While looking at the best phones on the market, you'll likely have noticed a change recently – more and more of them are flip, or folding, phones. Popular models like the Motorola Razr and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 have been very popular handsets, with much larger appeal than previous generations.
But there's no getting around it – the best foldable phones come with a price tag to match. It can be hard to justify the spend, particularly when a similar spend on a traditional slab phone is likely to yield a slightly improved spec sheet.
Despite this, foldable phones phones have surged in popularity, surpassing expectations and proving that the interest in them is there. That interest is likely to increase even more with news that the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is set to get a massive display upgrade.
According to respected display supply chain consultant, Ross Young, the next generation of Samsung's flip phone design will feature a much bigger cover display, as well as improvements to reduce the visibility of the hinge. Young has been providing information about technology displays for years and his word is basically as good as gospel.
He says that the Z Flip 5 – the next variant of the hugely popular Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 – will have a cover display more than 3-inches across. That's significantly bigger than the 1.9-inch cover display found on the current model, and should open up new possibilities for the front screen.
That's a great benefit, not only for ease of use, but for the longevity of the device. The fold on the Z Flip 4 is rated for 200,000 uses. That's a big number, but it feels altogether too finite – I feel like I'd be keeping a mental tally of how many times I'd opened and closed the display. Having a front screen that you could do more with would allow you to fire through simple tasks without unfolding the main display, preserving the life of the device.
Elsewhere, the crease created by the folding action is set to see an improvement too. Young says that a new hinge design is being employed, which should reduce the visibility of the crease when in use. That's a great upgrade. Most people I've spoken to about foldable phones take issue with the crease, so finding ways to hide it will surely appeal to a greater range of users.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 will likely launch in early 2023, along with other updates such as the Samsung Galaxy S23.
