Two big Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 rumored upgrades just got shot down

A leak-based render of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
(Image credit: Technizo Concept / Super Roader)

Some exciting rumored Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 upgrades may in fact not be on their way to the new foldable, says respected leaker Ice Universe.

Firstly, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 won't be IP58 dust/water resistance rated according to IU's sources, going against previous rumors. Hopefully, this would still mean the new Z Fold would be IPX8 rated like the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and previous models, meaning it's as water resistant as other flagship smartphones. But having a guarantee of keeping dust away from the foldable's delicate mechanisms was something we were looking forward to as a big step in foldable phone durability.

IU's sources have also claimed the Galaxy Z Fold 5's display crease looks no different from the Z Fold 4. This seems odd since we've heard rumors about how Samsung's updating the hinge on the Z Fold 5 to improve it in several ways. One of these was Samsung adopting the same "waterdrop" hinge design that other recent foldable phones use, which should, in theory, reduce the crease.

So either all these rumors were incorrect about the changes to the hinge, or Samsung's done something with its own waterdrop mechanism that has left the crease just as prominent as before. That isn't such a big deal for its chances against the Google Pixel Fold, which itself has a big line down the middle of the inner display, but would leave the Z Fold 5 vulnerable against other competitors with less obvious creases in the future.

Even fewer upgrades than we already thought

Ice Universe has provided quite a few unwelcome pieces of Galaxy Z Fold 5 info recently, including the claim that there will be no camera upgrades from the Z Fold 4. Other sources tell us we'll at least get a new chipset in the Z Fold 5,  plus its hinge will apparently be tested to withstand more folds than before. But it won't be until the Galaxy Z Fold 6 that we see a full redesign of Samsung's larger foldable. This all gets pithily summed up in the alleged Samsung employee comment that the upgrades barely qualify the new phone to be described as a Galaxy Z Fold 4S.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is getting a much larger upgrade, including a bigger cover display. It's still a very different type of foldable, designed for compactness rather than expansiveness, But even still, the Z Flip 5 may be Samsung's better foldable this year.

It likely won't be long until we learn for certain what's true and what's not about the Galaxy Z Fold 5 rumors. Samsung's already told us we'll be seeing new foldables at a Galaxy Unpacked at the end of July in Seoul, Korea. Samsung's not confirmed the date yet, but we have to assume it'll only be a couple of weeks until the big day.

More from Tom’s Guide

TOPICS
Richard Priday
Assistant Phones Editor

Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.

Read more
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 in blue
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 rumors — everything we know so far
Galaxy Z Fold 6 shown in hand
2024 is the year Samsung fell behind on foldables — here's why
Galaxy Z Fold 6 shown in hand
Samsung just killed the crease with this breakthrough foldable phone display
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition opened up
Samsung Galaxy Fold 7 could be a lot like this foldable that already launched
Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 6 in-hand with outer display showing
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 leak claims big design changes could be on the way — what we know
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 review.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 tipped for a huge outer screen upgrade — here’s what we know
Latest in Samsung Phones
Galaxy S25 Edge dummy unit from side angle
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge colors shown off in leaked renders — here’s the options
Galaxy S25 Edge dummy unit from side angle
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge design just shown off on video from every angle with seemingly accurate dummies
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 review.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 design just teased in new cases leak — and the outer display is huge
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 review.
Galaxy Z Flip 7 could finally fix the one thing that has prevented me from using Samsung’s flip phones
Amazon Spring Sale Galaxy S25
Amazon’s Spring Sale drops the Samsung Galaxy S25 to $734 — its lowest price ever!
Galaxy S25 Plus held in the hand.
Samsung could delay One UI 7’s release in the US — here’s what we know
Latest in News
NYTimes Connections
NYT Connections today hints and answers — Friday, March 28 (#656)
Reddit logo and Reddit logo on phone
Reddit, X and MLB.TV were down — live updates on outage
Nintendo Switch 2 console, Joy-Con controllers and dock
The Switch 2's mysterious "C" button may have just been confirmed by Nintendo
Nintendo Switch virtual game card
Nintendo just announced 'Virtual Game Cards' ahead of Switch 2 launch
Gerard Butler as Detective Nick "Big Nick" O'Brien in "Den of Thieves 2: Pantera"
Netflix top 10 movies — here’s the 3 worth watching right now
Graphic screen displaying malware detection warning
This dangerous new Windows malware hides from your antivirus while impersonating a popular PC brand