Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
Announced August 11, 2023
PixelMeter The PixelMeter is our 1–100 aggregate of reviewer scores from trusted publications and creators. Weighted by source tier — not a raw average, and not PetaPixel’s own review.
Reviewer Consensus
Strong
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a polished, powerful foldable that excels at multitasking and media consumption thanks to its refined hinge and bright displays. That said, it remains an expensive, incremental update that lacks significant camera or battery breakthroughs compared to its predecessor.
Weighted from 55 reviewer scores
Pros
- High-performance multitasking and software optimization
- Refined, flat-folding, and lighter hinge design
- Bright, high-quality, and versatile dual-screen experience
- Top-tier processing power and long-term update support
- S Pen stylus support and IPX8 water resistance
Cons
- Cramped and narrow external cover screen
- Visible crease and slow 25W charging speeds
- Prohibitive pricing and lack of included S Pen
- Stagnant camera hardware and performance
- Lack of dust resistance and uncertain long-term durability
- Launch price $1,799 (USD)
- Main camera 50MP f/1.8 + 12MP Ultrawide + 10MP 3x Telephoto
- Video 8K 30p
- Display 7.6-inch LTPO AMOLED 120Hz
- Chipset Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy 12GB
What the Reviewers Say
All 55 expert reviews, weighted into the PixelMeter score.
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- PetaPixel 6/10
Should you buy it? Only if the idea of a foldable phone works for you in other ways because the camera is not the main reason to buy this device.
- The Verge 7/10
Samsung may still have the lead in the foldable race, but the gap is closing. If it wants to stay ahead, it’ll have to do more next year than just nip a few millimeters and pop in a new chipset.
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It is close, but overall the Fold 5 is the best folder you can buy, if you can stomach the wallet-emptying price.
- Android Authority 9/10
If you can get past the eye-watering price, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is the most powerful phone that (mostly) fits in your pocket.
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While Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold upgrades are modest for 2023, a combination of factors make sure it's still the victor in the battle of the big-screened, book-style foldables.
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The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a foldable phone done right, with a sleeker, lighter build than previous models, loads of power, and genuinely useful continuity between its two screens.
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The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a worthy successor to the Z Fold 4, bringing a flatter and lighter profile to an otherwise-familiar foldable formula. It's got ample power, versatility, and high-quality components and materials.
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The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is the best foldable phone for those looking for a phone and tablet in one and are willing to pay a steep price. The new Flex hinge, thinner and lighter design and better multitasking are all welcome upgrades.
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It's still the best foldable on the market, but most of the new improvements fail to make an major impact.
- CNET 7.9/10
Samsung brings incremental improvements to a unique phone that unfolds into an amazing tablet.
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The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is the best large foldable phone you can buy today. It's got the best-built hardware, the best-designed software, and the widest accessory support.
- Android Police 8/10
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a minor step forward for Samsung's most expensive smartphone. It keeps most of what worked on last year's model, while closing the gap between its two halves for a lighter, thinner chassis.
- PhoneArena 6.6/10
Yes, if you are a proud Z Fold 4 owner, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is barely something that should be in your shopping wishlist, as its minor upgrades don't add all that much.
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The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a great phone, but it’s still hard to justify recommending a phone that costs $1,799.
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The ugly gap is gone, but the Fold5 still feels more like a facelift than an entirely new model.
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Here we are five generations in and finally it closes flat. We have a slimmer design by a bit, super bright inner displays, very competent cameras, even if not much change there, and the special sauce of the S Pen and also Samsung DeX.
- XDA 7/10
The Fold 5 is a very well-rounded and polished foldable phone. It's still likely the best overall foldable phone right now if we consider everything, like software, retail availability, carrier support, and after-sales service.
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The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a minor upgrade over the Z Fold 4. But it's a more polished package than the Pixel Fold or Honor Magic Vs – Samsung's main competition in the West – and it's also the only foldable with stylus input.
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[T]here isn’t anything better than the Galaxy Z Fold 5 right now.
- SlashGear 9/10
Much like the foldable monster that came before it, this device is the most over-the-top smartphone experience on the market today. It costs a pretty penny, but the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is far enough ahead of the competition that you won't likely regret spending the cash.
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Minor improvements make all the difference; from software to camera quality, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is as good as foldable phones get. Just expect to pay dearly to get one in your pocket.
- How-To Geek 8/10
If you're in the market for a folding phone, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is an easy recommendation. Samsung has taken what it has learned from the four previous Z Fold handsets and continues to perfect this device.
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The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is the best book-style foldable still despite competition from Google, Huawei, Vivo, and Xiaomi. Those companies might have bested Samsung on hardware, but the joy here is the software.
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Samsung's fifth-generation book-like foldable is still the best you can get for its exorbitant starting price. But it's only worth it if you're committed to the lifestyle.
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Vincent Chang is no stranger to tech. After all, he has tested almost every tech product under the sun during his stints at HardwareZone, CNET Asia and The Straits Times.
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Even with stiff competition, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is the top foldable smartphone in 2023, according to my in-depth testing and review.
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Even if it doesn't look that much different, I think it's hard to argue that the Fold 5 isn't a pretty big upgrade all round.
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From this point on, Samsung is officially the standard-bearer for flagship foldables.
- IGN 8/10
If you can see through that and the high price tag, this is one of the best phones you can buy today, both for work and play.
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I gotta say, even though I'm not really a massive fan of these almighty bendy blowers, I do prefer the likes of the flip style efforts which are a lot more compact, I did really enjoy my time with this big old beast.
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The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a remarkable device that showcases the potential as well as the rapid progress of foldable technology. It is a device that offers a phone and tablet experience in one, and it excels in both modes.
- WhistleOut 65/100
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 has gone from being the coolest piece of tech Samsung makes to one that’s getting alarmingly close to being boring.
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I think it checks the most boxes, at least for me.
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It's a very good phone for what it is designed to be, and that is content consumption.
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I hope that if you're thinking about picking up a foldable device from Samsung is to consider the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, because from a tablet experience and a smartphone experience they combine very well.
- Pokde.Net 8.2/10
While I can’t recommend Z Fold4 users to make the jump, if you’re coming from the Z Fold3, older foldables, or any other smartphone, it’s worth considering as this is still the most optimized large-screen foldable smartphone experience in the market right now.
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The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is Samsung’s best foldable yet.
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This phone is not for everyone, but for the people this phone is for, it is absolutely perfect.
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Bottom line, probably one of the best folding smartphones currently available; yes, it's very pricey for what it is, but you're getting great software combined with great hardware.
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The Z Fold5 is the most powerful and capable smartphone on the market, despite its few hangups, like the poor quality UDC and the visible crease. I recommend the Z Fold5 to just about anyone who can afford it and that goes for all use cases.
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We can always hope for better; like I said, new camera sensors would have been nice, we could have done something a little bit different with the design, but I think overall Samsung really nailed it on this one.
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This phone, barring those few changes that we discussed, hasn't changed. It's the same phone with some slight upgrades, and that makes it good enough but not great.
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While I’ve encountered a few minor quibbles with the Fold5, it remains an absolute marvel of a device and I’ve recommended it to anyone who’s asked.
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[T]he Fold 5 comes out on top. It's noticeably lighter, which makes a difference when using it folded for extended periods of time.
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This is my device of the year, hands down, because of everything that it offers and everything that it's afforded me in my journey so far.
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I would highly Recommend the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5.
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I truly believe this phone is one of the best folding phones out there if you care about software experience, right?
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I know that's cliche, but sincerely, when I say that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 has been hands down the best smartphone experience for me personally, I'm not kidding around.
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The Galaxy Z Fold series is the elite of the smart phones.
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The Galaxy Z Fold5 is the best foldable in the world. It is an aggressive refinement, but that’s about it.
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[T]his phone feels like a much more refined version of last year's Z Fold 4.
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Coming from a 2 or a 3, this is a massive upgrade. And if you're comfortable with what you're getting here, I I think there's a lot to like and I've really been enjoying it.
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But when I consider the user experience of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and I look at it all in all, pound for pound in the foldable market, I have to be honest, it's the most optimized, it's the most developed, it is the king of the foldables.
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For me, that is the stuff that make phones true life companions, right?
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[I]t's a terrific smartphone overall, but at least currently, I don't find this form factor to be a must-have for utility [...]
