Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 boasts the largest upgrades of the Flip lineup to date. In addition to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, Samsung added a 3.4-inch external display, making it possible to scroll social media, respond to text messages, or even run full apps without opening the device.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 features the same great 6.7-inch internal display as its successor, and the Snapdragon 888 chip remains a powerhouse. While it’s not the newest phone on the block, it still does the job if you don’t need the Flip 5’s bigger external display.
If you own aSamsung Galaxy Z Flip 3, you might have an itch to upgrade after seeing one of the temptingGalaxy Z Flip 5 offers. For the first time on the Flip series, the external display is large enough for scrolling social media and responding to text messages. Samsung also redesigned the hinge, so the device now closes flat. In addition, the Flip 5 features the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, bringing performance in line with Samsung’s other flagship devices. While all those things sound tempting, does it make for a worthy upgrade from the Flip 3?
Price, specs & availability
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is available through Samsung starting at $999. It’s available in two storage configurations: 256 or 512GB. While the Flip 3 is no longer available through Samsung, you can occasionally find it on Amazon at a deep discount from its original price, with 128 or 256GB variants.
At first glance, there’s only one difference between the Flip 5 and Flip 3: the larger external display on the Flip 5, which covers almost the whole of the phone’s front side. Aside from that, the devices look similar. It’s only when you pick up the Flip 5 that you notice some of the improvements that Samsung has made, most importantly that the hinge now closes flat.
While that may not seem like a big deal, the ability to close the phone flat makes the device less susceptible to dirt and debris getting inside the display while closed, which goes some way to make up for the fact that, like the Flip 3, the new phone has an IPX8 rating for water-resistance but no guaranteed dust protection.
More than that though, the new hinge just feels better. The Flip 5 feels more solid and sturdy than the Flip 3, whether it’s open or shut, so the phone should be more likely to hold up over time. It’s a little more comfortable to hold while closed too, which matters since you’ll be getting a lot more use out of that outer display.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 also features a new mint colorway, adding to the lavender, cream, and graphite available on the Flip 3 - plus a range of extra colours available exclusively through Samsung’s webstore. It’s always good to have fresh colors put into rotation, although I wish Samsung wasn’t afraid of making them a bit more saturated.
While the inner displays of the Flip 5 and Flip 3 are practically identical, the outer screens couldn’t be more different. If you’re seriously considering an upgrade, it’s most likely because of the external display available on the Flip 5.
Samsung has replaced the 1.9-inch cover screen of the Flip 3 with a 3.4-inch Super AMOLED panel. While it’s not the highest resolution we’ve seen on an external display - nor quite as large as the screen on theMotorola Razr+- it packs enough space for a keyboard and even runs a limited selection of full Android apps, meaning you can reply to texts or check Google Maps directions without ever opening the phone. If you love your Flip 3 but are frustrated by the small screen, the Flip 5 is the upgrade you’ve been waiting for.
On the inside, the Flip 5 and Flip 3 both feature excellent 6.7-inch 1080p AMOLED displays refreshing at 120Hz. Samsung manufactures stellar displays, and these are no exception - though they’re similar enough that the Flip 5 doesn’t offer an obvious upgrade in this respect.
As expected, the Flip 5 and Flip 3 both now run OneUI 5.1 based onAndroid 13. I understand it’s a personal preference, but I really enjoy what Samsung has done with OneUI. It’s been an impressive transformation from the pain of TouchWiz to the silky smooth experience of OneUI. Samsung has managed to turn a weakness into a strength.
While there won’t be much difference in the software experience between these two devices, software support is a different story. If you upgrade to the Flip 5, you’re picking up two additional years of software support and major Android upgrades, with support all the way through to 2028. The Flip 3 is still supported until 2026 though, so attempt to decide how likely you are to upgrade before that.
Performance
Even though two years separate the Qualcomm chips powering the Flip 5 and Flip 3, you’ll still find both are more than capable of keeping up with daily tasks. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the Flip 5 is the latest flagship chipset from Qualcomm, and includes the same Samsung-exclusive upgrades you’ll find in theGalaxy S23 seriesorZ Fold 5. That makes the Flip 5 one of the most powerful Android phones on the market, so it’ll breeze through anything you throw at it.
The older Snapdragon 888 that drives the Flip 3 is no slouch though, and it can still run even fairly demanding games at high frame rates, and intensive apps rarely slow it down. If I have a complaint about the 888, it’s about the power efficiency and heat - the Flip 3 tends to heat up. It’s not a design fault of the Flip 3, as I’ve tested several devices running the same SoC that have also heated up. It doesn’t affect performance much, but it does hurt battery life.
Between the 3,300mAh battery and the power-hungry Snapdragon 888, my Flip 3 struggled to maintain four hours of screen-on-time. It was frustrating, and it often limited what I felt I could do throughout the day. Once you get under 50%, you question whether you really need to recheck Twitter. While that might benefit some, it’s not always a good feeling. We don’t spend nearly $1,000 on these phones to keep them in our pockets.
The Flip 5 solves that problem both with a larger 3,700mAh battery and with added power efficiency from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The result is battery life worthy of the Flip 5’s price tag and enough to keep you going all day.
Much like the inner displays of the Flip 5 and Flip 3, the camera systems are nearly identical. Both feature 12MP main shooters with 12MP ultra-wide lenses. As with most modern smartphones, it’s less a function of the lenses and more of the computational photography behind them. Even though both devices can take good images, neither camera system will be confused for being flagship quality. It’s been a point of contention for Galaxy Flip and Fold users for years, and it’s part of the trade-off for the form factor. If image quality is your top priority, foldables might not be worth looking at just yet.
Should you upgrade?
Even though the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is still a fantastic device capable of every daily task, the additions and improvements Samsung has made to the Flip 5 make it a worthy upgrade. The external display allows more versatility in using your phone without opening the device. In comparison to the Flip 3, the battery life is significantly better, and the chipset powering it is more efficient as well.
The best Z Flip foldable yet
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 upgrades the cover display, chipset, battery, and hinge, making for a pretty comprehensive overhaul. Z Flip 3 owners will find enough that’s new here to justify the upgrade.
If you stick with your Flip 3, you’ll have few regrets. The phone looks great and has a fantastic internal display. It still has the power to get the job done for most purposes - just be careful how much you use it! You never know when that battery will run out.
Still powerful, but past its prime
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 has still got it where it counts, so if the Flip 5’s big outer display doesn’t tempt you then there’s no harm in hanging onto the older phone - though unless you find a great price it’s probably not worth picking up a new Z Flip 3 now.
