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Like every year, Samsung took advantage of the summer to present its latest two folding smartphones. The Galaxy Z Flip5 and the Galaxy Z Fold5 do not target the same audience. The first, more popular, aims to offer an experience while becoming more compact, in order to make the smartphone less bulky.
The second should rather be seen as a small tablet that can be transformed into a smartphone to be easily carried anywhere. Designed more for productivity and the multimedia experience, it is also the more expensive of the two.
On paper, the Galaxy Z Fold5 doesn't change much from its predecessor. However, Samsung assures that small adjustments here and there can change the daily experience. So we wanted to check all this by using the Galaxy Z Fold5 for almost a month.
© Lemon squeezer
© Lemon squeezer
© Lemon squeezer
© Lemon squeezer
If at first glance the Galaxy Z Fold5 looks exactly like its predecessor, Samsung has actually revised the design of its folding smartphone.
Most of the work focused on the hinge.In the shape of a drop of water, it eliminates the gap that existed between the two screens once the phone is folded. This slight improvement allows the Fold5 to gain in lightness (253 g compared to 263 g for the Fold4) and in compactness (0.2 mm shorter, narrower and less thick).
Certainly, these adjustments do not disrupt its design but improve the grip and premium appearance. For the rest, it's the same: same lines, same arrangement of the different design elements, same screens, same photo block etc.
If we are satisfied again this year with these very small changes, we will undoubtedly be more critical next year, the competition, in particular Honor, offering models at least as advanced as the Fold, if that is no more.
© Lemon squeezer
© Lemon squeezer
Like the majority of high-end smartphones this year, the Galaxy Z Fold5 features Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, the most progress of the moment. Accompanied by 12 GB of LPDDR5X RAM and up to 1 TB of UFS 4.0 storage, the Fold5 is, unsurprisingly, a monster of power.
We will not dwell on the technical data which you guess is impressive. Note, however, that the Z Fold5 does not tend to heat up like its predecessor did when it was folded. An improvement that we owe to the new heat dissipation system as well as the new design of the device.
Concretely, the Galaxy Z Fold5 can do everything. It will delight both users for whom the smartphone is a productivity tool and gamers looking for a unique experience. So nothing to complain about.
The screens
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© Lemon squeezer
Yet at the heart of the folding smartphone experience, the screens of the Galaxy Z Fold5 are exactly the same as those of the Galaxy Z Fold4.
Inside, we find a 6.7” Foldable Dynamic Amoled 2x panel with Full HD definition (2640 x 1080 pixels) in an almost square format. Once the phone is folded, you navigate on a 6.2” Dynamic AMOLED 2.0 screen in a 21:9 format (long and thin).
We have nothing in particular to complain about the screens of the Galaxy Z Fold5 which are still magnificent, with the possible exception of the internal screen protection film which is a little too prone to reflections. Apart from that, the screens are sublime and allow you to enjoy a multimedia and productivity experience with ease.
Finally if… we still criticize Samsung for resting a little too much on its laurels. The Korean did not see fit to review your copy regarding the fold in the center of the internal screen. If it is not disturbing in itself, it remains an unsightly element. However, other manufacturers like Honor or OPPO have managed to offer models with almost invisible folds that are almost invisible to the touch.
The software
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© Lemon squeezer
The Galaxy Z Fold5 ships Android 13 topped with OneUI 5.1.1, the latest version of the Samsung overlay. Folding model requires, the Korean integrates exclusive features to improve productivity and the multimedia experience.
For this new generation, we would have liked the manufacturer to rack its brains a little to add a few features that give real meaning to the folding format. For the killer feature, we will therefore have to wait, Samsung being content to barely modify the interface of the Galaxy Z Fold4 (which will also receive OneUI 5.1.1) .
We would also have liked Samsung to offer compatibility with old S-Pens, but you will always have to put your hand in your pocket for the S-Pen Fold, a version optimized for folding screens.
This laziness of the manufacturer does not prevent OneUI 5.1.1 from seducing us. Very complete, this overlay allows you to do everything simply, intuitively and with lots of customization possibilities.
Special mention to the DeX mode, always just as interesting for transforming your smartphone into a backup PC. But hey… the Galaxy Z Fold4 already offered all that.
The autonomy and charging of the Galaxy Z Fold 5
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The Galaxy Z Fold5 has the same 4 400 mAh battery as the Z Fold4.We could have hoped for an improvement in autonomy with the integration of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, but this is not the case. The Z Fold5 lasts two days if you use it almost exclusively folded (which makes no sense). We last a day and a half in “standard” mixed use and a day of intensive use. Like the Z Fold4 therefore.
We also expected an improvement in charging technology to compensate for this inability to improve autonomy. Here again, Samsung disappoints. The Galaxy Z Fold5 only accepts a maximum charging power of 25 watts, enough to recover 50% battery in 30 minutes when competitors take 15 minutes. Enough to seriously call into question the term “rapid” when the manufacturer talks about “fast charging”.
To finish us off, Samsung continues not to include a charger in the boxfrom his phone. We can accept it for an entry-level or mid-range smartphone (although they represent the largest volume of sales). But for a phone sold for almost 2,000 euros, it's hard to digest.
Samsung continues to justify its choice with an ecological approach that we see rather as a good dose of greenwashing. It will be recalled that the removal of the charging block at Apple allowed the company to earn $6.5 billion in just 2 years. She has a good back for ecology.
The Z Fold5 camera
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Here again, Samsung is not straining and recycles the components of the Galaxy Z Fold4. Thus, the photographic hardware of the Galaxy Z Fold5 is in every way identical to that of its predecessor. On the back, we find:
- a wide-angle lens (23 mm, f/1.8) with 50 MP sensor (1 µm photosites), Dual Pixel, optical stabilization
- a telephoto lens (66 mm, f/2.4) with 10 MP sensor (1 µm photosites)
- an ultra-wide-angle lens (12mm, f/2.2) with 12 MP sensor (1.12 µm photosites)
The external front camera consists of a 24 mm lens (f/2.2) and a 10 MP sensor (1/3'' and 1.22 µm photosites). The internal camera, housed under the screen, consists of a 4 MP sensor with very low resolution. It is therefore more of a technical demonstration.
Unsurprisingly, all these beautiful people allow you to enjoy a photographic experience similar to that of the Galaxy Z Fold4. Not that we don't like it, but we were hoping for a little more effort from Samsung, which charges a high price for its folding smartphone.
This in no way detracts from the camera's photographic talents. The Z Fold5 produces excellent photos in good light or outdoors. In these conditions the telephoto lens and the ultra wide-angle are just as good. Samsung confirms its know-how in the portrait exercise. Better, the algorithms here seem to provide a better result than with the Z Fold4.
In low light, the photos logically degrade but maintain a rather convincing general appearance. With the telephoto lens, you will have to make do with a 3x zoom in these conditions.
Big angle
Big angle
3x zoom
Big angle
Ultra wide angle
Big angle
3x zoom
Ultra wide angle
Big angle
3x zoom
10x zoom
20x zoom
30x zoom
Night – Big angle
Night – 3x zoom
Finally, the Galaxy Z Fold5 can film up to 8K at 30 fps or 4K at 60 fps. We rather recommend the latter mode, which is more stable.
Samsung is once again using the folding format to adjust its interface and make the experience more fun. Still, when taking photos, the folding smartphone experience is more pleasant with the flip format of the Galaxy Z Flip5 for example. Especially since Samsung hasn't really gone out of its way to bring new features to the Z Fold5's photo interface.
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If the Galaxy Z Fold5 does not change much compared to its predecessor, its price has changed significantly. And not for the better. The Z Fold5 is available from 1,899 euros in a 256 GB version, or 100 euros more than the Z Fold4 when it was released.< /p>
The 512 GB version costs 120 euros (2,039 euros against 1,919 euros) and the 1 TB model costs 2,279 euros or 120 euros more than its predecessor.
To this price increase you will have to add the S-Pen if you do not plan to use the Fold without this accessory but above all a charging block. Samsung charges around fifty euros for its own. There are no small profits.
In itself, the Galaxy Z Fold5 is an excellent folding smartphone. It is even among the models that we prefer in this still niche market. Its exemplary finishes, its magnificent screens, its excellent performance and its slick interface make it a must-have. Especially since the photo experience is now worthy of a premium smartphone.
Unfortunately, the Galaxy Z Fold5 suffers from a lack of innovation from Samsung which has not corrected the main flaws of its predecessor (autonomy and charging in particular). Above all, it brings almost nothing new compared to the Z Fold4. Apart from its new, more powerful chip, and its new hinge, everything else is identical in every way.
Also, the rising price seems even more incredible to us. The Galaxy Z Fold5 looks like the Galaxy Z Fold4 S at a high price. Why pay 1,899 euros when the Galaxy Z Fold4, priced around 1,200 euros, offers almost the same experience? The question is quickly answered.
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