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During its recent ‘Unpacked’ event, Samsung announced two new foldable smartphones. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is one of them, and we’re here to compare it to its predecessor. In this article, we’ll compare the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. You probably already heard that the two phones are quite similar design-wise, and that is true. Still, some differences are there, and they’re definitely worth noting.
We’ll first list their specifications, and will then move to compare these two foldable smartphones across a number of categories. We’ll compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. This comparison will hopefully help you make a purchasing decision. So, let’s get started.
Specs
– Screen size (main): 7.6-inch Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X display (120Hz, HDR10+, 1,750 nits (Fold 5) / 1,200 nits (Fold 4))
– Screen size (cover): 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X (120Hz)
– Screen resolution (main): 1812 x 2176
– Screen resolution (cover): 2316 x 904
– SoC: Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy / Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
– RAM: 12GB (LPDDR5X) / 12GB (LPDDR5)
– Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB / 256GB/512GB/1TB
– Rear cameras: 50MP (wide, f/1.8 aperture, OIS), 12MP (ultrawide, 123-degree FoV), 10MP (telephoto, 3x optical zoom)
– Front cameras: 4MP (under display, main display, f/1.8 aperture), 10MP (cover display, f/2.2 aperture)
– Battery: 4,400mAh
– Dimensions (unfolded): 154.9 x 129.9 x 6.1mm / 155.1 x 130.1 x 6.3mm
– Dimensions (folded): 154.9 x 67.1 x 13.4mm / 155.1 x 67.1 x 14.2-15.8mm
– Weight: 253 grams / 263 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: $1,799 / $1,799
– Buy: Samsung / Samsung
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: Design
These two smartphones look so similar, that many people would not even be able to tell the difference. There are two easy ways to differentiate between them, though. The first one is how they look when they’re folded. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is the first device in the series that folds flat, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 does not. The Fold 5 also has an LED flash on the right side of its rear-facing cameras. The Fold 4’s LED flash is located below the camera island.
Both smartphones are made out of metal and glass, and both have the same form factor and shape. They both also come with flat sides all around. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a bit lighter, for about 10 grams, but that’s the difference that you likely won’t notice. Therefore they’ll both feel very similar in the hand, especially when unfolded. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 does have a more durable hinge, though, which should make the phone and its foldable display more durable.
They are basically identical in terms of height and width, that goes for both their folded and unfolded forms. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a bit thinner, though, but not by much. It’s still nowhere as thin as some of the competition. Both phones do come with an IPX8 rating for water resistance, and they both feel like truly quality products in the hand. They are both quite slippery, though.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: Display
These two smartphones have the same displays, actually, in all but one area. That goes for both their main and cover displays. A 7.6-inch 1812 x 2176 Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X display sits on both phones. That panel offers a 120Hz refresh rate, and supports HDR10+ content. We’re looking at 373 ppi here, in case you were wondering.
The cover display measures 6.2 inches, and it offers a resolution of 2316 x 904. That is a Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel too, but not a foldable one. It has a 120Hz refresh rate, and it’s protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The aspect ratio here is rather odd at 23.1:9, which makes the phone very narrow when folded.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5’s main display should be more durable overall, due to some improvements Samsung made, including a new hinge. Still, in terms of usability and image reproduction, they’re exactly the same. They feel the same to use. Now, I’ve mentioned that the two panels are not the same in one specific area. I was talking about the brightness. The Galaxy Z Fold 4’s main panel can go up to 1,200 nits of brightness at its peak, while the Galaxy Z Fold 5 goes up to 1,750 nits. That is a considerable difference, especially when you’re using the phone outdoors.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 fuels the Galaxy Z Fold 5, while the phone also includes 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage. On the flip side, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is fueled by the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 SoC. The phone also includes 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 flash storage. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 does have more powerful internals, but how does that reflect on actual performance?
Well, we only used the Galaxy Z Fold 5 for a couple of days thus far, but the performance has been solid. We do notice that the apps on the Fold 5 load a bit faster, but other than that, the two phones seem to be on par in terms of performance. They both fly through everyday tasks, while they’re also quite good for gaming. Both phones do get quite warm during gaming sessions, but that’s perfectly normal.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: Battery
Samsung opted to stick with a 4,400mAh battery inside the Galaxy Z Fold 5. That is the same battery capacity the Fold 4 offers. The charging speed also remained unchanged, unfortunately. Both smartphones support 25W wired charging, in addition to 15W wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging. Another thing to note is that neither of the two phones comes with a charger in the box. That 25W charging can get both phones to 50% in about 30 minutes, while it will take them about twice that much to reach a full charge.
What about the battery life? Well, it’s similar to what the Galaxy Z Fold 4 offered, at least based on our initial usage. Getting around 6-7 hours of screen on time is doable, as long as you’re not pushing the phone hard. If you’re gaming on it, you can expect noticeably worse numbers on a daily basis. Granted, this is based on our usage, but your mileage may vary considerably. Not only because you’ll use different apps, and have different signal strengths, but also because your usage will be different, and there are two screens included here. It all depends on how much time you’ll spend on the inner screen. We did use the outer screen quite a bit thus far.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4: Cameras
You will find identical camera hardware on these two smartphones. A 50-megapixel main camera is included, with an f/1.8 aperture, and OIS support. A 12-megapixel ultrawide camera also sits on both phones, with a 123-degree FoV. The third camera on the back is a 10-megapixel telephoto unit with 3x optical zoom support. On the main display, there is a 4-megapixel under-display camera, while a 10-megapixel selfie shooter sits on the cover display of both phones.
In case you’re wondering about camera samples, well, they’re not too different. It’s not exactly a secret Samsung likes saturated images, as do most users. That’s what you’ll find on both of these. The images do seem to be a bit sharper on the Galaxy Z Fold 5, at least based on our initial impressions, but that could just be a placebo effect. We’re in the process of reviewing the Galaxy Z Fold 5, so you’ll get far more info in the near future.
Audio
When the audio is concerned, things are pretty much unchanged on the Fold 5. Both smartphones ship with a set of stereo speakers. Those speakers are tuned by AKG, and they sound more than fine. They’re loud enough, and also detailed enough. We don’t have any major complaints here.
What you will not find on either phone is a 3.5mm headphone jack. You can always use their Type-C ports for wired audio connections, though. If you prefer to go wireless, though, the Fold 5 supports Bluetooth 5.3, while the Fold 4 has Bluetooth 5.2 support.