Samsung kicked off a new generation of foldable phones at its latest Unpacked event, and it’s already taking preorders for those looking to punch their tickets to hot foldable summer. This time around, the announcements of the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5 were accompanied by a pair of new smartwatches and new tablets, but the foldables were the star of the show — even if some of the annual improvements are feeling mostly iterative.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is the new folding flagship, clocking in at a $1,799.99 starting price and featuring an outer 6.2-inch screen with a 7.6-inch display on the inside. If that sounds familiar from the Z Fold 4 last year, well, it is, though there are bigger changes on the $999.99 Galaxy Z Flip 5, which once again has a 6.7-inch inner folding screen but a much larger 3.4-inch front cover display. The most-touted feature that’s in both Z-series phones is a new hinge design that allows them to close flat with minimal air gap.
Whether you prefer a small phone that flips open to a “normal” phone or an average-ish phone that unfolds to a small tablet, both new options are scheduled to arrive on August 11th. We’ve compiled where you can order them, some of the most notable features to best help you decide, and any early-bird deals, discounts, and promos you can take advantage of.
The unfolded Galaxy Z Fold 5 looks a whole lot like last year’s Fold 4, while the cheaper Z Flip 5 is the one with a whole new outward look. Image: Samsung
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is already available to preorder for a starting price of $999.99 direct from Samsung. Or, you can preorder it from Amazon with a $150 gift card included or from Best Buy with a $100 gift card. It comes in mint, graphite, cream, and lavender colors, with Samsung also offering gray, blue, green, and yellow exclusively on its site. Each one has 8GB of RAM, but the base configuration starts at a healthy 256GB of storage. A storage upgrade to the extra-large 512GB normally costs an extra $120, but as we’ve seen in prior years, by preordering you, can get the extra storage free — effectively, a $120 discount.
The Flip 5 has a faster processor borrowed from the Galaxy S23 phones, but its headline feature is its outer display that’s nearly four times as big as last year’s. The new, square-ish 3.4-inch 60Hz cover screen allows more real estate for apps to be larger and more interactive instead of mostly bite-size glanceable info.
Samsung’s Z Flip 5 is its latest 6.7-inch flip phone that folds in half, now sporting a larger front cover display and a new hinge design allowing it to close flat. Inside, it packs a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a dual-camera setup.
You can preorder the ultra-flagship Galaxy Z Fold 5 at its starting price of $1,799.99 with expanded 512GB of storage (remember, you get a free storage upgrade valued at $120 for preordering) direct from Samsung. However, there are added perks at other retailers, as Amazon is including a $200 gift card and Best Buy is offering a $100 gift card with their respective preorders. Since it’s a more premium phone than the Flip, it’s of course available in less fun colors (icy blue, phantom black, cream, gray, and blue — the latter two of which are exclusive to Samsung).
Regardless of the Fold 5 you pick, you’re getting 12GB of RAM with the option for up to 1TB of built-in storage. Aside from the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, just like the Flip 5, the Fold 5 looks a whole lot like last year’s Fold 4 — at least, until you close it and the updated hinge makes it flatter. And speaking of flat, if you choose to buy Samsung’s new S Pen Fold Edition stylus that’s meant to accompany the Fold 5, it’s now flatter and slips into a thinner case than last year’s version.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 looks a lot like its Fold 4 predecessor, but it now folds flat thanks to a new hinge with less moving parts. It’s maintains the 7.6-inch inner display and narrow 6.2-inch cover screen, but it now utilizes the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor from the Galaxy S23 phones.
As usual, the US carriers are offering their own incentives, though I’m always here to remind you that the massive discounts offered are usually paid out as monthly bill credits over the course of 24 to 36 months. However, thankfully, the free storage upgrade you can get on an unlocked device also applies when you preorder from the carriers.
- AT&T is offering new and existing customers a free Galaxy Z Flip 5 or $1,000 off the Galaxy Z Fold 5 with any Galaxy phone trade-in.
- Verizon is also offering a free Z Flip 5 or $1,000 off a Z Fold 5 with a trade-in of select devices when activating a new line on an Unlimited Plus plan. Or, existing customers can get the same offer with a select trade-in if they’re on a qualified 5G Unlimited plan.
- Lastly, T-Mobile also has the Z Flip 5 for free or the Z Fold 5 for $1,000 off when customers add a line or make a qualifying trade-in on Go5G Plus or Magenta Max plans.
Update July 26th, 8:45AM ET: Article updated with links and promos from Amazon and Best Buy.
