Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 case leak just confirmed massive upgrade

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A bigger external screen is incoming

Galaxy Z Flip 5 renders open and closed
(Image credit: Steven H. McFly / OnLeaks)

Last week it emerged that the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 could get the biggest upgrade in the series’ short history. The cover screen — currently a 1.9-inch strip for notifications and camera view finding — looks set to expand to a massive 3.4 inches, covering the whole front of the device.

That reveal came from the very accurate leaker OnLeaks, and now we have another piece of evidence via reliable tipster Ice Universe.

In all, the case has room for three cutouts: the camera, the LED flash and a large one for the screen itself which oddly isn’t entirely symmetrical — just as OnLeaks’ renders predicted.

According to the leaker, the 3.4-inch screen will have a resolution of 720 x 748 — quite the bump from the current generation’s 1.9-inch 512 x 260 panel. 

There's just one problem...

But while more screen space without increasing the overall footprint should be a cause for celebration, there is a slight cause for concern: battery life. Bright, high-resolution displays are one of the biggest drains on battery life, and foldables have a whole extra one to power. 

Worryingly, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip series already suffers from historically poor battery life. In our tests, we found that the 3,700mAh battery of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 lasted around 8.5 with adaptive refresh rates enabled — a big improvement on the 5:43 offered by its predecessor, but still a long way short of the kind of stamina the best phone batteries offer.

We haven’t heard about the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 getting an advance on 3,700mAh, so that could prove to be an Achille’s Heel for the handset.

We could find out sooner than you would expect. While Samsung has typically released new foldables in August, the leaker Revegnus believes that this year we could be looking at a July launch. For now check out our Galaxy Z Flip 5 hub and our Galaxy Z Fold 5 page for all the latest rumors and leaks. 

Alan Martin
Alan Martin

Freelance contributor Alan has been writing about tech for over a decade, covering phones, drones and everything in between. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are found all over the web and in the occasional magazine too. When not weighing up the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, you'll probably find him tackling his ever-growing games backlog. He also handles all the Wordle coverage on Tom's Guide and has been playing the addictive NYT game for the last several years in an effort to keep his streak forever intact.