Key Takeaways
- Galaxy Z Flip 6 presents minor upgrades over the Flip 5, higher for non-annual cellphone upgraders.
- New options embrace design modifications, a sooner chip, digicam improve, and AI tips.
- It isn’t definitely worth the improve for Flip 5 house owners, however the Fold 6 is an effective entry level for brand spanking new foldable customers.
Most smartphone reviewers can be harsh on Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 6 as a result of it is so just like final 12 months’s Z Flip 5. Whereas that is a good argument, tech YouTubers and bloggers usually neglect the common smartphone consumer is not upgrading their smartphone yearly. Actually, individuals are hanging onto smartphones for longer than ever earlier than, due to improvements in hardware durability and multi-year commitments to software program updates, significantly on the Android facet.
That is the place Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 6 is available in. When you examine the gadget to final 12 months’s Flip 5, there is not rather a lot right here past just a few minor spec bumps. The brand new clamshell foldable contains a extra squared-off design, a sooner chip, a long-overdue rear digicam improve, and some surprisingly intelligent AI tips, however past these modifications, it is almost similar to final 12 months’s Flip 5.
Because of this should you’re into foldables and already a Flip 5 proprietor, there is not sufficient right here to warrant an improve. Alternatively, should you’re nonetheless utilizing a Flip 3 or Flip 4, otherwise you’ve been on the fence concerning the wild world of folding units, now is a good time to dive in, primarily as a result of the notable trade-offs beforehand tied to foldables are almost fully gone.
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Galaxy Z Flip 6
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 6 would not mess with a very good factor, nevertheless it does include a bigger battery, higher cameras, and extra RAM to make your total foldable expertise smoother.
- Gorgeous design
- Affordable price ticket for a foldable
- Upgraded rear digicam and chip
- Not a lot of an improve over the Galaxy Z Flip 5
- Cowl Display would not wrap round lenses just like the Razr+
- You continue to must be extra cautious with foldables
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Worth, availability, and specs
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 is obtainable in two storage configurations: 256GB for $1,100 and 512GB for $1,220, instantly by the Samsung Retailer. This 12 months’s Samsung Retailer unique colours embrace crafted black, peach, and white. The remainder of the choices are yellow, mint, silver shadow, and blue. The smartphone is obtainable as of July 24.
On the specs entrance, the Fold 6 presents a {hardware} array similar to the Fold 5, although there are just a few upgrades value highlighting. This contains the identical 50-megapixel fundamental digicam out there within the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus, and the 12-megapixel ultrawide has a brand new sensor. The foldable additionally options Qualcomm’s highly effective Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip.
The inner display options 2,600 nits of peak brightness (a rise from 1,750 with the Flip 5), and the battery has been upgraded from 3,700 mAh to 4,000 mAh, providing all-day battery life in my expertise, so long as you persist with average use. Lastly, the Flip 6 options 12GB of RAM over the Flip 5’s 8GB. In observe, this possible will not do a lot for the common foldable proprietor, however should you’re an enormous multi-tasker, it’s best to now have a barely smoother expertise (extra on this later).
Galaxy Z Flip 6 design
An act of refinement
With regards to smartphones, I place quite a lot of inventory in how a tool appears to be like and feels, with an excellent greater precedence on this planet of foldables. This 12 months, the important thing change is the Flip 5’s extra squared-off sides. This provides the gadget a sleeker total aesthetic and makes it simpler to carry in your hand, nevertheless it additionally ends in the Z Flip 6 wanting extra like an iPhone. I do not take situation with this, however the extra Apple-adverse Samsung followers on the market may not be followers of this transformation.
I actually like that the edges of the Flip 6 are fully matte and do not present smudges or fingerprints. Additional, the cellphone’s energy button and quantity rocker stay clicky and responsive, identical to they’ve been for the previous couple of Flip generations. Alongside the squared-off sides are minimized bezels each on the inside foldable show and the Cowl Display. The change is minimal, nevertheless it’s welcome as a result of it offers the Flip 6 an total extra trendy look.
…the crease remains to be very seen, even when the Z Flip 6 is fully unfolded, particularly when utilizing the smartphone outside.
The Flip 6 is a pleasure to make use of, and most significantly for a foldable, it feels sturdy and well-made, significantly with regards to the hinge. I nonetheless take situation with the general sturdiness of foldables, however the Galaxy Z Flip 6 has me questioning this opinion — it feels extraordinarily strong, significantly when quickly opening and shutting the gadget. The important thing can be if it holds up over a number of years of use like a regular smartphone. I am additionally keen on the very cute rear lenses and their coloured outlines. The Flip 6 is already a flashy cellphone, and this simply provides to its distinctive look.
Individually, I have not been a fan of clamshell foldables. I understood the enchantment of book-like foldables as a result of they offer you a pill in your pocket, however the clamshell design? What is the level. I’ve accomplished a 180 on this opinion, and this is the place I am at now: they’re cool. The design may not be for everybody, however on a base-level, it is enjoyable to open and shut the Z Flip 6. In an business stuffed with boring smartphones that look the identical, this makes clamshell foldables thrilling and, extra importantly, totally different.
I am a sucker for a singular smartphone coloration, so I am an enormous fan of the mint Galaxy Z Fold 6 Samsung despatched me. It appears to be like nice underneath different lighting situations, and the matte inexperienced rear is pleasing to run my fingers down. I like a matte smartphones, and this 12 months, Samsung has embraced that design course fully.
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Galaxy Z Flip 6 Show
A strong hinge and foldable show
Whereas I’ve frolicked with each Flip era, the final Samsung clamshell foldable I used as my every day smartphone was the Galaxy Z Flip 2. Quick-forward to the Flip 6, and it is clear Samsung’s foldable show expertise has come a great distance. The plastic really feel of earlier generations is gone, and instead is a folding display that looks like a regular smartphone show — solely it folds.
On the specs facet, the 6.7-inch AMOLED panel contains a 2,640 x 1,080 pixel decision and a quick 120Hz refresh price. Every little thing from YouTube movies to shopping the web appears to be like beautiful on the Galaxy Flip 6’s display. Samsung’s display prowess is on full show right here, and at instances, the Flip 6’s display matches the 24 Extremely’s constancy. That stated, the crease remains to be very seen, particularly when utilizing the cellphone outside. I shortly acquired used to it, identical to I’ve with almost each foldable, however should you had been hoping this could be the 12 months the crease dies, I am sorry to be the bearer of unhealthy information. It is barely extra noticeable than the Razr+’s foldable show crease.
Sadly, the Flip 6’s Cowl Display disappoints this 12 months. The three.4-inch 720 x 748 60Hz Cowl Show appears to be like dismal subsequent to the Razr+’s edge-to-edge entrance show that wraps round its rear lenses. Hopefully, subsequent 12 months Samsung opts to enhance the clamshell foldable’s entrance show. I proceed to query the utility of the Cowl Show, and in my a number of days with the Flip 6, I have not discovered that I’ve used it fairly often (it is primarily a straightforward option to view and activate notifications for me).
Samsung nonetheless would not allow you to run any app on the Cowl Show instantly out of the field, forcing customers to make use of Good Lock. It is unclear why the corporate insists on doing this, however given Motorola’s Razr has allowed customers to run any app for just a few generations now, it is an odd determination.
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Galaxy Z Flip Digital camera upgrades
Flagship-level digicam efficiency in a foldable
One of many key points with all of Samsung’s foldables has been lackluster fundamental digicam efficiency. Due to the brand new 50-megapixel major shooter, that is modified, leading to images that is on par with the Galaxy S24 and S24+. The Fold 6’s different shooters, which embrace a 12-megapixel ultrawide and a 10-megapixel selfie shooter, carry out properly, too.
So long as you are keen on Samsung’s out-there picture post-processing, you will be happy with all of the Galaxy Z Fold 6’s cameras, with the primary digicam being the star of the present. That stated, I do not like how the foldable usually blows out highlights and struggles to snap pictures of shifting topics, however I’ve additionally encountered this situation with each Samsung cellphone I’ve ever used. Total, photographs are crisp, clear and have ample element, particularly when shot with the primary digicam.
Samsung has packed in a number of intelligent digicam options that reap the benefits of the Flip 6’s distinctive design, together with the power to snap selfies with the gadget closed, permitting you to get a transparent have a look at your face as you shoot. You can even place the foldable on a desk half-folded, supplying you with a built-in tripod for group photographs, full with AI-powered auto zoom that works higher than I anticipated. These aren’t options I will possible use fairly often, however I can see them being very helpful for many Flip 6 house owners.
You can even as soon as once more fold the Flip 6 and use it like a camcorder, providing a enjoyable nostalgic blast from the previous. These are nice digicam tips that provide genuinely helpful utility tied on to the Z Flip 6’s distinctive design.
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Galaxy Z Flip 6 efficiency
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 presents ample energy
Final 12 months’s Z Flip 5 carried out admirably underneath almost all circumstances, and that continues this 12 months with the Flip 6 and its Qualcomm-made Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Whether or not I have been watching movies on YouTube, enjoying video games, or doom-scrolling on X, efficiency has been easy. When you’re into benchmarks, the Flip 6 hits 2,271 for single-core and 6869 for multi-core, putting it even above the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s rating with Geekbench 6.
The gadget additionally stays far cooler than earlier Flip fashions, partially because of its bigger vapor chamber that helps hold the gadget working at a extra affordable temperature.
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Galaxy Z Flip software program
Welcome to the wild world of AI
I nonetheless contend that One UI is just too sophisticated, significantly while you’re looking for a selected function within the Settings app. Sure, you’ll be able to seek for the setting you are searching for, however you should not must. Nonetheless, should you’re a long-time Samsung gadget consumer, you will already be aware of the intricacies of the corporate’s bloated Android pores and skin, so this would possibly not be a problem for you.
…these nonetheless utilizing earlier variations of the Flip will respect the upgrades the Galaxy Z Fold 6 presents, together with a greater major digicam, a sooner chip and a sleeker design.
The important thing software program choices this 12 months embrace a number of AI function, and to my shock, lots of them are literally helpful. I’ve taken a number of Galaxy AI options for a spin, however the important thing standout for me is Sketch to Picture, which lets you draw something on a photograph, and have it seem. The outcomes are combined, however undeniably cool, and I can see quite a lot of Flip 6 house owners having a good time including enjoyable AI creations to pictures. Nonetheless, the function would not appear to have the ability to considerably change an individual’s look and solely permits you to add enjoyable issues like a hat or horns. This can be a good transfer on Samsung’s half given the controversy surrounding AI, nevertheless it’s noteworthy nonetheless. The power to simply take away or transfer objects round images additionally works excellently.
To prime issues off on a extra damaging word, the brand new Potrait Studio AI choices are terrible and in each occasion I examined the function out, the ensuing AI creation was ridiculous (try the GigaChad model of me above — I really feel your ache, Sydney Sweeney).AI options launched with the Galaxy S24 collection, together with Circle to Search and the Interpreter app, are right here as properly. Much like years previous, Samsung guarantees seven years of software program updates with the Flip 6, which is nice information should you plan to hold onto the foldable for a very long time.
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Do you have to purchase the Galaxy Fold 6?
That is determined by what gadget you are presently utilizing
When you personal the Fold 5, there possible is not sufficient right here to warrant an improve to Samsung’s newest clamshell, particularly at launch (look ahead to the inevitable six-month low cost the corporate usually presents).
Alternatively, should you’re leaping into the world of foldables for the primary time since you’re searching for a singular smartphone expertise, the Fold 6 is tough to beat, particularly when its affordable worth is taken under consideration. In that very same vein, these nonetheless utilizing earlier variations of the Flip will respect the upgrades the Galaxy Z Fold 6 presents, together with a greater major digicam, a sooner chip and a sleeker design.
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Galaxy Z Flip 6
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