After trying Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6, subtle upgrades are just fine by me

Key Takeaways

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 feature subtle upgrades and refined designs.
The Z Flip 6 offers an improved main shooter, while both devices include new Galaxy AI features.
Upgrades may not be significant enough for current Fold 4/5 users, but are attractive for first-time foldable buyers.

There was a time when buying a Samsung foldable meant you were getting a cool device that made your friends and family say, “Wow, what kind of phone is that?” It also meant compromising on build quality and photo quality. Thankfully, issues like less-than-stellar camera performance, disappointing display quality, and an overall flimsy build mostly disappeared a few Fold and Flip generations ago in favor of subtle refinement, leading to foldables becoming an established type of device in the phone space.

With the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6, Samsung’s latest foldable offerings, the company is again polishing its quirkier phone lineup with a minor spec bump and a slightly more refined design.

Galaxy Z Fold 6

SoC

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3

Display

2376 x 968 HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Gorilla Glass Victus 2, 7.6-nch (1-120Hz) 2160 x 1856 QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X

RAM

12GB

Storage

256GB/512GB/1TB

Battery

4,400mAh

Ports

USB-C

Operating System

One UI

Camera (Rear, Front)

12-megapixel f/2.2 (Ultra Wide) 50-megapixel f/1.8 (Wide) 10-megapixel f/2.4 3x/30x (Tele)

Front camera

4-megapixel f/1.8 (Under Display Camera) 10-megapixel f/2.2 (Cover Camera)

Dimensions

153.5 x 68.1 x 12.2mm (Folded) 153.5 x132.6 x 5.6mm (Unfolded)

Colors

Silver Shadow, Navy, Pink

Weight

239g

IP Rating

IP48
Galaxy Z Flip 6

SoC

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3

Display

6.7-inch (1-120 Hz) 2640 x 1080 FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, Flex Window 3.4-inch (60 Hz) 720 x 748 Super AMOLED Gorilla Glass Victus 2

RAM

12GB

Storage

256GB

Battery

4,000mAh

Ports

USB-C

Operating System

One UI

Camera (Rear, Front)

12-megapixel f/2.2 (Ultra Wide) 50-megapixel f/1.8 (Wide)

Front camera

10-megapixel f/2.2

Dimensions

85.1 x 71.9 x 14.9mm (Folded) 165.1 x 71.9 x 6.9mm (Unfolded)

Colors

Silver Shadow, Blue, Mint, Yellow

Weight

187g

IP Rating

IP48

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The Galaxy Z Fold 6 features subtle upgrades

If you’ve been on the fence about foldables, now might be the time to buy

Samsung’s Z Fold 6 features a very low-key refresh that’s so minimal some people might miss it entirely. In fact, when I first looked at the Fold 6, I didn’t notice this year’s changes, but when I picked it up and started playing around with it, the minor upgrades became more apparent.

The book-style foldable features subtly squared-off sides and feels better to hold in your hand and use when entirely unfolded to its 7.6-inch full-size thanks to it being notably slimmer and lighter. The cover display’s bezels have also been minimized, making the screen bigger and easier to use like a regular smartphone while still adopting the same 7:6 aspect ratio.

I only used the Fold 6 for a few minutes, but I quickly noted that it’s much easier to type on and use the Cover Screen like a standard smartphone. The Fold 6’s Cover screen isn’t quite as comfortable as the Pixel Fold’s, but it’s very close. Still, Samsung’s top-tier foldable remains a very thick device compared to its Galaxy S24 or even the iPhone 15 Pro Max because it’s two screens stacked on top of each other.

This year’s other notable design change is the Fold 6’s camera bump. It still features three shooters, but instead of a thin stainless steel band running around the circumference of each lens, there’s now a thicker rim. Does this look better? I’m unsure, as I prefer the simplicity of the Fold 5’s rear camera array. That said, it does add a bit of flare to the back of the phone, so it might grow on me. Regardless, it’s a subtle change most people won’t notice.

The camera layout remains the same as the Fold 5’s with a 12-megapixels f/2.2 (Ultra Wide), 50-megapixel f/1.8 (Wide) and a 10-megapixel f/2.4 telephoto with 3x optical zoom. The front 4-megapixel f/1.8 shooter on the cover is the same, too. In terms of other changes, the foldable’s chip has been upgraded to Qualcomm’s octa-core Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

Storage still starts at 256GB and tops out at 1TB, alongside the same 4,400mAh battery and 12GB of RAM as last year. This year’s Fold 6 colors include silver shadow, navy, and my personal favorite, the very light-colored pink.

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Samsung’s Z Flip 6 offers a potentially useful AI feature

And a subtle redesign

Similar to the Z Fold 6, Samsung’s Z Flip 6 features subtle improvements over its predecessor. Unfortunately, its Cover Display doesn’t wrap around its rear cameras like Motorola’s most recent Razr, the foldable’s key competition in the U.S. market.

The clamshell foldable adopts the same more squared-off edges as the Fold 6, making it easier to hold. It also generally looks a little sleeker than the Flip 5, especially its new blue and mint colors (the device is also available in yellow and silver shadow).

On the hardware side, alongside the upgrade to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the Flip features the same 50-megapixel f/1.8 (wide) shooter as the Fold 6 (which featured an f/1.8 12-megapixel camera). If you’ve snapped photos with the Galaxy Z Flip 5, this is good news because it brings the smartphone’s camera capabilities up to par with Samsung’s other high-end smartphones. I briefly tried out the camera, and it performed great, but I need to spend more time testing it out. Other upgrades include 12GB of RAM instead of 8GB, which should improve multitasking and result in an overall smoother experience, and a slightly larger 4,000mAh battery.

On the AI front, I watched an interesting Galaxy AI translation feature that allows you to speak Spanish (or another language to the device) and have it appear in English on the cover display, alongside Galaxy Smart Reply, a feature that analyzes the context of a conversation to create an automatic reply. I don’t see myself using either of these features and I question how useful they’ll actually be, but I’m looking forward to spending more time with Galaxy AI when I get my hands on review devices.

On a more positive note, Samsung showed me how a new Z Flip 6 rear camera feature utilizes AI to automatically zoom in on you if you leave the device open on a table. This feature worked surprisingly well, and I could see it being useful for filming videos or snapping group photos.

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Should you upgrade to the Z Fold 6 or Z Flip 6?

That depends on what device you’re currently using (and your interest in foldables)

So, who are this year’s Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 for? If you own the Fold 5 or arguably even the Fold 4, there probably isn’t enough here to warrant an upgrade, but for those looking to dive into the wild world of Samsung foldables for the first time, this year’s subtle refinements offer a great-looking pair of devices.

Of course, if you’re interested in the Fold 6, you’ll need to be willing to spend a fair amount of money with the device starting at $1,899.99. On the other hand, the Flip 6 costs a more reasonable $1,099.99. Pocket-lint will have more on Samsung’s upcoming devices, including the Galaxy Watch 7, Watch Ultra, Buds 3/3 Pro, and more, in the coming days.