Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 vs Galaxy Z Flip4: What’s new?

Samsung is back at the table with another innovative folding smartphone this winter with the launch of the highly anticipated Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5. Not to be confused with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5, which is part of this same launch, the Galaxy Flip5 is a compact and mighty full-sized foldable phone that fits into your pocket. If you’d like, have a read of this article which breaks down the difference between Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 if you’re struggling to decide which foldable phone to buy. Or you could also explore how the Galaxy Z Fold5 compares with its predecessor the Galaxy Z Fold4.

Back to the Galaxy Z Flip5 and initial impressions, what instantly stands out when making a comparison between Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 is that the Z Flip5 has a much larger external cover screen. The idea behind this, according to Samsung, is that this feature lets you do much more with the Z Flip5 without even having to flip open the main screen – think snapping a quick selfie or sneakily checking your messages and notifications. And there are a range of cool accessories you can have fun mixing and matching to create a combination of cover screen and main screen displays that’s totally you.

Ready to join the flip side? Let’s look closer at the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 specifications:

You can also jump ahead to the Flip5 vs Flip4 specs table if you prefer to compare the phones that way.

Available in a range of popping colours, including Graphite, Lavender, Cream and Mint, the compact yet mighty Samsung Galaxy Flip5 is one of the newest foldables to join the Galaxy Z Series family.

Made up of durable, lightweight materials, the Galaxy Z Flip5 is a full-screen smartphone weighing just 187g. Folding perfectly into your pocket, Flip5 features a zero-gap hinge and an IPX8 water resistant rating to help withstand life’s little accidents¹.

As for how the Flip5 feels in the hand, I found it to be lightweight yet sturdy and definitely pocket-able – something I’ve been wanting in a smartphone for some time now as I’m a serial dropper. In fact, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 dimensions are pretty spot on for me. It measures 165.1mm in length and 6.9mm in height with a width of 71.9mm when it’s unfolded. But the magic really happens when the Flip5 is folded and shrinks to a tiny 85.1mm in length – making it perfect for pockets and micro bags.

The Galaxy Z Flip5 and Galaxy Z Flip4 share many design characteristics, including the use of extra strong Gorilla Glass on the cover screen and back of the phone to help provide durability. They are also equal in terms of weight, weighing just 187g, and both benefit from an IPX8 water-resistant rating to help protect against life’s little accidents¹.

Looking at the dimensions of the Z Flip5 and Z Flip4, they are really well matched in this regard as well. As you can see in the comparison table above, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 and Z Flip4 are identical save for the length of the Flip5 being 1mm shorter than the Flip4. This is particularly impressive when noting all the extra functions and features of the Flip5 when compared to Flip4, further enhancing the ‘pocketability’ and innovative design.

There are two displays to consider when looking at the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5: the main screen display and cover screen display.

For the main display Samsung uses its latest display technology, the Dynamic AMOLED 2X, across the 6.7” Infinity Flex Display of the Galaxy Z Flip5. Displaying content at a resolution of 2640 x 1080, Dynamic AMOLED 2X technology helps improve colour and brightness while reducing the amount of harmful blue light emitted. This is welcome news to those of us spending long hours in front of computer screens, as well as anyone who finds sleep patterns are affected by blue light exposure.

While looking at the cover screen display of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, the 3.4 inch screen uses Super AMOLED technology – an older version of display technology that is essentially the main building block for Dynamic AMOLED. Flipped shut yet selfie ready, this cover display lets you check messages and some app notifications without having to unfold the phone which is a pretty cool flex³. My feeling is that Samsung has struck a good balance with this choice of display technology for the cover screen, balancing pleasing aesthetics with things like battery consumption for a well-rounded smartphone.

Comparing the main displays of these two foldable phones, they are equal in terms of size and display technology – with both the Flip5 and Flip4 enjoying a generous 6.7 inches to showcase content using Dynamic AMOLED 2X technology.

However, if we look at the cover screen displays of the devices this is where the main difference between Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 is obvious – the 3.4 inch cover screen of the Galaxy Z Flip5 is significantly larger than the 1.9 inch cover screen of the Flip4. This almost doubling of cover screen size between the two devices is designed to let users do more with the Flip5 without having to unfold it. Coupled with a sizeable increase in display resolution, moving from 260x512 on the Z Flip4 to 748x720 on the Z Flip5, users familiar with both devices should notice an uptick in overall display quality on the Flip5.

The Galaxy Z Flip5 camera uses something Samsung calls Flex Mode to let you capture next-level selfies and groups shots. Flip it, fold it, stand it – there are so many ways to shoot hands-free! Simply flip it open, rest it on a stable surface and adjust the angle as needed to capture stunning images². It’s the ultimate flex.

Looking specifically at the camera lenses of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 it seems to be a somewhat standard offering from Samsung. There are two 12MP lenses on the rear side - wide and ultrawide – supported by a 10MP selfie snapper on the front. This is still ample for someone like me who forgets to take pictures at almost every opportunity. And the main camera can shoot video in 4K resolution, which is likely to be suitable for your needs and even the needs of the influencers among us.

The Galaxy Z Flip5 camera options are almost identical to the Galaxy Z Flip4 in terms of megapixels and types of lenses – two 12MP lenses on the rear side supported by a 10MP camera on the front. So making a comparison between the Flip5 and Flip4 is a bit tough in this particular area. Because of the similarities, it feels reasonable to suggest focusing on the other elements of each smartphone if you’re trying to decide whether to buy the Fold5 or Fold4.

Inside the Galaxy Z Flip5 is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen2, which has been engineered to use groundbreaking AI across the board to help deliver accelerated performance and connectivity . There are some people online claiming it’s the best chipset out there at the minute, and those same people expect to see it included in many top-tier smartphones as the rest of the 2023 marches on.

From my own experience, as I was lucky enough to get my hands on the new Galaxy Z Flip5 ahead of its release, the phone feels really fast and efficient. Talking to others who also got this same opportunity, the general feeling was that the processor is playing a big part in this – particularly when noting the inclusion of four performance cores instead of the usual three. This additional performance core, on paper and in person, seems to provide a significant increase in computational power. For users, this should result in a speedy, responsive experience.

Both the Flip5 and Flip4 come equipped 8GB of RAM to make switching between apps and tasks oh so smooth. However, the difference lies in the fact that the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 relies on the predecessor to the Snapdragon 8 Gen2, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen1. So it’s to be expected that the Flip4 has less computational power to draw on than the Flip5. This means that while the Flip4 was not sluggish by any means, the Galaxy Z Flip5 has more available power and therefore can function in a faster and more efficient way. If patience is not something you have in abundance, you might prefer to buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 to save yourself unnecessary friction points in your day from a slower smartphone experience.

Nothing particularly exciting to report on the battery front, as the Galaxy Z Flip5 features a 3,700mAh battery split across the two sections of the phone – unchanged from the Flip4. However, it’s worth noting this is an extra 400mAh of battery capacity when compared to the OG Samsung Galaxy Z Flip phone released in 2020, which featured a 3,300mAh capacity battery. That is pretty impressive when you consider the extra functionality and improvements to the phone also made during that time period.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 also supports fast 25W charging (charger sold separately), which means it should take a little over an hour to fully charge the 3,700mAh battery. From my own experience using the device, the Flip5 battery held up to my average daily usage really well. 

There’s isn’t a lot to compare between the Flip4 and Flip5 batteries as the battery size (3,700mAh) and charging speeds (25W) are identical. What is interesting is how the identical battery set-ups handle phone performance. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 has a cover screen that’s almost doubled in size and has a much higher resolution when compared to the Galaxy Z Flip4. Although in my own experience, the Galaxy Z Flip5 battery had more than enough juice to see me through a full day’s use. Whether the Flip5 battery is enough for you will likely depend on the kind of smartphone user you are.

In summary, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 continues to uphold Samsung’s stellar reputation in the foldables space. The form factor is absolutely stunning and still feels so revolutionary to me. It definitely feels like a phone for people who march to the beat of their own drum. It’s innovative enough to feel special and have that WOW factor, yet has the smarts of Samsung behind it to make sure function and form work hand in glove.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 also supports both kinds of SIM cards, eSIM and physical SIM cards, which helps provide a sense of longevity to the device as well as smart options for using multiple phone numbers on the same device.

Ready to join the flip side? Buy your Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 from Optus today[SS1] , outright in select channels or on a 12, 24 or 36-month phone payment plan, to become part of the Optus family. Optus customers get access to things like unlimited data days and the ability to donate surplus data to Aussies in need.

If you have lots of data you need to transfer Smart Switch⁴ makes it fast and easy.

Mobile innovation never stops, with the latest Galaxy S25 Series finally landing in Australia. The new Galaxy S25 Series features new Galaxy AI tools, as well as upgraded processors and camera lenses. Check out the Galaxy S25 Ultra for a look at Samsung’s newest flagship phone.

Samantha Shilton works for Optus. A dog mother and nature lover, she gets down to the beach most mornings for walkies and a quick dip. On the weekend, you might spot her whizzing past you on her Kawasaki.

¹ Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 is rated IPX8. Based on test conditions for submersion in up to 1.5 metres of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. Not advised for beach or pool use. Ensure the charging port is dry before charging. Click here:https://www.samsung.com/au/support/mobile-devices/water-and-dust-protection-ip68-rating/ or refer to your phone’s user manual for further care instructions and limitations

² Certain apps may not support Flex Mode. It may be difficult to maintain Flex Mode while moving due to shaking or other movement. It is recommended to keep the phone stationary while in Flex Mode.

³ Certain applications may not support App Continuity.

⁴ Wired transfers require at least Android™ 4.3, iOS 5, or Windows Mobile OS8.1 or OS 10 on your old device. Devices with an older OS must use wireless transfer options. If you do not have the required USB cable/connector for a wired transfer to Galaxy, you can also use wireless transfer options. Open the Smart Switch app on your new Galaxy phone or download Smart Switch for PC/Mac.