Samsung introduced the Galaxy Z Fold6. Let's see what it brings compared to last year's Z Fold5 and whether the upgrade is really worth it.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is finally here, and this time it brings some interesting changes. The device is now shorter but wider, with squarer edges, making it more compact and easier to handle. At around 239 grams, it's 14 grams lighter compared to the Z Fold5, but still slightly heavier than the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The form is closer to normal phones, otherwise slightly higher but still normal.
Greater resistance to dust and water – IP48
While the Z Fold 5 only had an IPX8 waterproof rating, the Z Fold 6 brings an IP48 rating, which means better dust resistance. The number 4 indicates resistance to particles larger than one millimeter, which is definitely a step forward.
New colors and improved materials
Z Fold6 is available in three colors: Silver Shadow, Pink and Navy. In addition, two other exclusive colors are available on samsung.com: Crafted Black and White. The frame and hinge are now made of improved Armor Aluminum material, which is stronger for the 10% than the previous version, and protected by a new folding thin glass layer that improves impact resistance.
Improved screens and new aspect ratios
The internal screen remains 7.6 inches, but with a slightly more square aspect ratio (20.9 : 18), which improves usability. The external screen is now 6.3 inches with an aspect ratio of 22.1 : 9, which is closer to the standard we know from other devices like the Xperia. Both screens support a 120 Hz adaptive refresh rate and achieve a peak brightness of up to 2600 nits.
Camera: Minimal changes but improvements in image processing
The front camera on the cover screen is still 10 MP, while the internal camera under the screen has 4 MP. The rear cameras remain the same: a 12 MP ultra-wide camera, a 50 MP primary camera and a 10 MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. The new signal processor improves image and video processing, but no big changes are expected compared to the Z Fold 5.
More powerful processor and better performance
Z Fold 6 is powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, which means 41% faster NPU, 25% faster GPU and 14% faster CPU. An enlarged 1.6x vapor chamber improves gaming performance. Despite the same battery (4400 mAh) as the Z Fold 5, the new device should allow two hours more video playback.
S Pen support and new AI features
The Z Fold 6 still supports the S Pen, but only on the main screen. The new thinner case is more convenient, although many users would prefer to see a built-in S Pen. The device comes with a number of new AI features, including Call Assist, Chat Assist, Note Assist and Photo Assist, which allow you to transform portraits and create realistic images from sketches.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6: Technical specifications
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6, which was announced on July 10, 2024, will be officially released on July 24, 2024. The dimensions of the device are 153.5 x 132.6 x 5.6 mm when unfolded and 153.5 x 68 mm when folded. 1 x 12.1 mm and weighs 239 grams. The device has glass on the front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), plastic front (open), glass on the back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2) and an aluminum frame. The Z Fold 6 also has an IP48 rating for water and dust resistance and supports the use of a stylus.
The internal screen is a 7.6-inch Foldable Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X with a refresh rate of 120Hz, HDR10+ and a peak brightness of 2600 nits. The screen resolution is 1856 x 2160 pixels, which means a pixel density of 374 ppi. The external screen is a 6.3-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X with a refresh rate of 120Hz and a brightness of 1600 nits, protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The resolution of the external screen is 968 x 2376 pixels, which means a pixel density of 410 ppi.
Galaxy Z Fold6 it runs Android 14 operating system with One UI 6.1.1 user interface. Inside is the Qualcomm SM8550-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, which is manufactured in a 4-nanometer process. The processor is 8-core, consisting of one 3.39GHz Cortex-X4 core, three 3.1GHz Cortex-A720 cores, two 2.9GHz Cortex-A720 cores and two 2.2GHz Cortex-A520 cores. The graphics processor is Adreno 750 with a frequency of 1 GHz.
The device offers different storage options: 256GB, 512GB or 1TB, all with 12GB of RAM. Expansion cards are not supported.
To capture photos it has Galaxy Z Fold 6 three rear cameras: 50 MP main camera sf/1.8 aperture, PDAF and optical image stabilization (OIS); 10 MP telephoto camera sf/2.4 aperture, PDAF, OIS and 3x optical zoom; and a 12 MP ultra-wide camera with sf/2.2 aperture and 123˚ viewing angle. The main camera supports video recording in 8K at 30 fps, 4K at 60 fps, 1080p at 60/120/240 fps and 720p at 960 fps, with additional support for HDR10+ and Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS). The front internal camera has a 4 MP sf/1.8 aperture while the external front camera offers a 10 MP sf/2.2 aperture. Both front cameras support video recording in 4K resolution at 30/60 fps and 1080p at 30/60 fps with EIS.
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 has stereo speakers tuned by AKG, but lacks a 3.5mm headphone jack. Connectivity includes Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e, tri-band Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 5.3 with A2DP, LE and aptX HD support, NFC and USB Type-C 3.2 with OTG support. It supports GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS and QZSS for navigation.
The battery has a capacity of 4400 mAh and is non-removable. It supports 25W fast wired charging, which allows up to 50% charging in 30 minutes, 15W wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wireless charging.
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is available in several colors including Navy, Silver Shadow, Pink, Black and White. Models include SM-F956B, SM-F956B/DS, SM-F956U, SM-F956U1, SM-F956N, SM-F956W and SM-F9560. The device is priced at around €1999 in Europe, 1899.99 $ in the US, £1762.20 in the UK and ₹164999 in India.
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 offers improved performance, increased water and dust resistance, advanced cameras and new stylus support, making it one of the most advanced foldable phones on the market.
Price and finish
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is slightly more expensive than its predecessor, with a starting price of around £1,760 / €1,999 in the UK or $1,900 in the US. Although the competition may offer better hardware on paper, Samsung has an edge in the experience with foldable screens and rich AI features. An upgrade from the Z Fold5 may not be necessary, but attractive trade-in offers and additional bonuses may convince many.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 brings many improvements, but are they enough to upgrade? If better resilience, new AI tools and slightly better screen usability are important to you, then the answer is yes. Otherwise, the Z Fold 5 can still serve its purpose perfectly.
