Behold the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 and Galaxy Z Flip6: A quick hands-on

Z Fold6 – New wine in an old bottle

The new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 features some welcome upgrades alongside several elements that have remained unchanged from the Z Fold5. The device comes at a time when Samsung is facing stiff competition in the segment with the likes of OnePlus, Google, Oppo, etc. 

When it comes to design, the Galaxy Z Fold6 is slightly shorter and wider and has squared-off corners, much similar to the flagship S24 Ultra. The new device, at 239 grams, is seemingly lighter than its predecessors. Also, the cover display is now 1 mm wider and offers a better 21:9 aspect ratio.  

The all-new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 in Silver Shadow shade. (Image: Bijin Jose/The Indian Express)

I was curious to see what Samsung would be doing to improve the durability of the device. I found the new dual-rail hinge to be sturdy, and the matte aluminium frame makes it look like something that could last. The back of the foldable seems more scratch-resistant and comes with better water resistance owing to the upgraded IPX8 rating. The bezels are trimmed and the cover screen appears slightly larger. This time, Samsung has bumped up the brightness to 2600 nits, which was 1750 nits on the Galaxy Z Fold5. However, the main screen retains the 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED display and seems like a great tool for multitasking.

The Z Fold6 is backed by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and is claimed to be over 40 per cent faster in AI tasks, 25 per cent in graphics, and 14 per cent faster processing. Samsung has retained the 4400mah battery on Z Fold6, however, the company claims longer battery life and efficiency owing to its new chipset. 

Rear panel and cover display of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6. (Image: Bijin Jose/The Indian Express)

On the camera front, the device includes a cover screen selfie camera, a tablet screen selfie camera, and three main lenses – wide, ultra-wide, and 3x telephoto. The ultra-wide camera which comes with a new feature can now shoot at 60fps in Full HD and 4K. It needs to be noted that all these are minimal changes when compared to Z Fold5. 

Overall, I found the Galaxy Z Fold6 to be a refined foldable device with incremental upgrades. Although it may not prompt one to consider foldable, especially those who are skeptical about the form factor, the Fold6 has enough improvements for existing Fold users. 

Samsung Galaxy  Z Flip6

The latest iteration of Samsung Galaxy Flip, the Z Flip6 appears nearly identical to the Flip5, especially in terms of dimensions. Some subtle differences could be spotted, such as colour-coordinated borders around the cameras and matte finish for both the back of the phone and its aluminium frame. The new flip phones come in blue, silver shadow, mint, and peach colours. 

While the Z Flip5 featured a 3,700mAh battery, the Z Flip6 has an upgraded 4,000mAh battery. Combined with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, the new flip phone seems to be offering better efficiency. Also, the RAM has been increased from 8GB to 12GB for both 256GB and 512GB models.

The flex window of Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6. (Image: Bijin Jose/The Indian Express)

The Flip6 also has an upgraded IPX8 rating for water and dust resistance. It has been upgraded from ultra-thin glass (UTG) to foldable thin glass (FTG), this is crucial as it is tough and reduces crease. The device also features a new dual-rail hinge and matte aluminium frame. Besides, the Flip6 feels compact and I could play around it using one hand. I am fascinated by how the Live Translate feature becomes impressively easy using the flex window. 

The camera department gets the biggest upgrade as the new Z Flip6 features a 50 MP main camera compared to the 12MP on Z Flip5. It also supports 4K video recording at 60fps with an ultra-wide lens. Powered by Samsung’s Pro Visual Engine, the cameras offer an array of features to produce images with depth and details. 

Front and rear view of the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6. (Image: Bijin Jose/The Indian Express)

Both Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip6 run on Android 14 and Samsung’s One UI 6.1.1. The Fold6 features some Galaxy AI tools like Note Assist, Chat Assist, and Browsing Assist. On the other hand, the Z Flip 6 comes with new UI improvements like camcorder mode and more widgets for the display screen. The new foldables from Samsung, although with incremental upgrades, are bespoke with a plethora of features waiting to be explored.