[REVIEW] Samsung's Z Flip 5 and Fold 5 add style not tech

Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Z Flip 5 allows users to access select downloaded apps from its enlarged cover display. [JIN EUN-SOO]

The biggest strength of Samsung’s newest Galaxy Z Flip 5 is how it feels like a dainty accessory, so much so that this reporter constantly wanted to take it out and check out the enlarged cover display and admire its pastel mint shade on the back.

Its most significant weak point, ironically, also comes from the fact that it feels like a mere accessory, minus the significant tech and camera upgrades one would expect from the newest smartphones.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 has been topped with a 3.4-inch cover display which allows the user to reply to messages without opening the lid and have direct access to select applications.

While one may doubt its practicality, the qwerty keyboard that pops up on the cover display actually comes in very handy when making a quick, short reply to various types of messages including Korea’s widely used KakaoTalk. Especially since the lid does not pop open with a snap of the thumb like the old-fashioned clamshell phones, being able to send a reply directly on the cover is a big upgrade.

Previously, the 1.9-inch cover display was mainly for checking the time, notifications and sending preset messages which is rarely used.

If there is too much going on in the enlarged screen which Samsung calls “Flex Window”, you can always pinch the screen to take a shortcut to the widget or the app you want without having to endlessly swipe the screen.

Taking a selfie from the outer camera while checking yourself on the Flex Window was also a fun experience. Just swiping up the camera icon on the bottom corner allows you to instantly take selfies or videos and check them to decide whether to keep or delete them.

The Z Flip 5 allows user to type in messages through a cover display. [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

However, the camera did not get an upgrade as the exterior dual camera consists of 12-megapixel wide and 12-megapixel ultra-wide sensors while the interior one is 10 megapixels, the same as the previous version.

Although not a breakthrough tech upgrade, the enlarged screen also allows the user to add perks by customizing the exterior screen in many variations. Even filling it with a short video is possible, although battery life will be significantly drained.

All in all, the biggest upgrade in the Z Flip 5 is the enlarged cover display and its ability to facilitate lots of new aspects without opening the lid.

But at some point, you may start to wonder that if not opening the lid is so important, why not just buy the ordinary “non-folded” smartphone?

Then again, the ordinary smartphone would not be as fashionable and trendy as this Z Flip 5.

While the Filp 5 focuses on style, the Fold 5 serves a completely different purpose.

It may look a little chunky, but its wide screen opens up another world when watching videos, playing games and multitasking with more than two applications opened.

The drag-and-drop function can detect two fingers at once, allowing users to let one finger drag a photo while the other finger is touching the Note app where the dragged photo will be dropped for extra editing.

The humongous screen can lay out up to three apps at once.

Playing an RPG (role-playing game) on the top half and sending messages or watching YouTube videos from the bottom half screen is also an option.

The new “waterdrop hinge” which allows the two foldables to be folded flatly without leaving a gap between the two halves is a big upgrade. With style such an important factor for the Flip 5, that little gap could have been very off-putting for some.

The flatly folded halves for the Fold 5 also adds style by allowing it to be slimmer by approximately 2 millimeters.

The 256-gigabyte storage option for the Z Flip 5 will sell for 1.39 million won ($1,090) and above from Aug. 11 while the Fold 5 will be available from 2.1 million won.