I’ve been using the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 since it was introduced, and it’s one of my favorite smartphones ever. It comes with major improvements compared to its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Fold 3, it also comes with a larger display, and an improved camera setup on the back. However, the latest rumors and leaks claim that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 may not have many new developments, and it may be a smaller upgrade, especially for Galaxy Fold 4 users.
As we get closer to the next-generation Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, I recently asked myself if it’s worth upgrading in 2023. The answer is a bit complicated, especially since we can only base our findings on initial rumors and leaks, some of which may not be accurate at all. at the time of writing.
The dimensions of fold 5 may be nearly identical to those of fold 4
According to the latest rumors, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 will measure 154.9 x 129.9 x 6.1mm in its unfolded state, and 154.9 x 67.1 x 13.4mm when folded. The Fold 5 will be 9 grams lighter than the Fold 4, resulting in 254 grams.
As a Fold 4 user, I’d like to see a wider cover display on the front, which improves the typing experience. Fortunately, the recent Android 13 update and One UI 5.1 have improved things, and websites and apps are no longer broken. However, you can still find some broken websites and apps occasionally. It’s by no means a big deal, but even competitors offer larger screens, and it would be nice to see some small improvements on the next generation Galaxy.
Crease-free screen and new hinge mechanism
Samsung continues to invest in improving the hinge mechanism for its flip-and-fold series of devices, and has made dramatic improvements in recent years. The Fold 4’s hinge mechanism is the company’s best yet. However, some things have remained the same, and new rumors claim that the company may be using a new design on the Fold 5.
The new design may improve frizz. The Fold 5 is said to come with a droplet hinge (trans GSMArena), similar to those seen on foldable devices without a visible crease, such as the Motorola RAZR and OPPO’s Find N series. As a result of the alteration, the gap may finally be reduced, or disappear altogether, causing the fold 5 fold to close completely.
For me, the gap and crease were never an issue, and nothing happened in the middle of my Fold 4, or my Fold 3 when it was safely folded into my pocket. I never put other things in the pocket where I keep my smartphone, which has always helped me keep my devices scratch free all these years. The situation may be different for those who do, as coins and keys can easily enter through the gap, scratching and causing damage to the plastic screen.
It’s hard to justify spending $1,800 on “quality of life” improvements.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Fold 3 side by side
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 included minor, but welcome improvements over the Galaxy Fold 2. The Fold 4 brought more “quality of life” improvements to the lineup, notably a larger cover screen, slightly wider aspect ratio, and a somewhat less noticeable crease , improved camera sensors on the back, and, of course, the new power-efficient Qualcomm chipset. The changes weren’t huge enough for many Fold 3 users to upgrade to Fold 4, but people like me upgraded anyway, because the larger Cover Screen was a worthy upgrade on its own.
As it stands now, given all we know about the next-generation Fold 5, Galaxy Fold 4 users may feel the same this year. The Fold 5 may feature fewer improvements than we initially hoped, and it may not be worth shelling out $1,800 on a new device, when the Fold 4 is holding out just fine.
There is no S Pen slot
The Galaxy Fold series are some of the rare flagships to receive support for Samsung’s stylus, however, the company hasn’t figured out a way to store it inside the device. As it is, the leaks claim that the Fold 5 will not have a built-in slot, like the ones we’ve seen on the Galaxy Note series and Galaxy S23 Ultra due to design limitations.
Everyone, myself included, was hoping the Fold 5 would have this important feature, because the current solution to storing the stylus inside the case is clumsy, to say the least, and impractical. While the new Galaxy Fold 4’s cover is excellent, it makes the device noticeably bulkier, making it uncomfortable to hold.
New leaks claim that Samsung hasn’t figured out a way to add an S Pen slot without reducing battery capacity, which has remained the same for generations. It would be a shame to have a smaller battery cell in the Fold series, especially since they aren’t known to be battery champions. It’s disappointing that we may not see an S Pen slot, but it’s also understandable. We can only hope that Samsung will soon figure out a method and pass it on to future foldable brands.
Slow charging
Some might argue that Samsung’s 25W fast charging solution is fine, but I think it’s annoying for a company of Samsung’s size to include the “slow” charging standard on devices that cost $1,000 or more. Samsung has been offering 25W fast charging on its Z series of flagship phones since the Galaxy Z Fold 2, which was announced in 2020. Since then, Samsung has slightly improved the technology, managing to speed up the rating while maintaining the same wattage, But it’s nowhere near as fast as the competition’s foldables.
For reference, the HONOR Magic Vs support 66W, the Xiaomi Fold 2 supports 67W, and even OPPO’s Find N2 supports 67W fast wired charging, allowing users to top up their device in less than an hour. In contrast, the Fold 4 gets a 50% charge in 30 minutes, and a full charge takes about an hour and a half. It’s slow, whichever way you look at it, and Samsung needs to catch up to the competition because they’ve been left several years behind.
According to the latest rumors and leaks, the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 series, Galaxy Z Flip 5, Galaxy Watch Series 6, and Galaxy Tab S9 may be revealed sooner than expected (via SamMobile), most likely at the end of July. We don’t have any information on pricing, but given the current economic situation, we can’t rule out a possible price hike in 2023, which would make the upgrade decision even more difficult to justify.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
The latest Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 comes with the most powerful Qualcomm SoC, wider screen, better hinge mechanism, and several significant upgrades over its predecessor.