Samsung is now on its sixth era of foldable units. That’s six years of upgrades and {hardware} tweaks, main us to what I imagine is the very best iteration but within the Galaxy Z Fold 6. There’s not even a debate available. The upgraded hinge system alone is a testomony to Samsung’s by no means ending pursuit to enhance upon these units. Sprinkle on a couple of different upgrades and enhancements and we’re left with the Galaxy Z Fold 6, a very stable foldable possibility.
Let’s go over a couple of of my favourite issues about this telephone, plus as a bonus I’ll attempt to discover stuff I didn’t look after. That’s at all times the laborious half.
That is our Galaxy Z Fold 6 fast evaluation.
What I Like
Shows: Galaxy Z Fold 6 is supplied with two shows. The outside (cowl) show is a 6.3-inch HD+ display (2376 x 968) with 120Hz adaptive refresh charge, whereas the principle show is a 7.6-inch QXGA+ display (2160 x 1856) with the identical 120Hz adaptive refresh charge. The shows are one other space the place Samsung might have gotten away with doing little from final 12 months, however as a substitute, they upped the height brightness for each panels as much as 2600 nits. That’s a serious enchancment, particularly when utilizing the machine in direct daylight.
Given that is nonetheless a Samsung panel, colours are nonetheless properly saturated and there are many ranges to play with within the settings menu must you need to modify them. Heading into that settings menu, I used to be doing a little bit of digging and observed that Samsung additionally has an elevated quantity of Imaginative and prescient Enhancement choices. I had a watch surgical procedure final 12 months and wanted extra show distinction for a couple of months following the process whereas my eyes healed, so discovering this improved menu is sweet to learn about. Inside you may play with a devoted “Excessive distinction theme,” set excessive distinction fonts, keyboard, buttons, in addition to Relumino outlines (launched final 12 months).
We will’t discuss the principle show with out addressing the crease. It’s nonetheless very a lot there, however it’s turning into much less noticeable. I’m unsure after we’ll get to a spot the place there isn’t a crease, but when we evaluate what the show crease is like in 2024 to what it was like in 2018 or 2019, we’ve definitely come a really great distance.
Specs: Samsung loaded up this machine with prime of the road specs throughout the board. There’s a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset with 12GB RAM, 4400mAh battery with quick wired and wi-fi charging), triple rear digicam system (extra particulars on digicam beneath), the entire connectivity necessities you’d want (5G, WiFi 6E, and so forth), fingerprint reader, S Pen assist (nonetheless no devoted slot), a decreased weight of 239g, and Android 14 (One UI 6.1.1).
One other enchancment we’ve is the elevated IP score, as much as IP48 from IPX8. Evaluating to a different new foldable, Pixel 9 Professional Fold, it has simply the IPX8 score. For water, that’s all wonderful and dandy, however folks don’t sometimes carry free water of their pockets or purse. In these locations you’ll discover sand, mud, and different particles. That 4 score means your Z Fold 6 has been examined to resist objects bigger than 1mm, which is best than nothing. The subsequent increased score of 5 would imply mud safety, which we hope to see on subsequent fashions, however is probably going tough to realize given the foldable nature of the {hardware}. Regardless, it’s an enchancment and value noting.
One spec Samsung might’ve improved is the RAM. Google did a really cool factor and gave all Professional fashions of the Pixel 9 a regular 16GB. Whereas 12GB has been wonderful sufficient in my testing, the entire AI stuff on this machine might doubtless profit from extra RAM. In spite of everything, these telephones are nonetheless almost $2,000, so having as many extremely high-end specs as potential would have been good to see.
Battery Life: We’ve got the identical 4,400mAh battery within the Z Fold 6 as final 12 months, and for probably the most half, I’d say my battery life has been fairly much like that of the Z Fold 5. I’m simply getting via my full days, with gaming (Marvel SNAP) and loads of YouTube and TikTok streaming. My typical day is 7am to 11pm and I’ve been hitting the hay with anyplace from 15-30% battery left. Throughout this time I’ve been actively utilizing a Galaxy Watch Extremely and Galaxy Ring. Charging speeds are listed at 25W wired (50% in half-hour of charging) and 15W wi-fi charging. Reverse wi-fi charging is listed at a whopping 4.5W.
Digital camera: This machine comes with a complete of three rear cameras: 12MP ultra-wide (F2.2), 50MP wide-angle (F1.8) with Twin Pixel AF and OIS, plus a 10MP telephoto (F2.4) with PDAF and OIS. From my testing, the cameras are very stable shooters, very succesful in a wide range of settings. It excelled in vivid day gentle, however even darker environments honest comparatively nicely because of Samsung’s improved Night time Shot. Like every part else on these telephones, options like Night time Shot have been getting higher and higher. Whereas I wouldn’t evaluate it but to Google’s Night time Sight, it is extremely succesful on delivering stable outcomes when in low gentle conditions. The purple membership photograph down beneath was taken in a really dim room, however Night time Shot makes the room seem nicely lit with a number of element.
There’s a lot software program to find, too. A breakdown of Samsung’s digicam software program may very well be a 5-part submit, however the necessities are achieved nicely. Switching photograph sizes and facet ratios is straightforward, plus rapidly including filters is painless. Beneath the “extra” part for modes you’ll discover the classics like Hyperlapse and Professional Digital camera/Professional Video, however you’ll additionally discover the Twin Recording mode. This mode enables you to file each back and front cameras concurrently, plus Samsung enables you to manually set which lenses you employ. I’ve but to discover a scenario the place I need to use it, nevertheless it’s there. That’s the case for a lot of issues on these newer telephones.
For me, what’s vital is velocity and accuracy. How lengthy will it take me to open my digicam, get a photograph, after which how nicely does it evaluate to what I noticed with my eyes. Whereas Samsung sensors have lengthy been on the upped saturation facet, they do a incredible job at creating pictures that I need to share. There’s a whole lot of crisp element, hardly any of which is misplaced when zooming in because of massive sensor sizes. I haven’t performed with the Pixel 9 lineup but, but when I used to be headed on a visit and wanted a digicam, I’d haven’t any drawback reaching for this telephone or the Galaxy S24 Extremely. Samsung’s digicam sport continues to enhance and I’m right here for it.
Listed here are some digicam samples, resized to assist the positioning load higher.
Zoom Check
{Hardware}: That is the part I’m most captivated with. Evaluating Galaxy Z Fold 6 to all previous iterations, that is simply the very best {hardware} but. It simply feels so good to open and shut this factor. The way in which it snaps shut good and flush, it’s extraordinarily satisfying. Samsung calls this the FlexHinge, examined for a minimum of 200,000 folds or 10 years of approximate utilization. I doubtless gained’t be utilizing this machine for 10 years, however simply from my couple weeks of utilization, I can inform that it does really feel very sturdy. Once more, evaluating to earlier fashions, it appears like such a serious enchancment.
I can even attest to the telephone’s general sturdiness. It’s a shaggy dog story. The night time I returned from New York for Samsung’s press occasion, the place I snagged this evaluation unit, I made it again to my automotive and as I went to open the door, the telephone slipped out of my crossbody and fell about 3-4 ft. to the laborious concrete, coming to a relaxation glass facet down. I figured the telephone was fully f*cked and I used to be already writing an electronic mail to Samsung asking for a brand new unit in my head. I picked the telephone up and noticed that it was fully unfazed with exception of a particularly minor mark on one of many backside corners. Whether or not it was a fortunate bounce or not, the telephone took a really laborious fall onto a really laborious floor and you may’t even inform. Props to the Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and metallic body with Armor Aluminum.
Software program (Galaxy AI): Galaxy Z Fold 6 comes with Android 14 (One UI 6.1.1), mixed with a wholesome quantity of AI-powered options to maintain you entertained with Samsung and Google work on making Android 15 (One UI 7) out there to all. Noteworthy options out there on this machine embody Circle to Search, AI summarization for Notes, Interpreter, Photograph Help for modifying photographs nevertheless you may must, Sketch to Picture, Portrait Studio, and rather more.
Whereas the entire AI factor is getting performed lots by each OEM, I imagine there’s a profit to having a whole lot of these cloud-based AI options. In spite of everything, not the entire generative AI stuff is going on in your machine. It permits telephone makers to proceed delivering new issues with out the necessity for lots of machine updates. If Samsung and Google need to maintain feeding me new issues to play with through the cloud, I believe that’s wonderful. That’s till customers want to begin paying for them. That’s a dialog for one more day, however you may’t argue that this explicit machine isn’t function packed. The introduction of Galaxy AI has opened up an entire new part of options that we are able to play with and make the most of, when beforehand a Software program part was a normal overview of what modified year-over-year with One UI. I’ll take new options, even AI-powered ones, versus not getting a whole lot of new issues to play with any day of the week.
The opposite great point within the Galaxy vs. Pixel battle are software program updates. Samsung is dedicated to seven years of software program and safety updates. That’s assist for this telephone into the 2030s, which is superb.
The Verdict
Galaxy Z Fold 6 is priced beginning at $1899. That’s $100 enhance from final 12 months, however in my thoughts, these {hardware} enhancements are price that alone. And bear in mind, Samsung at all times has offers happening, so the probabilities of having to pay full worth for this telephone appear slim. Even as we speak, you may snag free doubled storage and as much as $1200 in trade-in financial savings. Not dangerous.
As for a verdict, if a foldable telephone is what you need, then this may be an ideal selection. Samsung is six years deep into foldables, whereas competitors like Google and OnePlus are nonetheless relative newcomers. This telephone has superb {hardware} with an ideal in-hand really feel, good cameras, attractive shows, and 98% of the specs you’d need. I nonetheless would’ve preferred to see 16GB RAM. Oh nicely.
Observe the hyperlink beneath to snag your individual Galaxy Z Fold 6.