First Impressions
The Galaxy Z Flip 6 doesn’t change much on the design front, but there are some important changes elsewhere that make this a smart choice for those after a clamshell foldable.
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Bigger batteryCompared to the Z Flip 5, the Flip 6 has a larger 4000mAh battery -
New main cameraThe same 50MP main camera from the S24 Plus sits on the front of the updated Fold
Introduction
Samsung is back with another round of foldable phones, including the Galaxy Z Flip 6. This might be a modest update to the Korean firm’s clamshell foldable, but with upgrades to all-important areas like camera, battery capacity and performance, a little could go a long way.
I got to spend about two hours with the Galaxy Z Flip 6 ahead of its grand unveiling alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Watch Ultra, and while that’s far from enough time to make a full judgement, I have many initial thoughts.
So, is this the clamshell foldable to get this year? Or are you better off sticking with the Z Flip 5, or plumping for the Motorola Razr 50 Ultra?
In the UK, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 starts at £1049 for the 256GB model, rising to £1149 for 512GB. In the US, prices start at $1099.
Design and Screen
- Same dimensions as the Z Flip 5
- New colour selection
- Improved durability
Visually, Samsung isn’t ripping up the blueprints with the Z Flip 6 – even the dimensions and the weight are exactly the same as the Z Flip 5.
This is very much the same looking device as before, with a 3.4-inch 60Hz outer display and a 6.7-inch 120Hz inner panel. The crease in the middle of the inside display remains visible, although it’s not as offputting as it is on the Z Fold 6.
Both displays are OLED and look good, although I do wish the outer display was 120Hz like the Motorola Razr 50. Being stuck at 60Hz makes it feel slow, and the difference between it and the faster inside display remains jarring.
While the Z Flip 6 looks very much like its predecessor, there are a couple of welcome changes. The glossy, fingerprint-prone sides have been swapped for a much sleeker matte alternative. The metal rim around the two front cameras has also been colour-matched to the device, adding a nice pop of contrast.
The colour options themselves have also been refreshed. The Z Flip 6 will come in silver, yellow, blue and my personal favourite – mint. There are several Samsung.com exclusive hues too, including black, white and peach. All the colours are pastel, rather than bright, and they’re all quite tasteful.
It’s been a few years since foldables were released with durability issues, but Samsung is continuing to ensure both the Z Flip 6 and Fold 6 hold up well.
The Armour Aluminium Samsung has used is stronger on the frame and hinge, while there’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and back, alongside an improved layer of protective glass on the inner display. The hinge should absorb shock better thanks to a dual rail design, too.
Performance and Specs
- Plenty of upgrades on the inside
- Same main camera as the S24 Plus
- Latest chipset from Qualcomm
While Samsung hasn’t tweaked the design too much with the Z Flip 6, there have been some important changes inside – changes that could make this the clamshell foldable to recommend this year.
First off, this is the first time Samsung has added a vapour chamber to the Flip series. This should keep the phone cool when under load and help during intensive bouts of gaming. Samsung reps said this chamber is 150% larger than the one inside the Galaxy S23 Ultra, so it’s clearly not been added simply so it can be added to the spec sheet.
Powering the phone is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the current flagship chipset from Qualcomm and the same ‘For Galaxy’ version found in the S24 series. Samsung is shipping Qualcomm chips inside the Z Flip 6 in all regions, rather than offering up an Exynos alternative in certain areas.
I only spent a few hours with the phone, and wasn’t able to test out any intensive games or run our usual suite of benchmarking apps, so a performance judgement will have to wait for the full review.
However, this is a chip found in the very best Android phones of 2024 and we’ve so far been impressed with how fast it is. It’s also a step up over the Moto Razr 50 Ultra, which is powered by the lower-end 8s Gen 3 chip.
Samsung has paired that high-end chipset with 12GB RAM – up from 8GB in the Z Flip 5 – and either 256GB or 512GB of storage.
The 4000mAh battery is a high for the series too, matching the Galaxy S24 in size. Charging speeds look to be the same though, with 25w wired giving the phone a 50% charge in 30 minutes.
Switching over to the cameras, and the upgrades keep on coming. It’s the main wide-angle sensor that has seen the biggest boost this time, with the old 12MP sensor ditched for the same 50MP sensor from the Galaxy S24 Plus. The camera has a f/1.8 lens and dual-pixel autofocus.
It’s not a new sensor, Samsung has been using it since the Galaxy S22 Plus series, and our reviewer had reservations about its image quality when they reviewed that phone. However, it will be an upgrade over the sensor on the Z Flip 5, even if it doesn’t turn the Z Flip 6 into the best camera phone around.
Next to the main sensor is a new 12MP ultra-wide, which Samsung reps claimed will offer improved low-light and HDR performance when directly compared to the Z Flip 5. It also happens to be the same ultra-wide sensor found on the Z Fold 6.
Samsung is working closely with Instagram to optimise the camera performance for the social media app. You can now, for instance, use the phone’s night shooting mode right inside the Instagram app. Whether this will make a notable difference remains to be seen.
Elsewhere, Samsung has improved its ‘Camcorder Grip’ mode where you shoot video with the phone folded up like a retro camcorder. You can easily zoom in and out without unfolding, and this seemed to work very well. There’s a certain amount of nostalgia with this mode and Samsung is certainly playing into it.
Software
- Upgraded Cover Screen functionality
- Plenty of AI features
The Galaxy Z Flip 6 will ship with Android 14 and Samsung’s One UI 6.1.1 software layer on top. Updates will also be offered for an impressive seven years.
A load of Galaxy AI features are here too, and you can read all about these in our extensive Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review which puts them to the test.
Most of the new software features here are focussed on the outer screen, which remains one of my favourite parts of a clamshell foldable. Samsung claims more apps support the Cover Screen, while the amount of widgets has grown too hopefully meaning more can be done without flipping the phone open.
Early Verdict
The Galaxy Z Flip 6 doesn’t change much on the design front, but there are some important changes elsewhere that make this a smart choice for those after a clamshell foldable.
The addition of the vapour chamber should alleviate any heat issues, while the upgraded RAM and battery size will hopefully keep the phone running well for longer. Seven years of software updates is always welcome too.
There’s some tough competition in the space now, notably from Motorola with its huge outer-display-toting Razr 50 and Razr 50 Ultra. Samsung has the skills to make the clamshell foldable to beat, and there’s every chance it has done that here.
