Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 Review: The Foldable Revolution Continues

Despite fierce competition, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is Samsung’s greatest flip foldable to date. Samsung provides undeniable power, professional-grade software, and the assurance that comes with increased longevity and years of Android updates ahead. Samsung has continued to push the frontiers of smartphone innovation with the Galaxy Z Flip 6 release. The Z Flip series, part of the foldable phone revolution, is known for its cutting-edge design, portability, and unique functionality. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 refines and expands on its predecessor’s remarkable features, introducing fresh adjustments and upgrades that could make it an even more appealing option for foldable lovers.

GALAXY Z FLIP6 KEY FEATURE

A quick poll around our office asking what we’d want to see improved in our smartphones would almost certainly produce ‘battery life’ and ‘cameras’ at the top of the list of answers. Samsung did not ask us, but it is exactly what’s new on the Galaxy Z Flip6. The clamshell foldable Galaxy for 2024 gets a few updates. One of them is a larger battery, albeit a minor increase that is appreciated. Also on the menu is a new primary camera, with a high-resolution sensor that could improve the Flip’s zoom game.

Another new feature is IP-rated protection against solids, which complements the previously offered water resistance. We’re not sure how significant that advancement is from a practical standpoint because it’s not dust being covered, but we’ll take an intermediate evolutionary step, of course.

Naturally, there is a new chipset, and if you are the type of person who obsesses over these things, you will be pleased to find that Snaprdagons are everywhere. All Flip6s now have 12 GB of RAM, which is more than most vanilla S24 models had (8 GB).

GALAXY Z FLIP6 UNBOXING

The Galaxy Z Flip6 ships in a basic black cardboard packaging that reduces environmental impact but does not include many accessories.

Aside from the (largely worthless) paperwork, you only get a USB-C cord and a SIM tool.

CAMERA

The Z Flip 6 features a dual-camera configuration on the rear, with a 12MP primary lens and a 12MP ultrawide lens. Under favorable lighting circumstances, the camera produces clear and colorful photographs with rich details. Low-light performance has improved due to better sensors and software processing. Samsung provides an auto-zoom option to help frame photographs, but I couldn’t test it without a second person.

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 includes the same two cameras as the Z Flip 5: a 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera with a 123-degree field of view and a 10MP f/2.2 selfie camera with an 85-degree field of view. The most significant improvement is the inclusion of a 50MP f/1.8 primary sensor with dual-pixel autofocus, optical image stabilization (OIS), and an 85-degree field of view.

The enhanced 50MP primary camera defaults to 12MP with pixel-binning and provides more realistic colors than the Z Flip 5’s main image, but there is still a perceptible saturation bump. Full 50MP photos have greater detail and more accurate colors. The 12MP ultra-wide camera produces photographs with sharp details and vivid colors. Samsung uses distortion correction on these photographs, yet the edges still appear strange. Dark areas may also appear muddy.

The selfie camera also captures fine details and brighter colors. Portrait mode works great, separating my face and spectacles from the background in the selfie below. This scenario frequently trips up equivalent modes on other cameras.

Video quality is excellent at 4K/60fps for both back and interior cameras. The main back cameras’ OIS feature allows them to capture video with gimbal-like smoothness. Also noteworthy is the camcorder mode, which allows you to roll footage when the phone is folded at a 90-degree angle.

DESIGN AND SCREEN

The Z Flip 6 keeps the classic tiny, clamshell shape that distinguished its predecessors, but it’s more sophisticated. The smartphone feels substantial in your palm, because of its superior metal and glass design, which ensures that it not only looks nice but also feels robust. Samsung has improved the hinge mechanism, which seems more durable than before while keeping a smooth fold.

The Z Flip 6 has a solid build. The hinge feels solid and sturdy, and you can easily bend the phone to any angle you choose while it stays in place. It feels as secure as a submarine door; it remains under pressure. The Z Flip 6 now has an IP48 rating, which is higher than the IPX8 level of the Z Flip 5 from last year, correct? Yes and No. The first number (4) represents more than just dust and dirt protection; it also indicates the amount of protection against any physical item. The second number (8) represents the freshwater protection level.

An IP48 rating indicates that the phone can withstand physical items larger than 1mm. Thick wires will not become twisted in hinges, but hair, lint, grime, and dust can cause problems, so keep your Flip clean and protected. At the very least, it is completely water resistant, so you can clean it under the tap if you like. It can withstand being submerged in water up to 1.5 meters deep for 30 minutes. My Galaxy Z Flip 6 is a gorgeous shade of blue, one of the best I’ve ever seen on a smartphone. It’s bright and summery. Samsung picked vivid colors for their flip foldable phone. The Galaxy Z Flip 6’s glass back adds depth and sheen to the hues, unlike Motorola’s plastic vegan leather. These hues are amazing.

The best part about flip foldable phones like the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is that they offer one of the largest smartphone screens available, all while fitting in your front pocket. The Z Flip 6, like the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, has a 6.7-inch display.

That’s the lure of flip foldables: a screen as large as Apple’s largest iPhone, but thinner, lighter, and foldable. The Z Flip 6 weighs 34 grams (more than an ounce) less than the largest titanium iPhone and is 1.4mm (16%) slimmer when open. The iPhone is broader, so you get more screen space.

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 display is pretty excellent, but it isn’t the best you’ll find on a smartphone, let alone a flip phone. While the size is the same as the Galaxy S24 Plus, Samsung’s flat phone boasts a better resolution, resulting in a clearer display. The Motorola Razr Plus boasts a larger and brighter inner display than the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, as well as a refresh rate of up to 165Hz, which is slightly faster than the Z Flip 6, although the difference is scarcely perceptible to my eyes.

HOW’S THE PERFORMANCE?

The Z Flip 6 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, which is also used in Samsung’s Galaxy S24 top handsets. I was immediately drawn to the fluid acts of navigating around the software since practically every movement is met with a stiff response. It also extends to other areas of the experience, such as my daily habits of exercising and switching between apps.

The benchmark results confirm my initial suspicion: the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is a powerhouse in the flip phone category. GeekBench single and multicore scores for the Z Flip 6 were 2,091 and 7,022, respectively, which are slightly higher than the preceding Z Flip 5. Graphics processing performance is likewise outstanding, with the Galaxy Z Flip 6 maintaining an oh-so-smooth average frame rate of 113.45 frames per second throughout 3DMark’s Wild Life Unlimited test. Again, that’s a significant improvement over Flip’s predecessor, but I’ve seen it in games like Modern Combat and Age of Origins, which I routinely play. The action does not stutter during graphically heavy periods, such as conflicts in thickly inhabited lands in Age of Origins.

Aside from that, I’m pleased to inform that the Galaxy Z Flip 6 can run three apps at the same time without significantly impacting the experience. The Z Flip 6’s performance remained responsive even when running three apps at the same time, thanks to a multi-window mode that stacks two apps on-screen and a pop-up view function that places an app in a smaller window.

Buy it if...

• The IP48 grade now includes protection against particulates in addition to water resistance.
• Battery life has been improved as compared to prior generations.
• Feature-rich program with useful cover screen implementation, including Galaxy AI.
• Versatile camera system with improved zoom results.

Don't buy it if…

• Charging speeds are glacial.
• Cover screens might be larger and more functional.
• Heavy throttling occurs under extended demand.

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