Galaxy Z Flip 5 arrives with a bigger screen (and price)

Samsung has unmasked its all-new Galaxy Z Flip 5 at a glitzy event in Seoul, South Korea. The new foldable arrives with a larger external screen, a faster processor, and new colours.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 was revealed alongside a slew of other new goodies from Samsung, including the Galaxy Z Fold 5, Galaxy Watch 6, and Galaxy Tab S9 series.

Preorders for the Galaxy Z Flip 5 start today, with the first handsets shipping on August 11, 2023. If you’re looking to upgrade to the Flip 5, there are a number of very generous preorder deals.

For a limited time, Samsung will double the built-in storage, so you’ll pocket the maxed-out 512GB model for the same price as the entry-level 256GB variant. You’ll also bag a one-year subscription to Disney+ worth £79.90 for free.

For a limited time, Samsung will double the storage at no extra cost, so you’ll get the maxed-out Galaxy Z Flip with 512GB of internal storage for the cost of the entry-level handset. Not only that, but Samsung is bundling a one-year subscription to Disney+ worth £79.90 and up to £650 off when you trade-in your current phone!

If you’re happy to part with your existing handset, Samsung is offering discounts of up to £650 when you trade-in at checkout too.

You’ll want to make sure you find the best Galaxy Z Flip 5 deal available, since Samsung has increased the starting price in the UK this time around. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 starts from £1,049 for the 256GB model, rising to £1,149 for the maxed-out 512GB variant. For comparison, Galaxy Z Flip 4 was priced at £999 when it launched last summer.

Still, that’s nothing compared to the cost of the Galaxy Z Fold 5, which can cost over £2,000 depending on the amount of built-in storage in your configuration. Ouch.

Speaking about the launch, James Kitto, VP Head of MX Division for Samsung UK and Ireland, said: “We know that when customers get our latest foldable devices into their hands, with their innovative design and industry-leading features, they won’t be able to put them down. Few other possessions work as hard as the phone in your pocket, and it’s increasingly integral to our daily lives.

“Not only do our consumers expect their phone to withstand the daily demands from a durability perspective, but they want their smartphone to reflect their personality. Our latest foldable range offers a next-generation smartphone for every taste and lifestyle.”

What’s new with Galaxy Z Flip 5?

The design of the Galaxy Z Flip 5 remains largely unchanged from its predecessor. You’ll find the same hinged design that keeps the size of the handset deceptively compact, despite the expansive 6.7inch AMOLED screen for boxset binges or running multiple apps side-by-side hiding inside.

This time around, the biggest change to the Galaxy Z Flip 5 can be found on the outside. The size of the external Cover Display has increased dramatically since last year. This display, which is designed so Galaxy Z Flip owners can quickly glance at incoming text messages, calendar appointments, and turn-by-turn directions without unfurling the phone completely each time, has grown from 1.9-inches on Galaxy Z Flip4 up to an expansive 3.4-inch on the Galaxy Z Flip 5.

This AMOLED display curves around the dual camera system, giving it a unique shape that’s closer to the divider in a Filofax than a traditional display. It’s now large enough to accommodate a full QWERTY keyboard, so you can type out replies to your texts without flipping open the phone to use the mammoth foldable screen inside.

The bigger Cover Screen can now accommodate a full QWERTY keyboard – perfect for speedy replies on WhatsApp

Samsung has built a slew of interactive widgets that take advantage of the larger screen size – dubbed Flex Window – so you can check calendar appointments and play music.

Swiping across the exterior display scrolls through a carousel of interactive widgets, like Galaxy Watch owners will be accustomed to doing with their watch faces. Each of these can be customised with different font styles and colours for an extra element of personalisation too.

At launch, Samsung says there will be 13 interactive widgets available on the Galaxy Z Flip 5, including household names, like Spotify. It’s working with third-party developers to fine-tune their apps to take advantage of the new shape and size of the screen, so fingers crossed, we should see more apps updated in the coming weeks and months.

Elsewhere, Samsung has reduced the gap in the hinge, making the Galaxy Z Flip5 thinner than its predecessor – now just 151mm when folded, compared to 17.1mm on the Flip 4. That’s perfect if you’re planning to keep the device in a pocket or small bag. When closed, the tighter hinge design has the benefit of reducing the chance of dust or lint gathering inside your phone.

Galaxy Z Flip 5 is available in Graphite, Cream, Mint, and its trademark Lavender shade. As always, there will be exclusive colour options only available from the Samsung Store (online or in-store), including Yellow, Grey, and Blue.

Samsung still offers the same IPX8 water resistance rating as the previous generation, which should save your shiny new phone from any accidental baths but doesn’t mean you can swap your GoPro for a Flip 5 and start shooting underwater on your next holiday.

The front and back of the Galaxy Z Flip 5 are shielded with Gorilla Glass Victus 2, the latest variant of the industry-standard strengthened glass from Corning. This should protect against scuffs, scratches and the occasional drop …although anyone who suffers from chronic Butter Fingers should probably still invest in a case.

Fortunately, Samsung is introducing a new style of protective case for the Galaxy Z Flip 5, dubbed the Flipsuit Case. This shell has a number of different colour inserts to customise the appearance of your handset. When you change the insert, Samsung will automatically detect the switch and alter the wallpaper on your handset to match. Galaxy Watch owners will also be change their watch face to match too.

Galaxy Z Flip5 has a total of three cameras: a rear-facing dual-lens system and a single selfie camera at the top of the pliable 6.7inch screen inside.

The 12MP main camera is the only one of the three with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), which should help increase sharpness in low-light shots. There’s also a 12MP ultra-wide camera so you can squeeze in all of your friends in the large group shots or avoid missing the tops of skyscrapers.

Flip open the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and you’ll find a 10MP selfie camera for video calls. Samsung has included all of the wizardry you’d expect to find on a flagship phone in this price range, including bokeh-style blur for Portrait Mode photos and videos, 960fps super slow-mo, an AI-powered Scene Optimiser that suggests the best settings for the subject in the viewfinder, and the clever Single Take mode. The latter shoots 14 different types of photo with a single press of the Shutter Button, leaving you to pick the best option later (while feeling quietly smug that you’re guaranteed to never miss the best choice).

Galaxy Z Flip 5 supports wired and wireless fast charging. You can also generously share the juice from the built-in 3,700mAh with a pair of wireless earbuds (or a friend’s phone) using the Wireless PowerShare feature that transforms the rear case of your Galaxy Z Flip 5 into a wireless charging mat.

Samsung promises five years of software support with its smartphones, so you can expect new features and security updates for years to come.

There’s something incredibly charming about the Galaxy Z Flip. Whether you’re looking to relive the mid-00s heyday of flip phones (let’s be honest, even 23 years on, nobody has yet invented a more satisfying way of ending a call than snapping the phone shut) or want to find a modern flagship phone that suits jeans with smaller pockets …or most likely, no pockets at all.

Samsung has a winning formula on its hands – the previous entry in the series earned four stars in our Galaxy Z Flip 4 review, so it’s not that surprising that the Galaxy Z Flip 5 remains largely unchanged from its predecessor.

Yes, that means there’s still a crease that runs across the middle of the foldable 6.7-inch AMOLED display, which feels a little odd under your fingertip. And there’s no telephoto camera in the dual-camera system, so you won’t be able to take advantage of lossless zoom for any of your snaps from the Galaxy Z Flip 5.

But that’s not to say that the Samsung R&D department hasn’t been busy over the 12 months since the release of the Galaxy Z Flip 4. The South Korean brand has tweaked the hinge so there’s no longer a gap when it’s folded away – shrinking the thickness from 17.1mm down to 15.1mm in the process.

Samsung has also updated the chipset to the speedier Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy processor found in the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23 Ultra. There’s a gorgeous new Mint colour, more recycled materials in the design to make your new phone kinder on the planet, and stronger Gorilla Glass Victor 2 on the outside of the handset to protect against scuffs, scratches and (the occasional) accidental drop …the list goes on.

These are all very welcome additions but aren’t likely to drive hundreds of thousands to trade-in their Galaxy Z Flip 4 for the new model.

But that upgrade that will turn heads is the new Cover Screen, which has expanded from 1.9-inches on Galaxy Z Flip4 up to an expansive 3.4-inch on the Galaxy Z Flip 5. Dubbed the Flex Window, this new interface works a bit like a Galaxy Watch on the outside of your Z Flip 5.

You can swipe between interactive widgets that display your calendar, current time, Spotify playlist, and much more. There are only 13 compatible widgets at launch, which is a pretty short list. That’s because Samsung is working with each developer individually to ensure their apps take advantage of the (slightly odd shaped) screen.

Based on our experience ahead of launch, this approach has resulted in stunningly refined experiences on the new Cover Screen. We’d imagine there are already conversations taking place between Samsung and the biggest networks, fitness apps, and music streamers on Android …but if your favourite app is an obscure independent developer who hasn’t rolled out an update within the last year, you might be unlikely to ever seen an update to take advantage of the new 3.4-inch Cover Screen.

Like the Galaxy Watch, Samsung lets you customise the colour scheme, background, and font on the Cover Screen so that it feels personal to you. It’s a really nice touch and means that Samsung’s family of Galaxy devices feel apiece in a way that we usually only see from Apple.

The larger Cover Screen size means that Samsung has been able to add support for a QWERTY keyboard, so you can type out replies to incoming texts. If you’re someone who juggles your Galaxy Z Flip and morning coffee on the walk to work, this feature alone will save you from dozens of accidental spillages each year.

The improvements to the Cover Screen mean you’ll only ever flip open the 6.7-inch screen when you want to, not because you’re forced to by an incomplete experience on the Cover Screen as has been the case with previous generations in the Galaxy Z Flip series. Sure, that might mean you flip open the Galaxy Z Flip 5 fewer times than its predecessor, but that just means it’ll feel even more of a treat when you settle down to play games, binge a boxset from Disney+, or run two apps in splitscreen for some extra productivity on the gorgeous 6.7-inch AMOLED screen.

We’ll need to spend a little more time with the Galaxy Z Flip 5 before we give our definitive verdict, but in our brief time with the handset ahead of its release, we’d recommend those who have been holding off taking the plunge with the Galaxy Z Flip series to start saving…

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