Time flies. We’re deep into the Ber months, and Christmas is just around the corner. This is the time of year we typically tend to spoil ourselves the most. And what better way to do so with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5?
This smartphone might be the ultimate gift you can give yourself this Christmas season. It can attend to all your work and play needs. I’ll be diving deeper into what makes this flagship smartphone a good option for your next splurge this December. Here’s a full review of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5:
Form and aesthetic
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 is part of the newest generation of foldable form factor smartphones released by Samsung earlier this year. One of its main draws is the new Flex Hinge which allows the phone to close fully flat. This means that any debris or dirt cannot enter the phone, unlike that of the previous generation.
The Z Fold5 is also quite durable thanks to the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protecting the front display from drops and scratches and the IPX8 water resistance, all while achieving a lighter and slimmer form factor than that of its predecessor (250g, 13.4mm). The frame is built from Armor Aluminum as well, which further contributes to its robust nature.
In terms of the design, the smartphone comes in three colorways – Icy Blue, Cream and Phantom Black. The unit I was able to test was the Phantom Black, which personally, is my preferred colorway. It’s quite sleek, with the matte finish providing a level of sophistication that I tend to look for in a flagship smartphone.
Display(s)
As a foldable, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 comes with two displays – the front and the inner display. The former is a 6.2” HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz refresh rate. While it was incredibly responsive, the viewing experience however didn’t quite cut it as the screen was a bit too slim for my liking.
The Inner display on the other hand was quite impressive. The Z Fold5 is equipped with a 7.6” QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED inner display with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The responsiveness was there similar to that of the front, but the viewing experience was excellent considering the larger screen and better resolution. It truly provided an immersive experience whether I was on Netflix or YouTube.
Flex mode also allows for a unique viewing experience as the control panel shifts to the lower half of the display while the video is on the upper. Personally, I would prefer to maximize the entire screen for the actual video, but it’s still nice to have that option.
The peak brightness of the inner display also receives an upgrade from the last generation, as it features 1,750 nits of peak brightness, which is around 34% brighter than the previous model.
With this smartphone’s impressive display (mainly the inner one for me), you can enjoy your much awaited leisure time by binging your favorite series and dramas or living vicariously through your favorite content creators. The holiday season is sure to be as vibrant as the Galaxy Z Fold5’s display.
Camera performance
The main camera system is composed of a 50MP wide-angle camera, a 12MP ultra-wide camera, and 10MP 3x optical zoom telephoto camera which remain unchanged from the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4. The same can be said for the selfie cameras. It’s equipped with a 10MP selfie camera on the front side, while a 4MP selfie camera is on the inner.
Sample shot using the 10MP selfie camera Sample shot using the 10MP selfie camera
1x zoom Ultra-wide angle shot
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 does feature a new AI technology that allows the camera to capture fine details to create incredible images. I may not be an expert photographer, but I was satisfied with the quality of the photos I took with this phone.
Night photography Night photography
Dual Preview also allows the subject to monitor the preview of the shots and adjust accordingly. This also gives you the option of taking high quality selfies using the main camera without having to worry.
Christmas time is all about making new memories, and there’s no better way of capturing these in high quality, whether it’s through photos or videos.
Under the hood
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. The new generation chipset allows for high quality gameplay as well as addressing all of your multitasking needs.
In terms of gaming, I did test out the Z Fold5 on a couple of titles – Call of Duty Mobile and Asphalt 9. I found the experience seamless and hitch-free even in the highest graphic setting. With a chipset like this, other popular titles such as Mobile Legends and Genshin Impact will for sure provide a similar experience as that of the previously mentioned titles.
Speaking of multitasking, this smartphone provides more than enough power for your everyday work needs as well. But apart from the power, the Multi Window settings allow you to perform multiple tasks all at once – be it surfing the web, browsing through social media, watching videos and many more.
At times, I found myself working and relaxing at the same time as I was answering my emails while consuming content on YouTube. But of course, this feature can be utilized in many unique ways with various different applications.
The task bar is meant to aid in your multitasking as well. It can hold up to 12 apps all at once while keeping four of your most recent ones. Swapping between your favorite apps has never been easier.
The smartphone is still compatible with the Samsung S Pen, with the new design being slimmer. This makes drawing, writing and navigating much easier which further contributes to your increased productivity.
These features will allow you to get more work done and finish sooner in time for the holidays. This in turn will give you more free time for your much awaited extended gaming sessions.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 also comes with several storage options – 256GB, which is the base model, 512GB and 1TB. All variants are equipped with 12GB of RAM. These are what you come to expect especially from a flagship device from Samsung.
Battery and charging
In terms of battery and charging, the Z Fold5 remains the same as that of the previous generation. It is still powered by a 4,400 mAh battery which will get you through the entire day at moderate usage.
25W charging is offered, again similar to that of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4, which is a bit on the low side considering this is a premium smartphone. However, it’s important to note that the phone only comes with the charging wire, which means you’ll need a 25W charging brick to match.
The trend for premium smartphones seems to be providing the charging wire and selling the brick separately, which is also being done by other big brands in the market (you know who you are).
Final verdict
If you’re in the market for a foldable this Christmas season, and you’re looking for a premium smartphone that can address your need for work-life balance, I don’t see why the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 can’t make your wishlist.
It’s a robust and powerful device that is both a gaming and a productivity powerhouse that will get you through the holiday season. You can expect however, that it is quite pricey with the 256GB variant starting at PHP89,990. If your wallet is deep enough and/or if you see that the current state of your smartphone warrants an upgrade, then by all means, go for it.
Reward yourself this Christmas if you must.
Photos by the author
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