Samsung reveals Galaxy Z Flip 5G ahead of schedule

Samsung was tipped to announce a 5G version of the Galaxy Z Flip as part of its Note 20 event at the start of August, but those plans have seemingly gone out the window. Instead, the manufacturer today revealed the new device: the Galaxy Z Flip 5G.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5G is almost identical to the 4G Galaxy Z Flip, other than three key changes. The most obvious is that is has 5G connectivity, rather than just 4G. It also has a faster processor - a Snapdragon 865 Plus, as opposed to a Snapdragon 855 Plus - and a slightly higher price tag. While local pricing has yet to be confirmed, the Galaxy Z Flip 5G is USD$70 more expensive than the 4G variant. We'd expect that to work out to a $150 premium locally, based on past Samsung prices, bringing the price to somewhere around $2,349 outright.

Otherwise, the Galaxy Z Flip 5G shares the rest of its specs with the standard model. These include a 6.7-inch 1080p+ display, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of non-expandable storage, a 12MP primary and 12MP ultra-wide camera, and a 3,300mAh battery.

The 3,300mAh battery could potentially end up being problematic, however. In our testing of the Galaxy Z Flip, we found battery performance already lacking - it struggled to last an entire day, only managing to get around four hours of screen time per charge. 5G can take an even greater toll on smartphone batteries, as we found when testing the OPPO Find X2 Pro, so we wouldn't be surprised if the Galaxy Z Flip 5G has an even shorter battery life than its 4G sibling.

In addition to a larger battery, we wish Samsung had increased the size Galaxy Z Flip 5G's external display. The diminutive screen still measures in at 1.1-inches, and can be used to show the time, battery life, answer phone calls, take selfies, and display notifications. When testing the original Z Flip, we found it just a little too small to be useful - to the point were just better off unfolding the phone.

Local pricing and availability for the Galaxy Z Flip 5G have yet to be confirmed, but international availability will kick off on August 7. It will come in a choice of Mystic Gray or Mystic Bronze, with the mystic allegedly referring to a matte glass finish as we've seen on devices like the iPhone 11 Pro and Pixel 4.

Alex Choros

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Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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