Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 leak tips display disappointment

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 could stick with a 6.2-inch external screen, says reputable leaker Ice Universe, pouring cold water on hopes of an upgrade.

That would be the same size as the Galaxy Z Fold 4's outer display, which has been the default size of the cover screen since the Galaxy Z Fold 2. We had been looking for a bit of a size change to make the display more usable,  but it sounds like that won't be happening.

Other foldables come with larger outer displays; for example, the Honor Magic Vs with its 6.45-inch panel. Arguably more important than size is the aspect ratio of the display, which Ice Universe doesn't directly address.

Galaxy Z Folds are a little tricky to use when closed because the outer display is tall and skinny, making it hard to type or reach the far corners of the screen. Samsung seemingly acknowledged this when it adjusted the body measurements of the Galaxy Z Fold 3's outer display for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 to make it shorter and wider, although not by much.

Keeping a 6.2-inch display wouldn't be such a problem for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 if Samsung made it shorter and wider again, perhaps taking notes from the compact Oppo Find N2. There are currently no rumors to back this up though, making it sound like the overall shape of the display will remain the same as with the size.

What the rumors are saying, however, is that Samsung could adopt a less obtrusive waterdrop hinge design for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 to make the inner display look better, and could be larger in order to integrate an S Pen into its body. Both of these would be welcome changes that could put the Galaxy Z Fold 5 at the top of our best foldable phones rankings.

We expect the Galaxy Z Fold 5, as well as the smaller Galaxy Z Flip 5, to arrive toward the end of summer this year, perhaps around August as the current models did. 

As much as we're looking forward to them, other foldable phones like the Honor Magic Vs or the rumored Google Pixel Fold are also thought to be launching soon, and could provide competition where Samsung's had relatively little before.

More from Tom's Guide

• Phantom V Fold is one impressive foldable that’s $700 less than Galaxy Z Fold 4
• The Oppo Find N2 is amazing — here's 5 ways it beats Galaxy Z Fold 4
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 could fix the biggest Fold 4 problems — here's how