Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 is the fifth generation of Samsung's book-style foldable, announced on 26 July 2023 and on general sale from 11 August 2023. This article is based on the published specifications and manufacturer information. It explains what the phone is, which claims come from Samsung itself, and where the trade-offs sit for anyone weighing a large folding screen against a conventional flagship. The Fold5 is no longer the newest model in the family, so it matters mostly as a reference point, a second-hand or discounted purchase, or a phone that someone already owns.

Where the Fold5 sits in the lineup

Samsung launched the Fold5 together with the clamshell Galaxy Z Flip5, and the two phones share a good deal of technology: the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, the new Flex Hinge, the IPX8 water rating and the same Armor Aluminum frame. The difference is the purpose. The Flip folds a normal-sized phone down into a pocketable square, while the Fold5 turns a phone-sized cover screen into a small tablet when opened. In the United States Samsung listed the starting price at 1,799.99 dollars for the 256GB version, with 512GB and 1TB versions above it, which placed it above every bar-style Galaxy of its generation.

Samsung called it the thinnest and lightest Fold so far and the most powerful phone in the Galaxy Z series. Later generations have moved the format forward again; if you want the current design, see the Galaxy Z Fold7, and the table at Galaxy Z Fold5 vs Galaxy Z Fold7 shows how far the category has travelled in two years.

Design, hinge and durability

The headline change is the Flex Hinge. Samsung describes an integrated hinge module with a dual-rail structure that diffuses external impact and gives the phone what the company calls an aesthetically balanced and solid design when folded. Unfolded, the Fold5 measures 129.9 x 154.9 x 6.1 mm; folded it is 67.1 x 154.9 x 13.4 mm, and it weighs 253 g. That is a heavy phone by any standard, even if it is lighter than its predecessors. The frame is Armor Aluminum, and the cover screen and rear are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The main screen has a shock-dispersion layer and a redesigned back layer, which Samsung says make it more solid than earlier foldable displays.

The water rating is IPX8, meaning protection against immersion in up to 1.5 metres of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. Note what the rating does not say: there is no dust rating, so sand and fine grit remain a risk around the hinge. Samsung itself points out that water resistance is not permanent and can diminish with ordinary wear. Colours at launch were Icy Blue, Phantom Black and Cream, with Gray and Blue as online-only options on Samsung's own store.

Displays

The main display is a 7.6-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel at 2176 x 1812 pixels, about 374 pixels per inch, with an adaptive refresh rate from 1 to 120 Hz. Samsung raised peak brightness by more than 30 percent over the previous Fold, to 1,750 nits, and states that the panel received a VDE certification for 100 percent mobile colour volume in the DCI-P3 range. The cover screen is a 6.2-inch HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel at 2316 x 904 pixels, around 402 ppi, with a 48 to 120 Hz adaptive rate. It is a normal phone shape, which makes the Fold5 usable for quick tasks without opening it.

The unfolded screen has a slightly squarer ratio than a tablet, which suits reading, split-screen work and video in portrait. A visible crease remains in the middle of the main panel, and as with every foldable it is something you notice in certain light and under the finger. The screen also needs more care than glass: Samsung warns that the S Pen Fold Edition is the only pen that should be used on the display, because other styluses may damage it.

Performance and software

The processor is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy, paired with 12GB of memory in all configurations and 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of storage. There is no memory-card slot. Samsung says an enlarged cooling system dissipates heat more intelligently, which matters because a phone this thin has little room for thermal margin during long gaming sessions. The phone launched with Android 13 and One UI 5.1.1, and Samsung committed to four generations of operating-system upgrades and five years of security updates, which sets a clear end date for software support in 2028.

The software is where the Fold5 earns its price. Taskbar now holds up to four recent apps, two-handed drag and drop lets you move an image from Gallery into Notes with one finger on each side, and hidden pop-up keeps a floating chat window over full-screen video. Multi Window and App Continuity let apps move from the cover screen to the inner screen without restarting. Third-party support still varies, and some apps do not support split-screen at all, which Samsung acknowledges in its fine print.

Cameras

The rear system is a triple camera: a 50MP wide camera with Dual Pixel autofocus and optical stabilisation (f/1.8), a 12MP ultrawide (f/2.2, 123 degrees) and a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, optical stabilisation and f/2.4. Samsung markets zoom up to 30x, which combines the 3x optical lens with digital zoom and AI super-resolution; the company itself notes that zooming beyond 3x may cause some image deterioration. There is a 10MP selfie camera on the cover screen and a 4MP under-display camera inside, the latter being a convenience for video calls rather than a camera for portraits.

What the foldable shape adds is flexibility. In Flex mode you can stand the half-open phone on a table and use it as a tripod, and the cover screen can act as the viewfinder for the main camera, so you get rear-camera quality for selfies. The camera hardware is not as strong as in the Galaxy S25 Ultra or other slab flagships, which have larger sensors and more telephoto reach; that is the cost of fitting everything into a 6.1 mm unfolded body.

Battery and charging

The battery is a dual-cell design with a typical capacity of 4,400 mAh; Samsung lists the rated capacity at 4,270 mAh. Wired charging reaches around 50 percent in about 30 minutes with a 25W adapter, which is sold separately, and the phone supports Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 and Wireless PowerShare to top up other Qi devices. Samsung says the battery is long-lasting for its category, based on a usage study conducted in the United States, and as always the real result depends on how much time the large screen is on. Do not expect multi-day endurance when the inner display is in constant use.

Connectivity includes 5G, Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. The SIM arrangement is up to two nano-SIMs plus an eSIM, depending on market. Security is handled by Samsung Knox with Knox Vault, and the fingerprint reader sits in the side key.

The S Pen question

The Fold5 has no built-in slot for a stylus. Samsung sells the S Pen Fold Edition separately, along with a Slim S Pen Case that holds the pen on the back of the phone. The new pen is 4.35 mm thick, compared with 7.4 mm for the previous one, and the case adds enough thickness to take the folded phone to 20.63 mm. Pen support is limited to the main screen. If handwriting is central to your plans, add the accessory cost and the extra bulk to your calculation.

Who it is for and where it compromises

The Fold5 suits people who read, work and multitask on the phone and who would carry a tablet anyway, and who accept a thick, heavy device in exchange for a screen that nearly doubles the working area. It is less convincing for people who mostly take photos or play intensive games, because slab phones deliver better cameras at lower prices. The main compromises are the weight, the crease, the lack of a dust rating, the absence of a pen slot and the price. Anyone who prefers the small-format approach should look at the Galaxy Z Flip5, and Google's alternative is covered on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold page. You can also browse the full phones category or see the rankings to put the Fold5 in context.