Three level 5 inches. That’s concerning the measurement of the unique iPhone’s show. That’s downright tiny in comparison with in the present day’s smartphones, and it’s exhausting to think about typing or utilizing most trendy apps on such a cramped display. However as a secondary panel on a telephone that folds in half, even 3.4 inches feels positively roomy. At the least, it’s rather more helpful than the 1.9-inch sliver that we obtained on final 12 months’s Galaxy Z Flip 4. With its newest flip-style foldable, the $1,000 Galaxy Z Flip 5, Samsung brings a 3.4-inch exterior show that it’s confusingly renamed the Flex Window (it doesn’t flex, so sure, I’m mad on the identify). And that’s about it.
The Flip 5 additionally has a brand new hinge that enables for gapless closure when folded, in addition to some software program tweaks. Other than these updates, this telephone is similar to its predecessor, with principally the identical cameras, water-resistance ranking and battery measurement. It additionally prices the identical as final 12 months’s mannequin and comes with twice the bottom storage, which is a pleasant contact. However with better competitors within the US this 12 months, Samsung can not coast on being the one participant within the area.
Samsung
Samsung Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5
Professionals
- Helpful exterior display
- Compact when folded
- New hinge allows gapless design
Cons
- Numerous settings to dig by way of to maximise use
- Quick battery life in comparison with typical Android telephones
The Z Flip 5’s design
One of some indicators that Samsung is coasting? The Flip 5’s design. Setting apart its bigger exterior show, this factor appears to be like just about an identical to its predecessor, which itself was principally a clone of the model earlier than it. The Flip 5’s body is similar 6.5 x 2.8-inch rectangle as final 12 months’s mannequin, and it cuts the identical 0.27-inch profile, too. It additionally maintains the identical weight, measuring 6.6 ounces (or 187 grams).
Some issues have modified this 12 months, although. The exterior cameras are not stacked vertically on high of one another; they’re laid out facet by facet, presumably to accommodate the brand new bigger display. The accessible colours are additionally completely different, which I recognize, because the purple hue on final 12 months’s mannequin was getting a bit stale. This time, you’ll be able to select from pink and a minty inexperienced, along with the usual cream and black. Sadly, our evaluate unit is the essential black model, however the inexperienced variant I noticed at Samsung’s launch occasion is value lusting after.
A notable improve on the Z Flip 5 is what Samsung calls its Flex Hinge, which permits the machine to fold fully flat and go away no hole between the 2 halves of its inner display. This could not solely enchantment to individuals who have been postpone by the asymmetry of the earlier design, however it leaves much less of an opportunity {that a} key in your purse would possibly get lodged in that little opening and scratch the delicate panel.
That’s to not say that the Flip 5 is mud resistant. Its IPX8 waterproof ranking means it could stand up to temporary submersion in water, however it wasn’t examined for cover from overseas stable particles. That’s a number of jargon to say the Flip 5 shall be positive when you drop it within the tub, however it’s extra vulnerable to, say, sand, than most trendy smartphones. Nevertheless, the telephone’s exterior is probably going more durable than its inside, due to the Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 glass protecting its rear and Flex Window.
Exterior show
No matter my emotions towards Samsung’s absurd identify, the Flex Window is a serious enchancment over final 12 months’s Cowl show. It’s a 3.4-inch Tremendous AMOLED panel with a 60Hz refresh price and 720 x 748 decision, and the pictures I selected as my wallpapers seemed crisp and vibrant. However the largest improve is its measurement.
The advantages are apparent: A bigger canvas means you’ll be able to see extra directly and buttons might be larger and simpler to hit. With the additional area, the Climate widget can show the forecast for a number of days, whereas the Calendar provides a month-to-month view.

Picture by Cherlynn Low / Engadget
Not like Motorola’s Razr+, although, the Flip 5 doesn’t behave like full Android on its cowl display. It runs One UI in a method that’s extra like the corporate’s Tizen OS for its older smartwatches. You’ll swipe left by way of widgets like Timer, Stopwatch, Samsung Well being, Dialer and extra, drag down from the house web page for fast settings and swipe proper to see your notifications. However as a result of the Flip 5 helps as much as 13 widgets, rotating by way of the carousel to search out what you want can rapidly get tedious. Fortunately, Samsung added a brand new pinch gesture that allows you to zoom out to see all of your widgets directly and soar to what you need.
Although you’ll be able to’t natively run each app on the earth on the Flex Window, the corporate did optimize a handful to work on the smaller panel. You need to go into Settings to allow them, however when you do you’ll be able to launch Google Maps, YouTube, Netflix, Messages and WhatsApp on the exterior show. I suppose these are those Samsung thinks individuals most wish to use when the Flip is closed.
When you’re feeling adventurous, you’ll be able to set up Good Lock from the Galaxy App Retailer, which helps you to run just about any app on the surface. It took me some time to determine that to get this to work, you’ll have to enter Good Lock and obtain the MultiStar launcher, then add the launcher as a widget on the Flex Window. As soon as I did, although, I rapidly chosen apps like Instagram, Chrome, Reddit and Gallery to run on the surface. Every of them ran as anticipated — that’s, as a mini model of itself on an awkwardly formed display.
It is a good time to level out that the Flip 5’s Flex Window isn’t a typical rectangle. It’s formed extra like a doc folder, largely sq. with a small tab on the underside left. Functionally, that further area doesn’t get in the way in which of apps or widgets. Swiping up on it brings you again to the house web page, and in case you have a timer or track operating, a bit countdown reveals up there.

Picture by Cherlynn Low / Engadget
You don’t have to put in Good Lock to search out the brand new Flex Window helpful, however it does make for a greater expertise. For instance, when replying to a notification from an app like Telegram, you received’t really have the ability to see the message your pal despatched. This could be as a result of Telegram notifications are sometimes hidden anyway, to stop onlookers from seeing your chats. So if you wish to reply to Telegram contacts, you’ll possible nonetheless should open the Flip to see what they mentioned.
That’s, except you utilize Good Lock to let the app run exterior, during which case tapping the notification on the Flex Window will simply take you to the dialog within the app. It’s surprisingly easy and weirdly satisfying to see a non-native expertise work so effectively.
Replying to messages is one other enchancment over the Flip 4, by the way in which. Samsung now has room to supply a QWERTY keyboard, and typing on it’s an absolute delight. I’ve comparatively small fingers, and reaching throughout this panel to hit letters like Q and A was no hassle, particularly with swipe typing. The Flip 5’s software program is extra refined than the Moto’s, too, because the latter’s keyboard takes over all the display and requires an additional faucet to truly ship your reply. Samsung’s interface additionally permits you to see a few of your dialog above the enter subject, whereas you received’t see any of it on the Razr+.

Picture by Cherlynn Low / Engadget
The bigger Flex Window additionally makes for a far superior viewfinder for the exterior cameras. With the elevated area, I can now see all the body when lining up a selfie or establishing a video. Swiping sideways on this viewfinder display switches between Portrait, Picture or Video modes, whereas pinching modifications the extent of zoom and the ultrawide digital camera kicks in at 0.5x.
Digicam efficiency on the Z Flip 5
Whereas the expertise of utilizing the exterior 12-megapixel cameras has drastically improved due to the Flex Window, picture high quality itself has not. Samsung makes use of principally the identical sensors on the Flip 5 as these on the Flip 4, and although there’s no generational improve, they nonetheless take fairly good footage.
In reality, out of all two flip-style foldables accessible within the US, the Flip 5 simply features the higher hand. Its solely competitors is the Moto Razr+, which has comparable sensors on paper however delivers washed out pictures as compared.
My pictures of the Metropolitan Museum of Artwork confirmed vibrant blue skies and crimson banners after I used the Z Flip 4 and Flip 5, however the scene appeared pale after I shot it with the Razr+. Although I want the rosier hues in selfies I snapped with the Razr+, those that Samsung produced had extra correct colours.

Picture by Cherlynn Low / Engadget
At night time, cityscapes have been fairly grainy throughout all three telephones I examined, however the Flip 4 and Flip 5 have been barely higher at exposing buildings amidst all of the lights in New York. Although each Samsung telephones have been neck-and-neck by way of low-light photograph high quality, I used to be pleasantly shocked that the Flip 5 took about half the time of its predecessor when capturing a shot in Night time mode. Because of this, I didn’t have to carry nonetheless for as lengthy, and my selfies from the newer handset have been clearer.
I additionally loved utilizing the Flip 5 and Razr+ as TikTok machines, setting them up with their cowl screens dealing with out to shoot some (hopefully) humorous clips. Video high quality was, once more, very shut throughout the three units. Briefly, don’t write off the Flip 5’s cameras, however you received’t be writing residence concerning the pictures you took, both.
As a “common” telephone
You received’t be spending all of your time with the Flip 5 utilizing solely its exterior display. For probably the most half, you’ll most certainly work together with the versatile 6.7-inch Full HD AMOLED panel inside, which is what I did. I’ll admit, I largely used this telephone to scroll Reddit or Instagram and play mind-numbing puzzle video games like Items Type and Solitaire.
All the pieces felt because it did on final 12 months’s Flip — even the crease appears to be like the identical. My pals’ trip pictures and recreation graphics have been colourful and crisp. At sure angles, content material seemed barely discolored underneath the wrinkle, however it didn’t trouble me. I additionally loved stroking the crease as a lot as I did earlier than. There’s one thing deliciously satisfying about repeatedly operating my thumb over it.

Picture by Cherlynn Low / Engadget
I additionally tried a couple of occasions to rigorously push my thumb into the display as I began to bend the telephone to shut it, and I by no means felt just like the panel was going to interrupt. However after all, I’ve solely had the Flip 5 for barely over per week, so long-term use might reveal sturdiness points. It’s value noting, although, that in comparison with Motorola, Samsung has a extra established restore and elements alternative system in place. Must you really injury your foldable, or if you already know you’re accident susceptible, the higher firm to decide on is Samsung.
There are some software program updates to Flex Mode that I didn’t spend a number of time with, largely as a result of I don’t discover all of them that helpful in every day use. As a refresher, Flex Mode is an interface that kicks in if you bend the telephone barely and have it open at between 20 and 160 levels (roughly). Appropriate apps will cut up their structure in half, sometimes exhibiting content material up high and controls beneath. Like on older Flips, apps that work effectively with this are YouTube, which continues to show the video on the upper half whereas letting you scroll by way of feedback on the backside.
This 12 months, although, you’ll be able to select to (after first toggling by way of a number of hidden settings) show a button on the backside left of each app. It’ll convey up the Flex dashboard, which provides shortcuts for taking a screenshot, knocking down the notifications shade and extra. A few of these, like the 2 I named, are useful. However some, just like the touchpad that you may allow, are simply foolish. With the touchpad, you’ll be able to drag your finger across the backside half of the display to maneuver a cursor up high. In some conditions, like for individuals with mobility points, I can see this being helpful. For many different situations, nevertheless, it’s often simpler to only attain a bit and faucet the highest half of the display.

Picture by Cherlynn Low / Engadget
Efficiency and battery life on the Z Flip 5
We’re reaching some extent the place smaller foldable telephones are just about as quick as their non-flexible counterparts, which brings them ever so barely nearer to being possible as mainstream units. Due to its Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy processor, the Flip 5 is on par with flagships just like the Galaxy S23+. It additionally packs the identical 8GB of RAM, and this 12 months’s Flip even provides twice the bottom storage of its predecessor, beginning with 256GB.
It doesn’t matter what I threw at it, the Flip 5 by no means hiccuped. Granted, I by no means performed a recreation extra demanding than Legal Minds or CSI: Hidden Crimes on it, however I used to be additionally happy after I realized the telephone by no means actually ran alarmingly heat.
The Flip 5’s Geekbench 6 scores of two,015 (single-core) and 4,972 (multi-core) have been about the identical as Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 5, and considerably higher than the Pixel Fold, which makes use of Google’s personal Tensor G2 chip.
That is clearly flagship-level efficiency, so that you’re not sacrificing a lot when you choose a Flip over a standard handset. However one space the place foldables are inclined to fall quick is battery life. The Flip 5 delivered very comparable runtime to its predecessor, which isn’t a shocker contemplating its battery is similar 3,700mAh. Certain, it has a bigger exterior display to energy, however exactly as a result of Flex Window being extra helpful, I didn’t should open up the Flip 5 as a lot because the older mannequin. So it is sensible that each Flips had about the identical endurance.

Picture by Cherlynn Low / Engadget
Wrap-up
Right here we’re, staring on the fifth era of Samsung’s Galaxy Z collection of foldables and nonetheless asking the identical query: Are telephones with versatile shows prepared for the mainstream? With its bigger and extra helpful exterior display, the Flip 5 is the perfect candidate within the class’s historical past to enchantment exterior the tech-savvy crowd. It provides wonderful efficiency, succesful cameras and — lest we overlook — it folds in half! Plus, it combines comparatively superior bendable-screen tech with an exterior panel in a measurement that’s positive to win nostalgia factors, that means it’ll enchantment to experimentalists and sentimentalists alike.
In case your present Flip is falling aside, the Flip 5 is well worth the improve for the Flex Window alone. However when you’re considering adopting a foldable for the primary time, simply know that you simply’ll most likely sacrifice some digital camera high quality, should take further care when manhandling the machine and resign your self to all the time be charging. In alternate, you’ll get a really succesful telephone, some cool factors and a simple dialog starter.