Foldable phones are exciting by nature, but they’re also expensive, so to justify their purchase price, it’s important that new models have major upgrades. However, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 doesn’t seem to offer many new features.
That’s according to @UniverseIce (opens in new tab) – a leaker with a good track record – claiming that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will get a 6.2-inch cover screen just like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4.
In another tweet (opens in new tab)they say “design is confirmed and will not be changed” for both Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5.
Sadly, I can confirm that the Galaxy Z Fold5’s external screen is still 6.2″😕 https://t.co/isu6YlnhgiMarch 8, 2023
The wording there is a bit ambiguous, especially since the leaker is not a native English speaker. They could say the design will be the same as last year, or simply that Samsung has now nailed down the design it will use.
Even if they mean the latter, the apparent presence of the same cover screen on the Z Fold 4 suggests there aren’t likely to be any major design changes.
Visually, then, there might be very little difference between these upcoming phones and the current models – although it’s worth noting that we’ve heard elsewhere that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will have a new waterdrop hinge, which could affect the look of it change little, at least.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 can arguably get away with a few upgrades as it’s probably a relatively affordable phone, but something as expensive as the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will certainly need some real improvement.
Of course, we’re taking this with a grain of salt, and @UniverseIce is only talking about the design and cover screen here, so it’s possible we’ll see significant spec improvements. Except, well, other sources suggest that’s unlikely too.
Analysis: few upgrades to be found
If the leaks we’ve heard so far are accurate, then it’s not just the design of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 that’s similar to the Z Fold 4. The cameras could also be similar, with another source claiming that the Z Fold 5, like the current model, will have a 50MP main camera.
We’ve also heard that the phone will have the same storage options as the Z Fold 4, and it’s reportedly not going to have any major spec upgrades either.
Aside from a hinge design change, the only real upgrade leaked so far for the Z Fold 5 is the presence of a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which will make it more powerful than the Z Fold 4 – but that’s about the least you could expect from a new iteration of a smartphone.
So unless we hear other exciting features in the coming months, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 could struggle to rank among the best foldable phones.