Did the clamshell compact foldable phone from Samsung get better? We compare the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Flip 4 to see if it’s worth your hard-earned money.
At the Samsung event, refreshes to the Galaxy Z Flip and Fold series were announced, alongside tablets and smartwatches.
While the flagship Galaxy Z Fold 5 is an iterative update over its predecessor with hardly anything to write home about, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 seems has a lot more to say.
Historically, the Flip-styled foldable phone from Samsung has done better than the tablet-styled foldable phone. This is probably why the competition wants to add clamshell foldable phones to their repertoire.
The reasons mentioned above are strong enough to force Samsung to emphasize the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and address the most significant flaws of the Galaxy Z Flip 4.
Are these upgrades enough to call the Galaxy Z Flip 5 a better foldable phone than the Flip 4? We break down the key differences between the two phones to determine whether it’s worth your money to upgrade.
Design
While the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is an interesting device and can help reduce screen time if you really need to. However, its tiny external display was virtually useless. Samsung has changed this with the new Galaxy Z Flip 5 and has increased the size of this external display from 1.9 inches to 3.4 inches.
A bigger external display, called Flex Window, is a beneficial and meaningful upgrade. It supports more applications than ever before. You can use Google Maps on this screen and it lets you watch full-screen videos if needed, respond to messages easily, use a full-sized keyboard, and more. The front camera layout has also been altered to make way for a bigger display and capture selfies easily.
Like the Galaxy Z Fold 5, Samsung has also upgraded the hinge on the Flip 5. This change eliminates the gap between the screen when folded.
Besides these two significant tweaks, Samsung hasn’t changed the phone’s aesthetics much. After all, why fix that ain’t broke?
Cameras
The Galaxy Z Flip 4 has a decent pair of camera sensors. While these weren’t close to what you’d expect from a flagship phone, Samsung has decided not to change the camera module on the Galaxy Z Flip 5.
The new phone comes with a dual camera setup on the external display that serves as a selfie camera module when folded and as a rear camera when unfolded. These are two 12MP sensors, with a wide angle and ultra-wide-angle lens each. There is a 10MP selfie camera on the inner display.
While the camera specifications might not have changed, you can expect improvement in software-powered post-processing.
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Battery life
The battery life on the two phones might remain identical as well. Samsung has not changed the battery capacity on the Galaxy Z Flip 5, and it retains the 3,700mAh battery pack that supports 25W wired charging, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, and Wireless PowerShare from the Galaxy Z Flip 4.
Specifications
| Galaxy Z Flip 5 | Galaxy Z Flip 4 | |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor |
| RAM | 8GB | 8GB |
| Storage | 256GB/512GB | 128GB/256GB/512GB |
| Weight | 187 grams | 187 grams |
| Camera | 12MP wide angle + 12MP ultra wide angle; 10MP selfie | 12MP wide angle + 12MP ultra wide angle; 10MP selfie |
| Display | 3.4-inch outer + 6.7-inch inner, 120Hz | 1.9-inch outer + 6.7-inch inner, 120Hz |
| Price | Starts at $999 | Starts at $999 |
The specification of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 has remained essentially unchanged. Both phones have similar designs, internal displays, camera modules, and RAM; the overall weight remains unchanged.
The Galaxy Z Flip 5 has the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor under the hood, and the company also hasn’t introduced a 128GB variant this year.
The storage also has been upgraded the storage speeds. Samsung uses Universal Flash Storage, which it has shifted from UFS 3.1 to UFS 4.0, resulting in faster read and write speed.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Galaxy Z Flip 4: Key differences
While the overall upgrades have been iterative, some differences set the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 apart from its predecessor.
The size of the external display, which was just 1.9 inches on the Galaxy Z Flip 4, has been increased to 3.4 inches on the Z Flip 5. This upgrade has made the external display extremely useful in carrying out various tasks and would reduce the number of times you unfold the phone.
Samsung has also swapped out the hinge bringing the two halves of the display closer when folded. This adds to the foldable display’s durability and the phone’s longevity.
Last but not least, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 also has a faster UFS 4.0 storage than the UFS 3.1 storage on the Galaxy Z Flip 4. This should result in a much improved performance.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Galaxy Z Flip 4 – which one should you buy?
If you’re in the market to purchase a foldable phone, especially a flip phone, then you should consider the Galaxy Z Flip 5. Though most of its updates are “under the hood,” and you might not be able to notice them. However, the bigger external display and the improved hinge are the most significant reasons you should choose the newer Galaxy Z Flip 5.
Since both phones are almost identical and priced similarly, getting the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is a practical choice.
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