Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 could feature huge camera upgrade over the Z Fold 4
>
With 2023 in full swing, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 rumors are rolling in thick and fast, and the latest speculation concerns the upcoming foldable phone’s camera setup.
According to a new report from Vietnamese tech outlet The pixels (opens in new tab)could the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 replace the 50 MP rear camera used by its predecessor – the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 – with a much more powerful 108 MP rear sensor (like on the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra).
The Pixel also suggests that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 could feature a 64MP telephoto camera (with 2x optical zoom) and a 12MP ultrawide snapper. That arrangement would outshine the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s 10MP telephoto sensor, but lose the latter’s 3x optical zoom capabilities.
That last point causes us to exercise some caution with these new rumors. While it’s no doubt exciting to think we’ll finally see a foldable phone that can match non-foldable phones in the photography department, it’s hard to imagine Samsung giving the Galaxy Z Fold 5 weaker optical zoom capabilities than its predecessor.
What’s more, if SamMobile (opens in new tab) notes that Samsung’s track record of rarely implementing two major camera overhauls on the trot raises another red flag. The Galaxy Z Fold 4’s camera setup was a significant improvement over the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3’s equivalent sensors, which makes us somewhat skeptical that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 would have another major snapper upgrade.
Of course, we expect some kind of photographic improvement from the Galaxy Z Fold 5 over the Galaxy Z Fold 4, but we’re hesitant to fully comment on rumors of a 108MP rear sensor and 64MP telephoto lens, at this stage.
Analysis: Collapse more than just camera upgrades
However, we are more confident about the design rumors of the Galaxy Z Fold 5. Per South Korean outlet Naver (opens in new tab)Samsung plans to use a waterdrop hinge in its upcoming foldable phone, which will allow the phone to fold completely flat, with no visible gaps between the two halves of the screen.
Several handsets from Chinese manufacturers already use this design approach for their foldable devices (with examples like the Huawei Mate X2, Honor Magic Vs and Oppo Find N2), but at the cost of full water resistance. However, Samsung is reportedly planning to add the new hinge shape while maintaining an IPX8 rating for the Galaxy Z Fold 5, a feature no rival has been able to compete with in the foldable space.
As for the phone’s release date, we expect the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 to arrive sometime in August 2023. The Galaxy Z Fold 4, Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 2 were all unveiled in August in their respective release years, so we expect the Galaxy Z Fold 5 to stick with tradition in that regard.
There’s no word yet on the price of the phone, but the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 launched for $1,799 / £1,649 / AU$2,499, so a similar eye-watering figure should be expected for its successor. Still, these upgrades can help it earn a place in our rundown of the best Samsung phones out there.