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The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G brings better performance to Samsung’s clamshell

After some rumors, and only a few weeks before the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung has announced the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G, a follow-up to its original clamshell-style Galaxy Z Flip that adds 5G support and even better performance.

While Samsung usually adopts Qualcomm’s latest and greatest chipsets for its Galaxy S or Galaxy Note phones — such as the hotly anticipated Note 20 and Note 20 Plus — the Galaxy Z Flip 5G has beat both to the punch, offering the Snapdragon 865 Plus mobile platform. The Snapdragon 865 Plus is an overclocked version of the original Snapdragon 865, and will likely offer faster performance — at the cost of a slight battery hit.

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Of course, what makes the Galaxy Z Flip 5G special has nothing to do with the chipset under the hood, but rather the package on the outside. The Galaxy Z Flip 5G is Samsung’s third foldable phone, and it offers a design that’s almost identical to the original Galaxy Z Flip, with a dual-sensor camera and tiny display on the back for showing things like notifications at a glance.

Apart from the Snapdragon 865 Plus, the phone also comes with a 6.7-inch display with a 2,636 × 1,080 resolution, and a dual-sensor camera with one 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor and one 12-megapixel wide sensor. There’s 8GB of RAM in the device, 256GB of storage, and a 3,300mAh battery.

One design element that is different is the fact that the new phone comes in a few different finishes, including Mystic Gray and Mystic Bronze. The Mystic Bronze has been hyped by Samsung in its advertising for the Galaxy Unpacked event, and will likely show up on the Galaxy Note 20.

The Z Flip 5G also offers a few different modes, including the new Flex mode — which allows users to view and control content in different custom ways. The example Samsung gives is the ability to watch a YouTube video on the top half of the display, while browsing or reading comments on the bottom half.

Unfortunately, the Galaxy Z Flip doesn’t represent a price drop in foldable phones. The devices costs $1,450, and will be available for purchase starting on August 7 from Samsung, Best Buy, Amazon, T-Mobile, or AT&T. For a limited time, with an eligible trade-in, customers that purchase a phone straight from Samsung can get up to $650 off a Galaxy Z Flip 5G.

Christian de Looper
Christian de Looper is a long-time freelance writer who has covered every facet of the consumer tech and electric vehicle…
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