New Delhi, Aug 12 (IANS): Foldables have come of age and Samsung, the pioneer in the space, has been infusing meaningful innovations in its devices. With Galaxy Z Fold 5, the South Korean giant has added powerful multitasking tools along with a sleek inner screen experience and a new hinge that folds totally flat.

The latest device is 2.4mm thinner than Z Fold 4 that measured 15.8mm when folded. In comparison, the Z Fold 5 uses a brand-new hinge to fold completely flat, measuring 13.4mm thick.

This may sound little but when you hold the 253-gram Galaxy Z Fold 5 in your hands, the difference is stark from the previous generation.

With an innovative form factor enhanced by new Flex Hinge for a balanced design, and pro-grade camera capabilities with unique FlexCam, Galaxy Z Fold 5 justifies its price, delivering top-notch foldable experiences.

Let us unfold the device further for its Indian fans (Samsung secured record pre-bookings for its fifth-generation foldable devices in India, with more than 100,000 consumers pre-booking Galaxy Z Flip5 and Z Fold5 in the first 28 hours).

Let us stay with the design. The 7.6-inch main screen offers Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity Flex Display (2176 x 1812) at 374ppi and a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate.

The peak brightness has increased by more than 30 per cent, up to 1750 nits, for an optimal viewing experience outdoors even under bright sunlight (a point where all other rival foldables struggle currently).

The 6.2-inch cover screen with HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display (2316 x 904) at 402ppi and a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate is stunning.

Now open up the Z Fold 5 and see the difference from the previous-generation device.

Multitasking is just seamless.

The device offers everyday productivity through a robust, big screen experience, evolving from Multi Window and App Continuity to a wide range of features including Taskbar, drag and drop and optimisation of third-party apps.

S Pen Fold Edition has also been fine-tuned to deliver a superior writing experience on Galaxy Z Fold5. It makes real-time annotating and ideation easy while being able to fit more comfortably in the pocket.

The improved Taskbar enables dynamic productivity by allowing us to quickly switch between frequently used apps. Now up to four recent apps are at the ready for more efficient working.

Newly enhanced two-handed drag and drop can also ramp up productivity when moving content between apps and screens.

Simply touch and hold an image in Samsung Gallery with one finger and use another finger to open the Samsung Notes app to drag-and-drop the image.

With a hidden pop-up, an app can continue running in the background, allowing users to watch video content in full screen and chat with friends in a floating pop-up on the side of the screen.

These features and tools come together to deliver powerful productivity on a large screen and enable users to complete important tasks from anywhere.

On a hot summer day, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset powering the Galaxy Fold 5 didn’t get warm too much while gaming.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Mobile Platform enhances graphics and uses AI to enable dynamic gaming and multi-game functionality.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 comfortably handled long gaming sessions with its advanced cooling system that dissipated heat more intelligently for less lag and no drop in performance.

On the battery front, the 4,400mAh (typical) dual battery offered a long-duration performance during the day. The battery can easily last a full day of heavy use across work, streaming and some gaming frontiers.

In line with Samsung’s vision for sustainability, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 incorporates a wider variety of recycled materials -- pre-consumer recycled glass and aluminium as well as post-consumer recycled plastics sourced from discarded fishing nets, water barrels and PET bottles.

Even the packaging is made from 100 per cent recycled material.

On the camera front, Fold 5 offers the same triple rear camera system (50-MP main sensor, a 10-MP 3x telephoto, and a 12-MP ultrawide sensor) that worked pretty OK in normal day conditions. There is a 4-MP under-display camera on the inside that’s good for video calling.

According to TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics, the company is revolutionising the mobile industry with foldables by setting the standard and continually refining the experience.

Spending time with the device actually proves that Fold5 has taken a leap among foldables.

Galaxy Z Fold5 is available from Rs 154,999 (12GB/256 GB). Customers pre-booking Galaxy Z Fold5 will get benefits worth Rs 23,000.

The new device can be pre-booked across all leading online and offline retail stores, and will go on sale from August 18. With the new foldables, Samsung aims to reach over 50 per cent market share in the country in the super-premium ($1,000 and above) segment.

Conclusion: One thing is certain: If you are using Galaxy Fold 4, the latest iteration is a solid upgrade and if you wish to own one for the first time, entering the super-premium segment (if you have a budget or plans the EMI route) is a really good choice.

With strong performance and an optimised battery powered by the latest processor, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 series transforms what is possible with a smartphone — open or closed.