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d, tThe Galaxy Z Flip 5 got announced during Samsung’s second Unpacked event of 2023, and it does bring some improvements over its predecessor. In this article, we’ll compare the two, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Galaxy Z Flip 4. Granted, Samsung did make more design changes on the Flip 5, than it did on the Fold 5, and this phone may even be worth getting just for the cover display changes. More on that soon.
We’ll first list the specs of both smartphones, and will then move to compare them across a number of other categories. We’ll compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. That being said, let’s get this party on the road, shall we, there’s a lot to talk about here.
Specs
– Main display: 6.7-inch fullHD+ foldable Dynamic AMOLED (120Hz)
– Cover display: 3.4-inch 720 x 748 Super AMOLED / 1.9-inch 260 x 512 Super AMOLED
– SoC: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy / Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
– RAM: 8GB (LPDDR5X) / 8GB (LPDDR5)
– Storage: 256GB/512GB (UFS 4.0) / 128GB/256GB/512GB (UFS 3.1)
– Rear cameras: 12MP (wide, OIS, PDAF, f/1.8 aperture, 1.8um pixel size), 12MP (ultrawide, 123-degree FoV)
– Front cameras: 10MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1.22um pixel size) / 10MP (f/2.4 aperture, 1.22um pixel size)
– Battery: 3,700mAh (25W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless), no charger
– Dimensions (unfolded): 165.1 x 71.9 x 6.9mm / 165.2 x 71.9 x 6.9mm
– Dimensions (folded): 85.1 x 71.9 x 15.1mm / 84.9 x 71.9 x 15.9-17.1mm
– Weight: 187 grams
– Connectivity: 5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3 / 5.2
– Security: Side-facing fingerprint scanner
– OS: Android 13 with One UI / Android 12 with One UI (upgradable)
– Price: $999 / $999
– Buy: Amazon / Amazon
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Design
Both of these phones are made out of metal and glass, and even though they have a very similar form factor and size, you’ll quickly see the difference between them. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 has a much larger cover display than the Flip 4. That sheer fact is more than enough to spot it right away. In addition to that, the Flip 5 folds flat unlike the Flip 4. That also makes it look and feel more modern. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is also a bit thinner than its predecessor.
The Galaxy Z Flip 5 also has horizontal cameras on the back, to accommodate that cover display that looks like a folder icon. The Flip 4 has vertically-aligned cameras, which is another easy way to differentiate the two. The Flip 5 is also all black on the entire front side of the phone (when folded). On the other hanhe Flip 4 is not, it combines that black portion where the display is with the color of the phone itself.
The two phones are basically identical in terms of dimensions. There is a 0.1-0.2mm difference in terms of height, and slight difference in the thickness department, but that’s basically it. Both smartphones are IPX8 certified for water resistance, and both have thin bezels on the main display, and a centered display camera hole. You will also find flat sides on both smartphones, that goes for all their sides.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Display
Both of these smartphones utilize the same main display, basically. We’re looking at a 6.7-inch panel with fullHD+ (2640 x 1080) resolution. This is a foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate. HDR10+ content is supported here, and the display can go up to 1,200 nits of brightness at its peak. These two panels are basically identical, so if you’ve used the Flip 4, you know exactly what to expect here in terms of image reproduction.
The cover display on the Galaxy Z Flip 5 measures 3.4 inches. It has a resolution of 720 x 748 pixels, and it’s protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2. That is a Super AMOLED display with a 60Hz refresh rate. The Galaxy Z Flip 4 has a 1.9-inch Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 260 x 512 pixels. The Gorilla Glass Victus+ is included on top of that panel, for protection purposes.
When it comes to the main display, they’re the same in terms of image quality. The Galaxy Z Flip 5’s main display should be more resistant to breakage, though. The cover display on the Flip 5 is much larger, and thus will be much more useful, as Samsung will allow you to use any app on it through Good Lock. The same cannot be said for the Galaxy Z Flip 4’s display, though, it’s simply too small. Some people will probably prefer that, though.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Performance
The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy. It also includes 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM, and UFS 4.0 flash storage. The Galaxy Z Flip 4, on the other hand, has 8GB of LPDD5 RAM and UFS 3.1 flash storage. So, in terms of performance-related specs, the Flip 5 does have the upper hand across the board, which was to be expected. How do they compare performance-wise, though?
At the time of writing this comparison, we did not have enough time to properly review the Flip 5. We did use it, however, for a bit. Based on those impressions, the phone performs great, as expected. It has the same chip as the Galaxy S23 Ultra, and the latest RAM and storage chips. It flies through everything with ease. On the other hand, the Flip 4 is not far from it either. To this day the phone offers outstanding performance, and we really can’t complain, even though you’ll see slightly faster app launches on the Flip 5, and things like that. You can’t really go wrong with either, though. Even when gaming is concerned, both smartphones can handle even the most intense games, though they do get quite warm after longer gaming sessions.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Battery
Samsung opted not to improve the battery capacity on the Flip 5. Both of these smartphones include a 3,700mAh battery on the inside. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is a bit more power efficient than the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, though, so one would expect it to offer better battery life. The Flip 5 does have a larger cover display, though, so that could impact battery life too. We did not use the phone long enough to make our verdict, but the battery life seems to be quite similar to what the Flip 4 offered, if not a bit better, at least thus far.
Another area where Samsung opted not to make any improvements is… charging. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 supports 25W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. That’s exactly the same as what the Galaxy Z Flip 4 offers. The Flip 5 also doesn’t include a charger in the box, just like its predecessor, you will find a charging cable in there, though. If you end up using 25W wired charging, both phones can reach a 50-percent charge in about 30 minutes. It’ll take them approximately another hour to jump to 100%.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: Cameras
When it comes to cameras, Samsung has decided to keep things… the same. The camera hardware is identical to last year’s model. We’re looking at a 12-megapixel main camera with an f/1.8 aperture and 1.8um pixel size. OIS is included, as is PDAF. A 12-megapixel ultrawide camera also sits on the back of both phones, and it offers a 123-degree field-of-view. On the front (main display) you’ll find a 10-megapixel selfie shooter. The aperture is slightly different, but everything else seems to be the same here too.
What about camera performance? Well, we’ll talk more about that in our full review, but based on some initial samples, it seems to be very similar to last year’s model. That’s not surprising at all considering the similarities in the software, and the identical hardware. You’re still getting quite saturated images here, which do look pleasing to the eye. Don’t expect them to look close to real life, though.
As is the case with the Galaxy Z Flip 4, the Flip 5 does have a tendency of messing up skin tones due to its saturation preferences, and that is especially noticeable later afternoon when the sun is on the way down. Do note that Samsung will likely issue a number of updates in the coming weeks, so the camera performance may see further improvements.
Audio
Both smartphones do include a set of stereo speakers tuned by AKG. There’s not a lot of difference between them, if any. The output is good, the speakers are loud enough, and they’re also detailed enough, even at higher volumes. They’re not the best out there, but they’re not bad at all.
You will not find a 3.5mm headphone jack on either of these two phones. You can always utilize a Type-C port that sits on both smartphones, for wired audio connection purposes. When it comes to wireless connectivity, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is equipped with Bluetooth 5.3, while the Galaxy Z Flip 4 supports Bluetooth 5.2.