Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: The 7 Biggest Things I Want To See

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: The 7 Biggest Things I Want To See

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is an improvement over the Galaxy Z Fold 3 in important respects. It's lighter, has a better primary camera and improvements under the hood However, it is not perfect. Namely, battery life isn't what you'd expect, and wrinkles are still there.

Samsung hasn't been working on some key things for years, and with the foldable form factor ramping up the competition and entering the wrinkle-free foldable market, all eyes are on what Samsung's next big release will be. Here are seven things I'd like to see from the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5.

Folds are not present

Honor Magic Vs showed us that larger foldable smartphones can have better hinge designs to reduce bending. The gearless joint holds the two halves of the Magic V together and there is no gap between the two halves when closed. Surprisingly, folds are minimal during flowering. The Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold has a similar design with less creases than the Galaxy Z Fold 4.

It's time for Samsung to rethink its hinge approach for larger, more complex devices. It has been using the same design for some time now and it still dominates the US market, but only because high-end Honor, Xiaomi and Oppo devices are not available in the country. But if Samsung is serious about competing with other foldable devices in Europe or Asia, the company needs to update the fold to make it less noticeable.

Long battery life and fast charging

The Galaxy Z Fold 4 has the same 4,400 mAh battery as the Galaxy Z Fold 3, which charges at the same 25W. It's 2023 and 25 watts just isn't enough for a flagship smartphone. Fortunately, both the Galaxy S23 Plus and Galaxy S23 Ultra offer 45W fast charging, so I expect this technology to make its way into the more expensive foldable series this year.

The Galaxy Z Fold 4 lasts all day with moderate usage. When I use it to the fullest with multitasking and commuting, battery concerns start in the evening. For a phone that starts at $1,800 and requires almost regular use, it's not ideal

Major camera improvements

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I don't expect the Galaxy S23 Ultra's 200MP camera to match the Galaxy Z Fold 5, but I'd still like to see better camera performance. A basic 50MP camera like the Fold 4 should be enough, but telephoto and ultra-wide cameras shouldn't be a concern.

My Galaxy S22 Ultra and S23 Ultra have spoiled me with their zoom capabilities. I hope Samsung gives us a better zoom camera this time. Now, I click a lot of photos at 3x and 10x magnification, and fold 4 just doesn't do the job.

The selfie shooter under the rotating display isn't the best either. Still have blurry pictures. Hopefully, things will improve with the Galaxy Z Fold 5. A few years ago this hybrid's camera performance was more forgiving, but as the Z Fold enters its fifth generation, it's time for Samsung to make some major camera improvements.

Built-in S Pen slot

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is likely to get S Pen support, as the previous two generations of the series supported a stylus. But Samsung has not provided a built-in S Pen slot in any of the devices. Which is very annoying. When I use a pen with my phone, I prefer a place to store it with my phone.

Bad news? Recent rumors suggest that the Samsung Z Fold 5 will not include an S Pen slot . The company teased the idea, but ultimately decided not to pursue it because it took up too much space. We'll have to wait until we see the final product to know exactly what's going on here, but I'm crossing my fingers that Samsung finds a way to make the S Pen slot a reality.

Thin and light design

Galaxy Z Fold 4 is more. It's a big device and I expect it to weigh a lot, but making it thinner and lighter is definitely on my list.

Samsung has worked on the design to reduce the Fold 4 by about 8 grams compared to the Fold 3. It did make a difference, but after using the Oppo Find N Foldable, my expectations of what changed on my wrist with a large foldable phone. Oppo's phone is small, yes, but it's still a shining example of all-device design. Finding more ways to reduce the Z Fold's size isn't an easy task, but I hope Samsung is working on it.

Broad reach index

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The Z Fold 4's current 6.2-inch screen size looks decent on paper, but it's a bit awkward to use in practice. I'm someone who mistypes messages even when typing on the iPhone 14 Pro Max's large screen, so the thin profile of the Fold 4 cover makes it difficult for me to type accurately.

Using the Oppo Find N with the cover screen on was a much better experience. It's small, wide and works like any other smartphone. I don't want the same dimensions for the Galaxy Z Fold 5, but the wider and smaller screen can improve ergonomics - while improving my typing skills.

It's cheap to do

The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is quite a bargain at $1,800. The compact form factor is no longer a niche segment. There are better-designed foldable devices like the Oppo Find N2, which costs less than the Fold 4. With the Z Fold 2 and the original Galaxy Fold it would have been easy to justify Samsung's higher price, but now it's time to change the price. (a little). delicious

It's not often that the company drops the price of its next iteration and I'd like to see a cheaper Fold 5.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 has a lot of potential

Oppo Find N2 (left) and Galaxy Z Fold 4 Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

I know that in many ways this is wishful thinking. On the other hand, I wish the device had an S Pen slot; On the other hand, I want it to be thin and light. I wish the Galaxy Z Fold 5 had a better hinge with less flex and was cheaper.

But I'm not here to find out. If one company can do it all, it's Samsung with all its R&D capabilities. This makes the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 an exciting device to look forward to – even if it doesn't fulfill my entire wish list.