Flip phones are a massive part of the legacy of mobile devices, and Samsung is paying homage to that with the release of the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 Retro. Taking inspiration from the now 20-year-old SGH-E700 that the company released in 2003 – yes, unfortunately, 2003 now falls into the retro category – this device is a delight for those of us who fondly remember the days of SMS messaging and Java games.
While flippable devices went out of fashion for quite a while with the dawn of the iPhone, Samsung is one of the brands responsible for the recent resurgence, creating some of the big hitters from our list of the best flip phones. The Galaxy Z Flip5 Retro pays tribute to the SGH-E700 in multiple ways, including the original silver and indigo blue color combo, the stylized pixel time display, and a special flipsuit case.
Despite a legacy-inspired design, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 Retro isn’t sporting old-school hardware specs. Utilizing a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and 8GB of RAM, it performs better than its inspiration, capable of proficiently running games like Honkai Star Rail and Genshin Impact. The display boasts a Super AMOLED cover display and a vibrant Dynamic AMOLED main screen.
Unfortunately, as one of the best Samsung phones, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 Retro isn’t launching in the U.S. right now, though it is available in Europe, Australia, and Korea. It’s sure to be a hit with collectors, and you can prepare yourself for the November 1 release by visiting the official Samsung website before it sells out.
With that, you’re up to date on the reveal of the Samsung Galaxy Flip5 Retro. While you’re here, check out what the other big mobile brands are up to with our guides to the best Google Pixel phones, the best Xiaomi phones, and the best OnePlus phones.