Review of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6

Overview

The Galaxy Z Fold6 development team undoubtedly wrote “if it’s working, don’t touch it” in bold letters on the whiteboard when they got together to establish the concept for Samsung’s newest large foldable.

The Fold5 was, in fact, the closest thing available to a phone-turned-tablet for every man, so there wasn’t much reason to make radical modifications to the new model.

The Z Fold6 has slightly different dimensions for both screens, is lighter, and has improved solid-state protection (albeit not the best). A necessary chipset upgrade is also on the list of modifications one year later.

Not a single component of the camera has changed. The cameras on the 6 are identical to those on the 4 because Samsung made no effort to improve upon that aspect last year either. While the under-display selfie camera is a reasonable compromise for its purpose, other manufacturers have been releasing large-sensor ultrawides with autofocus and close-focusing telephotos, and Samsung hasn’t kept up with them.

It’s also tiresome to continuously criticize Samsung for their inability to adopt a reasonable charging solution; we’re not expecting miracles, but let’s see what the 25W specification means in terms of top-up speeds this time. Additionally, the battery capacity is same from the previous year, which isn’t always a good thing.

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Naturally, it is difficult to find fault with the feature-rich One UI software suite, which elevates the Fold6 to the top of the list if you require tablet capabilities in your pocket. Another exceptional feature that is hard to match is the support for the S Pen. This is hardly a place where much can be done better, is it? Well, so we have Galaxy AI now, correct?

Specs of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 in brief:

• Body: 153.5×132.6×5.6mm (unfolded), 153.5×68.1×12.1mm (folded); 239g; Glass front (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), glass back (Gorilla Glass Victus 2), aluminum frame; IP48 water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 min).
• Display: Main: 7.6″ Foldable Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, HDR10+, 1856x2160px resolution, 10.5:9 aspect ratio, 374ppi; Cover: Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X, 120Hz, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, 6.3 inches, 968x2376px resolution,
  22:9 aspect ratio, 410 ppi.
• Chipset: Qualcomm SM8650-AC Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4 nm): 8-core (1×3.4GHz Cortex-X4 & 3×3.2GHz Cortex-A720 & 2×3.0GHz Cortex-A720 & 2×2.3GHz Cortex-A520); Adreno 750.
• Memory: 256GB 12GB RAM, 512GB 12GB RAM, 1TB 12GB RAM; UFS 4.0.
• OS/Software: Android 14, One UI 6.1.1.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm, 1.0µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS; Telephoto: 10 MP, f/2.4, 66mm, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 3x optical zoom; Ultrawide : 12 MP, f/2.2, 123˚, 12mm, 1.12µm.
• Front camera: Wide (main): 4 MP, f/1.8, 26mm, 2.0µm, under display; Wide (main): 10 MP, f/2.2, 24mm, 1/3″, 1.22µm; Wide (main): 10 MP, f/2.2, 24mm, 1/3″, 1.22µm.
• Video capture: Rear camera: 8K@30fps, 4K@60fps, 1080p@60/120/240fps (gyro-EIS), 720p@960fps (gyro-EIS), HDR10+; Front camera: 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, gyro-EIS.
• Battery: 4400mAh; 25W wired, QC2.0, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless.
• Connectivity: 5G; eSIM; Wi-Fi 6e; BT 5.3, aptX HD; NFC.
• Misc: Fingerprint reader (side-mounted); stereo speakers; Samsung DeX (desktop experience support), Ultra Wideband (UWB) support; Stylus support.

Unboxing the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6:

The opulent retail packaging associated with the Galaxy Z series is now gone. Arriving in the standard black cardboard box, the Z Fold6 is really just the phone.

Plenty of standard paperwork is included, however the list of useful stuff is quite short and just includes a SIM ejection pin and a USB-C cable. A charger might be included in a few pre-order offers or carrier bundles, but we wouldn’t bank on it.

Design, construction quality, and management
While the Galaxy Z Fold6 is largely unchanged from the previous generation, there have been some modest functional advancements along with some minor stylistic adjustments. From the more flowing Z Fold5 to a Z Fold6 with straighter lines, smaller radius curves, and flatter surfaces, the entire design has changed.

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As you might have noticed from the image above, in addition to the reshaping, there’s also a sort of re-proportioning. The Z Fold6’s cover screen has moved ever so slightly further away from the “remote control” feature of the original Fold, making it a somewhat shorter and wider smartphone. We believe that’s the right course of action, but we might have taken it quicker and with greater vigor than Samsung’s plodding development.

Over time, there has also been a progressive decrease in weight, which is a positive development. Even though the 14g difference may not seem like much, we find the 239-gram Z Fold6 to be easier to handle than the previous model. Samsung has been working hard to reduce weight with each new generation of devices, and as a result, the Fold weighs only slightly more than the S24 Ultra.

It’s difficult for an outsider to determine exactly what’s new and by how much, although improved materials and reengineered parts are undoubtedly responsible for some of the weight savings. Gorilla Glass Victus 2 covers the hard surfaces, and Samsung is no longer making a big deal out of the foldable panel’s protection, which is still sort of glass, but not really, but also yes, sort of – UTG for Ultra Thin Glass.

We have handled softer foldables from other manufacturers, so while the crease in the middle may have been improved over earlier Galaxy Folds, it doesn’t really stand out in our opinion. On the one hand, it’s likely to get slightly more prominent as you use the Fold, but on the other, you’ll probably learn to ignore it at a faster rate. In any case, the subject of creases seems to divide people; foldable screen users tend to brush it off as a non-issue, while ardent supporters of flat screens speculate about how terrible it is from afar. Regardless of your stance, the reality is that the Galaxy isn’t the flattest place on Earth.

There are use cases for the Fold that are difficult to complete with a flat phone since the hinge is stable even at intermediate angles. The Fold folds without leaving a space between its two parts for the second generation now—a design enhancement that took the model from prototype-like to actual commercial product.

Galaxy foldables have long since received an IPX8 water resistance rating; however, dust resistance is not mentioned. Starting this year, the Flip6 and Fold6 feature IP4X as well, which seems wonderful until you read in the specification that ‘4’ for solids means no particles larger than 1mm can enter the device and it sure sounds like it’s always been impossible. In any case, this is a positive development as it’s a step toward improved sealing.

Although Samsung usually keeps to neutral color palettes, we find this year’s decision to be rather interesting. The’regular’ alternatives, which are available in most regions, are Silver Shadow (the one we reviewed), Pink, and Navy. As is customary, Samsung.com will also be offering the Crafted Black and White exclusive hues.