- Okay, so yesterday, I got my hands on the $999 Z Flip 5
and the $1,799 Z Fold 5.
Here's what you need to know.
(gentle upbeat music)
The biggest update comes to both devices this year.
It's a new flex hinge,
and it allows the phones to fold completely flat,
making for a slightly slimmer silhouette
similar to the Pixel Fold.
It took Samsung till the fifth generation of this device
to close the gap, but we're here now,
and it makes me a lot more comfortable
with putting this phone in a pocket,
knowing that nothing's gonna get lodged
between the two inner screens.
It also just makes the phones
look a lot more premium and finished.
Samsung also claims that this new design
makes the device more durable
with both devices featuring Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
on the front and back,
along with IPX8 water resistance and armor aluminum.
Internally, they both have a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
for Galaxy processor that we saw in the S23 lineup,
and Samsung claims that this processor
is tuned for their phones
and that it should make for higher clock speeds
and also better low-light video
with more accurate skin tones.
But, we'll have to put all this to test
in our review process,
and I think most folks
likely won't see a huge speed difference here.
All right, so the Z Flip 5.
On the inside,
it still has the same 6.7-inch internal FHD+ display
with an 120 hertz adaptive refresh rate.
But new this year is the front screen
or what Samsung refers to as the Flex Window.
The 3.4-inch display allows you to do more
without having to flip the device open.
So this includes being able to browse more notifications,
see a full calendar, or text on a full keyboard.
And of course, taking selfies is easier too,
with the added bonus
of being able to use the 12-megapixel main lens,
which takes noticeably better photos
than the internal 10-megapixel camera.
(people cheering)
There are also gestures on the front screen,
like swiping down for quick settings
or swiping from the left for notifications.
Basically, there is now a viable screen
on the front of this device
that can actually be used to do things.
And while I thought texting on a small keyboard
would be terrible,
it actually feels a lot like typing on a BlackBerry keyboard
like those tiny chiclet letter keys.
I wouldn't recommend sending full paragraphs from it,
but for a quick response, it's perfect.
The other big improvements are a new reflection coating
that reduces lens flaring on the cameras
and a thinner 15.1-millimeter profile when unfolded
because of the new hinge.
Samsung has always sold the Flip phone with this idea
that you can close out all the distractions of technology,
such as social media,
or I don't know, the World Wide Web as a whole.
But the problem was the outside screen
was never large enough to do the necessities,
like send a text or make a call.
But now, with that 3.4-inch screen,
you kind of have this minimalist phone on the outside,
one that allows you to do all of the necessary tasks
without actually having to open the phone
and then get distracted by everything else.
I think it's awesome.
Samsung's dream of a phone when you need it
and everything else when you want it,
it's finally come true.
And lastly, this isn't new, but everybody sleeps on it.
I call it Camcorder Mode, baby.
If you open the phone halfway while taking a video,
you can hold it like a camcorder.
And not only is video then filmed horizontally
like God intended,
but you also just like feel really cool doing it,
and I'd love to see more people doing this out in the world.
Come on.
Come on!
The Z Flip 5 will be available
in Graphite, Cream, Lavender, and Mint.
And now, the base storage starts at 256 gigs up from 128.
It'll be available on August 11th,
starting at the same $999 as last year's Z Flip 4.
(gentle upbeat music)
Okay, so the Z Fold 5,
it doesn't have the flashy screen improvements,
but it does have some quality of life updates.
The biggest is that the S Pen is 40% thinner,
which is an optional accessory.
It's still a bit chunky,
especially when you compare it to the S Pen
from the S23 Ultra,
but it does give you a bit more to hold onto,
which is more comfortable for long periods of use.
Don't use the S23 Ultra's S Pen on a Fold.
You might scratch the screens.
Also new, the Z Fold 5's main screen gets brighter
and it matches the peak brightness of the S23 Ultra
at 1,750 nits.
Then, there are some software improvements.
There is a two-handed dragon drop
that allows you to copy and paste between apps
using both your right and left hand.
Also new this year,
you can see four recent apps in the task bar instead of two,
multi windows and Flex Mode panels
are now more customizable,
and all of these software improvements
will also come to older Z fold models with a one UI update.
Overall, the Z Fold 5 feels a lot like the Z Fold 4,
which I think is still too skinny,
especially after using the Pixel Fold.
But I think people will be really pleased
with the phone's ability to fold flat.
It makes a noticeable difference
in how thick the device feels
and it makes it more comfortable in a pocket.
Not to mention that it just makes the whole device
look sleeker.
The Z Fold 5 comes in Icy Blue, Phantom Black, or Cream,
and it starts at $1,799 for the 256-gigabyte option.
It'll be available on August 11th.
Okay, so that's it.
Outside of the Flip
getting a much more useful outside screen
and the flip of the Fold,
both getting better hinge designs
that'll allow them to close flat,
there isn't a whole lot new this year,
which raises the question:
Is any of this enough to garner
some serious attention here in the US
in the foldable marketplace?
Is Google entering that marketplace going to help at all?
Are you gonna get a foldable?
Am I gonna buy a foldable?
I don't know why that went so off the rails.
I'm Becca, and I'll see you on the next one.
Okay, so, oh my God.
I got some new neighbors.
(chicken clucking)
"Move to the woods," they said.
"It's quieter," they said.
Please! Can it!