The Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Pixel Fold: Did Samsung rise to Google's challenge?
Here's how the specs stack up.
Samsung followed through on its promise to reveal its two latest foldables during its Unpacked event in Seoul today. We now know that the new flagship foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 5, indeed uses a new Flex Hinge to narrow the gap between the two halves of the screen, shaving more than two millimeters off the folded thickness. The new model also employs the second-generation Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 processor and the internal screen got a brightness boost.
As our reviewer Sam Rutherford notes in his hands-on, that's where the big differences end. The Z Fold 4 and 5 have the same cameras, same screen sizes and resolutions, and the same batteries — though the new processing tricks and more efficient chipset may allow this year's model to make better use of that hardware. The new phone also carries the same $1,800 MSRP, so if you're deliberating between this model or the previous one, you may as well go for the latest.
But how does the latest Z Fold compare to Google's Pixel Fold? For a long time, Samsung was the only major player on the foldable pitch, until Google released its entrant and brought some serious competition. Both phones have the same size internal screen, but Samsung's orientation is taller and skinnier than Google's. The Z Fold 5 has a little bit bigger battery and three of the five cameras boast more megapixels than the ones on the Pixel Fold.
Here are the specs for Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Google's Pixel Fold side-by-side so you can see which one makes the most sense for you. We also included specs for the Galaxy Z Fold 4 so you can see what changed (and what didn't) this year.
Galaxy Z Fold 5 | Pixel Fold | Galaxy Z Fold 4 | |
Pricing | Starts at $1,800 | Starts at $1,799 | Starts at $1,800 |
Release date | August 2023 | June 2023 | August 2022 |
Open Dimensions (H x W x D) | 6.1 x 5.1 x 0.24 in (154.9 x 129.8 x 6.1 mm) | 5.5 x 6.2 x 0.23 in (139.7 x 158.7 x 5.8 mm) | 6.1 x 5.1 x 0.25 in (155.1 x 130.1 x 6.3 mm) |
Folded dimensions (H x W x D) | 6.1 x 2.6 x 0.53 in (154.9 x 67.1 x 13.5 mm) | 5.5 x 3.1 x 0.47 in (139.7 x 79.5 x 12.1 mm) | 6.1 x 2.6 x 0.62 in (155.1 x 67.1 x 15.8mm) |
Weight | 8.9 oz (253 g) | 10 oz (283 g) | 9.3 oz (263 g) |
Screen size (internal) | 7.6 in (193 mm) | 7.6 in (193 mm) | 7.6 in (193 mm) |
Screen size (external) | 6.2 in (157 mm) | 5.8 in (146.7 mm) | 6.2 in (157 mm) |
Screen resolution (internal) | 2176 x 1812 at 374ppi | 2208 x 1840 at 380ppi | 2176 x 1812 at 374 ppi |
Screen resolution (external) | 2316 x 904 at 402ppi | 2092 x 1080 at 408ppi | 2316 x 904 at 402 ppi |
Screen type (internal) | Dynamic AMOLED (120Hz) | OLED (120Hz) | Dynamic AMOLED (120Hz) |
Screen type (external) | Dynamic AMOLED (120Hz) | OLED (120Hz) | Dynamic AMOLED (120Hz) |
Processor | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Google Tensor G2 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 |
Battery | 4,400 mAh | 4,821 mAh | 4,400 mAh |
RAM | 12GB | 12GB | 12GB |
Internal storage | 256GB, 512GB or 1TB | 256GB or 512GB | 256GB, 512GB or 1TB |
Rear cameras | Three cameras: Main: 50MP, ƒ/1.8 aperture Ultra wide: 12MP, ƒ/2.2 aperture Telephoto: 10MP, ƒ/2.4 aperture, 3X optical zoom | Three cameras: Main: 48MP, ƒ/1.7 aperture Ultra wide: 10.8MP, ƒ/2.2 aperture Telephoto: 10.8MP, ƒ/3.05 aperture, 5x optical zoom | Three cameras: Main: 50MP, ƒ/1.8 aperture Ultra wide: 12MP, ƒ/2.2 aperture Telephoto: 10MP, ƒ/2.4 aperture, 3X optical zoom |
Front Camera | 10MP, ƒ/2.2 aperture | 9.5MP, ƒ/2.2 aperture | 10MP, ƒ/2.2 aperture |
Internal camera | 4MP, ƒ/1.8 aperture | 8MP, ƒ/2.0 aperture | 4MP, ƒ/1.8 aperture |
Water resistance | IPX8 | IPX8 | IPX8 |
Connectivity | 5G, WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 | 5G, WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 | 5G, WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2 |
Charging | 25W fast charging 12W wireless | 30W fast charging 7.5W wireless | 25W fast charging 12W wireless |
Colors | Icy Blue, Phantom Black, Gray, Blue or Samsung-exclusive Cream | Obsidian or Porcelain | Graygreen, Phantom Black, Beige or Samsung-exclusive Burgundy |
