In just a little over a month, Samsung will introduce its next-gen foldables, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5, at the highly anticipated Unpacked event. While the Z Flip 5 promises to captivate with its bold design changes, featuring a bigger cover screen, the Z Fold 5 seems to be taking a more conservative route, not prioritizing its exterior design. One of the improved features is the hinge, and there are rumors circulating that the Z Fold 5 will feature a reduced crease in comparison to its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Fold 4
Samsung hasn’t exactly lost sleep over banishing the dreaded display crease from its foldable devices, and it’s a deliberate choice. Surprisingly, most Fold users don’t find the crease as bothersome as they anticipated before experiencing the phone firsthand. In photos, the foldable crease may appear more pronounced, mostly due to lighting and varying angles. However, in practical usage, you’ll find that it becomes a minor issue that you quickly overlook after a few minutes of using the device.
Nonetheless, the Z Fold 5 may further diminish the significance of the crease. It is rumored to introduce a new waterdrop hinge design that offers a plethora of advantages. Firstly, this revamped hinge will allow the phone to fold completely flat, leaving no gap between its two halves. Secondly, it will result in a less visible display crease, further downplaying its presence. But this waterdrop hinge isn’t actually new in the foldable industry. The original Motorolla Razr fold from 2019 also featured a waterdrop hinge
But there is a catch
Hold on! Before we celebrate this seemingly improved crease situation, let’s delve into the details. According to the tipster on Twitter, @UniverseIce, the Z Fold 5’s crease will be a mere “15% less visible” compared to its predecessor, the Z Fold 4. In simpler terms, the crease will still be there, just slightly less noticeable. The tipster appears to brush off this advancement, even admitting to an initial information error.
I got the exact information about the crease of Galaxy Z Fold5, It does use a water drop hinge, but the crease is much larger than that of China brand mobile phone, so that the crease looks similar to Fold4.
— ICE UNIVERSE (@UniverseIce) June 12, 2023
Its crease is only 15% less than Fold4.
Putting personal biases aside, let’s acknowledge that the Z Fold 5 will indeed possess a better hinge, resulting in a diminished display crease. Moreover, recent reports suggest that this device will be the first to have an IP5x dust resistance rating among foldable phones. Interestingly, other manufacturers who have previously employed the waterdrop hinge design have barely begun incorporating water resistance into their foldable offerings.
Our thoughts on the Z Fold 5
At the end of the day, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 may not be the groundbreaking leap we were hoping for, especially when compared to its predecessor, the Z Fold 4. Samsung seems comfortable with its approach of gradually enhancing the overall user experience, rather than fixating on one or two specifications while neglecting the rest. The Z Fold 5 might not be a significant upgrade for existing Z Fold 4 users. Samsung’s limited innovation in the Z Fold 5 suggests a lack of effort, possibly due to the lack of strong competition in the market. We’ll just have to wait until next month to get full official details when the Korean tech giant unveils its next-gen foldables at the Unpacked event.
