The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a worthy successor to the Z Fold 4, bringing a flatter and lighter profile to an otherwise-familiar foldable formula.
For
- It folds flat
- Lighter and thinner
- Even snappier performance
Against
- Cover screen now feels too narrow
- The cameras are good but unchanged
- Should include the S Pen
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is still a great do-everything device that presents few compromises.
For
- Impressive main and cover screens
- Optimized for multi-tasking
- Cleverly-hidden selfie camera
Against
- Cameras aren’t Samsung’s very best
- Crease is noticeable
- Still expensive
Samsung finally announced its latest foldable, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, at Samsung Unpacked 2023, but does the phone mark a significant improvement over the excellent Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, or an iterative half-step forward?
You'll find our full verdicts on both phones in our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 review and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 review, but in this article, we compare the two devices directly.
Below, you'll find comparisons between their respective specs, designs, displays, cameras, chipsets and prices. We've included some final thoughts, too, to help you decide which of these two excellent foldable phones is right for you.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Z Fold 4: specs comparison
First, before exploring the specs in detail, here's a brief overview of the key specs boasted by the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Galaxy Z Fold 4, for an easy comparison.
| Galaxy Z Fold 5 | Galaxy Z Fold 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Display: | 7.6-inch OLED / 6.2-inch OLED | 7.6-inch OLED / 6.2-inch OLED |
| Resolution: | 1812 x 2176 pixels / 904 x 2316 pixels | 1812 x 2176 pixels / 904 x 2316 pixels |
| Refresh rate: | 120Hz | 120Hz |
| Chipset: | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 |
| Rear cameras: | 50MP wide, 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP telephoto w/ 3x optical zoom | 50MP wide, 12MP ultra-wide, 10MP telephoto w/ 3x optical zoom |
| Front camera: | 10MP and 4MP | 10MP and 4MP |
| RAM: | 12GB | 12GB |
| Storage: | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Battery: | 4,400mAh | 4,400mAh |
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Z Fold 4: price and availability
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 arrived in shops on August 25, 2022, about a fortnight after its August 10 announcement.
Prices started at $1,799.99 / £1,649 / AU$2,499 for the 256GB model, while you could double that storage for $1,919.99 / £1,769 / AU$2,699. Finally, the 1TB range-topper arrived at a price of $2,159.99 / £2,019 / AU$2,999.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 was announced on July 26 at Samsung Unpacked 2023, and began shipping on August 11.
At $1,799.99 / £1,749 / AU$2,599 for the 256GB model, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is among the most expensive smartphones on the market, although for US customers that price is unchanged from the Galaxy Z Fold 4. The 512GB variant costs $1,919 / £1,849 / AU$2,799, and the 1TB variant costs $2,159 / £2,049 / AU$3,149.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Z Fold 4: design
Samsung has been pretty iterative with its foldable design work so far, with the Galaxy Z Fold 4 looking much like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 before it, only a little thinner and lighter.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 largely follows suit, although it does use a new waterdrop-shaped hinge that allows it to close flatter than the Galaxy Z Fold 4 at its thinnest (13.4mm versus 14.2mm). This also means the Galaxy Z Fold 5 appears completely flat when closed, which is a big aesthetic improvement.
The new hinge mechanism also slightly reduces the depth of the crease running down the middle of the Fold 5 (you can still see and feel it, but it's certainly less noticeable on the newer phone).
Both the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Fold 5 are equally durable, offering IPX8 water resistance that'll keep them alive if you happen to drop either phone in water for up to 30 minutes. But that's just for fresh water and not beach-side salt water. Neither handset is particularly dust resistant, either, given the amount of moving parts.
The slimmer, stripped-back hinge on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 makes the newer phone a tad lighter than its predecessor, too. The former weighs 252g, while the latter weighs 263g. Both figures are pretty hefty, mind.
Oh, and both phones are compatible Samsung’s S Pen stylus, but neither offers proper housing for the popular accessory.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Z Fold 4: display
This section is easy. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 packs pretty much same two displays as the Galaxy Z Fold 4. Specifically, you're getting a 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X cover display (904 x 2316 resolution) and a 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X internal display (2176 x 1812 resolution) on both models.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5's screens are a touch brighter (1,750 nits versus 1,200 nits), but all four displays offer the same adaptive refresh rates – you'll get 48-120Hz on each phone's cover screen, and 1-120Hz on their respective unfolded screens.
Content appears consistently bright, sharp and responsive on both the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 4, and we're not too fussed that Samsung didn't bring too many meaningful display upgrades to the former. The company knows what it’s doing on the screen front, and everyone else is largely playing catch-up.
The only other difference between the two displays is that aforementioned screen crease. The presence of a new hinge mechanism on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 means the depth of the crease running down the middle of its internal display is slightly less noticeable than the equivalent crease on the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Z Fold 4: cameras
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 5 are nigh-on identical in the camera department – which is fine by us, since Samsung struck upon a pretty nice balance with the latter device.
We described the Galaxy Z Fold 4 set-up as “quite good” in our review, which equates to a huge endorsement within a foldable field that invariably has to make compromises due to space and budgetary constraints.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 again packs a 50MP main sensor, like the Fold 4, with a 12MP ultra-wide (ditto) and a 10MP telephoto (ditto x2). Both phones feature the same 10MP cover screen camera and 4MP internal display camera, too.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is powered by a slightly faster chipset (more on this below), which technically means it's capable of faster image processing than the Galaxy Z Fold 4, but in truth, the differences are negligible.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Z Fold 4: performance
Unsurprisingly, Samsung opted to adorn the Galaxy Z Fold 5 with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which represents a half-generational upgrade on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and its Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1.
This is the same ‘For Galaxy’ version of the processor that you'll find inside the Samsung Galaxy S23 range, which runs a little faster than the regular version of the Gen 2.
On paper, then, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a faster machine than then Z Fold 4, but the latter is no slouch, offering supremely smooth scrolling and capable of completing its multi-tasking gymnastics with ease.
The Fold 5 comes with 12GB of RAM as standard, just like the Fold 4, and the 128GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options are identical, too.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Z Fold 4: battery
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is slimmer and lighter than the Galaxy Z Fold 4, but its battery remains unchanged. You're getting a 4,400mAh power pack in both phones.
Not that this is a terrible situation by any means. Five generations in, Samsung has become an expert at eking out the juice from a compact battery for a device with a massive display, and you'll get around 13 hours and 15 hours frim the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Fold 5, respectively.
That increased stamina in the Z Fold 5 comes from its aforementioned Snapdragon Gen 2 processor, which allows for better battery efficiency.
Alas, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 wasn’t exactly rapid in the recharging department, and the Galaxy Z Fold 5 sticks with the same 25W wired support.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Z Fold 4: verdict
Overall, then, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 doesn't represent a massive foldable revolution over its predecessor. But do you know what? We’re fine with that.
We like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 an awful lot, scoring it 4.5 out of 5 and calling it “a do-everything device that presents few compromises”. For a long time, it was the best full-sized foldable on the market, even with the Google Pixel Fold joining the party in June 2023.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 – which, again, we awarded 4.5 out of 5 stars in our review – is thinner, lighter, flatter and faster than its older brother, but its narrow cover screen and same-as-last-year photography tech stop it from being a must-own device for those who already own the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Instead, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is the obvious choice for foldable newcomers who want the best – but ultimately, you're paying a higher premium (in regions outside of the US) for an improved hinge and souped-up performance.
