Samsung has almost perfected the foldable phone over the last few years, and its upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is expected to be even better than the current models in its flagship foldable range.
We’re not expecting to see the device until quite late in 2023, so there aren’t too many rumors about just yet – but we have heard a few tidbits, and you’ll find all of those below, along with information on the phone’s possible release date and price.
We’ll also be updating this article whenever any new leaks or rumors emerge, so keep it bookmarked if you want to stay in the loop.
Plus, at the bottom of this article, you’ll find a wish list of the key things we want to see from the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, to ensure it fixes all the issues with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? Samsung’s next flagship foldable phone
- When is it out? Probably August 2023
- How much will it cost? Unknown but expect it to be very expensive
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 release date and price
There’s no word yet on when we might see the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, but the Galaxy Z Fold 4 was announced on August 10 of 2022, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 was unveiled on August 11 of 2021. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 was also announced in August of its release year, albeit slightly earlier on August 5.
So early to mid-August seems likely for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. These announcements all happened on a Wednesday too, so our best guess for a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 release date is Wednesday, August 9 of 2023.
As for the price, there’s no word on that yet either, but the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 starts at $1,799 / £1,649 / AU$2,499, so a similar price is possible.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 news and leaks
There’s only been a handful of real Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 leaks so far, with the first one pointing to the foldable having a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset.
That would be the successor to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipsets that power many of 2022’s best Android phones, including the Galaxy Z Fold 4. So either the Gen 2 (of the sort powering the Samsung’s Galaxy S23 range) or a Plus version of it always seemed likely.
The same source also suggests the phone will have a triple-lens rear camera with a 50MP main sensor. That’s exactly what the Galaxy Z Fold 4 has – with the other two sensors being a 12MP ultra-wide and a 10MP telephoto – so this might mean there aren’t many upgrades to the camera.
Secondly, the phone is apparently getting a waterdrop shape hinge, enabling the two sides of the device to lay completely flat against each other. That would improve the durability of the foldable, in theory. This has since been backed up by a second report, which adds that the phone will be waterproof.
And thirdly, a recent report suggests the Fold 5 will be offered in 256GB, 512GB and 1TB variants, which are the same storage options Samsung opted for on the Z Fold 4.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: what we want to see
For Samsung to make the ultimate foldable phone there are five key things it needs to do, which we’ve highlighted below.
1. The same cameras as the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
The cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 4 aren’t bad at all, but they aren’t Samsung’s best, despite it being the company’s most expensive phone. Anyone who can spare the sort of money the Z Fold 4 costs is likely to want the best of the best, and on the camera front it just doesn’t manage that.
So for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 we want the phone to match the camera configuration of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, which based on past form probably will have the company’s best snappers.
2. No visible crease
As impressive as Samsung’s foldable screens are, the company hasn’t cracked the crease, with it being visible and something you can feel when you swipe across the display.
This isn’t a big deal and is something most people will quickly get used to, but it is an imperfection in an otherwise excellent screen, so we’d like to see Samsung successfully hide it on the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
3. A lower price
The single biggest issue with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is simply how much it costs, as this is one of the most expensive phones on the planet – almost making the iPhone 14 Pro Max look cheap by comparison.
It’s no surprise the price is high given the size of the screen and the tech involved, but if this foldable line is ever to be truly mainstream then the price needs to drop, and we hope Samsung starts decreasing it with the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
4. Faster charging
Most Samsung phones have rather slow charging, and the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is no exception. It tops out at 25W wired or 15W wireless, both of which are far lower than other flagships like the 150W OnePlus 10T or the 120W Xiaomi 12 Pro.
We don’t expect or need Samsung to reach those sorts of levels of charging power, but we’d like to at least see the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 split the difference and offer around 60W-80W.
5. A bigger battery
Along with faster charging, we’d also like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 to have a bigger battery. At 4,400mAh, the one in the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is average in size at best, and actually smaller than the batteries in plenty of conventional phones.
But given that this has a huge foldable screen, it could do with a particularly big battery. So at a minimum, we want a 5,000mAh one in the Z Fold 5 – the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has that, so it shouldn’t be too much to ask for.
