I was initially skeptical about the usefulness of Samsung’s Fold line. I thought it would just be easier to use a tablet instead of this in-between device. But then, apparently, I just needed to use one. So, you can say I’m now a convert. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 packs helpful tools that let you take advantage of that large 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display.
I’m sharing five of my favorite features that helped me get things done and will hopefully help you, too.
Multiple windows at once
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 gives you that desktop experience on a mobile device thanks to its larger screen real-estate. You can have as many as four windows open at once on this device. In my case, I use this a lot for writing, with my notes on one side and the browser on the other.
You can easily pull up a second or third app by long-pressing and dragging the app you want to open from the taskbar. You can then drag that to where you want to position it on the display. You can have apps split horizontally or vertically. The fourth app can be a pop-up window, which I typically use for having a video floating on top of what I’m doing. You just need to drag the app icon to the center of the screen to activate this pop-up.
And then, if the app combinations are something you use often, you can save these “app pairs” on the taskbar, home screen, or the edge panel. Tap on the three dots in the center and then tap on the star icon. You’ll get the option to save your preferred app pairs.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor tuned for Samsung devices, 12GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage. I haven’t had to deal with any slowdowns or issues when using it to multitask.
Drag and drop it like it’s hot
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 also makes it much easier to drag and drop images and text between apps. Have both apps open side by side, and just long-press on the image or text you want to transfer. This can even work if you’re copying URLs into emails or messages.
Of course, you can easily copy the photos you take on this phone, too. The Fold5 has a capable set of cameras, including a 50-megapixel main, 10-megapixel telephoto with 3x optical zoom, 12-megapixel ultrawide, a 4-megapixel under-display camera in the inner screen, and a 10-megapixel selfie camera on the outer screen.
Tap and choose from the taskbar
The taskbar on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 is another PC-like feature on this foldable. Samsung optimized this feature on the Fold5. You can quickly view and switch between 12 apps, including your four most. This means you won’t have to keep searching for the apps you frequently use, as everything you need is easily reachable from the bottom of the screen. There’s even a shortcut for all the apps on your phone, reminding me a bit of the Windows Start menu.
I love that even with all that multitasking, the Fold5 can easily last me over a day’s use most of the time. You can get a lot of mileage out of its 4,400mAh dual battery. I certainly wish charging was faster, but you do get options here. It supports 25W wired charging, 10W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging, allowing it to charge compatible devices.
Flex anywhere with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5
You don’t need a phone stand to use the Samsung Galaxy Fold5 for video calls, either. This foldable has a Flex Mode, allowing you to have it folded on one side and propped up on surfaces so you can talk hands-free. It’s also a helpful mode for watching videos on this foldable since you can have the video on one side and the controls on the other.
Another option for Flex mode is using the outer 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen. I’ve used this option more for watching videos.
You also get the option of just using the full 7.6-inch inner display. However, since it is a book-style foldable, expect to have black bars on the top and bottom of the display. You can zoom in and have it occupy the full screen. But remember that it will cut into the content you’re watching.
DeX for that complete desktop experience
Now, when you travel and need that bigger screen experience, you can get a full desktop setup with just the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5. Since it supports Samsung’s DeX platform, you just need a compatible monitor or TV and your wireless keyboard and mouse.
The Fold5 isn’t as fragile a device as it seems, so it’s ready to go on the road with you. It has an IPX8 rating for water resistance, allowing it to survive up to 1.5m for 30 minutes. There’s still no dust resistance here. Thankfully, the new hinge closes the gap between the screens, so there’s a bit of extra protection there. Samsung also claims its Armor Aluminum frame offers some drop and scratch resistance for this device.
What about the S Pen?
I can’t speak for the S Pen experience because I didn’t have one on hand. But as with the previous Fold, you can use the S Pen with the Fold5. I can imagine this will improve productivity further for those who write or sketch. There’s also still no slot for the pen on the Fold5, so that’s high on my wish list for the next version.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5: Final thoughts
I didn’t expect to enjoy my time with the Fold5 as I’ve had. It’s made it easy to get some aspects of my job done without my laptop. All the features I’ve mentioned above made it easier to work anywhere I wanted while carrying a lighter load than usual. And then, it also just gave me a larger display to play games on or unwind with a good book or show, too.
The top thing I want for the next Fold? Maybe make it thinner. That’s probably one of the significant things its competitors have figured out that Samsung hasn’t integrated yet into this larger foldie.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 is available in Icy Blue, Phantom Black, and Cream with a starting price of USD 1,800 / PHP 98,990.
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