Foldable phones are inherently exciting, but they’re also expensive, so in order for their purchase price to be justified, it’s important that new models have major upgrades. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, however, doesn't look likely to offer much in the way of new features.
That’s according to @UniverseIce – a leaker with a good track record – who claims that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will have a 6.2-inch cover screen, just like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4.
In another tweet, they say that "the design has been confirmed and will not be changed" for both the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5.
Unfortunately, I can confirm that the Galaxy Z Fold5 external screen is still 6.2 "😕 https://t.co/isu6YlnhgiMarch 8, 2023
The wording there is a bit ambiguous, especially as the leaker isn't a native English speaker. They could be saying that the design will be the same as last year, or simply that Samsung has now locked in the design it's going to use.
Even if they mean the latter, though, the apparent presence of the same-size cover screen on the Z Fold 4 suggests there probably won't be major design changes.
Visually, then, there might be very little difference between these upcoming phones and the current models – though it’s worth noting that we’ve heard elsewhere that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will have a new waterdrop hinge, which could change the appearance of it a little, at least.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 can arguably get away with few upgrades, as it’s likely to be a relatively affordable phone, but something as expensive as the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is sure to be really needs improvements.
Of course, we’d take this with a pinch of salt, and @UniverseIce is only talking about the design and cover screen here, so it’s possible we’ll see significant spec improvements. Except, well, other sources suggest that’s unlikely, too.
Analysis: few upgrades to be found
If the leaks we’ve heard so far are accurate, then it’s not just the design of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 that might be similar to the Z Fold 4. Its cameras could be comparable, too, with another source claiming that the Z Fold 5 will have a 50MP main camera, just like the current model.
We’ve also heard that the phone will come with the same storage options as the Z Fold 4, and it alledgedly won’t have any major spec upgrades, either.
Other than a change in hinge design, the only real upgrade that’s been leaked so far for the Z Fold 5 is the presence of a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which will make it more powerful than the Z Fold 4 – but that’s about the least you could expect from a new iteration of a smartphone.
So, unless we start hearing of other exciting features in the coming months, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 might struggle to rank among the best foldable phones.
