Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 looks thinner than ever in new renders

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

For the Galaxy Z Fold 5, Samsung appears to be following the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mantra if these new renders prove to be correct.

The images — from Steve Hemmerstoffer (aka @OnLeaks) and originally shared with Smartprix — show a foldable that looks awfully similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 4. But Samsung has continued to refine its foldable design, and it looks like the company has found a way of making this the thinnest Galaxy Z Fold handset yet.

Hemmerstoffer reveals the handset’s dimensions to be 154.9 x 129.9 x 6.3mm unfolded or 154.9 x 67.1 x 13.5 when closed. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 was between 14.2 and 15.8mm thick when closed, depending on where you took the measurement.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 renders — (Image credit: OnLeaks / Smartprix)

The reason for this reduction is likely the waterdrop-shaped hinge, which not only reduces the thickness of the handset but should help minimize display creasing. With this new hinge, reports suggest, part of the display rolls inside the phone’s body so there’s no longer a gap when it’s closed.

Otherwise, significant differences are thin, unless you find the relocation of the flash to the side of the camera array especially noteworthy. Once again, there’s no room to dock an S Pen, unlike the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, suggesting it’ll once again be an optional accessory.

On the inside, we can expect the usual intergenerational upgrades, including the inclusion of Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chipset along with “several LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 ROM options” the report says. We might also be treated to a “possible upgrade in camera sensors,” but the article doesn’t elaborate on what these might be.

In short, we’re looking at evolution rather than revolution. And while that won’t give current Z Fold 4 users a reason to upgrade, it is a reflection of the fact that the current version is a well-designed and good-looking handset. While the Pixel Fold renders look promising, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold series remains a thing of great beauty, refined over five years of solid year-on-year improvements.

For those wishing for a more obvious transformation, next year’s Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 might be the one to look out for. According to one leaker, Samsung will be overseeing a “major form factor change starting with the Fold 6”.

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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.