Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Review: Striving for Perfection

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 daylight camera samples (tap to see larger image)

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 telephoto camera samples (tap to see larger image)

 

Given the hardware, I think the Galaxy Z Fold 5 does an excellent job with stills and videos. Photos have good clarity and colours in daytime shots, and HDR is handled well. Telephoto performance is pretty good too, although at zoom levels above 20X, finer details begin to fall apart. There are the usual shooting modes to play with, and subjects shot in Portrait mode have good separation from the background. Even in low light, the phone does a very good job of balancing the shadows and highlights. Night mode is very effective when it matters.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 camera samples (tap to see larger image)

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 low-light selfie using the main camera (tap to see larger image)

 

The ultra-wide and outer selfie cameras are good too. During the day, the ultra-wide does a great job of eliminating barrel distortion but in low light, edges of images can look grainy even with Night mode. The quality of the selfie camera is decent when you’re in a hurry but for best results, I would recommend taking the effort of using the rear cameras for selfies. Recorded videos look good and have smooth stabilisation when shooting in daytime. Low-light videos are decent too as long as there’s decent amount of ambient light.

Verdict

1.5 lakh rupees is a lot of money for a smartphone, which is why you should take a moment to think about the practicality aspect before jumping on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. It is undoubtedly the best phone for a productivity junkie or a mobile gaming enthusiast, and if you know for sure that you will be taking advantage of this form factor and accept the quirks of living with such a smartphone, then I wholly recommend it.

But for many users, it might not be the easiest to live with. Folding and unfolding the phone can become a chore very quickly and for those buying it just for the novelty or bragging rights might regret their decision a few months down the line. If you still wish to spend this sort of money but want something that’s easier to live with, the Galaxy S23 Ultra is the next best thing. It too supports the S Pen and has much better cameras. Alternately, you can also look at the new iPhone 15 Pro Max. We’re in the middle of testing it and should have a verdict on it very soon.