiar with all of its (minor) upgrades over last year's extremely well-reviewed Galaxy Z Fold 4, the fast-approaching Z Fold 5 has been widely expected to bring one major change to the table.
This should improve the company's number one challenger to the title of best foldable in the world from both a cosmetic and durability standpoint, and after numerous rumors and a couple of computer-generated visual leaks, we're finally getting a clear and unobstructed view of it today in real-life hands-on photographs.
Now that's what we call a sleek foldable!
Don't get us wrong, the Z Fold 4 is by no means an ugly device, and compared to its own predecessor, Samsung's big 2022 foldable arguably represented a more drastic upgrade than the Z Fold 5 will prove to be in a few weeks.
But the Galaxy Z Fold 4's hinge was... a bit of a problem, leaving a space between the two halves of its primary 7.6-inch display when closed that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will apparently entirely eliminate.
The result of the new so-called "waterdrop" hinge is an even prettier and more refined design with a thinner overall profile, and most likely, added resistance to dust. The IP58 water and dust protection certification recently tipped for both the Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 would beat what the likes of Google's Pixel Fold and Motorola's Razr Plus offer in the same department, and that's probably not something that could be achieved without a gapless hinge. Even if that standard is not met, any dust resistance is better than no dust resistance, and we fully expect the Z Fold 5 to provide some degree of dust resistance.
Furthermore, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 was rumored a while ago to measure 13.4mm in thickness when folded, unlike the Z Fold 4, whose depth ranges from 14.2 to 15.8mm because of the lower-quality hinge that doesn't keep the phone perfectly shut.
Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Z Fold 4: other expected upgrades and changes
In addition to the two solo Z Fold 5 close-ups above focused primarily on the new phone's slim profile (by super-high-end foldable standards), today's leak also shows off this bad boy's back panel alongside that of the Galaxy Z Fold 4, revealing one small change unlikely to impact the user experience in any way.
The LED flash is in a different position this time around, flanking the triple rear-facing camera system rather than sitting below it, with no other important revision tipped for the 50, 10, and 12MP shooters... or the 10MP cover camera... or the 4MP under-display inner snapper.
Unlike the Galaxy Z Flip 5, which is all but guaranteed to come rocking a much larger cover screen than its predecessor, the Z Fold 5 is also likely to mimic the Z Fold 4's display specifications to the letter. That goes for both the main 7.6-inch foldable panel and the secondary 6.2-inch screen, neither of which is expected to grow in size, resolution, or refresh rate technology.
Then you have the processing power department, where the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will of course share a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 beast with the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and thus handily beat the Z Fold 4. But will that be enough to convince foldable holdouts this is the time to embrace the new mobile industry trend? It might all depend on the retail pricing, although the early Z Flip 5 signs are certainly not very promising.
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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