Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Galaxy S23: which one should you go for?
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Intro
If you are wondering whether you should go for Samsung's latest flip phone or if a traditional smartphone would be a better fit for you, this Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Galaxy S23 comparison is just the right place.
Each of these has its own pros and cons, with the main advantages of the Flip 5 being just the physical joy of a flip phone that you can open and also physically slap shut. The Flip 5 also folds to a smaller square size and you can use it to film yourself even without a tripod.
Each of these has its own pros and cons, with the main advantages of the Flip 5 being just the physical joy of a flip phone that you can open and also physically slap shut. The Flip 5 also folds to a smaller square size and you can use it to film yourself even without a tripod.
On the other hand, the rectangle shaped Galaxy S23 has no moving parts and it is more durable and better protected against both dust and water, it weighs less it is thinner, and it comes with a larger battery size and even an additional camera.
So... which one should you go for?
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Galaxy S23 differences:
- Flip phone vs traditional smartphone
- Flip 5 gets more compact when folded
- Galaxy S23 however is slimmer and weighs less
- Same processor, same RAM on both
- Galaxy S23 has slightly bigger battery
- Same charging speeds
- Galaxy S23 has a zoom camera
- Galaxy S23 is cheaper
Table of Contents:
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Design and Size
Flip 5 is a slimmer flip phone than before, but there is still a crease and it lacks dust resistance
The Galaxy Z Flip 5 folds in roughly half the size of the Galaxy S23, and that's its main advantage.
However, remember that when you fold it, it also becomes quite thick, and even when unfolded you end up with a weird, taller than usual 22 by 9 aspect ratio on the main screen.
Also, Samsung has improved the Flip 5 so it closes with no gap between the two halves and as a consequence, the phone is slimmer than before. However, the infamous crease is still very much there and unchanged, while you don't have that on the Galaxy S23.
Additionally, the Flip 5 remains only IPX8 certified. That means it's well protected against water ingress, but not against dust and dust remains the arch-enemy of folding phones. In that regard, the Galaxy S23 is just more durable. There are no moving parts to break, no fragile folding screen, and a very reassuring IP68 water AND dust protection on the S23.
Display Differences
(Image Credit - PhoneArena)
The main inconvenience of a folding phone is well... you have to unfold it every time you want to use it. Or at least you used to with older models! Now, the Flip 5 comes with a much larger, 3.4-inch Cover Screen where you can do many tasks without ever opening the phone.
Samsung has made widgets for your favorite contacts, the weather, timers and alarms, and a few others, and you can also use some essential apps. We got Google Maps, YouTube, Netflix and a few messaging apps to run, but some apps might not be optimized yet.
As for the main screen, you have a larger, but also awkwardly tall screen on the Flip 5, while the S23 is more compact and has a more traditional form factor. You can get used to both sizes though, it's not something completely out of the ordinary.
Display Measurements:
One difference between the two is in the way they handle biometrics.
You have an ultrasonic fingerprint scanner built inside the screen on the S23, while the Flip 5 has its fingerprint scanner embedded in the power button on the side. The front positioned fingerprint reader on the S23 is a bit more convenient due to the placement, but we guess it's also a matter of personal preference. Both work perfectly fine in daily use.
Performance and Software
With the same chip, you won't see major differences in performance
(Image Credit - PhoneArena)
Both the Flip 5 and the Galaxy S23 come with the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 system chip, which is great news as this chip is fast and power efficient.
Both also have 8GB of RAM on board, but one difference is in the storage. While the base Galaxy S23 model has 128GB of storage, the Flip 5 has double that at 256GB. This is great news as in recent polls, we have seen most people choose 256GB as the sweet spot.
Performance Benchmarks:
There is no microSD card slot on either phone, but that's hardly a surprise.
With Android 13 and One UI 5 on board, these phones look and feel pretty much the same in terms of software. Both get the same 4 year OS update commitment from Sasmung, which is more than on other Android phones, so that's great.
Camera
S23 has got some zoom
(Image Credit - PhoneArena)
With a flip phone consisting of two thin and small halves, you don't have much space and one consequence is the Galaxy Z Flip 5 only has two main cameras, while the Galaxy S23 has three cameras, the third one being a zoom lens which is missing on the Flip.
The S23 also has a larger, 50-megapixel main camera sensor which comes improved low-light performance compared to the Flip 5.
But by far, the 3X zoom camera is the major difference and advantage that the S23 has. Digital zoom on the Flip 5 just cannot match the quality out of a native zoom lens, so at 3X and beyond, the S23 captures cleaner photos with a lot more detail.
Main Camera - Day
As you can see, during the day, the Flip 5 and Galaxy S23 looks nearly identical. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 has a slightly narrower field of view and we also noticed that detail is much sharper on it. Look at the umbrella on the right side of the shot, and you can definitely see how it's very sharp on the Flip 5, while on the Galaxy S23 detail is a bit softer.
Main Camera - Low-light
In low light, images again look similar, but interestingly the Galaxy Z Flip 5 captures a bit more light in the shadows. That's the main and probably the only difference.
Zoom Quality
While Samsung has improved the digital zoom quality on the Flip 5, the quality is still nowhere near that of the native 3X zoom lens on the Galaxy S23. You can see the S23 captures just more detail and a cleaner shot at 3X and the disparity is even more noticeable when you zoom further.
Ultra-wide Camera
Quality out of the ultra-wide camera on both phones is extremely similar, and you really have to pixel peep to find even the smallest of differences.
Selfies
The Flip 5 makes it easy to take selfies using the main 1X camera and you can see that it does a better job at it than the selfie camera on the main screen. Thanks to the larger sensor on the main camera, you have a lot more detail and a good amount of natural bokeh, which makes for very pleasing selfies. You can also take selfies using the main camera on the S23, but you have to compose your shot in the blind, so the selfie round definitely goes to the Flip 5.
Video Quality
When it comes to video recording quality, both phones support up to 8K video recording, but most people would probably stick with 4K footage for the more reasonable file sizes.
At 4K30, footage from the main camera looks practically identical on both phones when you record during the day. However, at night time, the Galaxy S23 definitely looks better: it can get more light, there is less noise, and recordings look cleaner overall.
Video stabilization is similarly good on both phones and the color science too, so we have parity there. The Galaxy S23 also does have the advantage of its 3X zoom camera, so when you zoom to that level or further, you have a much cleaner picture on the S23.
Battery Life and Charging
Flip 5 has a smaller battery, but might actually get longer real-world battery life
(Image Credit - PhoneArena)
Another challenge with a flip phone is that you have less space for the battery: after all you have a hinge in the middle and you have to split the battery in two parts, one for each half of the phone.
That's the reason why flip phones typically have smaller battery sizes than a non-flip phone, and the Galaxy Z Flip 5 has a 3,700mAh battery, slightly smaller than the 3,900mAh battery on the Galaxy S23.
But does this mean you get longer battery out of the S23?
Well, that one is tricky! If you use the Cover Screen on the Flip 5 more, you will actually end up saving a lot of power and you might actually get longer battery life on the Flip 5. But if you just rely on the main screen most of the time, the Galaxy S23 should last you more.
PhoneArena Battery Test Results:
But what about charging speeds? Is there a difference there?
Charging Test Results:
And for charging, you have the same 25W wired charging speeds and 10W+ wireless charging on both.
Specs Comparison
Here is a quick overview of the Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Galaxy S23 specs:
| Specs | Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 | Samsung Galaxy S23 |
|---|---|---|
| Size and Weight | Unfolded: 165.1 x 71.9 x 6.9 mm Folded: 85.1 x 71.9 x 15.1 mm Weight:189 g | 146.3 x 70.9 x 7.6mm Weight:168 g |
| Displays | 6.7-inch main screen 22:9 aspect ratio 1080p, 120Hz 3.4-inch Cover Screen | 6.1-inch OLED 19.5:9 aspect ratio 1080p, 120Hz |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 |
| RAM, Storage and Price | 8/256 GB 8/512 GB | 8/128 GB 8/256 GB |
| Software | Android 13 with One UI | Android 13 with One UI |
| Cameras | 12MP wide, f/1.8 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.2 - 10MP front Cam | 50MP wide, f/1.8 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.2 10MP 3X zoom 12MP front |
| Battery Size | 3,700 mAh | 3,900 mAh |
| Charging Speeds | 25W wired charge 10W wireless | 25W wired charge 10W wireless |
The most notable differences from this spec sheet are clearly just about the physical size of the Galaxy S23 as it weighs less and is more compact compared to an open Flip 5, and it also has a slightly larger battery.
Summary
At the end of the day, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is the most advanced flip phone Samsung has ever made, but it is still a flip phone and it comes with all the advantages and disadvantages of that form factor.
Like that style of a phone? Go for the Flip 5. It has a more usable outer screen, faster performance and an improved design. Just remember that you will have to unfold it very often and be a bit more careful with the phone in dusty areas.
The Galaxy S23 on the other hand might seem a bit boring, but with less moving parts and no crease, plus a bigger battery and a zoom camera, it might be the better choice for those who don't want to risk it.
So... which one would you go for?
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