Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: latest news, rumors and everything we know so far

Samsung has almost perfected the foldable phone over the last few years, and its upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is expected to be even better than the current models in its flagship foldable range.

We’re expecting to see the device in a matter of hours, today, July 26 at Samsung Unpacked. Follow along with our Unpacked live blog here or find out how to watch the Unpacked stream. 

We’ll also be updating this article with new details as they emerge, so keep it bookmarked if you want to stay in the loop.

Plus, at the bottom of this article, you’ll find a wish list of the key things we want to see from the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, to ensure it fixes all the issues with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4.

Update: Samsung’s new devices are now official, and you can now check out our hands-on Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 review and hands-on Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 review for our early impressions of these devices, and our early Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 review and early Samsung Watch 6 Classic review for our initial verdicts of the wearables after our time with them so far.

We’ve also got our hands-on Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 review and initial Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra review, for our first impressions of the tablets.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? Samsung's next flagship foldable phone
• When is it out? July 26
• How much will it cost? Likely at least $1,799 / £1,649 / AU$2,499

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 release date and price

• Being announced on July 26
• Might ship on August 11
• Likely to cost as much as or more than the $1,799 / £1,649 / AU$2,499 Z Fold 4

We now know that Samsung will announce the Galaxy Z Fold 5 on July 26, as the company has confirmed that it's holding Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 then.

Prior to this revelation, a release date rumor accurately pointed to that date, adding that the phone would be shipped on August 11.

That's early as Samsung usually unveils new foldables in August, but it makes sense, as we'd previously heard that Samsung was reportedly going to start mass-producing the hinges for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 almost a month early.

That said, a leak from MySmartPrice suggests that while the phone will be announced in South Korea in late July, it will have a separate global launch event on August 11. We're not convinced though, as it would be unusual for Samsung to hold two staggered events like that.

As for the price, we've heard that the phone might start at $1,799. If so then that's the same as the Galaxy Z Fold 4, which elsewhere costs £1,649 / AU$2,499. 

That said, another Galaxy Z Fold 5 price leak points to a price of around €100 (roughly $110 / £85 / AU$165) higher than last year. That might mean a starting price of approximately $1,899 / £1,749 / AU$2,650.

In any case, while Samsung hasn't confirmed the price yet, it has opened up reservations for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, along with bonuses and discounts for getting in early.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 design and display

• Might have a new waterdrop hinge design
• A brighter screen than before
• The design might mostly be similar to the Z Fold 4

First of all, colors: the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is going to be available in beige, black, light blue, dark blue and platinum, according to rumors. Hopefully there's one there that takes your fancy if you're interested in this foldable.

We've seen a series of unofficial renders showing us what the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 might look like – and apparently it's going to look a lot like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 that came before it. You can see some of these renders a bit further down.

Images of a case supposedly for the phone have also now leaked, and they show the same design as below, meaning that the main visual change might just be the camera flash moving outside the camera block.

The design changes might be so minimal in fact, that some Samsung employees have reportedly described the Z Fold 5 as "boring."

That said, we've also heard that the phone is apparently getting a waterdrop shape hinge, enabling the two sides of the device to lay completely flat against each other. That would improve the durability of the foldable, in theory, and could reduce the crease size in the screen by 15%.

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We've now seen actual photos seemingly showing the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 closed, and there is indeed little to no gap between the two halves. A second set of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 photos (visible above) show the same, along with showing the phone open too.

This new hinge design claim has also been backed up by a second report, which adds that the phone will apparently be water resistant, just like the current model.

It might go beyond being water resistant though and also sport dust resistance according to another tipster, who's since more confidently said the same thing again, specifically that the Z Fold 5 could have an IP58 certification. If it did, the foldable would be the first of Samsung's to adopt IP58 certification, rather than the IPX8 the current model sports.

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That said, another source has more recently said that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 won't have an IP58 rating. Though from the wording it's unclear whether a lower dust resistance level would be offered or none at all.

Returning to the foldable's supposed waterdrop hinge, a third report also backs this up, but adds that the Z Fold 5 will only be tested for 300,000 folds, while some rival phones (such as the Honor Magic Vs) are tested to 400,000. It also suggests the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 will be slightly thinner and lighter than the Z Fold 4, but won't have any significant spec upgrades.

Adding some weight to that lightness report, tipster Ice Universe says the Fold 5 will be 254 grams. That would make it 9 grams lighter than the Fold 4 – though another source says it's 253g. Ice also shared some dimensions , saying that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will be 154.9 x 129.9 x 6.1mm when open, and 154.9mm x 67.1 x 13.4mm when closed. That's marginally smaller than the Z Fold 4.

Again, these are all details that need to be felt to be truly appreciated. 9 grams lighter is something that looks small on paper but would be better appreciated in the hand.

We've also heard that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 will apparently have a 6.2-inch cover screen, just like its predecessor. The same source possibly said that the design will be the same too, but the wording is ambiguous.

As for the main display, according to one source the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will have a 7.6-inch main screen that's brighter than its predecessor's, plus a 120Hz refresh rate on both displays, and better durability. Then again, we've more recently heard that the Z Fold 5's screen will offer the same 1,200-nit max brightness as the Z Fold 4.

It will also apparently have an IPX8 rating (in contrast to some of the above reports that claim it would sport a full IP68 one).

Finally, as far as colors go, it is rumored to come in beige, black, and light blue by display analyst Ross Young.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 cameras and battery

• A triple-lens rear camera with a 50MP main sensor is rumored
• The under-display camera could be improved

One source suggests the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 will have a triple-lens rear camera with a 50MP main sensor. That’s exactly what the Galaxy Z Fold 4 has – with the other two sensors being a 12MP ultra-wide and a 10MP telephoto – so this might mean there aren’t many upgrades to the camera.

A second source has now said the same, and a third has specifically said that it will have a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide, and a 10MP telephoto. However, they add that one or more of the sensors used will be new, which could mean there's still a big improvement in photo quality.

We've heard those megapixel counts heard yet again, but this time with the addition that the Z Fold 5 will have a 10MP cover screen camera and a 4MP under-display camera, just like its predecessor.

That said, we've elsewhere heard that the Fold 5 will have an improved under-display camera for selfies, and be able to shoot video in up to 8K quality at 30fps.

As for the battery, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 might once again have a 4,400mAh battery with 25W charging, the latter of which has been backed up by certification listings seen by MyFixGuide.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 specs and features

• Likely to have a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and 12GB of RAM
• Could come with up to 1TB of storage
• The speakers and vibration motor might be improved

One of the first Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 leaks pointed to the foldable having a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. That's the successor to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipsets that power many of 2022’s best Android phones, including the Galaxy Z Fold 4. So either the Gen 2 (of the sort powering the Samsung's Galaxy S23 range) or a Plus version of it always seemed likely.

More specifically, it will almost certainly use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset, which is a slightly faster version that's exclusive to Samsung. Some idea of the level of performance to expect has been offered by leaked benchmarks.

Elsewhere, a report suggests the Fold 5 will be offered in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB variants, which are the same storage options Samsung opted for on the Z Fold 4.

A detailed specs leak has reiterated many of the details above, but added to what we've heard too, claiming for example that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will have 12GB of RAM, improved speakers, and an improved vibration motor.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 what we want to see

For Samsung to make the ultimate foldable phone there are five key things it needs to do, which we’ve highlighted below.

1. The same cameras as the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

The cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 4 aren’t bad at all, but they aren’t Samsung’s best, despite it being the company’s most expensive phone. Anyone who can spare the sort of money the Z Fold 4 costs is likely to want the best of the best, and on the camera front it just doesn’t manage that.

So for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 we want the phone to match the camera configuration of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, which based on past form probably will have the company’s best snappers.

2. No visible crease

As impressive as Samsung’s foldable screens are, the company hasn’t cracked the crease, with it being visible and something you can feel when you swipe across the display.

This isn’t a big deal and is something most people will quickly get used to, but it is an imperfection in an otherwise excellent screen, so we’d like to see Samsung successfully hide it on the Galaxy Z Fold 5.

3. A lower price

The single biggest issue with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is simply how much it costs, as this is one of the most expensive phones on the planet – almost making the iPhone 14 Pro Max look cheap by comparison.

It’s no surprise the price is high given the size of the screen and the tech involved, but if this foldable line is ever to be truly mainstream then the price needs to drop, and we hope Samsung starts decreasing it with the Galaxy Z Fold 5.

4. Faster charging

Most Samsung phones have rather slow charging, and the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is no exception. It tops out at 25W wired or 15W wireless, both of which are far lower than other flagships like the 150W OnePlus 10T or the 120W Xiaomi 12 Pro.

We don’t expect or need Samsung to reach those sorts of levels of charging power, but we’d like to at least see the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 split the difference and offer around 60W-80W.

5. A bigger battery

Along with faster charging, we’d also like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 to have a bigger battery. At 4,400mAh, the one in the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is average in size at best, and actually smaller than the batteries in plenty of conventional phones.

But given that this has a huge foldable screen, it could do with a particularly big battery. So at a minimum, we want a 5,000mAh one in the Z Fold 5 - the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has that, so it shouldn't be too much to ask for.