The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 represents the pinnacle of Samsung’s design, yet its improvements are modest. Despite enhancements, its $1,100 price tag feels steep. I find myself admiring my review unit with a mix of envy and indifference. It’s visually striking, with bold lines and a perfect color palette, but it doesn’t evoke a strong attachment. Its sleek, uniform body is easy to handle, but its limitations prevent it from becoming my everyday device.
While the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 is better than the Z Flip 5 in several small and a few significant ways, it’s largely similar and $100 more expensive. This reflects Samsung’s strategy of marketing its flip-style foldable phones as accessories, similar to how Motorola positions its latest Razr alongside handbag-style cases. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 offers stunning color combinations, with my favorite being the yellow and gold scheme.
The phone’s design reduces its size in your pocket and its minimized screen helps curb excessive phone usage. When closed, it’s ideal for quickly checking emails, Slack, or Google Maps without getting caught up in endless social media scrolling.
However, the Z Flip 6’s exterior screen lacks functionality. You must enable a limited selection of apps through settings, while other apps require downloading Samsung’s Good Lock app to be accessed via the MultiStar widget. This cumbersome process is necessary even for simple tasks like changing playlists on Apple Music.
The cover screen settings in Labs now allow WhatsApp access, but Samsung Messages is missing by default. You can stream Netflix, though it’s arguably the worst way to watch content. Widgets are available for tracking steps and sleep, but there’s no dedicated interface for recent workouts in Samsung Health.
New widgets and themes aside, the experience remains almost identical to last year’s Z Flip 5. Battery life is still about a day, with the 50 MP camera not showing much improvement over the previous 12 MP version. While it’s a good phone that approaches the promise of clamshells, it’s not quite there yet.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 Review: Design and Displays
The Galaxy Z Flip 5 marked a significant design shift with its 3.4-inch exterior “FlexWindow.” The new model maintains a similar yet refined appearance. It feels and looks better, yet specifications reveal minimal differences.
The primary display upgrade is increased brightness, boasting 2,600 nits compared to the Flip 5’s 1750 nits. Otherwise, the external “FlexWindow” remains a 3.4-inch Super AMOLED display at 60 Hz, while the interior boasts a 6.7-inch AMOLED with a 1 to 120 Hz dynamic refresh rate. Though it’s fine, the $1,000 2024 Motorola Razr+ offers a full 4-inch exterior screen at 165 Hz in game mode, making Samsung’s upgrade less impressive, especially at an increased cost.
The hinge has been redesigned for sturdiness and is now dust-resistant. Unlike last year’s model, it doesn’t exhibit any floppiness, yet it lacks the nostalgic one-handed snap of early 2000s flip phones. The new hinge aims for longevity and ease of use, but more progress is needed.
The internal screen’s crease is improved, resembling a shallow gully rather than a deep ravine. It catches less light and feels smoother, although it may still distract some users.
Notably, the Z Flip 6 is the first flip foldable with a vapor chamber for cooling. Previous models didn’t exhibit heat issues, as this isn’t a device for intensive tasks. Gaming is possible, but the crease can be distracting.
In terms of feel and aesthetics, the Z Flip 6 surpasses its predecessor. The back is more scratch-resistant, and the camera bumps are enhanced with metal frames. Compared to Motorola’s vegan leather and suede, which collect dirt and dust, Samsung’s design is preferable. However, with the price increase, a more dramatic upgrade was expected.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 Review: Performance and Battery Life
Samsung continues to limit its FlexWindow to widgets and select apps, a practice unchanged from last year. The key difference now is the emphasis on AI across apps and services. While AI is touted as revolutionary, it doesn’t fundamentally alter phone usage.
The Z Flip 6 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip and 12 GB of RAM, 4 GB more than its predecessor. It outperforms the Z Flip 5 by 100 points in single-core and nearly 1,900 in multicore Geekbench 6 tests. However, it doesn’t feel noticeably faster. AI features are primarily cloud-based, requiring an internet connection.
Some AI features, like live translation, work well. During tests with native French speakers, the phone effectively translated English, though it struggled with rapid French speech. The interface is superior to what I experienced with the Pixel Fold in Japan, and it should improve further.
Though more powerful, the Z Flip 6 doesn’t feel significantly different from its predecessor. Battery life is marginally better, with a 4,000 mAh battery versus 3,700 mAh, lasting just over 16 hours in streaming tests compared to the Flip 5’s 14.5 hours. In real-world use, the difference is negligible.
At $1,100, the Z Flip 6 is priced similarly to high-end phones like the Pixel 8 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro, both of which offer larger batteries. The premium cost is attributed to the foldable design and additional screen, not increased power or longevity.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 Review: Camera
The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is marketed as having an improved camera setup, yet the differences from the Flip 5 are subtle. The main upgrade is a 50 MP wide-angle lens compared to the previous 12 MP, with the addition of 2X optical zoom and the existing 10X digital zoom. A seemingly redundant 10 MP internal camera remains less useful, given the ease of taking selfies with the cover screen.
Ignoring higher-resolution capabilities, the primary distinction lies in photo software. Samsung’s ProVisual Engine incorporates more AI features, including editing tools and the “Instant Slow-mo” seen in the Galaxy S24.
The Flip phone can be partially opened for camcorder-like use, with the exterior sensors offering Auto Zoom to center subjects. However, Auto Zoom is more suited for still photos. During gym sessions, it struggled to keep moving subjects in frame, performing better with group shots.
Images taken with the Flip 5, Flip 6, and Galaxy S24 Ultra show minor differences. The Flip 5’s images are slightly warmer than later models, while Samsung’s 50 MP sensor produces more detailed pictures than Apple’s 50 MP iPhone 14 Pro.
Overall, the photos are commendable, suitable for sharing on social media. Yet, without a telephoto lens or advanced zoom, the camera lacks versatility compared to similarly priced phones.
For selfies, the 50 MP sensor offers no substantial improvement. The internal 10 MP camera remains awkward, and the limited front screen prevents extensive use of superior exterior sensors for video calls.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 Review: Verdict
I prefer the Z Flip 6 over the Z Flip 5, but I remain hesitant to embrace it fully. Foldables’ high prices are a persistent issue, compounded by Samsung’s pricing decisions. Interest in the $700 2024 Motorola Razr persists, despite its inferior camera. Clamshell phones should be alternatives to traditional phones, not costly luxury items akin to designer handbags.
While the Z Flip 6 is aesthetically appealing, it should offer broader appeal beyond being a luxury gadget. Future iterations should maintain this design philosophy, improve screens, and further reduce the crease.
For Samsung to truly succeed, it should consider a less powerful CPU and lower the price by $300-$400, introducing a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip FE as a budget-friendly option with essential features.
Let Apple’s eventual clamshell foldable be the costly luxury item. Foldable phones should offer affordable alternatives for average consumers.
