Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 And Galaxy Z Flip 5 Have Come To Town; Are You A Fold(er) Or Flip(per) Yet? 

“To Fold, or not to Fold, that is the question” 
“To Flip, or not to Flip, that is the question” 
 
Foldable smartphones - whether a Flip or Fold style - are all the rage these days. Yes, it’s a privilege to own one, as they don’t come cheap, and let’s get that out of the way. Nonetheless, with the competition heating up, is 2023 the time to jump on the bandwagon? After having used Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 and a number of other smartphones - Moto Razr 40, Oppo Find N2 Flip, TECNO Phantom V Fold - that flip and fold, the answer is easy. It’s a resounding yes! 

At the moment, one of the cheapest foldables in the market is the Motorola Razr 40 which is retailing for Rs 59,999 on Amazon. Tecno launched the Phantom V Fold at an incredible introductory price of Rs 77,777 and currently retails for Rs 88,888. 

To put it simply; Foldable smartphones have entered the mainstream market in 2023. They still aren’t considered affordable, but this year is the turning point. If you can afford them, you sure don’t want to be missing out. 

Think back to 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, or any year in the past. Never in our wildest dreams would we have thought we’d get a powerful yet pocketable folding smartphone. Even those that saw it coming never imagined we’d be paying less than one lakh rupees for these kinds of devices in 2023. 

There are plenty of devices to pick from but none come close to Samsung. After many years of refinement, Samsung has cracked the code. They made not be the most innovative of the lot (Xiaomi and Honor may have something to say about that), but they have the best balance of software and hardware out there. 
 
The Most Refined Of The Lot 
 
For 2023, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 are Samsung’s flagship foldable devices. Both these devices have been refined to the tee. After having used a plethora of devices in 2023, I can safely say that if you’re in the market for a folding smartphone, then these should be on the top of your shopping list. 

While the Galaxy Z Fold 5 may be almost identical to last year's model, it is the Galaxy Z Flip 5 that got a big upgrade. But let’s start with some basics of what’s new. 

Samsung has outfitted a brand-new hinge for this year's models. The devices now sport a teardrop-shaped hinge that allows them to close flat. The teardrop-shaped hinge allows for the hinge to be more durable and can better handle the impact from a drop. Another benefit is that both models are IPX8 rated. This means that they are protected against full water immersion. Both have got a brand-new chip - Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy. 

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 has a brighter inner screen and is a bit thinner and lighter than its predecessor. The Galaxy Z Flip 5, on the other hand, is the more significant upgrade of the two. While the Galaxy Z Flip 5’s inner screen remains the same, the outer screen got a giant upgrade. The 3.4-inch cover screen is a big upgrade from last year’s model which had a 1.9-inch display. 
 
The Times They Are A-Changin' 

It’s 2023, and innovation is coming in thick and fast. Consumers are clamouring for something new rather than being satiated by the old. Foldable smartphones fill the urge to upgrade and hold the latest that the world of technology has to offer. 

Admittedly, these foldable devices aren’t anything radically different than when they first burst onto the scene a few years ago. Nonetheless, as they have been refined to a tee, this year is the perfect time to jump on the bandwagon.  

With innovative software features - like the small-screen-friendly widgets and robust multitasking features - Samsung is ahead of the game when it comes to these types of smartphones. 

With a starting price of Rs 1,54,999 for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Rs 99,999 for the Galaxy Z Flip 5, the foldable revolution isn’t cheap. Yes, the Razr 40 is half the price of a Galaxy Z Flip 5, but its cover screen is also way tinier. The Razr 40 Ultra may have a larger cover screen but its software is not as refined and it’s priced identically to the Galaxy Z Flip 5. The Tecno Phantom V Fold may be the cheapest folding smartphone out there, but then again, its cameras aren’t great, and its chipset leaves something to be desired. The other folding smartphones, like the Honor Magic V2, or the Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold 3, aren’t available in India. It’s a shame, really, as those are thinner, and better devices, in many ways. 

I’ll have much more to say in my full reviews in the next few days, but for now, be enthralled by the world of folding smartphones. They’re only going to be coming thick and fast. The options may be limited in India, but be ready for many more in the near future. 

Just take Tecno for example. They launched a Fold(ing) device at a Flip(ping) good price. Now they’re gearing up to launch a Flip(ping) cheap smartphone. If they can get the price under Rs 40,000, that’ll start a mega race among manufacturers to provide the cheapest and best folding smartphone in India. 

The future is bright in the world of smartphones. No more do we have to stick to boring slab-style smartphones. Foldable devices are here to make things much more interesting. Foldable devices are here to stay. For now, Samsung is the top manufacturer, in India, when it comes to foldable devices. Period.