Galaxy Z Flip 6 overview: Iterative upgrades

Most smartphone reviewers will likely be harsh on Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 6 as a result of it is so much like final 12 months’s Z Flip 5. Whereas that is a good argument, tech YouTubers and bloggers typically overlook the common smartphone person is not upgrading their smartphone yearly. In reality, individuals are hanging onto smartphones for longer than ever earlier than, because of 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. Should you examine the system to final 12 months’s Flip 5, there is not so much right here past a couple of minor spec bumps. The brand new clamshell foldable encompasses a extra squared-off design, a quicker chip, a long-overdue rear digicam improve, and some surprisingly intelligent AI methods, however past these adjustments, it is practically similar to final 12 months’s Flip 5.

Which means for those who’re into foldables and already a Flip 5 proprietor, there is not sufficient right here to warrant an improve. Alternatively, for those who’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 superb time to dive in, primarily as a result of the notable trade-offs beforehand tied to foldables are practically totally gone.

Beneficial

Galaxy Z Flip 6

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 6 does not mess with a great factor, however it does include a bigger battery, higher cameras, and extra RAM to make your total foldable expertise smoother.

Professionals

• Gorgeous design
• Cheap price ticket for a foldable
• Upgraded rear digicam and chip

Cons

• Not a lot of an improve over the Galaxy Z Flip 5
• Cowl Display does not wrap round lenses just like the Razr+
• You continue to have to be extra cautious with foldables

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Worth, availability, and specs

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 is accessible in two storage configurations: 256GB for $1,100 and 512GB for $1,220, instantly by means of the Samsung Retailer. This 12 months’s Samsung Retailer unique colours embody crafted black, peach, and white. The remainder of the choices are yellow, mint, silver shadow, and blue. The smartphone is accessible as of July 24.

On the specs entrance, the Fold 6 provides a {hardware} array akin to the Fold 5, although there are a couple of upgrades value highlighting. This consists of 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 stick with reasonable use. Lastly, the Flip 6 options 12GB of RAM over the Flip 5’s 8GB. In apply, this possible will not do a lot for the common foldable proprietor, however for those who’re a giant multi-tasker, you need to now have a barely smoother expertise (extra on this later).

Galaxy Z Flip 6 design

An act of refinement

In relation to smartphones, I place a whole lot of inventory in how a tool appears and feels, with a good greater precedence on the planet of foldables. This 12 months, the important thing change is the Flip 5’s extra squared-off sides. This offers the system a sleeker total aesthetic and makes it simpler to carry in your hand, however it additionally leads to the Z Flip 6 trying extra like an iPhone. I do not take challenge with this, however the extra Apple-adverse Samsung followers on the market may not be followers of this alteration.

I actually like that the perimeters of the Flip 6 are totally 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 few Flip generations. Alongside the squared-off sides are minimized bezels each on the inside foldable show and the Cowl Display. The change is minimal, however it’s welcome as a result of it offers the Flip 6 an total extra fashionable look.

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 challenge with the general sturdiness of foldables, however the Galaxy Z Flip 6 has me questioning this opinion — it feels extraordinarily stable, significantly when quickly opening and shutting the system. The important thing will likely be if it holds up over a number of years of use like a typical 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 attraction of book-like foldables as a result of they provide you a pill in your pocket, however the clamshell design? What is the level. I’ve achieved 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 trade filled with boring smartphones that look the identical, this makes clamshell foldables thrilling and, extra importantly, completely different.

I am a sucker for a novel smartphone colour, so I am a giant fan of the mint Galaxy Z Fold 6 Samsung despatched me. It appears nice below diversified lighting circumstances, and the matte inexperienced rear is pleasing to run my fingers down. I really like a matte smartphones, and this 12 months, Samsung has embraced that design route totally.

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Galaxy Z Flip 6 Show

A stable hinge and foldable show

Whereas I’ve frolicked with each Flip technology, the final Samsung clamshell foldable I used as my each day smartphone was the Galaxy Z Flip 2. Quick-forward to the Flip 6, and it is clear Samsung’s foldable show know-how has come a great distance. The plastic really feel of earlier generations is gone, and as an alternative is a folding display that seems like a typical smartphone show — solely it folds.

On the specs facet, the 6.7-inch AMOLED panel encompasses a 2,640 x 1,080 pixel decision and a quick 120Hz refresh charge. Every part from YouTube movies to shopping the web appears gorgeous on the Galaxy Flip 6’s display. Samsung’s display prowess is on full show right here, and at occasions, the Flip 6’s display matches the 24 Extremely’s constancy. That mentioned, the crease continues to be very seen, particularly when utilizing the cellphone outside. I shortly acquired used to it, identical to I’ve with practically each foldable, however for those who had been hoping this may 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 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 strategy to view and activate notifications for me).

Samsung nonetheless does 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 a couple of generations now, it is an odd choice.

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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. Because of the brand new 50-megapixel main shooter, that is modified, leading to pictures that is on par with the Galaxy S24 and S24+. The Fold 6’s different shooters, which embody a 12-megapixel ultrawide and a 10-megapixel selfie shooter, carry out nicely, too.

So long as you are keen on Samsung’s out-there picture post-processing, you may be happy with all of the Galaxy Z Fold 6’s cameras, with the principle digicam being the star of the present. That mentioned, I do not like how the foldable typically blows out highlights and struggles to snap photographs of transferring topics, however I’ve additionally encountered this challenge with each Samsung cellphone I’ve ever used. General, photographs are crisp, clear and have ample element, particularly when shot with the principle digicam.

Samsung has packed in a number of intelligent digicam options that make the most of the Flip 6’s distinctive design, together with the flexibility to snap selfies with the system closed, permitting you to get a transparent take 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 pictures, full with AI-powered auto zoom that works higher than I anticipated. These aren’t options I am going to 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 methods that supply 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 provides ample energy

Final 12 months’s Z Flip 5 carried out admirably below practically 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 clean. Should you’re into benchmarks, the Flip 6 hits 2,271 for single-core and 6869 for multi-core, inserting it even above the Galaxy S24 Extremely’s rating with Geekbench 6.

The system additionally stays far cooler than earlier Flip fashions, partially resulting from its bigger vapor chamber that helps hold the system working at a extra cheap temperature.

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Galaxy Z Flip software program

Welcome to the wild world of AI

I nonetheless contend that One UI is simply too sophisticated, significantly while you’re looking for a particular function within the Settings app. Sure, you may seek for the setting you are in search of, however you should not have to. Nonetheless, for those who’re a long-time Samsung system person, you may already be conversant in the intricacies of the corporate’s bloated Android pores and skin, so this may not be a problem for you.

The important thing software program choices this 12 months embody 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 a whole lot of Flip 6 house owners having a good time including enjoyable AI creations to photographs. Nonetheless, the function does not appear to have the ability to considerably change an individual’s look and solely means that you can add enjoyable issues like a hat or horns. This can be a good transfer on Samsung’s half given the controversy surrounding AI, however it’s noteworthy nonetheless. The flexibility to simply take away or transfer objects round pictures additionally works excellently.

To high issues off on a extra adverse 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 sequence, together with Circle to Search and the Interpreter app, are right here as nicely. Just like years previous, Samsung guarantees seven years of software program updates with the Flip 6, which is sweet information for those who 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 system you are presently utilizing

Should you personal the Fold 5, there possible is not sufficient right here to warrant an improve to Samsung’s newest clamshell, particularly at launch (await the inevitable six-month low cost the corporate typically provides).

Alternatively, for those who’re leaping into the world of foldables for the primary time since you’re in search of a novel smartphone expertise, the Fold 6 is troublesome to beat, particularly when its cheap worth is taken under consideration. In that very same vein, these nonetheless utilizing earlier variations of the Flip will admire the upgrades the Galaxy Z Fold 6 provides, together with a greater main digicam, a quicker chip and a sleeker design.

Beneficial

Galaxy Z Flip 6