The Google Pixel Fold may be here, but there are still plenty more foldable phones launching this year — including the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. The big question we have is what Samsung's next foldable flagship will look like, and how that compares to the Galaxy Z Fold 4. Fortunately a new case leak may offer some answers.
Serial leaker Ice Universe has posted images of what they claim is a case for the Galaxy Z Fold 5. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given the leaks we’ve heard already, the design doesn’t look all that different from the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
ExclusiveSamsung Galaxy Z Fold5 Case pic.twitter.com/mQUvFhmFrwMay 11, 2023
There isn’t a whole lot we can glean from Ice Universe’s pair of images, only that the Fold 5 should have a pretty similar design and layout to the Fold 4. We can’t determine if there’s any difference in size, but judging from the two halves of the case the tall skinny cover display won’t be going anywhere.
Likewise the vertical camera array is still around, but there is an additional cutout to the side of the module, whose function is unknown.
The Z Fold 4 has nothing similar in that spot, though it does have the camera flash underneath the trio of camera lenses. It seems likely that the flash is migrating to the top inner side of the camera, much as it is on the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S22.
But seeing images of the Z Fold 5 and Z Fold 4 cases in separate images, rather than side by side limits how much we can learn. That’s assuming what IceUniverse has shared is a legitimate case for the Z Fold 5.
Galaxy Z Fold 5: What we know about the design
IceUniverse has already claimed that the Z Fold 5 will have few design changes compared to the Z Fold 4. But we have been hearing rumors that the new foldable will be thinner than its predecessor, particularly when closed. A closed Z Fold 4 was 15.8mm (0.62-inches) at its thickest point, while the Z Fold 5 is said to be 13.5mm (0.53-inches) thick — a difference of almost a tenth of an inch.
That may not seem like a lot, but that small change in thickness could make the Z Fold 5 much more comfortable to hold, and easier to place in your pockets. Especially if the rumored waterdrop hinge means the phone can fully close — instead of leaving a large gap at the hinge.
That waterdrop hinge could also make the crease much shallower. It’s hoped that this would reduce, or possibly even eliminate, the crease in the display. Other phone companies have managed to do something similar, and it’s about time Samsung figured that out.
At the very least it sounds like the new hinge will be more durable, rated at 300,000 folds instead of 200,000, but that does still lag behind the likes of Oppo who rated their devices to 400,000.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is expected to launch sometime this summer, though it’s yet to be confirmed when. Normally the second Galaxy Unpacked happens in August, but we have heard rumors that Samsung could bring it forward to the last week of July to try and compete with the Pixel Fold.
But, like so many other rumors we’re going to have to wait and see. In the meantime be sure to check out our hubs for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the Samsung Galaxy Flip 5 for all the latest Samsung foldable news.
