Getting to witness a truly functionality-altering innovation in the tech world is quite a rare occasion. Yes, new specs, numbers and features keep replacing old ones but something jaw-dropping or life-changing comes by once in a blue moon. One such innovation has to be the introduction of foldable displays in smartphones, and Samsung is the company that has rekindled this foldable fire with its Samsung with its Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold range. After consistently launching versions of these phones, each one better than the last over the past few years, Samsung has now launched new versions of both, the Z Fold 5 and the Z Flip 5. Of these, the Z Flip 5 has grabbed more attention, courtesy of its Razr-like 'flip to open' compact form factor and its lower price tag. And that snazzy design comes packed with some rather impressive hardware and features too.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Price, Specifications
Its form factor may be smaller than its Fold sibling but the Z Flip 5 brings a plethora of flagship specs to the table. The biggest USP of the phone in terms of specs has to be its top-of-the-line Qualcomm processor. The phone is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset which is the most powerful smartphone chipset that Qualcomm has to offer. This is paired with 8 GB RAM and two storage variants– 256 GB and 512 GB. The smartphone has a similar sized primary AMOLED full HD+ display of 6.7 inches with 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ support as the Flip 4. But its cover display (this being a Flip), is bigger than its predecessors, and actually dominates it when it is shut — it is a 3.4-inch Super AMOLED display.
The phone still sticks to its dual camera policy for main cameras, with two 12-megapixel sensors – main and ultrawide. The main sensor comes with support for PDAF and OIS. There is a 10-megapixel selfie snapper on the primary display. The phone is powered by a 3,700 mAh battery which comes with 25 W wired charging support, 15 W wireless charging support and 4.5 W reverse charging support. That said, there is no charging brick accompanying the phone in the box. The phone runs on Android 13 out of the box which is topped with Samsung’s OneUI OS and also comes with an IPX8 rating.
All of this comes with a starting price of Rs 99,999, which is quite hefty, leaving room for its challengers to gain ground on it. While there were not many challengers to Samsung’s foldable phones when they were first launched, that is certainly not the case any more.
Here are five other foldable phones that can make the Z Flip 5 flip out.
Moto Razr 40 Ultra: The Ultimate Challenger
Price: Rs 89,999
If there is a flip phone that can be considered a true challenger of the Flip 5 at the time of writing, it has to be the Moto Razr 40 Ultra. The iconic flip phone of the past has taken birth again in the smartphone era and has already rattled a few flip cages. The star of the Razr 40 Ultra show has to be the external display. Motorola claims it is the biggest secondary display on any flip smartphone — a 3.6-inch pOLED display with a whopping 144 Hz refresh rate. The display on the inside is also bigger than the one on the Flip 5 - a tall 6.9 inch pOLED display with an even higher 165 Hz refresh rate, beating the Z Flip 5 in both size and refresh rate departments. While the Razr 40 Ultra brings a slightly older but still flagship-level and very capable Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset to the table, with 8 GB RAM, 256 GB storage and the stock Android experience that Motorola is famous for. The megapixel count on the Razr 40 Ultra beats the Flip 5 as well - the phone comes with a dual camera set up with a main 12-megapixel sensor with OIS, and a 13-megapixel secondary camera, while the selfie camera is a 32-megapixel one. The Razr 40 Ultra not only has a slightly bigger 3,800 mAh battery but also comes with faster charging support of 30 W, although wireless charging is a bit slower at 5W. A lower price tag makes this a flip option that would be lighter on the pocket as well.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4: A Year Older, But Still Wise(r)
Price: Rs 89,999 (available at Rs 69,999 at some retailers)
There is no reason why two kids from the same parent cannot fight for the Flip throne. Considering that the Z Flip 4 is not too old, comes with a smaller price tag, and has very respectable specs, it is a definite option for those considering buying a new Flip. The phone comes with a similar sized 6.7 inch main AMOLED 2x display with 120 Hz refresh rate and HDR 10+ support. The display on the outside may be only 1.9 inches large but is quite versatile. The Z FLip 5 is powered by the very powerful and flagship-level Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor which when paired with 8 GB RAM and ample storage options, makes the phone capable of handling any smartphone chore that you may throw its way. The number of megapixels and cameras on the two phones, Flip 5 and Flip 4 remains the same – 12 MP+ 12 MP on the back 10MP (selfie) - and so does the battery at 3,7000 mAh and charging support at 25 W wired, 15 W wireless and 4.5 W reverse charging. The phone runs on Android 12 out of the box but can be upgraded to Android 13, an area where Samsung has a superb track record. Apart from that larger external display, the two phones are very similar in terms of appearance. The Flip 4's hardware might be a little older, but it comes at a lower price, especially from some retailers who offer it at close to Rs 70,000.
Oppo Find N2 Flip: The Photography Master
Price: Rs 89,999
If along with a flip factor, your smartphone checklist needs some serious photography muscle then the Oppo Find N2 Flip would be the right choice for you. The phone comes with a brilliant 50-megapixel main sensor with OIS, supported by an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor. That's not all, the cameras on the phone are backed by legendary camera brand Hasselblad and come with Hasselblad technology. There is a 32-megapixel selfie snapper on the front as well. To top this, the phone comes with a bigger primary display than the Flip 5 with a 6.8 inch FHD+ AMOLED display on the inside with 120 Hz refresh rate. The 3.26 AMOLED display on the outside is a brilliant one too. The phone is backed by the powerful MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ processor which can handle pretty much everything you throw at it, with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage. The Find N2 Flip comes with a bigger 4,300 mAh battery and with 44 W fast charging support– the fastest in the flip phone category. The phone comes with Android 13 out of the box topped with ColourOS 13 from Oppo.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3: The Pocket-Friendly Foldable
Price: Rs 49,999
If two Samsung Flip kids are already in a war, why not throw in a third one as well? The Z Flip 3 may be the senior Flip citizen out there but has made it to the list because it is the most affordable flip phone out there. The phone does not have big spec-muscles to show off but if you wish to buy a flip phone on a relatively tight budget, this would be a very good choice.
The phone brings a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 to the table which now seems quite old but can handle everyday smartphone shenanigans quite easily. Thanks to Samsung, its software is up to speed - it can be updated to Android 13. And it still matches up to its Z Flip siblings in specs terms. It comes with the same megapixels and camera count (two 12-megapixel cameras on the back, a 10-megapixel one on the front), and the same size and specifications on the display as the Z Flip 4 on both front and cover– 6.7 inch FHD+ AMOLED display with 120 Hz refresh rate and 1.9-inch Super AMOLED cover display. The battery is a bit smaller at 3,300 mAH and might not see you through a day of normal usage. We are not saying the same numbers mean the same performance but the Flip 4 is half the price of the Z Flip 5, which means it will not leave a Flip-sized hole in your pocket when you get it. And well, it still is flippin' good in terms of performance.
Moto Razr 40: Affordable & New
Price: Rs 59,999
If price is a factor and so is newness then perhaps you can overlook the Z Flip 3, and go for the recently launched Moto Razr 40 instead. It does not have the same high-end specs as its Ultra bro but is easily the most affordable new flip phone in the market by a mile. The phone comes with Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor, which is good but obviously more mid-segment rather than flagship. That said, the near-stock Android experience on the device with Android 13 out of the box, gives the phone an edge, especially for those who like their phone interface ‘clean’. The cover display is much smaller at 1.5 inches but the primary FHD+ pOLED display of the Razr 40 is bigger at 6.9 inches and comes with a faster 144 Hz refresh rate than the Flip 5. The camera megapixel count here is quite high too - the phone comes with a 64-megapixel main sensor with OIS and a 13-megapixel ultrawide lens while a 32-megapixel selfie sensor sits on the primary display for slipped-open selfies. The Razr 40 has a big 4,200 mAh battery which comes with support for 33 W fast charging, much better than that of the Z Flip 5. Top that off with the price tag and sleek design and some might feel that this Razr is a sharp option for those wanting a new flip phone.
