iPhone 15 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

What Reviewers Agree On

• New waterdrop hinge finally folds flat with no gap — the most-praised design change after four years of evolution
• Same bespoke Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip as the S23 family — flagship-grade performance, more efficient than the Fold 4's 8+ Gen 1
• 1750-nit peak on both cover and main displays — a huge step up from the Fold 4's 1000 nits, finally usable in bright sunlight
• Base storage doubled to 256GB at the same $1,799 starting price as the Fold 4
• 4 OS upgrades + 5 years of security — same industry-leading policy as the S23 family, through Android 17
• Excellent foldable software: split-screen, taskbar, app continuity — best multitasking experience in any foldable

Deal Breakers

• 4,400mAh battery unchanged for five consecutive Fold generations — real-world SOT lands at 4-5 hours, behind cheaper slab flagships
• Slow 25W wired charging (1h-1.5h to full) — Plus and Ultra S23 siblings get 45W, OnePlus 11 gets 80W
• IPX8 only — no dust rating, a real concern for a hinge-and-fabric phone
• S Pen still needs a separate purchase + bulky case, no built-in silo despite four years of owner requests
• Cameras lag the S23 Ultra significantly — 10x periscope is Ultra-exclusive, no 200MP main; the camera bump also sticks out further on the Fold 5
• Crease in the main display is still visible and tactile — Samsung hasn't fundamentally improved it

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5