Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 (& Flip 5) The 2023 Samsung foldables

[Tulani]

Are camera arrays staying the same as Fold 4?

I thought they will be like/as with the S23 lineup

 

[blairh]

I would say there are plenty of Fold owners that are use to the sticker price and will upgrade the same as there are many $1400+ IPhone PM that will upgrade for very minor incremental advances and upgrades

Of course there are always the sub group of potential new Fold owners where by swapping 2 devices (phone and tablet) to just a Fold gives excellent value

It's a small percentage of the consumer market though.

Foldables will remain a niche category at this price point and with this lack of dust protection as well.

 

[blairh]

Well, as far I know... consumers who never purchased a Fold is more concerned with the crease (along with durability). Watching various videos about the Fold, reviewers normally focus on how noticeable the crease is. And supposedly, Samsung is focusing on that aspect this time around.

And price is always going to be a factor in regards to a device like this... unless Samsung makes an affordable option, but in most cases users want the premium device.


Minor update in terms of design, but as I stated... internally is where Fold 4 users might notice the difference. You seem to dismiss the idea battery life isn't a motivated factor, but judging from the amount of people that post screenshots of their Screen on Time...that is a key factor.

I think the price has always been the biggest issue. Will they sell more Fold's with less or no crease? Absolutely. But that price point is clearly the single biggest issue.

I never got the impression that battery life was a huge issue with the Fold 4. Again, I don't really think the focus should be on how many Fold 4 users are going to upgrade. That is a niche market (Fold 4 owners) on top of an already even more niche market (people who would entertain upgrading a foldable after one year of use). Most consumers purchase foldables with trade-in offers which require you to use your device for 2 or 3 years on contract to obtain said credits.

 

[Ludatyk]

I think the price has always been the biggest issue. Will they sell more Fold's with less or no crease? Absolutely. But that price point is clearly the single biggest issue.

But its a premium device, of course it's expensive. And new Fold users don't want any doubts or shortcomings when it comes to purchasing an expensive device such as this.

And @SteveJUAE brought up a good point... the 14PM is priced upwards of $1600 (TB model) and users don't second guess purchasing it.

I never got the impression that battery life was a huge issue with the Fold 4. Again, I don't really think the focus should be on how many Fold 4 users are going to upgrade. That is a niche market (Fold 4 owners) on top of an already even more niche market (people who would entertain upgrading a foldable after one year of use).

I'm not claiming battery life is a huge issue against the Fold 4... but that, if there's a major increase in battery performance that's not motivating factor for Fold 4 users to upgrade?

And I'm waiting for Samsung to determine how to implement silo on the Fold... once that happens, I'll upgrade. I personally don't have a problem with the cover screen or crease. Adding 50MP has been a solid camera upgrade for me... because most of the work is behind the scenes anyway with photo processing.

Most consumers purchase foldables with trade-in offers which require you to use your device for 2 or 3 years on contract to obtain said credits.

I think you are referring to carrier trade in process, but going through Samsung... customers don't necessarily have to worry about the obligation of the contract as long as its paid off.

 

[blairh]

But its a premium device, of course it's expensive. And new Fold users don't want any doubts or shortcomings when it comes to purchasing an expensive device such as this.

And @SteveJUAE brought up a good point... the 14PM is priced upwards of $1600 (TB model) and users don't second guess purchasing it.


I'm not claiming battery life is a huge issue against the Fold 4... but that, if there's a major increase in battery performance that's not motivating factor for Fold 4 users to upgrade?

And I'm waiting for Samsung to determine how to implement silo on the Fold... once that happens, I'll upgrade. I personally don't have a problem with the cover screen or crease. Adding 50MP has been a solid camera upgrade for me... because most of the work is behind the scenes anyway with photo processing.


I think you are referring to carrier trade in process, but going through Samsung... customers don't necessarily have to worry about the obligation of the contract as long as its paid off.

I mean sure, there is a $1,600 iPhone. I'm also quite certain that is the least popular model for the 14 PM and the people that buy it by and large are not getting a new iPhone every year.

Again, I don't think the majority of Fold 4 owners are looking to upgrade this year to begin with. Especially if the device more or less looks identical to their current Fold.

I don't think most consumers are buying Fold's at full retail price. And financially it makes more sense to take advantage of a carrier trade-in where they will give you a massive discount over say 3 years if you give them a crappy working phone in return versus whatever trade-in Samsung will offer.

 

[SteveJUAE]

It's a small percentage of the consumer market though.

Foldables will remain a niche category at this price point and with this lack of dust protection as well.

Yes but this is both its strength and weakness, there nothing saying the Folds or Flips have to outsell other phones, people still buy IPhones despite having probably the weakest zoom cameras in its slab format class

 

[SteveJUAE]

I mean sure, there is a $1,600 iPhone. I'm also quite certain that is the least popular model for the 14 PM and the people that buy it by and large are not getting a new iPhone every year.

Again, I don't think the majority of Fold 4 owners are looking to upgrade this year to begin with. Especially if the device more or less looks identical to their current Fold.

I don't think most consumers are buying Fold's at full retail price. And financially it makes more sense to take advantage of a carrier trade-in where they will give you a massive discount over say 3 years if you give them a crappy working phone in return versus whatever trade-in Samsung will offer.

Again IPhone high end models continue to sell as do Folds, the least popular IPhones were the cheaper non pro models

What massive carrier discounts LOL that's just smoke and mirrors where so called discounts are recouped via compulsory Bundel charges and lock-ins for 3 years

Samsung like others offer interest free payments schemes on top of generous trade-ins regardless of OEM's

 

[blairh]

What massive carrier discounts LOL that's just smoke and mirrors where so called discounts are recouped via compulsory Bundel charges and lock-ins for 3 years

Samsung like others offer interest free payments schemes on top of generous trade-ins regardless of OEM's

That's absolutely not true. At least not in America at least. Currently you are much better off going through a carrier trade-in program versus anything Samsung is currently offering in the same realm.

For example, I can buy a Galaxy S9 off Swappa right now for $87 and bring it to AT&T. They will give me $800 in credits over 36 months for a Fold 4.

I couldn't care less about being locked into a contract. It's not like I have any desire to jump from carrier to carrier.

 

[SteveJUAE]

That's absolutely not true. At least not in America at least. Currently you are much better off going through a carrier trade-in program versus anything Samsung is currently offering in the same realm.

For example, I can buy a Galaxy S9 off Swappa right now for $87 and bring it to AT&T. They will give me $800 in credits over 36 months for a Fold 4.

I couldn't care less about being locked into a contract. It's not like I have any desire to jump from carrier to carrier.

LOL its not $800 off its giving you a higher compulsory top tier unlimited plan for the price of a lower one based on a monthly bill rebate, where the difference is ~$25 per month plus all the caveats of 36 months tie in etc, that's how they get the $800 back


Where on Samsung US site you can get a Fold4 for $1800 less $425 direct saving for an S9+ you propose, that's real money saved, then go and pick any carrier plan that suits you that's not a compulsory locked in high tier one

Unless you 100% need every aspect of the At&T compulsory high plan other than convivence its no bargain over other potential offers and I suspect with a bit of hunting around even better deals can be had

Even if you selected At&T $50 unlimited plan that's $900 less plus the $425 Samsung trade-in = $1325 saved over 3 years or just $425 if you go with the $75 unlimited plan, still better than AT&T lock-in deal which just gives an extra year on repayments but with caveats

YMMV

 

[blairh]

LOL its not $800 off its giving you a higher compulsory top tier unlimited plan for the price of a lower one based on a monthly bill rebate, where the difference is ~$25 per month plus all the caveats of 36 months tie in etc, that's how they get the $800 back


Where on Samsung US site you can get a Fold4 for $1800 less $425 direct saving for an S9+ you propose, that's real money saved, then go and pick any carrier plan that suits you that's not a compulsory locked in high tier one

Unless you 100% need every aspect of the At&T compulsory high plan other than convivence its no bargain over other potential offers and I suspect with a bit of hunting around even better deals can be had

Even if you selected At&T $50 unlimited plan that's $900 less plus the $425 Samsung trade-in = $1325 saved over 3 years

YMMV

My plan will be the same whether I do a trade-in deal or not. Your point is nonsense.

 

[SteveJUAE]

My plan will be the same whether I do a trade-in deal or not. Your point is nonsense.

Yeah if you say so LOL

Enjoy your Fold 4 regardless how you buy it

 

[blairh]

Yeah if you say so LOL

Enjoy your Fold 4 regardless how you buy it

I don’t know what you are LOL’ing about. My post-paid AT&T plan does not change in any way whether I obtain a phone via them using a trade-in offer they provide me or not. This is a literal fact. They provide these offers to lock you into service with them for 36 months. That’s where they make their money. It’s really that simple mate.

 

[SteveJUAE]

They provide these offers to lock you into service with them for 36 months. That’s where they make their money. It’s really that simple mate.

LOL again that's what I have said

 

[blairh]

LOL again that's what I have said

No it's not. What you said is that the trade-in via carriers is only available with their higher priced plans. This is not true. My plan would be the same regardless if I buy my phone unlocked from an OEM directly or via a trade-in with AT&T. I am not paying any more if I take advantage of a carrier trade-in offer, which is the opposite of what you have said.

 

[Bkdodger]

No it's not. What you said is that the trade-in via carriers is only available with their higher priced plans. This is not true. My plan would be the same regardless if I buy my phone unlocked from an OEM directly or via a trade-in with AT&T. I am not paying any more if I take advantage of a carrier trade-in offer, which is the opposite of what you have said.

I think the confusion is with carriers like T-Mobile you need to be on the Max plan to get the best trade in when you're doing one of these credits....at least depending the phone release...

 

[SteveJUAE]

No it's not. What you said is that the trade-in via carriers is only available with their higher priced plans. This is not true. My plan would be the same regardless if I buy my phone unlocked from an OEM directly or via a trade-in with AT&T. I am not paying any more if I take advantage of a carrier trade-in offer, which is the opposite of what you have said.

Again without playing on semantics of your wording and personal circumstance that you have only just noted (ie what you get may not be the case for all) what I have said still stands

Note terms also says it says up to $800 so quite possible existing customers on lower plans may not get the full whack

AT&T conditions

NEW AND EXISTING CUSTOMERS CAN GET UP TO $800 OFF ELIGIBLE SMARTPHONES WITH ELIGIBLE TRADE-IN

Limited time offer.

You'll need to:

• Purchase an eligible smartphone on a qualifying installment agreement, including taxes on full retail price (up front) and $35 activation/upgrade fee.
• Activate/keep postpaid eligible unlimited wireless service (min. $75/mo. for new unlimited customers before discounts). AT&T may temporarily slow data speeds if the network is busy.
• Trade-in an eligible smartphone within 30 days of activation.

Then you'll get:

• Up to $800 in bill credits with trade-in of a Samsung Galaxy S, Note, or Z series smartphone from any year, in any condition or a smartphone with trade-in value of $35 or higher.

Important notes:

• Credits start within 3 bills after trade-in is completed and will be applied in equal amounts over the term of installment agreement. You will receive catch-up credits once bill credits start. Credit will not exceed the lower of the device cost or the max credit amount as defined above.
• If you cancel wireless service, your credits will end and you'll owe the remaining balance on the installment agreement for the device purchased.
• For new lines, if you cancel service on any other line on your account within 90 days of activating the line under this offer, device credits will stop.
• If you choose the optional AT&T Next Up early upgrade feature, you are responsible and will not receive any credits for the additional $6/mo. Next Up upgrade feature.
• To get all credits, the discounted device must remain on installment agreement with eligible service for entire installment term. If you upgrade or pay up/off the installment agreement early, your credits may cease.

 

[blairh]

I think the confusion is with carriers like T-Mobile you need to be on the Max plan to get the best trade in when you're doing one of these credits....at least depending the phone release...

Not currently. You can get an $800 credit on a Fold 4 right now and have a single line for $75 a month.

 

[blairh]

Again without playing on semantics of your wording and personal circumstance that you have only just noted (ie what you get may not be the case for all) what I have said still stands

Note terms also says it says up to $800 so quite possible existing customers on lower plans may not get the full whack

AT&T conditions

NEW AND EXISTING CUSTOMERS CAN GET UP TO $800 OFF ELIGIBLE SMARTPHONES WITH ELIGIBLE TRADE-IN

Limited time offer.

You'll need to:

• Purchase an eligible smartphone on a qualifying installment agreement, including taxes on full retail price (up front) and $35 activation/upgrade fee.
• Activate/keep postpaid eligible unlimited wireless service (min. $75/mo. for new unlimited customers before discounts). AT&T may temporarily slow data speeds if the network is busy.
• Trade-in an eligible smartphone within 30 days of activation.

Then you'll get:

• Up to $800 in bill credits with trade-in of a Samsung Galaxy S, Note, or Z series smartphone from any year, in any condition or a smartphone with trade-in value of $35 or higher.

Important notes:

• Credits start within 3 bills after trade-in is completed and will be applied in equal amounts over the term of installment agreement. You will receive catch-up credits once bill credits start. Credit will not exceed the lower of the device cost or the max credit amount as defined above.
• If you cancel wireless service, your credits will end and you'll owe the remaining balance on the installment agreement for the device purchased.
• For new lines, if you cancel service on any other line on your account within 90 days of activating the line under this offer, device credits will stop.
• If you choose the optional AT&T Next Up early upgrade feature, you are responsible and will not receive any credits for the additional $6/mo. Next Up upgrade feature.
• To get all credits, the discounted device must remain on installment agreement with eligible service for entire installment term. If you upgrade or pay up/off the installment agreement early, your credits may cease.

What is available to me is offered to all current and future post-paid AT&T customers. AT&T has a popular TV campaign out now about how the best deal are available to new and existing customers.

I don't get your point of bolding what you did. To obtain the full credits received you need to stay on their plan for 36 months. I've stated that already in a previous post. With T-MO it is 24 months.

Your original point about how carriers are forcing you into higher priced plans to offer you this discount is absolutely false with respect to post-paid Verizon, AT&T, and T-MO customers. Hence why going through Samsung is not clearly the superior option for everyone. For many American post-paid customers it makes much more sense financially to take advantage of a carrier trade-in deal.

 

[Bkdodger]

Not currently. You can get an $800 credit on a Fold 4 right now and have a single line for $75 a month.

I understand but I have two lines for $70 all in ...so that won't work for peeps like myself ...it does depend on which plan you're on is what I'm saying ...

 

[Ludatyk]

Your original point about how carriers are forcing you into higher priced plans to offer you this discount is absolutely false with respect to post-paid Verizon and AT&T customers. Hence why going through Samsung is not clearly the superior option for everyone. For many American post-paid customers it makes much more sense financially to take advantage of a carrier trade-in deal.

I believe their point is if a customer is not on an unlimited plan (higher priced) then they are ineligible to take advantage of the carrier trade-in deal.

So, if I was on a data capped plan (which some customers pay a lower rate compared to unlimited).. going through Samsung to trade-in would be a better option for me.

 

[blairh]

I understand but I have two lines for $70 all in ...so that won't work for peeps like myself ...it does depend on which plan you're on is what I'm saying ...

How are you getting two lines for $70 total? The 55+ plan? If so then your bill would only be $80 total a month.

 

[blairh]

I believe their point is if a customer is not on an unlimited plan (higher priced) then they are ineligible to take advantage of the carrier trade-in deal.

So, if I was on a data capped plan (which some customers pay a lower rate compared to unlimited).. going through Samsung to trade-in would be a better option for me.

It's highly unlikely that any post-paid customer is not on an unlimited 5G plan at this point or wouldn't want to be in the near future.

 

[Bkdodger]

How are you getting two lines for $70 total? The 55+ plan? If so then your bill would only be $80 total a month.

Yup Magenta 55+ $70 All in...before they started running these newer plans ..

If I wanted to change which I don't it would now be $80 ...or $100 for the higher plan ...

 

[The Game 161]

It's rare but I don't see myself upgrading this fold 4. This is on an annual upgrade but isn't up to trade in until December but I can't see anything in fold 5 that looks impressive. Chip and less of a crease with better hinge but that's it.

Still going to enjoy the comments for those who will buy fold 5. Could see myself keeping this for a few years which is rare for me.

 

[Bkdodger]

It's rare but I don't see myself upgrading this fold 4. This is on an annual upgrade but isn't up to trade in until December but I can't see anything in fold 5 that looks impressive. Chip and less of a crease with better hinge but that's it.

Still going to enjoy the comments for those who will buy fold 5. Could see myself keeping this for a few years which is rare for me.

If that battery performance is similar to S23 I think that along would be enough for me if I had the Fold 4 ..along with lighter phone and no gap folded ...but definitely no need to upgrade for most folks