Hands-on with the Galaxy Z Fold 5: Subtle refinement or homogeny?

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All prior Galaxy Unpacked events took place across Europe, the USA, and one time even in South America. But never in South Korea. That changed with this year's H2 event, as Samsung unveiled its latest tablets, wearables, and foldable phones on stage at Unpacked in Seoul. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 took the spotlight earlier today, and we had a chance to spend some hands-on time with the device.

We invite you to check out the video below for our Galaxy Z Fold 5 hands-on and first impressions, and of course, for a closer look at Samsung's latest book-like foldable.

Some of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 highlights consist of a gapless hinge design and a foldable display that can shine as bright as the AMOLED panel on the Galaxy S23 Ultra. The phone also comes in one new color option.

Better build and a few hardware upgrades, but also much of the same

Like the models that came before it, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 retains an IPX8 water-resistance rating and an Armor Aluminum. Samsung claims the hinge has a dual rail structure that can diffuse external impacts. Exactly how this will turn out in independent durability tests remains to be seen, but rest assured, we didn't torture-test the Galaxy Z Fold 5 in our hands-on video.

We also had our first look at the new One UI 5.1.1 update, which boasts an improved Taskbar that lets you switch between your most frequently used apps with ease. There's also a two-handed drag-and-drop feature that could prove very useful among productivity users.

We'll have a more detailed Galaxy Z Fold 5 review ready for you soon. But if you like what you see so far and want to buy the Galaxy Z Fold 5, it is available for pre-order until it hits the shelves on August 11.

Remember that pre-order customers can benefit from various market-dependent offers, from enhanced trade-in deals and free storage upgrades to Samsung Care+ bonuses. Make sure you refer to your Samsung online store for details.

Mihai Matei - Senior Editor

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First Samsung device: SGH-A800

Mihai is a blogger and column writer at SamMobile. His first Samsung phone was an A800 which took a lot of beating, and a part of him still misses the novelty of the clamshell design. In his free time, he enjoys watching shows, documentaries, and stand-up comedy; listening to music, taking walks, and occasionally playing old(er) video games.

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