Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 review: still a top foldable phone in 2024
Folding display technology has led to a reimagining of the noughties flip phone, and Samsung has paved the way with its Galaxy Z Flip devices. The Z Flip is one of the most stylish of all Samsung phones — it's a fashion statement as well as an impressive Android device.
Launched in mid-2023, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 improved on its predecessor, the Z Flip4, with a slimmer build, a bigger cover screen, an upgraded processor and fresh colours. At the time, the fifth generation finally felt like a foldable phone that could work for most people.
Given that the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 is now about a year old, the next in line is on the horizon. But that's not to say you should no longer get one, it's still one of the best phones in 2024 and recently we've seen its original price of £1,049 cut to as little as £649 — there's actually never been a better time to buy one.
I've been testing out Samsung's smallest foldable phone for a couple of weeks, taking notes on everything you need to know, including details on its design, displays, performance, cameras, battery life and software.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 review: design
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 is a palm-sized smartphone that folds out to the size and shape of a regular handset. Folded up, it's square with a large 3.4-inch cover screen (otherwise known as the Flex Window) that takes up most of the outside. That sits inside glossy black bezels, alongside two circular camera lenses placed horizontally next to one another. When you unfold the phone, you reveal a huge 6.7-inch display inside with a crease along the middle and a selfie snapper placed centrally at the top.
You can buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 in loads of colours including Graphite, Cream, Lavender, Blue, Yellow and Green. I tested out the Mint colourway and it is very cool, with a block of glossy colour on the back and a matching “Armor” aluminium polished frame around the edges.
The Z Flip 5 is a very good-looking gadget and at 187g, it's lightweight too. Folded up it fits in small but loose pockets and there's almost no gap between the two halves. Unfolded, the long screen inside is easy to use one-handed, I have small hands my my thumb easily reached across it.
Folding phones have had a reputation for being a little flimsy, but the Z Flip 5 feels sturdy. Samsung claims it should last at least 200,000 folds, although unfortunately, I couldn't test that in the space of a couple of weeks. It snaps shut, the hinge is firm and the frame can take knocks and bumps.
To add to that, the handset is IPX8 water resistant so it'll survive submersion in up to 1.5m of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. The only downside is that there's no official rating for dust resistance.
Thanks to the solid hinge, the phone can lay flat or you can partially unfold it to prop it up on the table in front of you at almost any angle.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 review: display
There are two displays on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, a 3.4-inch Super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 720 x 748 pixels, and a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X main display with an FHD+ resolution of 2640 x 1080 pixels.
The quality of the cover screen is fit for purpose. It's clear, bright and easily legible, plus it's a great size. Other generations of the phone had a much smaller secondary display and I didn't find them that practical. However, the Z Flip 5's cover screen is big enough to make use of.
You can choose from a bunch of different designs for the Flex Window, and add all sorts of useful widgets, like quick access to your calendar, the weather forecast, alarms, Spotify, your step count and the list goes on. You'll also be able to open a full keyboard which makes replying to messages from the cover screen much simpler than before.
Using Samsung Labs, you can run unsupported apps from the cover screen, so you don't need to open the phone up to find a new playlist or check the news headlines. However, you'll have to accept there could be some formatting issues.
The main display on the inside is just as good as you would get from any of the top Android smartphones.
The aspect ratio is much thinner and longer than I'm used to but it's convenient for splitting the screen into two — you can have a couple of app windows open and comfortably navigate them both at the same time. The crease on the screen is barely noticeable from head-on although it's still visible when you tilt the phone and it catches the light.
Vibrant, sharp and detailed, the main display is a pleasure to use whether you're watching shows on the top streaming services (I've been rewatching Desperate Housewives on Disney+), online shopping for early Prime Day deals, or playing mobile games.
It has 1750 nits peak brightness making for solid viewing even under sunlight. And there's a 120Hz refresh rate that can drop down to as little as 1Hz to save battery, making it silky smooth when it needs to be and adapting itself when it doesn't.
To unlock both displays, you get the choice of the usual PIN, pattern or password as well as a fingerprint sensor and facial recognition. I chose to use my fingerprint and found it worked quickly the majority of the time.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 review: cameras
Samsung has opted for a 12MP main camera on the Z Flip5 alongside a 12MP ultra-wide camera and a 10MP selfie camera. It's the same arrangement as the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 although the main camera has a “Super Clear Lens” that reduces flare and boosts colours and contrast.
The result is good, photos are bright and colourful, although perhaps a little dreary at times especially on a darker day. You won't get the same level of detail as you would from the Google Pixel 8 Pro, for example, but it still produces fairly sharp shots. It would be great to see more definition and depth in the images but rest assured you will get photos that are worthy of your Instagram grid.
With the handset folded, double tapping the power button opens up the camera so you can start snapping without opening up the device. You can use that screen to switch on a timer, adjust blur and change the aspect ratio of the shot.
Another way to snap photos is by partially unfolding the phone and propping it up on a table to take a photo or shoot a video using the selfie camera.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 sample photos
Take a look at the gallery below for a selection of unedited shots taken on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 review: performance and battery
Loaded with the high-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy processor, alongside a choice of 256 or 512GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is powerful and capable. It's one of the most efficient clamshell-style folding phones there is.
Whatever you intend to use your next smartphone for, the Z Flip 5 will be able to handle it. It delivers quick loading times, seamless gaming and speedy camera features. It does occasionally heat up a little but only when it's working especially hard for extended periods.
When it comes to battery life, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 packs a 3,700mAh cell. In my experience, it lasted me until the evening but did need charging when I got home. That's after a day of scrolling social media, listening to music and using Google Maps.
To compare it to other smartphones, I downloaded and played a video for two hours at full brightness. In that time, the battery percentage dropped by 16% suggesting it would have lasted a total of 12.5 hours. That's perfectly fine, although still a long way off the 20+ hours provided by some of the top-performing flagship handsets which ultimately use less power because they don't have a dual-screen setup.
It takes around 90 minutes to fully charge the battery from 0 to 100%. You can also charge this phone wirelessly.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 review: software
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 launched with One UI 5.1 based on Android 13, but can now be updated to One UI 6.1 based on Android 14.
Samsung's operating system is sleek and colourful but it also comes with loads of bloatware including some duplicates, like the Google Play Store and the Samsung App Gallery, and Google Chrome and Samsung Internet. Of course, you can delete the software you don't want to take up space.
Samsung has promised four major Android OS updates for the Z Flip5 devices, one of which has already been and gone. More recently, Samsung's flagship S24 devices have been given a huge seven years of updates, so it would be great to see this extended next time around.
One thing Samsung does very well, and arguably better than other brands with folding phones, is adapting selected software to suit the format. I already mentioned the extensive array of cover screen widgets and how you can split the main screen into two app windows. But as well as that, Samsung Labs allows you to try out some more experimental features like running non-tailored apps on the cover screen and opening up the split screen functionality to all apps, even if they haven't been adapted to fit.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 review: verdict
When it was first released, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 was the best folding clamshell phone you could buy and that is still true today. The biggest problem with it is the hefty price, although because the next generation is likely to launch very soon, prices should drop significantly in the coming months.
The Z Flip5 isn't as good for shooting professional-looking shots as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, and it won't last as long into the future as the Google Pixel 8 handsets. But if you want a modern flip phone that is sturdy and reliable with a solid camera system, decent battery and speedy performance then the Z Flip5 will tick all your boxes. Thanks to its cool, colourful design, it's also just as much a fashion accessory as it is a superb smartphone.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 review: also consider
Another clamshell-style folding phone to consider is the Oppo Find N2 Flip. It looks smart with a great set of features and a good-sized screen.
If you want a foldable phone with a top-notch camera, the Google Pixel Fold is the best there is right now. When I tried it out I also really liked that the front cover screen is the same size as a regular smartphone and the main display is more like a mini tablet. In saying that, the Pixel Fold does have its faults in that there isn't as much compatible software as well Samsung offers.
You Might Also Like
