Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5

Unfolding the Galaxy Z Flip 5 reveals a familiar 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED display that supports FHD+ resolution and up to 120Hz refresh rate. It's an edge-to-edge screen with only the border acting as bezels. It's a vibrant and sharp display, in case you were wondering. The main screen's 22:9 tall aspect ratio makes it less useful for consuming entertainment as you'll see thick black bars on either side. It's a nice screen for any app that requires you to scroll.To make the most of the Galaxy Z Flip 5's foldable form factor, you can place the phone half open, allowing you to watch a video on the top half of the screen and scroll through comments on the bottom, or use the bottom portion as a trackpad to scroll through emails or swipe through pictures in the gallery, and more.Note: Labs is where you also need to enable the Flex mode panel to be able to use additional controls like the trackpad on the bottom of the screen while the phone is folded upright.

The overall form factor and foldable shape aren't all that different from its predecessor. Samsung has improved the hinge design in a way that the phone closes flat without showing any visible gap where the two halves meet. To recall, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and older versions had a noticeable gap, which made it easier for dust to enter. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is IPX8 rated, which means you can immerse it in water when you go swimming but try not to drop it in the sand when you're on a desert safari!The hinge remains sturdy as ever, allowing you to prop the phone in a few ways. You won't be able to flip open the device with one hand, but the satisfaction of folding it shut with a loud snap after a bad call is as good as ever. The fingerprint sensor on the right side of the frame might require a couple of your fingerprints depending on which ones you use to unlock the phone when folded and unfolded.Apart from the two camera sensors jutting out on the cover screen, you get one more in-screen camera on the main display. The earpiece doubles up as a speaker to offer stereo speaker support. Lastly, you get the phone in a variety of flavours ranging from Graphite to Cream, including a pleasing Mint colour which is the one I received for review.Well, since the Z Flip 5 features a foldable design that doesn't provide a tablet-like experience like the Fold 5, the phone is better suited for those seeking style over functionality. The sleek, pocketable device encourages more frequent use of the smaller cover screen, which reduces interactions with distracting apps and, consequently, limits screen time.

The cameras on the Galaxy Z Flip 5 are actually impressive. There are two 12MP sensors on the cover screen, one for regular 1x photos and the other for wide-angle shots. The primary camera manages to capture lively photos in daylight, offering pleasing colours and good dynamic range. I was quite happy with low-light shots as well, with the camera offering just the right amount of brightness and contrast to make nightlife scenes look vibrant. The wide-angle lens doesn't drastically change the colour scheme of a wide-angle scene, bringing some consistency between the two lenses. That said, you won't get the best detailing when you zoom in on wide-angle shots.

A new flagship phone means a new chipset, and the Galaxy Z Flip 5 features the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Rest assured that this chipset delivers snappy performance no matter what tasks you throw at it. However, I don't see the Galaxy Z Flip 5 being used for intensive gaming or heavy workloads of any kind. It's simply not designed for that purpose. But even if you do use it for said purposes, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 will not disappoint.Nevertheless, the phone can get warm during extended gaming sessions or extended use of the camera app, likely due to the device's compact form factor. The device comes with 8GB of RAM, and you have the option to allocate additional virtual RAM (up to 8GB) via Settings to ensure a smooth multitasking experience.The Galaxy Z Flip 5 runs on Android 13 out of the box with OneUI 5.1 on top. Anyone familiar with a Samsung phone knows the UI is clean and easy to use, with little to no bloatware. Perhaps the best part about the Galaxy Z Flip 5's software is the support that the company is promising to offer - four years of major OS updates and five years of security patches. This means the Galaxy Z Flip 5 will stay relevant, at least on the software side of things, for years to come.You can answer a call using the bottom speaker in its folded state, or unfold the device to use the earpiece. During the review period, I did not face any call drops or connectivity issues. Voice clarity was absolutely fine. I used the Galaxy Z Flip 5 on Airtel 5G Plus, and here's the speed I got in Gurgaon, Haryana.

Samsung has upgraded a lot of things about the Galaxy Z Flip 5, but the battery isn't one of them. You get the same 3,700mAh battery that was present in the Flip 4 as well. It is good enough to take you through a full day with regular usage, but not more than that. You should be able to get anywhere between 4 to 4.5 hours of screen time. If you're upgrading from the Galaxy Z Flip 4, you might notice some improvement in the battery life thanks to the power-efficient processor.That said, you will most definitely need to recharge the phone once at least by the end of the day, and you should do so with a 25W PD fast charger. You don't get a charging brick in the box, so you'll have to buy Samsung's own 25W adapter or a compatible third-party fast charger. It takes roughly 90 minutes to fully charge the phone, which is rather slow for a phone that costs Rs 1 lakh.