Double the screen, but does Samsung’s Z Fold5 justify double the price?

Now in its fifth generation, the novelty of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold phones is starting to wear off. Though phones with flexible displays are still nowhere near as popular as traditional models, they’ve matured to the point that their benefits and trade-offs are now clear, rather than hypothetical.

So, in terms of real-world utility, why would you go for a $2600 Galaxy Z Fold5 over a $1500 Galaxy S23? Or even a $1000 Google Pixel 7, which I would consider to be a baseline for premium Android phones? Can the Fold5 justify a price 2½ times higher?

To keep things in perspective, the Fold5 is still a smartphone, and its functions don’t differ that much from standard smartphones. After an initial period of adjustment to the form factor, the experience of messaging, browsing, shopping, playing or calling is very familiar. But it is made of more advanced (and expensive) components more or less across the board compared with something like the Pixel 7, which offer some benefits and joy, starting with the screens.

Both screens on the Fold5 are odd shapes, so comparing them with other phones in terms of the usual diagonal measurement doesn’t really get the idea across. When closed, it feels like a super futuristic version of an ancient Nokia brick, or a modern phone that’s been squished horizontally in a vice. It’s about as tall as the Pixel or an iPhone Pro Max, but narrower and almost twice as thick. It’s also hefty, at 253 grams.

The phone is entirely usable this way, with full access to front and back cameras, and apps either rearranging themselves to fit perfectly or — on occasions — appearing slightly clipped at the sides. In fact, the OLED on the cover display is nicer to use than most: very bright, higher than HD resolution and with a 120Hz refresh rate, meaning it can display a new image 120 times per second for extremely smooth motion.

Comparing the Fold5 purely in this format with the Pixel 7 is interesting. The Fold5’s narrow screen is great for reading but can feel a bit claustrophobic in some apps, like Google Maps. And standard widescreen videos are small. It’s easier to reach your thumb across the breadth of the screen, which is a plus when browsing or playing a game like Marvel Snap one-handed on the train. That said, the extra thickness means you really need a good hold on it.

Of course, that’s only half the story with the Fold5. You can also open it up to reveal a huge squarish display, which is more or less the equivalent of two traditional smartphones side-by-side. One of the most obvious advantages here is that you can run multiple full apps at once, and in my testing, the phone does a great job keeping everything smooth. It’s not something you need all the time, but it can be really handy if you’re splitting your attention between something in the background, like a turn-based game or livestream, and something active like a book or a text conversation.

Otherwise, using the Fold5 open is more or less like using a small, thin tablet. The glass feels a lot firmer than the first few generations of these devices, and while the gap in the middle is still tangible (and visible, especially from an angle), you quickly get used to it. There is also a very bright 120Hz display, and it’s impressive how little of the interior is taken up by borders. Even the selfie camera here is under the display (though not invisible; you’ll notice it if you look right at it), making for a big slab of pure screen. That in mind, some apps feel a bit bare when stretched to full screen across this thing, and widescreen videos end up being about the same size as on the Pixel 7.