The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is Samsung’s most modern-looking phone. While there are drawbacks to the clamshell design (especially in terms of battery life), for those that prioritize style, it’s one of the best Android phones you can buy.
But Samsung apparently wants to give the cutting-edge, modern design an old-school makeover. According to MS Power User, Samsung is planning a new color scheme marketed as a “retro edition.”
You can see what that purportedly looks like below. It’s essentially the same phone but with a different color and finish.
The shiny, glossy frame of the current model will be replaced by a matte aluminum, while the back of the phone will be a stylish, austere dark blue. As a result, it looks a bit less playful than some of the current options available for the Galaxy Z Flip 5, which can be had in cool mint, gentle lavender, light blue, vibrant yellow and cream shades, alongside the safe and familiar graphite black.
For now, it’s not clear if this retro reskin is only skin deep or whether Samsung is planning on adding some aesthetic software tweaks to the phone’s operating system. In the past, such special edition handsets have often come with additional sound effects, icons, ringtones or wallpapers to fit the theme — like OnePlus’ unexpected Pac-Man edition of the Nord 2.
The images certainly look authentic, but as ever, this remains a rumor until it’s officially unveiled by Samsung. We should know soon either way, however as MS Power User says the handset will arrive “in the coming weeks”.
Even if you like the look of the pictures, should you buy one? That’s a tough one to answer objectively, as despite its significant generational improvements, the foldable remains an acquired taste that isn’t for everyone, especially given its $999 starting price.
In his three-and-a-half star Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 review, our Senior Channel Editor for Phones John Velasco praised the larger external screen and camera improvements, while lamenting the poor battery life and limitations of the device when closed.
“The collective improvements may not be a giant leap for foldables, but they're enough to propel the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 back into the conversation,” he concluded.
