Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6: The stylish foldable that stands out, but at a price
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6. Picture: Noel Campion.
The Galaxy Z Flip6 has been a delight for the last two weeks of testing, but are the tweaks to the hardware and new Galaxy AI features worth the upgrade?
The sixth-generation flexible phone will look and feel familiar to fans of Samsung's flip phones. While holding the two phones side-by-side, the unfolded Z Flip6 looks similar to the iPhone 15 Pro Max with its flat-edged sides, antenna bands, frosted metal finish and rounded corners. It’s thinner, taller, and narrower than Apple’s flagship, but of course, it folds, making it easy to slip into a pocket or bag.
Samsung has refined the hinge with enhanced Armor Aluminum. When you unfold the display, the crease in the middle is negligible, but it's more noticeable after using it daily for the last two weeks. You can feel it more than see it most of the time, especially while scrolling.
The new hinge is robust and stiff, so you can adjust the angle to whatever you like, and it will stay in place without fear of it springing open or shut. The downside is that flipping it open is not easy one-handed. I managed it with a little finesse, but too much force was required in the flicking motion to be confident I wouldn’t accidentally throw the phone to the floor.
The Z Flip6 significantly improves on durability compared to its predecessors. With an IP48 rating for water and dust resistance, it is essentially dust-proof—an impressive upgrade that sets it apart from previous models.
This robust rating means the Z Flip6 can withstand being submerged in at least 1.5 meters of freshwater for up to 30 minutes, offering users peace of mind in various environments. For comparison, flagship bar phones typically feature an IP68 water and dust resistance rating.
The cover screen and the back end of the Z Flip6 are made from Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which is considerably more scratch-resistant than its predecessor.
The 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display is crisp, with a 2640x1080 pixel resolution. It’s a near-perfect for enjoying a video or multitasking. However, the tall aspect ratio makes it challenging to use one-handedly.
Although it hasn’t improved much over the previous version, the crease is mostly a non-issue, and the screen is bright enough to help counter any reflections, even in direct sunlight.
The 3.4-inch Super AMOLED cover screen is gorgeous and big enough to use a variety of widgets comfortably. However, you’re still limited by first-party widgets. For any productivity, you’ll have to open the main display. You can enable apps to work on the cover screen, but you're restricted to Maps, Messages, Netflix and YouTube, and the experience is far from ideal.
You can quickly flick between your widgets, and it's smooth despite the 60Hz refresh rate.
The stereo speakers are loud enough to be heard in a busy environment and offer decent-quality audio.
The software side is handled by One UI 6.1.1 and Android 14, which is still quite heavily skinned compared to stock Android, but Samsung has packed in some decent AI tools and features. For example, if you take a selfie or a portrait, the generative AI can recreate various styles, from cartoon to watercolour. The results are stunning, but unfortunately, they miss the mark of reproducing a person's likeness from the original photos.
Galaxy AI can also use the dual screen for conversation mode. This mode allows participants to comfortably view translations on both the main and cover screens for more natural and fluid conversations.
Live Translate has been upgraded to translate phone calls directly into real-time on your device. This functionality, previously available only on Samsung’s native calling app, has now been extended to various popular third-party apps. When enabled, the caller will hear a message telling them the call has been transcribed into text, allowing them to end it. While it works, I didn’t find it overly accurate.
Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is backed by 12GB of RAM and 256GB or 512GB of storage. The Galaxy Z Flip6 zips along, handling gaming and multitasking with ease. Samsung has also improved heat dissipation with a new vapour chamber, keeping it cool during intense sessions.
The slightly bigger 4,000mAh battery is not enough for demanding users, but I could use it for a full day on most days.
Of course, you don’t get a charger in the box, and even if you have a fast charger, charging times are slow since the phone is limited to 25W, so don't expect quick top-ups. A full charge often takes up to 1.5 hours and even longer if you don’t have a compatible charging adaptor that plays nice with Samsung devices.
The camera setup is simple but effective, with an upgraded 50MP primary shooter and a 12MP ultra-wide angle lens. The Z Flip6 does a respectable job in most conditions, though it struggles with low light and sudden motion. You can digitally zoom up to 10x, but no dedicated telephoto lens exists.
The camera app has many Galaxy AI features, such as portrait studio, sketch to image, and various other tools. The internal 10MP lens is good for video calls but not for selfies, as the cover screen works better as a viewfinder.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 is compact, stylish, and powerful but only an iterative update. If you’re a fan of the flip form factor and want a phone that stands out, the Galaxy Z Flip6 is worth considering, but you’re paying for the form factor and folding display technology. The cover display has improved and reduces the need to use the main display, but if you don't like the idea of having to flip-open a phone every time you want to use it, look at some of Samsung's bar-style phones instead.
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