Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 leak shows bad news for the foldable

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 render half folded
(Image credit: OnLeaks / Smartprix)

Samsung hasn't changed the Galaxy Z Fold's design since the second generation model that came out in 2020. So it’s perhaps unsurprising that we’re expecting the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 to look quite similar to the company’s current foldable flagship.

But a new leak from the reliable tipster Ice Universe shows exactly how little change to expect. The leaker shared what appears to be frames of both the upcoming Z Fold 5 next to the current generation. Barring the relocation of the flashlight to the right of the camera cutout, there appears to be no change whatsoever.

In a follow-up tweet, the leaker placed the two frames atop of one another. With some red lines, Ice Universe showed that the width of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5’s external screen is going to remain unchanged too. 

In other words, we can’t expect a change of aspect ratio for the handset in its folded phone form this time around. It’s going to remain tall and thin, in contrast to the freshly announced Google Pixel Fold which has a more traditional aspect ratio when folded. 

That’s a pity, as the existing thin design does make typing a little bit more challenging, and unfolding just to send a quick text feels like an awkward, unnecessary additional step.

But, complaints about the closed aspect ratio aside, the phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” comes to mind. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is a superbly designed handset, and there’s a solid argument for Samsung to continue making small iterative changes. We’ve already heard that the phone will be thinner and lighter this time around, thanks to the adoption of a new teardrop hinge, for example.

Plus a phone’s frame says nothing about what’s on the inside. We’re fully expecting the Galaxy Z Fold 5 to adopt the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor for a welcome speed boost — perhaps more than expected. Purported benchmarks show a big uptick in performance from even the Galaxy S23 Ultra, suggesting that Samsung has made some progress in optimizing its ‘For Galaxy’ chips.

Still, if you’re starting to find the design of Samsung’s foldables a bit stale, good news may be coming next year. One leaker believes that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is going to see a “major form factor change”. What form that change takes remains to be seen, but if that sounds even slightly tempting, it may be worth sitting this generation out and seeing what Samsung has up its sleeve for 2024 instead.

More from Tom's Guide

TOPICS
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. Or, more likely, playing Spelunky for the millionth time.

Read more
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 review.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 tipped for a huge outer screen upgrade — here’s what we know
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition opened up
Samsung Galaxy Fold 7 could be a lot like this foldable that already launched
Leaked CAD renders of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 foldable phone
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 first images leak — here's what they reveal about the new flagship foldable
An alleged Galaxy Z Flip 6 render
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 could miss out on a camera upgrade — what we know
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 in blue
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 rumors — everything we know so far
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
Latest in Samsung Phones
samsung galaxy s25 edge mockup at galaxy unpacked
Galaxy S25 Edge is overhyped — I want Samsung to make this phone thinner instead
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Older Samsung phones are finally getting One UI 7 — here's all the devices
The iPhone 16 Pro Max (L) and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra rear cameras
I took 200 macro photos with Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. iPhone 16 Pro — here's the winner
Try Galaxy home screen on iPhone 16 Pro Max
You can now try Samsung's latest One UI 7 software on your iPhone — here's how
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge back
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge price comes into focus with latest leak
Samsung Galaxy A56 (left) and iPhone 16e (right) laying next to each other on a woodgrain table.
4 reasons why Samsung's Galaxy A56 is a better buy than the iPhone 16e
Latest in News
Gemini screenshot image
Gemini just became the ultimate collaborator — everything you need to know about this huge new upgrade
HP OmniBook
HP’s new OmniBook lineup looks set to smash AI laptop price barriers — that’s a good thing if the company keeps up its end of the deal
Roku Pro Series on living room wall
Roku is adding the worst part of Fire TV to its streaming devices
Adam James and Christina Hendricks in The Buccaneers
'The Buccaneers' season 2 gets release date — here's our first look at this season's new star character
Adam Sandler in Happy Gilmore 2
Netflix sets 'Happy Gilmore 2' release date with a brand new trailer — and it's looking good
nvidia presenting
Nvidia GTC 2025 live — Jensen Huang on what's next in AI, robotics and accelerated computing