Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 review

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Would we recommend the Galaxy Z Fold 5?

No doubt the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is the best foldable you can buy, as long as you can stomach the high price.

It's similar to holding a phone and a tablet, making it extremely versatile and the perfect companion for power users. Expect top-tier performance thanks to the Snapdragon Gen 2 chipset and a solid battery life.

But despite all the things you could love about the Z Fold, it's not an easy handset to recommend to everyday smartphone users. Samsung does right by pitching it as a 3-in-1 – it's a phone, tablet, PC, all-in-one phone that you can put in your pocket.

This is another way of saying if you're not a power user, the Zold Fold 5 is probably not for you. The fad of a foldable does wear off fast if you don't need its features.

The good stuff: Software and performance

Qualcomm's Snapdragon Gen 2 chipset makes the Z Fold 5 one of the most powerful Android phones available right now.

The gist: it's very fast.

The foldable's 2 screens and productivity software take things to a new level by using split-screen to run multiple apps simultaneously. The integrated taskbar is also quite nifty. You can choose 12 apps to add for easy access.

Image: Samsung

If you're using an app on the cover screen and unfold the phone, the app will continue running on the inner screen.

If you're working on the inner screen and decide to fold your phone, Samsung allows you to select specific apps to continue working on the cover screen.

Honestly, there's so much productivity the foldable can accomplish that it'll take a few months to make sense of it all. If I played around with charts instead of writing words for a living, this might be more my cup of tea.

The good stuff: New hinge, sturdy and light

Samsung's almost knocked it out of the park with the Z Fold 5's impressive zero-gap hinge and less noticeable crease.

Did the crease bother me when I was playing Call of Duty or watching a movie? Not in the least.

Now don't get me wrong. It's a big phone, and my relatively small hands had trouble adjusting to the foldable. But it's still lighter and thinner than the previous model and more durable thanks to the Gorilla Glass Victus 2.

The weight difference between the Z Fold 5 and Z Fold 4 is evident too. You don't feel like you're lugging around a smartphone.

Image: Samsung

What we don't love: The cameras

The Z Fold series continues its trend of subpar cameras for the price point. To be fair, they're good, just not great. Sometimes, the shots end up oversaturated.

Image: Mariam Gabaji/Finder

You get 3 main cameras, including a 3x telephoto lens. There's the usual selfie camera on the outside screen and a 4MP in-display camera (hidden under the folding screen), which is only good enough for video calls.

Image: Mariam Gabaji/Finder

Did I enjoy taking photos with a tablet-like smartphone? Not particularly.

Image: Mariam Gabaji/Finder

What we don't love: It's still not dust-resistant

The Z Fold 5 has maintained the same dustproof and waterproof rating as its predecessor.

It's still not dustproof or dust-resistant, but it is water-resistant.

Now the Z Fold 5 isn't fragile enough to get knocked down by a little bit of dust but it's still susceptible to the forces of nature. All of this is to say, don't go to the beach and get careless.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: Features and specs

Have a proper read-through of the Z Fold 5's specs and features before committing to the foldable. Novelty wears off quickly, and you might find yourself getting ready to trade in for another phone in less than a year.

Galaxy Z Fold 5 price in Australia

The Z Fold 5 has a starting price tag of $2,499 for the 256GB storage variant and goes up to $3,149 for 1TB.

Galaxy Z Fold 5 colours

You can get the Z Fold 5 in Icy Blue, Phantom Black, Cream (Samsung.com exclusive) Grey and Blue.

Galaxy Z Fold 5 camera

The Z Fold 5 has a 5-camera set-up. It features a 10MP selfie camera, a 4MP under-display camera, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, a 50MP wide-angle camera and a 10MP telephoto camera.

Galaxy Z Fold 5 screen size

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 has a 7.6-inch display main screen and a 6.2-inch display cover screen.

Galaxy Z Fold 5 battery and charging time

The Z Fold 5 features a 4,400mAh (typical) dual battery and 25W wired charging. You should see the phone reach 50% charge in around 30 minutes.

Is the Galaxy Z Fold 5 waterproof?

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 has an IPX8 water resistance rating and can survive submerged in fresh water at a depth of 1.5 metres for 30 minutes.

What is the difference between the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Fold 5?

The short answer is the Z Fold 5 is very similar to the previous model but comes with a few refinements.

We've also put together a table of specs so you can see the difference or similarities between the 2 phones.

All opinions expressed in this review are based on the author's own experience with the phone. Use this review for informational purposes only.

How to buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 on a plan

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Price

RRP: $2,497.00

Where to buy

From $2,359.00 to $3,078.88 at eBay

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