Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 (2023)

New 3.4-inch cover display way larger than before ; Best build quality of any clamshell foldable ; Tidy software and workable battery life

Cover display lacks full app functionality ; No zoom camera feels like a shortcoming ; 60Hz only on the cover display

As the title says: the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is flippin' great. In terms of design, build and visual appeal it's the best clamshell flip phone of 2023 bar none – including the also excellent Motorola Razr 40 Ultra in that assessment. However, despite...

Most powerful clamshell foldable on the market ; Superb long-term software support ; Finally usable battery life ; Versatile cover display

Colorways are a little lackluster ; Design is playing catch-up to rivals ; Even better battery life would be great ; UK and Australian pricing far higher than US

Despite being the most refined expression of Samsung’s clamshell foldable to date, the Z Flip 5 also marks the first time it's felt as though Samsung has had to play catch-up in a category it has, for the longest time, defined. But catch up it has, and...

Sublime design and capable cover screen ; Flagship-tier performance ; Streamlined software makes good use of flip form factor

Cameras haven’t stepped up in a meaningful way ; Battery life is just fine, and charging speeds could be better ; No 128GB option means higher price barrier

This fun and feature-packed phone isn’t quite perfect, but it nails the flip-style brief better than any rival.

Flex Window is a thoughtful upgrade ; Now folds completely flat ; Latest flagship processor by Qualcomm ; Great battery life ; Same starting price

Display crease remains ; No dust resistance ; No real upgrades to cameras

The TL;DR verdict : The crease hasn't left, but the new Flex Window offers plenty of practicality, making this a true premium flagship phone that's fun to use.

No more gap when folded shut Extremely well-built Hinge feels outstanding Much more useful cover screen Fantastic performance Good and dependable cameras 5 years of updates

The crease is still there Mediocre battery life Cover screen requires lots of tweaking

“The Galaxy Z Flip 5 keeps everything that worked about the Flip 4, then combines that with a larger cover screen and a nicer hinge.”

Finally - gapless design.

Heavily throttles under 100% CPU/GPU load.

The Galaxy Flips have been steadily evolving, and with the Z Flip5, Samsung is approaching that point where it would need to do something big soon. For this year, however, we think a cover display and hinge will do. We'd be happy recommending the...

Refined folding phones. Improved cameras and displays. External display on the Flip5 is more useful. Long software-update policy.

Expensive. Flip5’s external screen still has some restrictions, and battery life isn’t great. Fold5’s front screen is too narrow.