Samsung prototype hints that Galaxy Z Fold 5 will be drastically thinner with no hinge gap

Ben Schoon | Jan 17 2023 - 6:36 am PT

We’ve learned a lot about Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 5 just in the past week or so, but it was at CES 2023 that a prototype displaying the new hinge tech supposedly coming to that device that gives us our first idea of what to expect in a much thinner, revamped Fold 5.

Samsung’s Galaxy Fold lineup has gone largely stagnant over time. While the jump from Galaxy Fold to Galaxy Z Fold 2 was drastic, the latest two generations have been all about refinement. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 brought water resistance and a better top layer for the inner screen. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 brought better cameras, software, and a tweaked hinge design, along with tweaks to the aspect ratio.

But all in all, these foldables have felt less and less exciting year over year. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 seems like it will change that.

Reports have pinned down the Galaxy Z Fold 5 as coming with the long-awaited S Pen silo for easier stylus storage, as well as a new hinge design. The “droplet” design would more closely match what competitors such as Oppo have been using for a while, a design which better hides the display crease and also makes for a thinner design on the whole.

At CES 2023, Samsung apparently had a prototype of this new hinge design for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 on hand, as Naver was able to capture an image of.

While we can’t see the inner display in this image we can gather quite a bit of information. For one thing, the phone, when closed, is dramatically thinner. It’s not quite half as thin, but it seems to be at least 30% thinner. It’s also easy to see that the two halves of the phone fold together flush, rather than having a distinct gap in the hinge. The brief report also claims this will cut down on weight significantly.

Of course, this likely isn’t a Galaxy Z Fold 5 prototype specifically, but rather a prototype built by Samsung to show off the new hinge technology.

9to5Google’s Take

I’ve been using a Galaxy Z Fold device for the past three generations, and admittedly some parts of the experience have become quite stale. The Fold 4 is barely better than the device that came before it, and that’s been largely a product of Samsung lacking any real competition.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5, if it does turn out to be the same as this prototype, seems like it will finally step up.

This design better lines up with the masterclass in foldable hardware that was the Oppo Find N2 late last year, as well as the improvements on this idea that have come from Xiaomi and others. With foldables from Google and OnePlus also on the horizon, and seemingly headed to Samsung’s most competitive markets, this is perfect timing for the company to step up. I can’t wait to see how it goes.