Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 releases should draw more attention than ever as Samsung's foldable phones face unprecedented competition. In the case of the latter device, Samsung reportedly plans to get its folding mojo back by addressing two longstanding complaints about foldable flip phones.

According to a report in South Korea's Chosun Ilbo, the next version of the Galaxy Z Flip, expected to arrive next month, will feature improved camera and battery performance. Specifically, the report quotes a Samsung insider as saying that the Galaxy Z Flip will feature "a camera comparable to the level of the Galaxy S23 and a clear improvement in battery life."

This would be a fairly welcome development, given how well the Galaxy S23 performed in our battery test (where we let the phone surf the web continuously until it ran out of power). The Galaxy S23 logged 10 hours and 27 minutes in this test, about 30 minutes better than the average smartphone result. The Galaxy Z Flip 4 lasted only 8.5 hours, which is a significant improvement over previous Z Flip models.

So how does Samsung plan to accomplish this reversal? One of the challenges to improving battery life and camera performance is the limited design space of the Galaxy Z Flip. Chosun Ilbo's sources claim that improvements will come from better software that improves image clarity and power efficiency.

In the case of battery life, it's easy to believe it: one of the rumored improvements to the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is a new chipset called Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. This is the same silicon found in this year's Galaxy S23 phones, and impressive battery life has been seen from phones with this particular system-on-chip. It stands to reason that the Galaxy Z Flip 5 will enjoy the same benefits.

The camera improvements are a little harder to gauge. Most Galaxy Z Flip 5 rumors state that the new foldable will feature the same camera hardware as the Galaxy Z Flip 4 (12MP main camera and 12MP ultra-wide lens) on the phone's outer cover. However, Sammobile reports that the Galaxy Z Flip 5 may feature a larger sensor in the main camera, which will allow it to capture more light and capture more detailed images. This, combined with software improvements, could deliver the sharper images promised in this latest report.

The Chosun Ilbo report mentions several other changes to the Galaxy Z Flip 5, including an improved hinge, more angular edges, and claims of a doubled cover display. We have heard earlier rumors that the Z Flip 5 will feature a 3.4-inch outer display - not double the size of the Galaxy Z Flip 4's 1.9-inch strip, but certainly an increase in screen area that will come at a significant time.

The newly released Motorola Razr+ features a 3.6-inch cover screen and is the main reason why Motorola's latest foldable eclipsed the Galaxy Z Flip 4 in our rating of best foldable phones. Having a large outer screen allows apps to run on that display, so the only time you really need to open the phone is when there is substantial work to be done.

Samsung has already hinted that it will hold a Galaxy Unpacked event in July to announce products, including a new foldable phone; whether the changes to the Galaxy z Flip 5 will be enough to re-establish Samsung's grip on the foldable market, perhaps we will find out then.