The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is the best Flip phone on the market right now. A combination of an excellent hinge that’s also the strongest, outstanding performance with the latest chip, a good external screen, global availability, and more make this an easy recommendation for anyone looking to buy a foldable phone.
There are not many complaints with the Galaxy Z Flip 5 at 999$. It’s the perfect Flip phone for anyone who likes that particular form factor. Flip phones historically have poor cameras, and Flip 5 is the same here.
It lacks optical zoom, and digital zoom is not good enough. The primary sensor on the Z Flip 5 is the same as on the Z Flip 4. This isn’t cutting-edge, and the sensor is very old. It dates back to the 2020 Galaxy S20 and S20 Plus. The Flip 5 produces much better results than the 1/2.55″ Sony IMX 563 on the Flip 3.
It’s the same S5K2LD 12MP 1/1.76″ sensor on the Z Flip 4. The ultra-wide is underwhelming, too, with a sensor size of 1/3.06″. It’s important to remember that photo output is just as dependent on the software processing as much as the hardware.
The Z Flip 5 has two key advantages. The 8 Gen 2’s ISP is particularly good at detail retention, and Samsung’s software is excellent at color rendition. The photos are still plentiful in daylight, though they start to fall apart versus the competition as the light falls.
Samsung is making a major change to the primary camera hardware of the upcoming Z Flip 6. Just a month into the launch of the Flip 5, there are already leaks about the Z Flip 6.
According to a Dutch publication, Samsung is finally taking the camera hardware of their Flip phone seriously. There are supposedly some early prototype Galaxy Z Flip 6 models with a 50MP primary camera.
We hope this makes its way to the final product. People holding back on the Flip 5 because of relatively worse cameras than the S23 can easily purchase the new Flip 6 since it could have better hardware.
There’s no word on whether Samsung will update the ultra-wide angle sensor. We also don’t have any information on the front camera. The current 10MP front camera is the 1/3″ S5K3J1 sensor, performing well for a Flip-style phone. It could move to a newer 12MP unit.
The leak doesn’t specify which sensor is currently being tested. We can assume it’s Samsung’s GN3 or GN5 1/1.56″-type 50MP primary sensor. This is the most logical choice, and the Galaxy Z Flip 6 will have the same sensor as S23 and Z Fold 5.
The GN5/ GN3 is a tried and tested sensor that Samsung has tuned very well for excellent results. With a new ISP from the 8 Gen 3 and Samsung’s amazing software algorithms, the Flip 6 will have much better cameras overall. The zoom will also be a bit more tolerable.
The leak mentions that the Fold 6 currently has the code name Q6, and the Flip 6 has the code name B6. This is an easy guess since Q5 and B5 were the code names for the Fold 5 and Flip 5 before.
While Samsung should have introduced a larger sensor with the Flip 5 this year, there were enough upgrades to justify a new generation this time. Also, we’re about one year away from the Galaxy Z Flip 6 launch. Take these leaks with a heavy pinch of salt until further information is available.
