This was a great week for Samsung fans. The company unveiled new foldable phones at the Unpacked event on July 26. This was Samsung's first Unpacked event in Seoul, South Korea, and I was particularly excited to attend the event on the company's home turf. It was an incredible experience with the highlight most definitely being the new devices that it has unveiled.
Samsung is confident that the new Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5 will be able to achieve incredible results in the market. The company expects to sell 50% more units than it did last year. It also believes that the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is going to attract the majority of the sales. This has already been the case with previous iterations. I feel that the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is just going to extend this gap even further.
I've been the biggest supporter of Samsung's foldable phones ever since the original Galaxy Fold was released in 2019. I've owned every one of them since then. They have remained my daily drivers. Even though Samsung has released very capable Galaxy S flagships during the same period, I've only ever used Galaxy Z Fold models after the first one came out.
I felt that these devices ticked all of the boxes for me. They had a big display which made it easier for me to keep up with my work while on the road. Later models had S Pen support and that was really a blessing in disguise. The cameras were good enough, the performance was always top-notch, and Samsung eventually improved the durability as well.
The clamshell Galaxy Z Flip models have always received their due appreciation from me but I never felt the need to give up my trusty Galaxy Z Folds for them. All of the people around me who have been using them for years sing their praises nonstop but they never felt quite appealing to me, until now.
Samsung's latest clamshell, the Galaxy Z Flip 5, has made me entertain the idea of switching over for the first time. There are a couple of reasons why. Firstly, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 doesn't bring many significant changes. Sure, it gets a new chipset, but you also get the same chipset with the Galaxy Z Flip 5. There's a new hinge that eliminates the panel gap, and guess what, the Flip 5 has that also. Beyond that, there's not much to write home about, as far as the larger model is concerned.
On the other hand, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 has really come into its own this year. Even though the other changes are similarly limited, the larger cover display not only makes the device more useful when it's folded, but it has also considerably elevated its look, particularly when you buy the matte finish versions exclusive to Samsung.com.
The earlier iterations didn't appeal to me the way the Galaxy Z Flip 5 does. It largely because of the new cover display because now I can get more done without having to fold the device every single time and also because it's a change that entices me more. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 doesn't excite me in the same way and thus provides me with little incentive to switch.
Let me get this point across rather simply taking the example of Barbie and Oppenheimer, two movies that everyone seems to be talking about these days. Even though the Galaxy Z Flip's colorful, upbeat, and youthful vibe is as odds with the rather sombre, mature, and business-like vibe of the Galaxy Z Fold, which I always felt was more aligned with my disposition, a great balance has been struck this year with the Galaxy Z Flip 5 which provides the best of both worlds in a sense.
As a loyal Samsung fan, I look forward to products from the company that excite me, encourage me to look beyond my comfort zone, and deliver an exceptional user experience. I feel that the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is going to do well on all of those accounts. That's why I'm going to make the switch over to the clamshell and pick up the Galaxy Z Flip 5.
If you'd like to buy one of Samsung's new foldables, here's how you can save $50 on the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Fold 5 instantly. Pre-orders are open now with August 11 confirmed as the release date.
