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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 release date: When can you buy it?
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 may have been just an iterative upgrade over the Galaxy Z Fold 4, but it took the crown as king of foldables from its predecessor. There aren’t many surprises in terms of the phone specs or features, but that’s no bad thing — Samsung was already on to a winning formula, and improvements like a brighter display and better hinge have built on that success. We’ve answered all of the key questions about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 release date in this short guide.
THE SHORT ANSWER
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 launched at a Galaxy Unpacked event on July 26, 2023 in Seoul and became available for pre-order on the same day. It will be available to buy online and in-store on August 11.
KEY SECTIONS
When did the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 come out?
- Samsung Galaxy Fold — March 20, 2019
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 — August 5, 2020
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 — August 24, 2021
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 — August 10, 2022
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 — July 26, 2023
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 was officially launched on July 26, 2023, alongside several other new Galaxy devices during the 27th Galaxy Unpacked event held in Seoul, South Korea.
Our expectations for the release date were initially targeted at August 2023, following the pattern of the last three Galaxy Z Fold iterations you can see above. However, once the company announced a late July date for the Unpacked event, it was clear that an earlier schedule was going to play out.
Samsung didn’t specifically say that it would be the Galaxy Z Fold 5 being unveiled, or any of the other devices for that matter. But it did indicate that it was the latest line of foldables that we would be introduced to, so the tech world was quietly confident about what was coming.
Was the Galaxy Z Fold 5 available to buy at launch?
Not immediately. The launch marked the beginning of a 16-day pre-order window, offering early-bird deals for those quick to secure their orders. W provided a bit more detail about that below. August 11 was the date on which the phone officially hit the shelves.
Samsung’s approach to product launches has been consistent in recent years. It unveils the latest device at a Galaxy Unpacked event, makes it available for pre-order the same day, then there’s just over two weeks to wait before the phone’s availability in stores. This strategy has been applied successfully to both the Galaxy S23 series earlier in 2023 and previous generations of Samsung’s foldable devices. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 followed suit.
As industry observers, we had predicted this release schedule once the Galaxy Z Fold 5’s announcement date was revealed. Drawing from past patterns, Samsung tends towards a Wednesday launch and Friday release. When we were confident that Wednesday, July 26 was going to be the announcement, August 11 was always looking to be the most likely release date.
What is the Galaxy Z Fold 5’s price?
The base 256GB model of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is $1,799.99 in the US, although you could get a free storage upgrade during the pre-order period to the 512GB variant. The larger-capacity model costed $1,919.99 thereafter. The smartphone is also available in Europe and the UK, starting at €1,899 and £1,749, respectively, or €2,019 and £1,849 for the 512GB model.
That means there’s no price increase from the previous generation of Galaxy Z Fold, which is obviously welcome. After all, it’s already a hefty asking price at a time when many folks are tightening their belts. This price freeze follows a similar one on the Galaxy S23 series earlier this year.
Where can you buy the Galaxy Z Fold 5?
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is widely available for pre-order from the main retail outlets and carriers, and the premium price tag can be at least partially offset by the various deals on offer. Anyone buying directly from Samsung in the US can get up to $1,000 off the Galaxy Z Fold 5 with an eligible trade-in, as well as 30% off Samsung Care Plus — Samsung’s repair and insurance service.
Amazon is another good option if you’re looking to get the unlocked version of the Z Fold 5. Carriers are also going big on the deals, keen to use the high-end device as a carrot to lure you into a contract plan. Verizon and AT&T are both offering up to $1,000 in trade-in rebates as well as some other little extras. T-Mobile also offers up to $1,000 off via a trade-in, but if you add a line on Go5G Plus or Magenta MAX plan, you can even get a $1,000 discount without having to switch out your old device.
What other products did Samsung announce at the Z Fold 5 launch event?
There was no way we were going to see the Galaxy Z Fold 5 announced on its own. The most obvious counterpart was its smaller sibling, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, especially as the Galaxy Z Flip 4 sold much better than the Z Fold 4 in 2022. Like the Z Fold 5, the Z Flip 5 is mainly a progressive evolution from its predecessor, although it does have a more significant design upgrade. That’s due to the much larger, folder-shaped cover display, which Samsung refers to as the Flex Window. The phone starts at $999.99, although the carrier perks described above are very similar on the Z Flip 5.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 range became the latest wearables added to the manufacturer’s lineup. The base model, the Galaxy Watch 6, has a sportier look, while the Galaxy Watch 6 Classic sees the “Classic” model return along with its popular rotating bezel. The two designs are mostly the same in terms of both software and hardware, with the biggest difference being the 3D Hall sensor in the Classic model, which is responsible for the functionality of the rotating bezel. The base model Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 starts at $299 for a 40mm device and $329 for a 44mm variant. The Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Classic models cost $100 more than their counterparts, with the smaller 43mm Classic priced at $399 and the larger model at $429.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 series was the other big device launch, consisting of the Galaxy Tab S9, Galaxy Tab S9 Plus, and Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra. All three tablets feature 2K AMOLED displays and are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. The standard Galaxy Tab S9 starts at $799.99 for the base 8GB RAM model with 128GB storage. The Galaxy Tab S9 Plus is priced at $999.99 for the 12GB RAM variant with 256GB storage. The top-of-the-line Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra starts at $1,199 for the variant with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage.
Is the Galaxy Z Fold 5 available globally?
You bet. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 release date was staggered across different regions, but you can now buy it in every market in which Samsung has a presence. That means over 130 countries worldwide, including the US, Canada, Europe, Australia, India, and of course, South Korea.
FAQs
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 doesn’t come with the S Pen, which we think is a shame. It has S Pen support, but that’s not the same as having the capacity to carry the physical pen around with the device. You may want to purchase both the S Pen and a case that includes a slot for it to get the full potential of this functionality. We realize that could be a bit galling after you’ve just spent $1,800 on your new device.
Yes, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 has an IPX8 water-resistance rating. That doesn’t mean it is fully waterproof, but it can survive a short submersion in shallow water.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 will come with a screen protector. It’s a nice touch from the manufacturer to add one at very little extra production cost, and you can always remove it if it’s not to your liking.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 doesn’t have an SD card slot, and it was always unlikely. No foldable device from Samsung has had one so far, nor do the other premium flagships from the OEM. An SD card slot adds a bit to the production costs, but it also makes it harder for the manufacturer to upsell you a higher storage variant of the device, so you can understand why they are less common in 2023.