Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs. Galaxy Z Flip 4: Spotting the difference is like playing 'Where's Waldo?'

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is is here, and while Samsung tried to seduce us with flashy pomp and circumstance at Unpacked 2023, I'm not convinced its upgrades will eclipse shinier, more alluring rivals on the market like the Motorola Razr+.

The improvements are so iterative, finding the differences between the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and the Galaxy Z Flip 4 feels like you're playing "Where's Waldo?" Although there aren't many upgrades that make me want to scramble along to Samsung to snatch a variant for myself, I commend Samsung for actually listening to users' feedback regarding the Galaxy Z Flip 4.

The cover screen, for example, certainly needed an overhaul, and fortunately, Samsung made those necessary changes with the Galaxy Z Flip 5. Curious to see how else the new-gen foldable differs form its predecessor? Stick around for our face-off.

Note: This story is developing as Unpacked 2023 unfolds ...

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs. Galaxy Z Flip 4: price  

Everything seems to be going up nowadays, so it's a relief that the Galaxy Z Flip 5's price is staying put at $999 — the same launch price as the Galaxy Z Flip 4. The entry-level model comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. If you need more storage, you can upgrade to 512GB. (For a limited time, Samsung is offering a free storage upgrade at $999, but once this sale ends, you'll have to shell out an extra $200 for the 512GB variant.)

When the Galaxy Z Flip 4 launched at Unpacked 2022, it had a starting price of $999, but offered only 128GB of storage. As such, you're getting more storage for your buck with the Galaxy Z Flip 5. If you have the Galaxy Z Flip 4, you can trade it in for the Galaxy Z Flip 5, and you'll only have to shell out $99 for the new-gen foldable. If you don't have a Galaxy Z Flip 4, visit Samsung.com to see how much you can get in trade-in credit.)

With the Galaxy Z Flip 5 giving you more storage for your money, it's clear which phone offers the better value. You can pre-order the new flippy foldable here at Samsung.com.

Winner: Galaxy Z Flip 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs. Galaxy Z Flip 4: Specs 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs. Galaxy Z Flip 4: Design 

Both have the same clamshell, compact design that fits right in your pocket. Flipping the Galaxy Z Flip 5 open reveals an identical 6.7-inch, 2640 x 1080-pixel, Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a 120Hz variable refresh rate.

However, where the difference lies is the cover screen. Samsung listened to our cries and made the Galaxy Z Flip 5's cover screen larger. Instead of sporting the Galaxy Z Flip 4's tiny, 1.9-inch, Super AMOLED 260 x 512-pixel cover screen, you get nearly double the screen real estate with a new 3.4-inch, AMOLED 720 x 748-pixel panel with a 60Hz refresh rate.

Now, let's talk about dimensions and weight.

Looking at the chart above, not much has changed from generation to generation. It appears that the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is negligibly lengthier, but slightly thinner when folded. But other than that, the new-gen flippable has similar dimensions and weight as its predecessor.

Splashing some newness to the monotony, Samsung introduced a slew of new colors with the Galaxy Z Flip 5, including Mint, Graphite, Cream and Lavender. You can also get the Flip 5 in Gray, Blue, Green and Yellow, but you can only secure these via Samsung.com. The Galaxy Z Flip 4, on the other hand, offers finishes in Graphite, Pink Gold, Blue, and Bora Purple.

Winner: Galaxy Z Flip 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs. Galaxy Z Flip 4: Display 

I reviewed the Galaxy Z Flip 4 last year, and one of my biggest complaints was its cover screen. While I adored its cool features (e.g. you can reply to text messages without opening your phone), it also doubles as a viewfinder for selfies, which never really made much sense to me. You can't see much of yourself on that tiny 1.9-inch screen.

That's why I'm relieved to find out that Samsung enlarged the Galaxy Z Flip 5's cover display to a 3.4-inch panel. Hallelujah! That means you have more space for viewfinding, checking notifications, sifting through emails, glancing at missed calls, and more.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 kicks this up a notch this year, so a quick swipe up gives you access to your credit cards, QR codes, IDs, concert tickets, boarding passes, and more via Samsung Wallet. You can swipe down for Settings, right for notifications, and left for all of your widgets (e.g., Weather, Samsung Health, Google Finance).

The Galaxy Z Flip 5's aforementioned inner display is exactly the same as its predecessor. It sports a  6.7-inch, Dynamic AMOLED 2x, HDR10+ display. The dearth of upgrades here lulls me to sleep, but on the plus side, this is one of those moments I must reluctantly use the ol' trite and overused "why fix something that's not broken?" cliché. When I tested the Galaxy Z Flip 4 last year, I was impressed with its sharp, rich picture, so I can't complain.

Winner: Galaxy Z Flip 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs. Galaxy Z Flip 4: Performance

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 packs a 4-nanometer, Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU, which is also featured inside the OnePlus 11 and Samsung Galaxy 23 Ultra. This is a step up from the Galaxy Z Flip 4's Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset. On the Geekbench 5 test, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 delivered a multi-core score of 4,105.

We don't have the performance numbers for the Galaxy Z Flip 5 yet, but to offer you some perspective, the One Plus 11 and the Galaxy S23 Ultra hit multi-core scores of 4,962 and 5,081, respectively. These figures beat the Google Pixel Fold's measly 1,909 score, and we expect the Galaxy Z Flip 5 to do the same.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs. Z Flip 4: Battery Life  

We haven't had a chance to test the Galaxy Z Flip 5's battery runtime just yet, but there's a good chance it won't be much different from its predecessor. Like the Z Flip 4, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 sports a 3,700 mAh battery.

On the Laptop Mag battery test, which involves continuous web surfing at 150 nits of brightness on a mobile network, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 lasted 8 hours and 33 minutes. However, keep in mind that competitors like the Google Pixel Fold (10 hours and 21 minutes) and the Motorola Razr+ (10 hours and 9 minutes) offer longer runtimes.

Winner: Draw

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs. Flip 4: Cameras  

Where's my magnifying glass? The camera upgrade on the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is so miniscule, you'll miss it. Let me give you a rundown of the camera specs for both the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and its predecessor — and then tell me if you can spot the difference.

It's like playing "Where's Waldo?", isn't it? Everything is the same except for the selfie camera. The front-facing camera on the Galaxy Z Flip 5 has a wider aperture (f/2.2 vs. f/2.4), which means that it can gather more light. It should also perform better in low-light conditions. In other words, you'll get enhanced nightography with the Galaxy Z Flip 5.

Other than that, you're still getting two 12MP wide and ultra-wide cameras and a 10MP selfie shooter. It's the software, however, that got a big boost this year. For example, the Galaxy Z Flip 5's rear cameras are enhanced with AI, which ensures that pictures have reduced noise and better quality. Samsung claims that this results is crisper, sharper photos and videos (even if you're zooming in or filming in low-light conditions).

The most salient upgrade with the Galaxy Z Flip 5 camera experience stems from the new-and-improved cover display. Doubling as a viewfinder, you can zoom in or out to snap your selfies. You can also use its UI to select different aspect ratios to capture your group selfies. Speaking of group selfies, if you decide to put the phone down to take one, the camera will automatically sift from wide to ultrawide, ensuring everyone stays in the frame.

Thanks to its Super Steady feature, capturing videos on the go should feel as if you're holding a gimbal.

If you have a Galaxy Watch, you can use it to control the Galaxy Z Flip 5's camera directly from your wrist. You can snap photos, film videos, pause, and zoom.

Overall winner: Inconclusive

I don't feel comfortable choosing a winner just yet. Without getting information on battery life, performance, and other benchmarks, it's difficult to see which phone is better. While I expect the Galaxy Z Flip 5 to outperform its predecessor, battery life is difficult to predict. There's a chance that battery life may even take a dip because of the new-gen foldable's larger cover display, but I do hope I'm wrong.

In my opinion, battery runtime will be the determining factor behind which Galaxy Z Flip is best. If the Galaxy Z Flip 5 cannot outpace its predecessor in battery life, I'll have to declare this foldable upgrade a failed one because the rest of its "improvements" are too negligible to be noteworthy. Stay tuned for updates to this page.