In a little over a week, Samsung will lift the covers off its next-gen foldables at a Galaxy Unpacked event in Seoul, South Korea. We expect the company to reveal the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 at the event, along with the latest Galaxy smartwatches and tablets. Leaks suggest that Samsung’s next flagship foldable won’t bring any radical design changes, but the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is expected to be slightly smaller, slimmer, and lighter than its predecessor, feature a redesigned hinge that’ll allow it to fold flat, and offer a performance bump with Qualcomm’s latest flagship chipset. In addition to these changes, I believe that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 could bring a few noteworthy improvements on the software front thanks to the Google Pixel Fold.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 could benefit from the Pixel Fold’s software experience
While the Google Pixel Fold may not be the best foldable phone on the market, it’s one of the most significant smartphone launches of the year. That’s because it’s Google’s first in-house foldable, and it’ll allow the company to tinker and improve the Android experience for other foldables. The Pixel Fold already has some improvements to help users make better use of the foldable form factor. Since Samsung closely works with Google to improve the software experience on its devices, the software improvements could make their way to the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 might feature an improved taskbar
Google debuted a taskbar for foldables and large-screen devices in Android 12L to give users quick access to frequently used apps. With the Pixel Fold, the company introduced an improved version of the taskbar that offers more functionality. The dynamic taskbar lets you launch frequently-used applications, quickly switch between apps, and easily launch two apps in split-screen mode. It also maintains the folders you have set on the shelf when on your home screen and has a button to open the app drawer to access all the installed apps on your phone.
While Samsung’s implementation of the taskbar in One UI already supports these features, it’s not dynamic like the new taskbar on the Pixel Fold. It’s persistent and takes up precious screen real estate until you hide it manually. On top of that, it shows only a couple of recent apps next to the pinned apps you select.
The Pixel Fold’s dynamic taskbar disappears automatically when you’re done using it, and you can bring it back with a simple swipe gesture. In addition, it shows app suggestions based on your usage habits. These are arguably more useful than recently-used apps, as you can access the latter by simply swiping up to open the recent apps screen. These improvements could make their way to the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and make its multitasking experience even better.
Galaxy Z Fold 5 users will have access to more foldable-optimized apps
Although Google has been pushing developers to optimize their apps for foldables and other large-screen devices since it first showcased Android 12L, most apps still don’t scale well on large displays or offer alternate layouts on foldables. Some of Google’s own apps weren’t optimized for foldable devices for the longest time, but now that the company has a foldable of its own, pretty much all of its popular apps have been optimized to better utilize the large inner screen on foldables and offers users access to useful two-column layouts.
Furthermore, Google is also pushing third-party developers to optimize apps for foldables, and it recently showcased a few apps that were redesigned to offer a new two-column layout, app continuity, and responsive resizing of UI elements on foldable phones. Since these changes apply to all foldable devices and not just the Pixel Fold, Galaxy Z Fold 5 users will be able to enjoy apps that make better use of the large foldable display.
The foldable experience will improve even further with Android 14
Google is likely working on even more changes that will improve the software experience on foldable devices with Android 14. We already know that the next major platform update will include an easier way to make app pairs and launch two apps in split-screen mode. But that probably won’t be the only improvement coming to foldable devices.
Since the Pixel Fold is among the first few devices to receive beta builds of the update, developers and early adopters will have a chance to experience the new changes ahead of the stable rollout and give Google valuable feedback to improve the foldable software experience further. As a result, when the Galaxy Z Fold 5 gets its One UI update based on Android 14, users can expect to receive a more polished experience than before.
While we can’t be sure if the new features for foldables will be available on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 as soon as the update drops, they should become available eventually. Google will also continue pushing improvements for foldable devices now that it’s in the game, and the software experience on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and future Samsung foldables will enjoy those changes via trickle down.
The Pixel Fold should be a boon for all foldables
Like we expect the Pixel Tablet to help Google make Android better for large-screen devices, the Pixel Fold should do the same for devices with a foldable display. While Samsung’s foldables may be one of the first to benefit from the changes, you can also expect to see improvements on foldable phones from other OEMs, like the upcoming OnePlus V Fold.
However, we’ll have to wait until Galaxy Unpacked later this month to know for sure, as Google could reserve some features for the Pixel Fold and future Pixel foldables to differentiate them from the competition. Irrespective of that, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will be one of the best foldable phones of the year. If you can’t wait to get your hands on it, you can reserve one by following the link below and getting some nice perks by doing so.
Reserve at Samsung
Now’s your chance to secure a $50 discount on the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, Z Flip 5, Watch 6, or Tab S9. There’s no commitment, and it only requires your name and email address. Once you’ve signed up, you’ll be notified on the day of release and receive the $50 discount on top of any other offers being applied.
