Samsung’s new foldables are here – Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. How does this fare with Galaxy Z Fold 4? Let’s compare!


KEY TAKEAWAYS – Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4

  • Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 has a new hinge design, the Flex Hinge, which makes Galaxy Z Fold 5 thinner and lighter. The phone now folds flat without leaving space between the folded display. 
  • Both phones have similar displays – an inner display of 7.6 inches and a cover display of 6.2 inches. The inner display in Galaxy Z Fold 5 is brighter at 1,750 nits compared to the 1,200 nits of Galaxy Z Fold 4. 
  • Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the fastest chipset on the market. Galaxy Z Fold 4, on the other hand, is powered by Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1.
  • Both phones have triple back cameras – 50 MP primary, 10 MP 3X telephoto, and 12 MP ultrawide cameras. The phones also have two selfie cameras; the cover display is 10 MP, while the under-display camera on the inner display is 4 MP. 
  • Both phones have a 4,400 mAh battery, 25 W wired fast charging, 15 W wireless charging, and 4.5 W reverse wireless charging. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 - Is The Newer, The Better?Pin

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

Samsung launched Galaxy Z Fold 5 with an updated Flex Hinge, which makes it thinner and more compact. 

Pros

  • Great performance
  • Good cameras
  • Optimized One UI for foldables
  • No gap when folded
  • IPX8 rating

Cons

  • Slow charging speeds
  • No dust resistance
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 - Is The Newer, The Better?Pin

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4

Samsung Z Fold 4 is a great foldable phone, and with the price cut it has received, it is even more affordable now. 

Pros

  • Good performance
  • Good cameras
  • Optimized One UI for foldables
  • No gap when folded
  • IPX8 rating

Cons

  • Slow charging speeds
  • No dust resistance

Design

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 - Is The Newer, The Better?Pin

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 brings the biggest change in design in the Z Fold series ever since Samsung introduced it.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 - Is The Newer, The Better?Pin

Samsung calls the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 “slimmer, lighter, and more portable than ever.” That’s because Samsung has introduced the redesigned Flex Hinge, which folds the phone without space between the fold. This makes the phone 2mm thinner when folded than Galaxy Z Fold 4 and 10 grams lighter.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 - Is The Newer, The Better?Pin

Besides the hinge and folding mechanism, the design has largely remained the same, although the phone now has a more flat frame. The phone looks similar when unfolded, and the cover display looks similar too. That’s the same case with the camera array as well. What’s fresh is the new set of colors Samsung offers the phone in: Icy Blue, Phantom Black, Cream, Gray, and Blue. Galaxy Z Fold 4 came in three colors: Graygreen, Phantom Black, and Beige.

Displays

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 - Is The Newer, The Better?Pin
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

The screens on both phones remain mostly the same: 

  • Inner display: AMOLED panel of 7.6 inches, 1812 x 2176 pixels resolution, and 120Hz refresh rate. 
  • Cover display: AMOLED panel of 6.2 inches, 904 x 2316 pixel resolution, and 120Hz refresh rate.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 - Is The Newer, The Better?Pin

The only change between the displays on these phones is the peak brightness of the inner display. The display on Z Fold 5 can go up to 1750 nits of peak brightness, while the one on Z Fold 4 tops out at 1200 kits. 

Performance

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, making it one of the best-performing phones currently. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 uses the previous flagship Snapdragon chipset, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. It isn’t as fast as the one in Z Fold 5, but it’s still super fast. 

Cameras

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 - Is The Newer, The Better?Pin
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Cameras

Samsung didn’t update the cameras; Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 4 have the same exact cameras. 

Both phones have a 50 MP primary camera, a 12 MP ultrawide camera, and a 10 MP 3x telephoto camera. The phones have two selfie cameras – the one on the inner display is an under-display camera, which is a 4 MP one; the other selfie camera is on the cover display, which is 10 MP. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 - Is The Newer, The Better?Pin
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 Cameras

Battery

Samsung didn’t update the battery and charging capabilities; both phones have a 4,400 mAh battery, with wired charging speeds of 25 W, 15 W wireless, and 4.5 W reverse wireless charging. 

Software

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Fold 4 comes with One UI based on Android. Galaxy Z Fold 5 comes with One UI 5.1.1 based on Android 13 out of the box, while Z Fold 4 came with One UI 4 based on Android 12, which has now been updated to One UI 5.1 based on Android 13 now. 

Specs Comparison Table

SpecificationSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 5Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
DimensionsUnfolded: 154.9 x 129.9 x 6.1 mm
Folded: 154.9 x 67.1 x 13.4 mm
Unfolded: 155.1 x 130.1 x 6.3 mm
Folded: 155.1 x 67.1 x 14.2-15.8 mm
Weight253 g263 g
BuildGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2) (folded), plastic front (unfolded), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frameGlass front (Gorilla Glass Victus+) (folded), plastic front (unfolded), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus+), aluminum frame
SIMNano-SIM and eSIM or Dual SIM (2 Nano-SIMs and eSIM, dual stand-by)Nano-SIM and eSIM or Dual SIM (2 Nano-SIMs and eSIM, dual stand-by)
IP ratingIPX8IPX8
Inner display size7.6 inches7.6 inches
Inner display typeAMOLEDAMOLED
Inner display resolution1812 x 2176 pixels1812 x 2176 pixels
Inner refresh rate120Hz120Hz
Display certificationsHDR10+HDR10+
Cover display size6.2 inches6.2 inches
Cover display typeAMOLEDAMOLED
Cover display resolution904 x 2316904 x 2316
Cover display refresh rate120Hz120Hz
Cover display protectionCorning Gorilla Glass Victus 2Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+
ProcessorSnapdragon 8 Gen 2Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
CPUOcta-core
(1×3.36 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2×2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2×2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3×2.0 GHz Cortex-A510)
Octa-core
(1×3.19 GHz Cortex-X2 & 3×2.75 GHz Cortex-A710 & 4×1.80 GHz Cortex-A510)
GPUAdreno 740Adreno 730
RAM12 GB12 GB
Storage256 GB / 512 GB / 1TB256 GB / 512 GB / 1TB
Main camera50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm, 1.0µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm, 1.0µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS
Ultra-wide camera12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚, 12mm, 1.12µm12 MP, f/2.2, 114˚, 1/2.9″, 1.25µm
Telephoto camera10 MP, f/2.4, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom10 MP, f/2.4, 66mm, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom
Inner selfie camera4 MP, f/1.8, 26mm, 2.0µm, under display4 MP, f/1.8, 26mm, 2.0µm, under display
Cover selfie camera10 MP, f/2.2, 24mm, 1/3″, 1.22µm10 MP, f/2.2, 24mm, 1/3″, 1.22µm
Battery capacity4400 mAh4400 mAh
Charging speed25 W25 W
Wireless charging15 W15 W
Reverse wireless chargin4.5 W4.5 W
Operating systemOne UI 5.1.1 based on Android 13One UI 5.1 based on Android 13
PriceStarting from $1,799 / £1,749 / €1,909Starting from $1,199 / £1,249 / €1,365

Price & Value For Money

Here are the prices of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5:

  • 12 GB + 256 GB – $1,799 / £1,749 / €1,909
  • 12 GB + 512 GB – $1,849 / £1,849 / €2,029
  • 12 GB + 1 TB – $1,999 / £2,049 / €2,269

Galaxy Z Fold 4 was launched at similar prices to that of Z Fold 5, but the prices have dropped quite significantly. Here are the current prices:

rent prices of Galaxy Z Fold 4 on Amazon:

  • 12 GB + 256 GB – $1,199 / £1,249 / €1,365
  • 12 GB + 512 GB – $1,269 / £1,769 / €1,705
  • 12 GB + 1 TB – $1,999 

Conclusion 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 4 offer similar features, but the newer phone comes with a better design. Samsung has focused more on refining the foldable form factor with this iteration, but only that. 

Sure, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 offers the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, an improvement over the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 of Z Fold 4. But other than that and a more compact build, Galaxy Z Fold 5 really doesn’t offer anything more than Galaxy Z Fold 4.

The current prices of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 need to be considered while making a purchase decision. Even though the phone was launched at a similar price to Galaxy Z Fold 5, it is now available for a fraction of its launch price. 

If you want a solid foldable smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 makes a really good case over Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, as you can get it for much less! 

Still, if you want the best foldable phone in the market currently, with the best performance, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is the one to get.

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