Samsung's new foldable phones return with upgraded hinges, bigger screens

Samsung Electronics on Wednesday unveiled its new Galaxy foldable smartphone series with a bigger screen, lighter weight and a new hinge design, expressing confidence in realizing an “innovative foldable phone experience” for users.

The South Korean tech giant kicked off the summer edition of the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023 event at Coex in southern Seoul at 8 p.m., with some 1,500 journalists and industry people in attendance.

Wednesday’s event was all the more special to Samsung, since it marked its first Galaxy Unpacked on home turf, as well as advancing the event schedule from the usual August to July. The changes showed Samsung’s confidence in solidifying its No. 1 position in the foldable market as the world’s first smartphone maker to roll out a foldable phone -- the Galaxy Fold -- in 2019.

“Samsung Electronics has innovated the mobile industry with its foldable technology and set a new standard,” Samsung’s mobile chief Roh Tae-moon said. “The Galaxy Z Flip5 and Galaxy Z Fold5 are the latest releases of Samsung's promise to deliver experiences tailored to the needs of a wide range of customers through innovative technologies.”

Samsung touted the compact design, a variety of customizable features and drastic improvements to the overall functions of its latest foldable smartphone lineup: The Galaxy Z Flip5 and Galaxy Z Fold5. In particular, the display's new water drop-style hinge design, called the “Flex Hinge,” makes the new phones thinner than their predecessors.

Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chips are designed to offer a more powerful performance and longer-lasting battery. The thicker shock-absorbing layer and the back support of the display alleviate the impact on the smartphones’ screens.

The vertically folding Galaxy Z Flip5 phone is equipped with a new 3.4-inch cover screen, called the Flex Window, is larger than the previous model. It allows users to express their individuality in more diverse ways using watch styles, photos and videos. The feature can match the watch face of the new Galaxy Watch 6 smartwatch series.

The device offers the most diverse camera experience among Galaxy smartphones by running its camera directly from the cover screen and taking high-definition photos using the 12-megapixel camera on the back with the FlexCam feature.

Without unfolding the smartphone, users can also use the quick view function to delete and save their favorite photos. Using artificial intelligence technologies, the enhanced camera system also allows optimal camera performance at night or in low-light conditions, and the AI-powered image signal processing feature corrects visual noise in low-quality images while adjusting details and colors.

The horizontally folding Galaxy Z Fold5 has the lightest and thinnest design among the Galaxy Z Fold series, while providing both portability and powerful performance. Compared to the first generation of the Galaxy Fold, multitasking has been further strengthened, and new features optimized for foldable devices have been added this time.

The 7.6-inch main screen provides a wide view. It supports a maximum brightness of 1,750 nits, which is about 30 percent better than the previous edition, allowing for a brighter and clearer screen even under sunlight.

Users can quickly switch between four recently used apps. Switching between apps and a screen has also become more convenient, such as selecting an image from the Gallery app with one hand and opening Samsung Notes with the other hand to easily paste an image.

The hidden pop-up function allows the user to move an app to the corner of the screen, to open a messenger and chat with friends while still watching a video on full screen. The new S Pen Fold Edition of the thinner Galaxy Z Fold5 is also more convenient and easier to use for real-time note-taking and ideation.

The Galaxy Z Flip5 and Galaxy Z Fold5 will be released in Korea on Aug. 11, with the presales period to be held between Aug. 1 and 7.

Prices for the Galaxy Z Flip5 and Galaxy Z Fold5 have been set from 1.4 million won ($1,100) to 1.52 million won and 2.1 million won to 2.47 million won, respectively, depending on the storage.

Color options for the Galaxy Z Flip5 are mint, graphite, cream and lavender, while the Galaxy Z Fold5 will be available in ice blue, phantom black and cream. More color options will be available for customers who purchase the new foldable devices from the company’s official online outlet and at Samsung Gangnam, the tech giant's flagship store near Gangnam Station in southern Seoul.