Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Review: Best Flip Phone Yet!

Those people who want a stylish phone, unique design, a compact phone that easily fits in the pocket, hands-free video calls, and Flex Mode features should definitely go with a flip phone. And now, once again, Samsung comes with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, featuring a larger cover display, upgraded hinge mechanism, flagship-grade performance, and more features. But what kind of performance does it provide in real-life experience? Is it worth it? Does it provide the experience we expect from a flip phone?

Today, I will share my user experience from using the phone as my daily driver. By reading this article, you will get my detailed user experience along with comprehensive information and features of this phone. Additionally, I will share my verdict and give you a suggestion on whether you should buy this phone and make it your daily driver or not.

Okay then, let’s delve into the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 review and explore its strengths, weaknesses, and whether it’s the right flip phone for you.

Design & Build Quality

This time, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 design has changed a lot compared to the previous Galaxy Z Flip 4. They have upgraded the cover display, provided better protection than the previous series, and more. It gives me a premium feel when I look at the phone. The design of the flip phone is unique and very stylish.

In terms of build quality, they have also made significant upgrades. In the previous Galaxy Z Flip 4, when I folded the phone, there was a gap in the middle. But this time, Samsung has improved it. I didn’t see any kind of gap in the middle when I folded the phone, which is a great upgrade. And being a flip phone, when the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is folded, it doesn’t become too thick. Due to its 85.1 x 71.9 x 15.1 mm dimensions, the phone feels more compact when folded. This time, they are providing an Armor Aluminum frame, which makes it stronger against accidental drops and impacts. For glass protection, they used Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the outer panels, ensuring better scratch resistance and durability on both the front and back glass. Also, it supports over 200,000 folds.

The phone weighs 187g, making it easy to carry and comfortable to use for a long time without feeling heavy.

The phone has an IPX8 water resistance rating, meaning it can survive up to 1.5m deep in fresh water for 30 minutes without sustaining any damage. However, it is not dust-resistant, meaning it only has water resistance without any dust protection rating.

Display

This time, the display section has been upgraded a lot from the last series, mostly in the cover display section. The display size is much bigger than before, allowing it to be used like a main display. Though the display size is not bigger in the main display, it is not tiny either. They kept the cover display name “Flex Window,” but here I will call it the cover display. It is a 3.4-inch Super AMOLED display that allows users to interact with widgets, notifications, and even run some apps without unfolding the phone.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Flex Window Display has 60 Hz refresh rate

In the widgets section, I had a very good user experience. Not only that, but I can also change the widgets and customize them as I like. Regarding notifications, I don’t need to use the main display to check them. If I have to reply, I can easily do so using the “Flex Window” (i.e., the cover display). Also, with a 60 Hz refresh rate, I didn’t face any kind of slowness while replying or customizing widgets. I would say that most of the time, I didn’t use the main display because I was getting almost everything from the cover display.

When it comes to the main display, I would say it is good, but they didn’t do much better. I can say it carries almost the same features as the Galaxy Z Flip 4. However, they didn’t just copy everything from before; they did make some changes. The main display of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is a 6.7-inch Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and up to 1750 nits (peak) brightness. Compared to the last version, they have upgraded the brightness and content consumption experience.

Though the content consumption experience is great, they couldn’t improve the Crease issue. The crease is still as visible as in the Galaxy Z Flip 4, which, in my opinion, is not good. They should have made a little more improvement in that section.

Although the crease of this phone has not been significantly upgraded, it didn’t cause much trouble when watching videos, playing games, or using the main display. When the phone is flipped shut, there is no gap in the middle. However, when I open the phone, it doesn’t fully reach 90 degrees; instead, it stays at around 89 degrees. But this didn’t cause any inconvenience or trouble while using it as a flagship phone.

Camera

The camera section of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is good enough. It provides a 12MP primary camera and a 12MP ultra-wide camera. Additionally, it has a 10MP front selfie camera. If you ask about the camera performance, I would say it was fully satisfying, as much as I expected from a flip phone. However, I should remind you that you can’t expect flagship-level camera performance. Still, for a flagship phone, the photos it captures—with good color, contrast, and detail—will fully satisfy most users.

An interesting thing is that you don’t have to use the selfie camera while taking selfies. Since it is a flip phone, you can easily take pictures with the main camera as a selfie camera when the phone is flipped, which is a very exciting feature. You can take ultra-wide photos and detailed subject shots using the main and ultra-wide cameras as a selfie camera. Most of the time, I used the main camera to take selfies, so I didn’t need to use the front camera. And why should I use it when I can get high-quality photos with the main camera?

Galaxy Z Flip 5 Photos

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Real Life Photography

For video recording, the phone offers 4K video recording (up to 60fps). The video quality is not bad. Considering it’s a flip phone, the video quality is quite satisfying. Normally, when recording a video, I need a selfie stick or another person to hold the phone. But since it is a flip phone, I don’t need any selfie stick or a person to take my video. When recording, I can simply place the phone on a suitable surface and start recording. This is a great benefit, and you can only get this feature with a flip phone without any extra accessories. I often recorded videos by flipping the phone halfway, and from my experience, this feature will be very useful for vloggers. They don’t need accessories or a cameraman to record videos. This allows them to record anytime, anywhere.

Hardware & Performance

The hardware of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is quite impressive. It uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which is one of the most powerful chipsets for Android. It also has no heating issues. The phone comes with 8GB LPDDR5X RAM and 256GB/512GB UFS 4.0 storage (No microSD support).

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 performance testing by playing games 2

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 performance testing by playing games

The performance I experienced while using the phone was outstanding. Thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, my gaming experience was impressive. I tried different kinds of games, and the results were very satisfying. Though most flip phone users don’t buy their phones for gaming, if you also have a craving for gaming, this phone provides a smooth experience. While playing games, I didn’t face any major issues like lagging or overheating because the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 ensures improved power efficiency and heat management.

I also got flagship-level performance for daily tasks, gaming, and multitasking in my daily activities. The performance level of the Galaxy Z Flip 5 was very impressive. I was fully satisfied with its performance. While using it in my daily life, I never felt like I was not using a flagship phone. It always gave me the feeling of a premium flagship device.

Software & UI

The operating system of the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is very satisfying. It runs on Android 13 (Upgradeable to Android 14) with One UI 5.1.1 (Optimized for foldables). It also provides 4 years of major Android updates and 5 years of security patches, which is very impressive. The combination of the processor, RAM, and UFS 4.0 storage makes the phone smooth and efficient, whether for light or heavy daily usage. I was fully satisfied with both the performance and the long-term software support.

Battery Life & Charging

This time, they have provided a 3,700mAh battery. The battery backup is also satisfying. When I used it as my daily driver, it gave me 7-8 hours of screen-on time, meaning it provides almost a full day of battery life. I was fully satisfied with its battery performance.

For charging, they offer 25W fast wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. With 25W fast wired charging, it takes about 1 hour to charge from 0% to 100%. This is good and satisfying for a flip phone. Also, the chipset and UI optimization help the battery last longer on screen.

Conclusion & My Take

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is one of the best flip phones in its category. The overall experience, performance, camera, and battery backup were all good.

After using the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 for a long time as my daily driver, I can confidently say it is the best flip phone. The camera, performance, and battery backup were outstanding. Though most people don’t buy flip phones for gaming, it still has the ability to provide a great experience.

Who Should Buy This? If you’re looking for a stylish and well-designed phone, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is totally worth buying. It provides excellent performance for both normal and heavy usage. Also has decent camera which provides quality full images that will loved by all the people.

And here my Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 review ends. Let me know—will you make this stylish and fashionable phone your daily driver or not? I hope my article helps you make your decision quickly.