Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: latest news, rumors and everything we know so far

Samsung has almost perfected the foldable phone over the last few years, and its upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is expected to be even better than the current models in its flagship foldable range. 

We’re not expecting to see the device until late July or early August, but there are plenty of leaks and rumors already, and you’ll find all of those below, along with information on the phone’s possible release date and price.

We’ll also be updating this article whenever any new leaks or rumors emerge, so keep it bookmarked if you want to stay in the loop.

Plus, at the bottom of this article, you’ll find a wish list of the key things we want to see from the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, to ensure it fixes all the issues with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4.

Cut to the chase

• What is it? Samsung’s next flagship foldable phone
• When is it out? Possibly July 26
• How much will it cost? Likely around $1,799 / £1,649 / AU$2,499

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 release date and price

• Possibly being announced on July 26
• Might ship on August 11
• Could cost the same as the Z Fold 4 – meaning $1,799 / £1,649 / AU$2,499

The biggest release date rumor so far suggests that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 will be announced on July 26, then shipped on August 11.

That’s early as Samsung usually unveils new foldables in August, but it lines up with other leaks, as we’d previously heard that Samsung was reportedly going to start mass-producing the hinges for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 almost a month early. 

A follow-up report from SamMobile claimed the phone would be announced in the last week of July, which lines up with the July 26 date above.

Still, we’d take all of this with a pinch of salt, as the Galaxy Z Fold 4 was announced on August 10 of 2022, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 was unveiled on August 11 of 2021. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 was also announced in August of its release year, albeit slightly earlier on August 5. This is because Samsung often holds its Unpacked event in August and has done so for years.

In other words, if Samsung doesn’t break pattern, early to mid-August would be most likely for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, but the latest leaks suggest the pattern will indeed be broken.

As for the price, we’ve heard that the phone might start at $1,799. If so then that’s the same as the Galaxy Z Fold 4, which elsewhere costs £1,649 / AU$2,499.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 design and display

• Might have a new waterdrop hinge design
• A brighter screen than before
• The design might mostly be similar to the Z Fold 4

First of all, colors: the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is going to be available in beige, black, light blue, dark blue and platinum, according to rumors. Hopefully there’s one there that takes your fancy if you’re interested in this foldable.

We’ve seen a series of unofficial renders showing us what the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 might look like – and apparently it’s going to look a lot like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 that came before it. You can see some of these renders a bit further down.

Images of a case supposedly for the phone have also now leaked, and they show the same design as below, meaning that the main visual change might just be the camera flash moving outside the camera block.

That said, we’ve also heard that the phone is apparently getting a waterdrop shape hinge, enabling the two sides of the device to lay completely flat against each other. That would improve the durability of the foldable, in theory. This has since been backed up by a second report, which adds that the phone will apparently be water resistant, just like the current model.

It might go beyond being water resistant though and also sport dust resistance according to another tipster, though it was unclear if the company would go the distance or if it was something merely being considered. If it did, the foldable would be the first of Samsung’s to adopt IP68 certification, rather than the IPX8 the current model sports.

Returning to the foldable’s supposed waterdrop hinge, a third report also backs this up, but adds that the Z Fold 5 will only be tested for 300,000 folds, while some rival phones (such as the Honor Magic Vs) are tested to 400,000. It also suggests the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 will be slightly thinner and lighter than the Z Fold 4, but won’t have any significant spec upgrades.

Adding some weight to that lightness report, tipster Ice Universe says the Fold 5 will be 254 grams. That would make it 9 grams lighter than the Fold 4. Ice also shared some dimensions , saying that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will be 154.9 x 129.9 x 6.1mm when open, and 154.9mm x 67.1 x 13.4mm when closed. That’s marginally smaller than the Z Fold 4.

Again, these are all details that need to be felt to be truly appreciated. 9 grams lighter is something that looks small on paper but would be better appreciated in the hand.

We’ve also heard that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 will apparently have a 6.2-inch cover screen, just like its predecessor. The same source possibly said that the design will be the same too, but the wording is ambiguous.

As for the main display, according to one source the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will have a 7.6-inch main screen that’s brighter than its predecessor’s, plus a 120Hz refresh rate on both displays, and better durability.

It will also apparently have an IPX8 rating (in contrast to some of the above reports that claim it would sport a full IP68 one).

Finally, as far as colors go, it is rumored to come in beige, black, and light blue by display analyst Ross Young.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 cameras and battery

• A triple-lens rear camera with a 50MP main sensor is rumored
• The under-display camera could be improved

One source suggests the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 will have a triple-lens rear camera with a 50MP main sensor. That’s exactly what the Galaxy Z Fold 4 has – with the other two sensors being a 12MP ultra-wide and a 10MP telephoto – so this might mean there aren’t many upgrades to the camera.

A second source has now said the same, and a third has specifically said that it will have a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide, and a 10MP telephoto. However, they add that one or more of the sensors used will be new, which could mean there’s still a big improvement in photo quality.

We’ve also elsewhere heard that the Fold 5 will have an improved under-display camera for selfies, and be able to shoot video in up to 8K quality at 30fps.

As for the battery, we haven’t heard what size this might be yet, but based on certification listings seen by MyFixGuide, Samsung will probably stick with fairly slow 25W charging.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 specs and features

• Likely to have a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and 12GB of RAM
• Could come with up to 1TB of storage
• The speakers and vibration motor might be improved

One of the first Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 leaks pointed to the foldable having a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. That’s the successor to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipsets that power many of 2022’s best Android phones, including the Galaxy Z Fold 4. So either the Gen 2 (of the sort powering the Samsung’s Galaxy S23 range) or a Plus version of it always seemed likely.

More specifically, it will almost certainly use the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset, which is a slightly faster version that’s exclusive to Samsung.

Elsewhere, a report suggests the Fold 5 will be offered in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB variants, which are the same storage options Samsung opted for on the Z Fold 4.

A detailed specs leak has reiterated many of the details above, but added to what we’ve heard too, claiming for example that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will have 12GB of RAM, improved speakers, and an improved vibration motor.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 what we want to see

For Samsung to make the ultimate foldable phone there are five key things it needs to do, which we’ve highlighted below.

1. The same cameras as the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra

The cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 4 aren’t bad at all, but they aren’t Samsung’s best, despite it being the company’s most expensive phone. Anyone who can spare the sort of money the Z Fold 4 costs is likely to want the best of the best, and on the camera front it just doesn’t manage that.

So for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 we want the phone to match the camera configuration of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, which based on past form probably will have the company’s best snappers.

2. No visible crease

As impressive as Samsung’s foldable screens are, the company hasn’t cracked the crease, with it being visible and something you can feel when you swipe across the display.

This isn’t a big deal and is something most people will quickly get used to, but it is an imperfection in an otherwise excellent screen, so we’d like to see Samsung successfully hide it on the Galaxy Z Fold 5.

3. A lower price

The single biggest issue with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is simply how much it costs, as this is one of the most expensive phones on the planet – almost making the iPhone 14 Pro Max look cheap by comparison.

It’s no surprise the price is high given the size of the screen and the tech involved, but if this foldable line is ever to be truly mainstream then the price needs to drop, and we hope Samsung starts decreasing it with the Galaxy Z Fold 5.

4. Faster charging

Most Samsung phones have rather slow charging, and the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is no exception. It tops out at 25W wired or 15W wireless, both of which are far lower than other flagships like the 150W OnePlus 10T or the 120W Xiaomi 12 Pro.

We don’t expect or need Samsung to reach those sorts of levels of charging power, but we’d like to at least see the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 split the difference and offer around 60W-80W.

5. A bigger battery

Along with faster charging, we’d also like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 to have a bigger battery. At 4,400mAh, the one in the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is average in size at best, and actually smaller than the batteries in plenty of conventional phones.

But given that this has a huge foldable screen, it could do with a particularly big battery. So at a minimum, we want a 5,000mAh one in the Z Fold 5 – the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra has that, so it shouldn’t be too much to ask for.