Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: Is it really worth the money?
There’s been a huge amount of hype around folding phones, but how good are they really? We’ve put Samsung’s flagship to the test to see whether bigger is really better, and how the cameras perform.
It comes with a hefty price tag but Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 5 delivers a superior experience which is winning some very passionate fans around the globe for good reason.
This is finally the phone that has convinced many, including this reviewer, that a folding phone is not just more functional but a whole lot more fun.
Real world reviews of the fifth generation phone with the big screen experience show just how far this technology has come.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is arguably the phone you want if you are into multi-tasking, creativity, productivity, or just simple delights like watching a video in full screen while chatting to friends in a floating display on the side of the screen.
The large 7.6 inch AMOLED display is a stunning way to view the vivid photos and video you can capture on your phone, and is also a great way to watch everything from Netflix to livestreams of sporting events when you’re outvoted on the TV options of the night.
Even the external 6.2 inch front display when the phone is closed is a great visual experience, especially for taking photos and video.
The inner screen now sports a very bright 1750 nit peak brightness which is a decent upgrade on the 1000 nits in the Fold 4.
The 120Hz adaptive refresh rate is also what you would expect with a phone which commands a $2599 starting price tag.
Folding the phone open and closed is definitely a smoother experience and the fact that it now shuts flat, rather than leaving a gap, largely puts an end to lint gathering inside.
The crease in the phone’s main display when it is open, is noticeable when the screen is black but is less noticeable than previously, and certainly not as obvious when feeling the screen.
Some of the features that Galaxy Z Fold 5 users love the most include multi window and app continuity, its taskbar and drag and drop functionality.
The taskbar allows you to quickly switch between used apps, supporting up to four apps at a time.
Two handed drag and drop functionality allows you to do things like hold an image in Samsung Gallery with one finger and use another to open Samsung notes to insert the image.
Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform for Galaxy, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is also a super gaming and video editing device.
There is plenty of graphics firepower for the most intense gameplay, while an advanced cooling system dissipates heat for less lag.
Opened up, the Fold 5 is super comfortable to hold, making it a viable option for longer gaming sessions.
Being a fun phone, I found myself playing more games than I normally would.
The screen is also a beautiful option for scrolling through magazine or website articles or digital editions of your favourite newspaper.
The cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 share the same specifications as the Samsung S23 range, allowing you to take beautiful photos and video.
My only complaint, and one mentioned by quite a few, is that for a phone with this price, it would have been nice to have the camera options offered by the S23 Ultra, which includes a 10 times optical zoom shooter.
Google’s Pixel Fold offers 5x optical zoom, as well as Magic Eraser and Photo Unblur in Google Photos.
We put the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 cameras to test shooting at Toowoomba’s Carnival of Flowers. SEE VIDEO ABOVE
Using the phone closed 95% of the time, the front screen provides a beautiful viewfinder for the vivid displays in front of you.
The camera line-up includes a 10 megapixel selfie camera on the cover display, a 12MP ultra wide camera, a 50MP wide-angle camera, a 10MP telephoto camera with three times optical zoom, and a 4MP under display camera.
Back in our Airbnb, scrolling through the photos on the large inside screen took the experience to another level.
While the phone, at 253 grams is heavier than most, folded up its slips nicely into your pocket with the slight extra weight not noticeable during the day.
While many reviews of this phone have been positive, user reviews range from glowing endorsements to disappointment.
Some of the biggest gripes include that many third party applications don’t support the functionality of the Fold 5, that typing on the front screen’s keyboard is very difficult, and the layout of the inside keyboard when the phone is open could be improved.
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And there are those that after using a foldable phone just don’t believe it offers enough anywhere near enough functionality and productivity to justify the hefty price tag, when compared to say a good tablet and keyboard or laptop.
For many others looking for something different in mobile technology, however, the Galaxy Fold 5 has been their best technology decision for years.
Our advice would be to get hands on with one for a decent time in a store before deciding to make the switch. It’s also worth checking the deals on offer, including decent trade-ins on existing technology from Samsung as well as bonus offers from retailers. The smaller and less expensive Galaxy Z 5 Flip is also worth a look.
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