Why the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is the best foldable phone, according to our review

Simply the best, Samsung's new Z Fold 5 is better than all the rest

I just got done my in-depth Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 review in time for the official release date this weekend, and I want to lay out why Samsung remains the leader in foldable phones, even with heavy competition. It’s better than the Google Pixel Fold, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is better than the Moto Razr+.

Samsung’s new Fold 5 scores well enough in key areas to overcome the fact that the jump from the Fold 4 is a bit iterative. For me, bendable screen technology remains a marvel and Samsung excels over its closest rivals in durability, software cohesiveness, screen brightness and accessory compatibility. That S Pen, while sold separately, is smartly packaged with a new slim case that I’m still after my testing phase.

Now that I’m finished writing the Fold 5 review, I can lay out why exactly this brand-new smartphone earned The Shortcut Editor’s Choice Award and a score of 4.5/5.

1. Samsung’s solid Z Fold 5 trade-in offers

The Samsung Galaxy Fold 5 trade-in offers at pre-order were pretty special, and although the pre-sale values have expired, the official Samsung Store is still offering up to $1,000 for Fold 4 from last year and the Galaxy S23 Ultra from six months ago.

Samsung is also trying to win over Apple and Google fans, offering $1,000 for the year-old iPhone 14 Pro Max, the two-year-old iPhone 13 Pro Max and the new Google Pixel Fold. You’ll end up paying $800 for a 512GB phone that should cost $1919.99 (the next point reveals why the MSRP is $1200 instead of the usual $1,800).

2. Free 512GB upgrade for the Fold 5

Even better, Samsung is still offering a free 512GB storage upgrade. You can get it for the price of the 256GB version, a $120 value. Sadly, this same perk has ended for the Z Flip 5, as the price difference between the 256GB to 512GB is the normal $120 fee. Samsung must have been losing some money on that $999 price for the 512GB Flip.

I don’t know when this Fold 5 deal will expire, but it’s extremely rare for this incentive to have stuck around after pre-order. So consider yourself lucky if you snag it.

3. Samsung made the Fold 5 gapless

The Samsung Galaxy Fold 5 has a tighter hinge and gapless design ensuring that this phone folds completely in half. The odd air gap between the right and left sides of the screen on the Fold 4 didn’t bother me, but, as seen in the comparison photos above, now that I have the Galaxy Fold 5 in hand, I can tell you that it feels more premium with this small, but important change.

The Fold 5 is still a big phone – I compared it to an oversized ice cream sandwich in my full Fold 5 review – but this is a step in the right direction for foldable phones in the US (more than a few others have this design trait outside of North America).

4. The Galaxy Fold 5 feels more durable

The tighter design has another perk: the Samsung Galaxy Fold 5 hinge uses fewer parts. It comes together in a package that feels more durable than any other foldable smartphone I’ve ever tested, and ’ve reviewed every Fold for TechRadar or The Shortcut and tested every other brand’s foldable; the Fold 5 is ahead of the pack.

Why helps a lot in my assessment is the fact that I just tested the recently released first-generation Google Pixel Fold for two weeks. I felt like the hinge was a bit shaky, so Samsung offers something its competition cannot: an increasingly good durability track (we’ve come a long way from the recalled Z Fold 1 that didn’t go out to anyone except reviewers). That’s very important among delicate foldables.

5. Fold 5 has a noticeably brighter display

Both the Z Fold 5 and the Z Flip 5 have brighter displays, with the larger Fold sporting a peak brightness of 1,750 nits. The Fold 4 was 1,000 nits. The increase is important because you’re bound to use the Fold 5 outdoors, especially on sunny summer days.

So the Fold 5 isn’t just lighter this generation, it’s also brighter. Considering the fact that the Cover Display is built for roaming with this smartphone, I’ve been enjoying being able to see and interact with my notifications better on the outer lockscreen.

6. The screen is almost the right size

OK, this is debatable: many people like the Google Pixel Fold for its wide passport-like dimensions. I partially get where they’re coming from. However, I have still gravitated back toward the Fold 5 for its narrower Cover Display front screen and its mini-tablet-like 7.6-inch inner display.

Here’s why I like Fold 5 a bit better after ample testing: I felt like it achieved what we all want… an easy-to-grasp phone for on-the-go, but a tablet-like screen at all other idle times (commuting, waiting in line, sitting on the couch). The Pixel Fold 5 is almost too big on the outside, negating my desire to open it up oftentimes. Really, I’d like to see Samsung make the Fold 6 in 2024 a smidge wider, but remain one-hand-friendly.

7. It’s the best phone for productivity

I carry around both an iPhone and an Android phone, and the Samsung Galaxy Fold 5 has become my dominant smartphone. It has true multitasking support and a much bigger screen to actually make multiple windows functional.

Throw in the use of the S Pen, and Samsung’s increasingly usable OneUI software, and you’ve got a productivity winner on a 7.6-inch screen. If only it had iMessage, I could forget about ever tracking the iPhone 15 Pro Max release date.

8. The S Pen got smaller with the Fold 5

I’m a big S Pen user, but I’ve found it difficult to hold onto the stylus with the Fold 4. I even forget it when I wanted to record a 1:1 meeting with a Samsung exec while in Korea for their Unpacked launch event. it’s easy to misplace because there has been no good place to holster the accessory – until now.

Yes, there was a phone case with an S Pen compartment before, but it was bulky and I could never pull the trigger on buying it. This year, the slim S Pen case comes with a much more compact S Pen and compartment, making carrying the stylus feasible. Of course, this feels like a good holdover until maybe the Fold 6 embeds the S Pen into the actual phone, as we saw with the S23 Ultra earlier this year.

9. It has the fastest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip

I’ve tested games on the Z Fold 5 and it passes with flying video game colors. This is due in part because Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset is a part of this smartphone – Samsung’s biggest rivals have stuck to Gen 1 (Moto Razr+) and the slower Google Tensor G2 chips. Not everyone will notice the difference, but gamers will almost certainly detect the slowdown over time.

10. Wow factor: Fold 5 is extremely fun to use

When I first reviewed Samsung’s original Fold (before it was called the Z Fold), I suggested it was “the most forward-thinking phone you shouldn’t buy.” That’s because there was going to be a generation two less than a year later and Samsung was going to improve the durability of its novel idea. I was right.

Five generations later, it still turns heads. People instantly want to know how this bendable screen works, what unique features it has and… when the functionality is coming to an iPhone (of course). Whomp, Whomp.

This has always been an advantage to Samsung and many other Android phones – you get some early adopter perks Apple isn’t willing to try. Clearly, through the use of enhanced trade-in values, Samsung is trying to make that point to iPhone users today.