I never expected the Galaxy Z Flip 5 to be this affordable

In one of the biggest smartphone surprises of the year, the sleek Galaxy Z Flip 5 is already down to a mid-range price point at Giffgaff.

Right now you can get Samsung’s latest flip phone in ‘like new’ refurbished condition for just £519, which is an unbelievable reduction when you consider that the phone costs £1049 when bought new.

Because that reduction is so steep, I don’t ever see the price of a new Z Flip 5 dropping to the same level, so if you’ve had your eye on one but didn’t have the cash to match the original RRP, then now’s your chance to buy.

I have a slight suspicion that this price cut could be the result of the Z Flip 5 not selling quite as well as Samsung intended but even so, as someone who’s used the handset, I can tell you that it’s still a great device.

After making several tweaks to the Z Flip range with each new iteration, it’s in the Flip 5 where Samsung’s vision of a flip-revival really comes into its own.

For starters, the larger cover display makes it much easier to interact with all of your key apps quickly so you can respond to messages and check directions without needing to open up the phone and get lost in mindless scrolling.

Because that outer display is now larger, it’s also much easier to set the phone up for a quick hands-free selfie or video, which is a boon for content creators. No need to bring a phone-compatible stand or tripod when you can just prop the Z Flip 5 on a surface and fold it to a 90-degree angle.

When you do unfold the phone however, everything runs smoothly thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset under the hood which makes short work of gaming, streaming and multitasking.

The only thing to bear in mind is that in order to get the phone at this price, you need to add at least a £10 Giffgaff rolling SIM to your purchase, but you can cancel it right away to avoid any future charges.

For £519, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is an absolute steal, and if you’ve been tempted to see what fuss is all about where foldables are concerned, this is a great entry-point into the market.