Samsung is expected to announce the Galaxy Z Flip 5 this week at its Galaxy Unpacked event on July 26. We will likely learn what’s next for Samsung’s foldable phones and could see the Galaxy Z Fold 5. We won’t know anything for certain until Wednesday, but nearly a year ago we got the Galaxy Z Flip 4. It was a small step forward for Samsung’s pocket-size flip phone, but now it has a new rival in the recently launched — and quite excellent — Motorola Razr Plus. The bar has been raised for Samsung’s smallest foldable and here’s what I think the Galaxy Z Flip 5 needs in order to be a success.
With the Galaxy Z Flip 4, Samsung fine-tuned the phone’s design, added a few new software tricks, and improved staples like nighttime photography and battery life. These are all welcome upgrades that address shortcomings from previous models. However, I’d like to see more features that take advantage of its foldable design on the next version.
TM Roh, the president and head of Samsung’s mobile experience business, recently published a blog post discussing the importance of design when it comes to foldable phones. That has led to further speculation that we’ll learn more about the Z Flip and Z Fold’s future on July 26.
A larger cover screen
After reviewing the Razr Plus, I’m convinced the Galaxy Z Flip 5 needs a bigger cover screen. Motorola’s new phone has a 3.6-inch outer display compared to the Z Flip 4’s 1.9-inch cover screen. You can do a lot with the Razr’s external display, from playing games to browsing Google Maps and typing an email. The Galaxy Z Flip 4’s smaller cover screen is much more limited and is ideal for brief interactions, like sending a canned response to a text message or peeking at your calendar.
You might be wondering why having a larger cover screen is so important if you’re planning to use the phone primarily when it’s open. Even though I haven’t used the new Razr extensively yet, the cover screen seemingly has the potential to add more on-the-go convenience. Since it’s small enough to fit in the palm of my hand when closed, I can imagine it being useful for responding to a text message or flipping through my inbox when I only have one hand free.
If the rumors turn out to be true, Samsung may indeed give the Galaxy Z Flip 5 a larger external screen. The Twitter account Ice Universe, which has a solid history of leaking details about unreleased Samsung products, says the Z Flip 5 will have a 3.4-inch cover display.
