When it comes to the best folding phones Samsung has long been right up there, and with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5 revealed at Samsung Unpacked, it looks like they've done it again.
If you offered me the choice of just one of the devices for free, however, I might surprise you by opting for the £1,049/$1,099/AUD$1,649 Z Flip 5 over the $1,749/$1,799/AUD$2,599 Fold 5. It's not just because Euphoria actor Sydney Sweeney has one either, hear me out.
With its Game Boy Advance SP folding style, the Flip is a much more pocketable device than the larger fold, yet - as is the point of foldable displays - it still has plenty of screen space, 6.7 inches to be exact. As a fan of the best small phones, this is an important factor for me.
Screen size is also a factor when folded over, the Flip 5 has a 3.4-inch 'Flex Window' (AKA cover screen). This is a massive step up from the 1.9-inch effort of the Flip 4 and perfect for quick glances, cheeky texts and changing tracks. You can even use similar swipe controls to the Galaxy Watch series to access your Samsung Wallet, event tickets or flight boarding pass. Pretty flipping handy. The fold obviously resembles a normal phone when folded over, but to me, this is a distraction, I like being able to close my phone to the world, and the sheer size of the Fold makes it difficult to use with one hand.
The clamshell design of the Flip series is in my opinion much more useful for photography as you sit it upright and then see exactly what you have in frame. While the camera hardware hasn't really been touched for this generation, it's great to know that Samsung has boosted the snapping capabilities of the Flip 5 with improved nightography and AI image processing. Here's hoping one day we see camera equipment matching Samsung's non-folding flagships like the S23 Ultra.
Don't get me wrong the Z Fold 5 looks like an incredible piece of kit, but for me specifically, I appreciate the form factor and ability to literally "shut out" most of my phone a lot more.
