How Samsung's New Folding Galaxy Phones Stack Up Against the Competition

Samsung's new folding phones are getting a thumbs-up from experts. 

The latest offerings from Samsung, the Galaxy Z Flip5 and Galaxy Fold5, boast a sleeker and lighter design than their predecessors. The new phones also have improved hinges and brighter displays. 

"Both phones have had a hardware upgrade, carrying the latest Snapdragon processor, and software upgrades add features such as being able to drag-and-drop files between programs on the Pixel Fold," Steven Athwal, founder of The Big Phone Store, told Lifewire in an email interview. 

Better Galaxy Folding Phones

One big selling point of the new Galaxy phones is their new hinge design which Samsung claims makes them stronger and "aesthetically balanced." The hinge also lets you take pictures from different angles. 

"Samsung is revolutionizing the mobile industry with foldables by setting the standard and continually refining the experience," TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics, said in a news release.

The clamshell-style Flip5 now features a larger 3.4-inch front notification screen, which adds functionality for widgets, including a full-size keyboard for quick replies, without needing to open the device, Athwal noted. The front screen can also be used as a photo preview for taking high-quality selfies with the rear camera. 

"While the Fold5 has definitely been slimmed down, both phones feel slimmer now thanks to the new flex hinge, which allows the screen to fold flat—much like the Pixel Fold—as well as having fewer moving parts and fewer chances for the phone to develop a fault," he added. 

The enhanced Taskbar lets users swiftly switch between frequently used apps. Also, the improved two-handed drag-and-drop supposedly enhances productivity by simplifying moving content between apps and screens. For instance, in Samsung Gallery, users can touch and hold an image with one finger, then use another finger to open the Samsung Notes app.

The new phones both carry an IPX8 rating, which means that although they can be fully submerged in water, neither phone has received an official dust-resistance rating. 

"This raises the question of whether the hinge mechanism in this phone could allow dust into the workings," Athwal said.

Samsung says the new phones are also better for the planet. The Galaxy Z Flip5 and Fold5 use a broader range of recycled materials than their predecessors. These include pre-consumer recycled glass and aluminum and post-consumer recycled plastics sourced from discarded fishing nets, water barrels, and PET bottles. Even the packaging box for these devices is environmentally conscious and is made from 100 percent recycled material.

Samsung vs the Competition

The folding phone market is growing more crowded, including the recently released Pixel Fold and Motorola's Razr+. Athwal said the most apparent difference between a phone like the Fold5 versus Google's Pixel Fold is the form factor. 

"The Pixel Fold's outer screen is just as wide as any other modern-day smartphone, if maybe a little less tall," he added. "Samsung has taken the opposite approach, keeping the full height of their flagship phones but making the screen thinner. This has pros and cons—making the device easier to operate one-handed but less compatible with some applications."

The Galaxy uses a  different design philosophy than Google's folder, Reddit user chrisdpratt said in a forum thread. 

"The Galaxy Fold is a big phone that can be folded to go in your pocket easier," he wrote. "The experience is designed to use the inner screen as much as possible, and the cover screen is just for quickly checking notifications. The Pixel Fold is designed to be a fairly normal phone that can open up into a tablet if you want."

Compared to Motorola's Razr+, which has an IP52 rating, the Flip5 has much better water resistance but lacks the Razr's level "5" dust resistance credentials, Athwal noted. He said that with the Flip5, Samsung has now caught up to the design of the Razr, which was the first clamshell foldable to feature an edge-to-edge outer display.

"All foldable phones currently on the market feature a noticeable crease down the middle of the phone screen, and Samsung's foldables can be particularly large and noticeable," Athwal said. "But they're nothing to be concerned about, as these screens are rated for thousands of openings and closures that should easily last the lifetime of your phone."