Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 cover display could look like this

Galaxy Z Flip 5 render concept — (Image credit: Technizo Concept / Super Roader)

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is expected to launch this summer, and one of the biggest changes to one of the best foldable phones should be to the outside of the design. And I mean big.

Back in December we cited a report from display analyst Ross Young, who predicted that that the outer display for the Flip 5 will be 3 inches across. That would be much larger than the 1.-9 cover display on the current Galaxy Z Flip 4.

It's not that the current cover screen is useless. You can check notifications, turn it into a viewfinder for taking photos, control music playback and perform other tasks. Now a claimed "exclusive" from SamMobile shows a mockup of the design with the larger external display.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 render with larger cover display — (Image credit: SamMobile)

The goal of the larger display area will apparently be to let users do a lot more without having to unfold the phone. This could include taking selfies with a bigger viewing area, and replying to messages, though we have to wonder whether a keyboard could even fit on this screen, which SamMobile says is anywhere from 3 to 4 inches. To be fair, the original iPhone had a 3.5-inch screen, so it's possible.

The only thing that's odd about this design is that it's not level all the across, which could prove for awkward operation. An earlier leak shared by Ice Universe claimed that the Z Flip 5 will feature a 3.4-inch display, but we've also heard that it could be larger than the 3.6-inch panel on the Oppo Find N2 Flip.

Other Galaxy Z Flip 5 upgrades

Unofficial render of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 — (Image credit: Technizo Concept / Super Roader)

In addition to a larger cover display, the Galaxy Z Flip is tipped to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, similar to the Galaxy S23 series. That's exciting because this chip beat the iPhone 14 Pro in our graphics testing.

We've also heard about a waterdrop-style hinge for both the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5, which will presumably mean less of a display crease as well as better durability. Hopefully, there will be less of a chance of debris getting caught in the hinge.

The only other notable specs leak we've seen is that the Z Flip 5 will come with 128GB, 256GB or 512GB of storage.

We are curious to see whether these upgrades will add up to a larger or heavier Z Flip 5. One of the key benefits of the Flip over Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold is that you can slip it in your pocket and take it anywhere. So hopefully the supersized external screen won't sacrifice portability. In the meantime, check out our Galaxy Z Flip 5 hub for all the latest leaks and rumors.

More from Tom's Guide

TOPICS

Mark Spoonauer is the global editor in chief of Tom's Guide and has covered technology for over 20 years. In addition to overseeing the direction of Tom's Guide, Mark specializes in covering all things mobile, having reviewed dozens of smartphones and other gadgets. He has spoken at key industry events and appears regularly on TV to discuss the latest trends, including Cheddar, Fox Business and other outlets. Mark was previously editor in chief of Laptop Mag, and his work has appeared in Wired, Popular Science and Inc. Follow him on Twitter at @mspoonauer.