Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review

Trade in Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6

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Is it finally the era for foldable phones? With the Galaxy Z Fold 6, Samsung is making a compelling argument for embracing foldable technology. At first glance, this model may seem similar to its predecessor, but it boasts significant enhancements.

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 features a slimmer and lighter build compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 5. It has a slightly larger and wider cover display, offering a less cramped experience, and the main display is now much brighter at 2,600 nits. Samsung is also emphasizing the improved durability of the Z Fold 6, which includes more resilient foldable glass layers, addressing common concerns about the fragility of foldable phones.

Then there’s a plethora of built-in AI features, encompassing numerous Galaxy AI functionalities and seamless access to Google Gemini. I had the opportunity to test several of these capabilities, including a remarkable live interpreter app and a tool that transforms S Pen scribbles into art.

However, Samsung is charging $100 more for the Z Fold 6, with the starting price now at $1,899. So, is the new model worth the additional cost? Here are my initial impressions, along with the early pros and cons, of what might be the best foldable phone to date.

GALAXY Z FOLD 6 HANDS-ON: PRICE AND RELEASE DATE

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The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is now available for pre-order, with an official release date set for July 24. It will be offered through various wireless carriers and retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy, and Samsung.com.

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 has a starting price of $1,899 for the model with 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM, which is $100 more than the starting price of the Galaxy Z Fold 5. The good news is that if you pre-order the Z Fold 6 from Samsung, you can get the next storage tier at no additional cost. This means you can get the 512GB model for the price of the 256GB one.

Otherwise, it will cost you $120 to upgrade to 512GB and $360 to reach 1TB.

GALAXY Z FOLD 6 HANDS-ON: SPECS

GALAXY Z FOLD 6 HANDS-ON: DESIGN AND DURABILITY

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The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is like the Z Fold 5 on a slimming regimen. It’s shed a noticeable amount of thickness and weight. Samsung has managed to slim down the device while also enhancing its overall durability.

Measuring 6.04 x 2.68 x 0.48 inches when folded, the Z Fold 6 is shorter, narrower, and thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 5’s 6.1 x 2.64 x 0.53-inch dimensions. When unfolded, the Z Fold 6 measures 6.04 x 5.22 x 0.22 inches, compared to the previous model’s 6.1 x 5.11 x 0.24 inches.

While the bulk isn’t entirely gone, the Z Fold 6 is now much more likely to fit comfortably in a front pocket. The phone is also lighter, weighing in at 8.4 ounces compared to the Fold 5’s 8.9 ounces. The straight-edge design gives it a sleek appearance, though the corner felt a bit uncomfortable in my hand when the phone was closed.

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The Google Pixel Fold is still thinner when open but thicker when closed and notably heavier at 10 ounces. In contrast, the OnePlus Open is slightly thinner than the Z Fold 6 when closed (0.46 inches) and has a similar weight (8.43 ounces).

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is also designed to be more robust than the Z Fold 5, featuring more durable foldable glass layers and improved resistance to pressure from poking and the S Pen. Additionally, it includes Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the front and back and an Armour Aluminum hinge for enhanced durability.

GALAXY Z FOLD 6 HANDS-ON: DISPLAYS

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Samsung increased the cover display size on the Z Fold 6 from 6.2 to 6.3 inches compared to the Z Fold 5, while also making the panel slightly wider. It’s not a huge change, but it’s a welcome one, making the screen more comfortable for typing with two hands. You can also run apps on the cover display without everything feeling too cramped. However, the Pixel Fold’s front screen is even wider.

Inside, the Z Fold 6 features a 7.6-inch OLED display rated for 2,600 nits of peak brightness. While the size remains the same as before, this is a significant upgrade from the 1,750 nits on the Z Fold 5.

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When watching the trailer for Gladiator 2, Pedro Pascal’s armor gleamed brilliantly on this panel, and the Asphalt 9 racing game was vibrant and colorful. The crease where the display folds is still noticeable, but it became almost unnoticeable while viewing content with a darker background.

Both screens feature dynamic refresh rates ranging from 1 to 120Hz, ensuring fluid animations and smooth scrolling.

GALAXY Z FOLD 6 HANDS-ON: CAMERAS

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The Galaxy Z Fold 6’s camera hardware may not leave you astounded. The only significant change from last year’s model is a new 12MP ultrawide sensor, aimed at improving low-light performance. While I didn’t have the chance to test this during the hands-on, it did capture vibrant and sharp images indoors.

The phone still features a 50MP main wide camera and a 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. For $1,899, an upgrade to at least 5x optical zoom would have been preferable. However, the hybrid zoom allows you to reach up to 30x, with sufficient quality to read text on a book cover from across the room.

Despite retaining the same 4MP sensor, the under-display camera through the main screen produced good-looking portraits under decent lighting. However, for better selfies, you’ll likely prefer the 10MP front cover camera. As with previous Z Fold models, you can use the rear camera selfie mode to take advantage of the back cameras for capturing images.

GALAXY Z FOLD 6 HANDS-ON: AI FEATURES

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With a blend of Galaxy AI features and Google Gemini, Samsung is aiming to dominate the AI foldable market. Some of the features I tested were quite useful, while others felt a bit awkward.

On the positive side, the interpreter app simplifies conversing with someone who speaks a different language. It uses both the main display and cover display simultaneously to provide a seamless translation experience. During a brief demo, I was impressed with how quickly the other speaker’s phrases were translated into Spanish on the cover screen. There’s also a listening mode, which will be useful for activities like attending lectures.

I’m also a fan of the Sketch to Image feature, though it requires an optional S Pen. I drew a rough outline of a tree in the Samsung Notes app, pressed a button, and within seconds, had a captivating illustration to share. It does feel a bit like cheating, but it’s undeniably impressive.

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The Note Assist feature is quite practical for automatically formatting and summarizing your notes, as well as transcribing voice recordings. Additionally, the Samsung Keyboard can enhance your writing for emails and social media posts based on the tone you want to convey.

The oddest AI feature on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is Portrait Studio, which can generate portrait styles on the fly, such as cartoons and watercolors. I tested this feature with my own selfie, and the cartoon mode turned me into a character that resembled someone from *The Incredibles*. In fact, it looked more like Tom Brady than me.

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 comes with Android 14 and Samsung guarantees up to 7 years of software updates, aligning with the Galaxy S24 Ultra and other Samsung flagship devices.

A curious issue noted by testers, including myself, is that the device does not prompt for a fingerprint scan during setup. We’ll need to see if this is an intentional feature or a bug that will be addressed before the official launch.

GALAXY Z FOLD 6 HANDS-ON: PERFORMANCE

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We’ll be conducting full benchmark tests for the Galaxy Z Fold 6 soon, but from my limited hands-on experience, this phone performs exceptionally well. I enjoyed silky smooth performance while racing around the city in Asphalt 9, with good frame rates even during dramatic moments like flipping off a ramp with sparks flying.

Multitasking was also solid when running apps side by side. However, I found the multitasking experience on the OnePlus Open to be preferable. It allows you to run more apps simultaneously on screen and save more presets of your favorite apps.

GALAXY Z FOLD 6 HANDS-ON: BATTERY AND CHARGING

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The downside is that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 retains the same 4,400 mAh battery as the Z Fold 5. On the bright side, we anticipate better endurance due to the more efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip.

The Z Fold 5 managed a decent but not exceptional 10 hours and 55 minutes on the Tom’s Guide battery test, which involves web browsing at 150 nits of screen brightness over 5G. Devices on our best phone battery life list generally last 11.5 hours or more, and we expect the Z Fold 6 to meet or exceed that benchmark.

Unfortunately, the Z Fold 6 is still limited to 25W wired charging, which has been considered slow for several years now. For comparison, the OnePlus Open supports 67W charging. It’s high time for an upgrade!

GALAXY Z FOLD 6 HANDS-ON: OUTLOOK

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Generally speaking, I’m growing weary of phones with incremental upgrades from one generation to the next, but Samsung seems to make mostly the right choices with the Galaxy Z Fold 6. I appreciate the thinner and lighter design, the (slightly) wider cover display, and the brighter 7.6-inch main screen.

The AI features for productivity and entertainment are also a plus, even if some feel a bit gimmicky. The durability improvements are promising, though thorough testing is needed to confirm their effectiveness.

What I find less appealing is the $100 price increase for the Z Fold 6. While $1,799 was already quite steep, $1,899 makes this phone even less accessible unless you can secure a good carrier discount. I also wish Samsung would bundle an S Pen + case combo and include faster charging.

Stay tuned for my full review of the Galaxy Z Fold 6.

Source: Tom’s Guide