Vivo X Fold 3 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: What are the Differences? Which is Better? Full Specs Compared

Samsung has dominated the Indian foldable smartphone market for a few years now with its Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip models. However, last year's OnePlus Open (Review) was in our view the first real threat to Samsung's foldable dominance in India.

Now, Vivo is also taking aim at the South Korean tech giant with the recent launch of the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro. So let's find out how the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro stacks up against the Galaxy Z Fold 5, Samsung's latest foldable smartphone, in our full specs comparison.

Vivo X Fold 3 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: Full Specs Comparison

Design & Build

Straight off the bat, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro is being marketed as 'India's slimmest foldable smartphone', measuring 11.2mm thick when folded and 5.2mm when unfolded. This makes it a lot slimmer than the Galaxy Z Fold 5, which measures 13.4mm thick when folded and 6.1mm when unfolded.

Moreover, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is also heavier than the X Fold 3 Pro, with the former weighing 253 grams and the latter coming in at just 236 grams. This is primarily down to the carbon fiber hinge on the X Fold 3 Pro. Both foldables feature an aluminum frame and glass protection on the cover display and back panel, although Samsung uses the latest Gorilla Glass Victus 2.

Additionally, both Samsung and Vivo have outfitted their foldable smartphones with an IPX8 rating for resistance to water. Moreover, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 opts for a side-mounted fingerprint reader as opposed to two in-display 3D ultrasonic fingerprint sensors on the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro.

Display

Despite its sleek and light form factor, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro boasts a larger display than the Galaxy Z Fold 5. Moreover, the X Fold 3 Pro also features a higher resolution than the Z Fold 5. The X Fold 3 Pro also features a larger cover screen with a more comfortable aspect ratio.

The cover display on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 also has a lower resolution than the X Fold 3 Pro. The screen on the X Fold 3 Pro features a higher pixel density for a sharper viewing experience. Lastly, Samsung's main display only supports HDR10+, while the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro gets Dolby Vision and HDR10+ support on both the main and cover displays.

Performance

The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset gives it a clear advantage in terms of performance. Moreover, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC also enables on-device AI performance, so expect more AI features to hit the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro, although Samsung's myriad of AI features have been trickling down to older devices.

There's no doubt that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is plenty powerful and promises a lag-free experience. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC also offers better graphics performance for gaming. The new SD 8 Gen 3 chip also brings gains in power efficiency.

Cameras

The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro features a 50 MP "Ultra-Sensing" OmniVision OV50H primary sensor with an f/1.68 aperture and OIS support. The main camera is accompanied by a 64 MP OV64B periscope lens with an f/2.57 aperture, OIS support, and 3x optical zoom as well as a 50 MP Samsung JN1 ultrawide lens.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 features a 50 MP Samsung GN3 primary sensor with OIS and an f/1.8 aperture. The main camera is paired with a 12 MP Sony IMX258 ultrawide lens, and a 10 MP Samsung S5K3K1 sensor with OIS, an f/2.4 aperture, and 3x optical zoom.

In terms of camera hardware, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro has a clear edge over Samsung with the incorporation of a larger primary camera sensor. Moreover, the X Fold 3 Pro has a more capable zoom lens and a higher resolution ultrawide shooter.

On the flip side, Samsung relies a lot on its software prowess to deliver stellar camera performance. However, Vivo is no slouch in the software department either, co-developing its camera sensors with ZEISS. The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro also has two higher resolution front cameras, although none of them record 4K video.

Battery

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 packs a 4,400 mAh battery, which is relatively small for a foldable smartphone. Comparatively, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro has a much larger cell, giving it a clear edge in battery life. Additionally, Vivo retains its edge in the charging department, offering faster wired and wireless charging than the Z Fold 5, while including a wired adapter in the box.

Software

We have yet to get our hands on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Vivo X Fold 3 Pro, so there's no telling which of these phones offers the better software experience. However, given Samsung's experience and the customizable and user-friendly nature of One UI, we would lean heavily towards Samsung here. The South Korean tech giant also offers better support in the long run.

Vivo X Fold 3 Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: Conclusion

If we had to pick between the X Fold 3 Pro and the Galaxy Z Fold 5, we'd go with the former. Yes, Samsung does bring a ton of experience, stylus support, and a better interface, although the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro is India's most powerful foldable smartphone.

Moreover, it edges out Samsung in every other category, including battery life, charging, cameras, displays, and design. With the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro's software, there will always be room for improvement in the future, while the Galaxy Z Fold 5's hardware is set in stone and cannot be altered.