Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is finally here, and it looks like Samsung actually tried to deliver a competitive foldable phone. The device offers a super-slim and light design, the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, and a 200MP main camera.
It’s not the only book-style foldable phone to launch in July, though, as the vivo X Fold 5 has now launched in (some) global markets. And my brief time with the phone shows that this is a compelling Z Fold 7 alternative offering a few features Samsung skimped on, save for one major caveat.
More durable than the Z Fold 7
Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
Unbox the X Fold 5 and you’ll find an extremely thin and light foldable phone that really doesn’t feel much different than a conventional smartphone. It’s not quite as slim and light as the Samsung foldable, coming in at 9.2mm and 217 grams (versus 8.9mm and 215 grams), but it’s a negligible difference. Plus, the tapered edges make it seem thinner than it really is.
However, one area where vivo has Samsung beat is durability. The X Fold 5 ships with IP5X, IPX8, and IPX9 ratings, which means it can withstand dust, water immersion, and high-pressure jets of hot water. Even the Galaxy Z Fold 7 only offers an IP48 rating, which means it can withstand water but not dust.
vivo’s foldable phone offers an 8.03-inch folding OLED screen (2,480 x 2,200, ultra-thin glass) with 4,500 nits of peak brightness. Peak brightness is basically a marketing gimmick, but I had no issues with viewing the display under the sun. However, I did find that the screen was a fingerprint magnet, while the crease is still noticeable. The cover display has a 21:9 aspect ratio, as seen on previous vivo foldables. This is still a little narrow for my liking, and I did fat-finger the keyboard at times.
Check the rear cover and you’ll find an Oreo cookie camera housing. I’d rather take this over the Z Fold 7’s camera bumps, which cause Samsung’s phone to rock back and forth when you tap the folded screen on a flat surface.
Battery life champion?
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