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 not expecting to see the device until quite late in 2023, so there aren’t too many rumors about just yet – but we have heard a few tidbits, and you’ll find all of those below, along with information on the phone’s possible release date and price.

We’ll also be updating this article whenever any new leaks or rumors 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.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? Samsung’s next flagship foldable phone
• When is it out? Probably July or August 2023
• How much will it cost? Likely around $1,799 / £1,649 / AU$2,499

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 release date and price

The only release date rumor so far suggests that Samsung will start mass-producing the hinges for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 almost a month early.  A follow-up report from Sammobile claimed the phone would be launched on the last week of July which could mean the phone will launch early too – potentially in the middle of August rather than at the end of the month.

Why were we otherwise expecting August? Well, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 was announced on August 10 of 2022, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 was unveiled on August 11 of 2021. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 was also announced in August of its release year, albeit slightly earlier on August 5. This is because Samsung often holds its Unpacked event in August and has done so for years.

In other words, if Samsung doesn’t break pattern, early to mid-August seems likely for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. These announcements all happened on a Wednesday too, so our best guess for a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 release date is Wednesday, August 9 of 2023.

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.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 news and leaks

One of the first Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 leaks pointed to the foldable having a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset.

That would be 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.

The same source also suggests the phone 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.

We now have 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.

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. This has since been backed up by a second report, which adds that the phone will be waterproof. More evidence to support the enhanced dust resistance emerged later from another tipster, though it was unclear if the company would go the distance or if it was something merely being considered. If it did, the foldable would be the first of Samsung’s to adopt IP68 certification, rather than the IPX8 it currently sports.

Returning to the foldable’s overall durability, 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 would be 254 grams. This means 9 grams lighter. Ice also shared some specs giving additional color to reports of the size, weight, and gapless hinge. 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.  

Elsewhere, a recent 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.

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

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 a 7.6-inch main screen that’s brighter than its predecessor’s, plus a 120Hz refresh rate on both displays, 12GB of RAM, improved speakers, an improved under-display camera, better durability, and an improved vibration motor.

It will also apparently have an IPX8 rating (in contrast to reports that it would sport a full IP68 one), and be able to shoot in up to 8K quality at 30fps.

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.