Here at Kakuchopurei.com, smartphone reviews typically take a couple of weeks to complete. This is due to the time required to not just get acquainted with the new device, we also use this period to identify the unique quirks which separate the product from the rest. How does it perform as a daily driver? How does it hold up to its predecessors and competitors? Is it worth the money? And would we switch out from our previous daily driver to it?

The best way is to overwork it and overwork it we did. Timely enough, we were invited to a special showcase of an upcoming game in Sydney, Australia so what better way to put the phone through its paces during a hectic four-day trip to Down Under. But before that, let’s talk about what comes out of the box.

Pricey, But…

We are sad to report that for a device that starts from RM6,799.00 for its base model, the package Z Fold 5 is shipped out with left a lot to be desired. Along with the device, you only get the USB-C charge cable, SIM ejector tool and instructions manual. That’s about it. Sure the phone is an engineering marvel and you instantly forget the underwhelming package once you experience the Z Fold 5’s first clap. But to us, the lack of accessories right out of the box is akin to purchasing a luxury car but not even given a complementary window tint, floormats and a carwash.

The fact that users would have to shell out an extra RM399.00 for a phone case which comes with the compatible S-Pen makes it sting even more. Trust us, Samsung. Your customers who commit over a month’s salary’s worth for their Z Fold 5 won’t mind spending a few hundreds more if a phone cases comes packaged with the phone. It softens the blow and allows them to utilize the device to its full potential from day-1.

Sure, by pre-ordering the device now at Samsung’s store nets you an offer to double-up the storage space and a RM600 voucher which can be used for accessories. But our point is this; Samsung owes its loyal consumers a full-fledged experience right out of the box.

Apart from that underwhelming unboxing experience rant, the Z Fold 5 is a gem of a device. We were initially hesitant to commit to it as our main travel device; moreover moving from the brilliant S23 Ultra (which we reviewed here) which has been our daily driver up to that point. However, as a travel companion, the sleeker and easier to grasp build of the Z Fold 5 instantly won us over. It fits perfectly whether in our hands, inside our winter jacket’s breast pocket or any other zippered slots. Since the foldable screens now fold flushed to one another, we find less pocket lint getting trapped in between the screens as well.

The gimmick of the Z Fold line has always been for users to carry ‘two devices’ for the real estate and quite literally, the price of one. A phone and a tablet nicely tucked in your jeans pocket. This solution is perfect for those constantly on the go and indirectly lessens the chance of you misplacing and losing items while in transit. The outer screen is of the Gorilla Glass Victus 2; the same on the S23 Ultra. We would go as far as claiming that operating the Z Fold 5 via its cover screen alone is akin to operating a slimmer yet chunkier S23 Ultra.

The compact cover screen makes one-handed operation much easier compared to the S23 Ultra and when there is an itch to catch up on your favourite show, flip the Z Fold 5 open and voila. Your favourite MCU movie or show is right in your fingertips. However, having experienced peeling of the screen protectors on both the Z Flip 3 and Z Flip 4, we anticipate the same with the Z Fold 5 considering Samsung openly offered a one-off screen protector replacement program. To delay this from happening, we instinctively operate the Z Fold 5 with its screen closed most of the time.

Whether we will fully shift from the S23 Ultra to the Z Fold 5 once our review period ends remains to be seen. But for those constantly travelling and have the need for multiple devices of varying sizes; DO NOT sleep on the Z Fold 5 as it answers several issues at once.

Hold ‘Em, Fold ‘Em

Being a flagship device, it is a given that the Z Fold 5 performs as expected. While its camera offering is relatively ‘less stellar’ than that of the S23 Ultra, they are not in any way incapable. On paper, they are identical to last year’s Z Fold 4 but with the 5 coming equipped with better computational power, a nuanced improvement is expected. Samples of photos taken in Sydney are shared below:

However, those who are keen to know how the Z Fold 5 performs against the S23 Ultra, let us leave you with this: The S23 Ultra captures better photos in all possible lighting conditions and scenarios. If you are a photography enthusiast who puts greater emphasis on quality of photos over everything else, the S23 Ultra would be the right device for you.

Since we never reviewed any of the previous Fold devices in the past, our closest comparison would be the Z Fold 5’s older and slimmer uncle, the Z Flip 4 which we loved. Thanks to its folding screen and strong hinge which keeps the screens stable at almost every angle when unfolded, we’ve found a new favorite mode on the Z Fold 5. Hyperlapse. No longer relying on a tripod or precariously balancing our devices with whatever item we can find, you too will soon be taking Hyperlapse videos whenever presented the opportunity.

Check out a few of our favorite Hyperlapse videos taken during our most recent trip to Sydney.

As for battery life, Z Fold 5’s performance may vary according to your usage habits. 90% of our time on the Z Fold 5 was spent with its outer screen and that alone contributed a ton to its rather impressive battery life. While the 4400mAh battery appears small on print, coupled with the optimization and users’ tendency to use the smaller cover screen, the Z Fold 5 can easily last you over a day.

So that’s it for our first impression of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 after a week’s worth of usage. Of course, a full-on review is coming soon which should also touch on the phone’s multi-tasking capabilities, the S-Pen and its viability to replace your current device and whether it is worth the upgrade. Until then, catch you on the flip … err we mean fold side (that does not make sense).