Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review: narrow margins
By Mike Lowe,
13 hours agoCan you believe that it's almost been 5 years since Samsung put its original Galaxy Z Fold on sale? Yet here we are, six generations on, with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 aspiring to be the best folding phone on the market – with a handful of tweaks and changes made compared to its Z Fold 5 predecessor .
I can remember when the first Z Fold was released, as it beat any competitor to market in this category – and it was a revelation. An imperfect revelation, sure, but a revelation nonetheless. I've used every one of Samsung's folding phones, plotting their progress each step of the way, and the Z Fold 6 is clearly the best yet.
However, I've also reviewed many other folding phones – from Google's Pixel Fold to the OnePlus Open – and what's clear is just how far Samsung's key competitors have come in even less time. The game has changed, and as the whole potential of foldables evolves, is Samsung still ahead in the folding phones race or has it fallen behind with its latest Galaxy Z Fold 6?
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: Price & Availability
Foldables, being the premium products that they are, sit at the higher-end of the market. To own a Z Fold 6 you're going to have to pay a premium: it's £1,799 for the entry 256GB model (that's $1,799 in the USA and AU$ 2,749 in Australia).
That's a price increase compared to the previous generation, which could be explained by the redesign. Thing is, when the OnePlus Open launched it was priced at £1,599 ($1,699) – so Samsung is clearly at the upper end of the spectrum here. And I think it's rather a lot of cash.
If you get in early, however, then the Z Fold 6 has a cashback offer available from Samsung's own site , while the 1TB storage model is also priced at the 512GB level for further savings. You'll have to be keen to buy into the product early doors, though, as I don't think this offer will last much longer.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review: What's new?
- Thinner and lighter design is now marginally wider and less tall
- Circa 50% display brightness increase (2600 nits peak)
- Latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor
- 1.6x larger vapour chamber for cooling
- Improved dust-resistance
With these generation-on-generation updates sometimes there's a lot different (other than just pricing), but sometimes only a little. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is somewhere in the middle, really, as it doesn't use the identical body of its Z Fold 5 predecessor – it's been redesigned to be wider and less tall, presumably in response to customer feedback asking for exactly this.
However, I think most people expecting a major shift in aspect ratio are going to be left wanting more: the unfolded Z Fold 6 is only 2.7mm wider than before and has cut 1.4mm from its height. That's marginal by any measure, although to me it does feel like a comfort improvement that just makes more sense – but I feel Samsung has further to go still. At least the displays are of optimum quality – and even brighter for this generation, which is a big help for outside use.
Flip the Galaxy Z Fold 6 around and while its triple camera arrangement certainly looks different – the lenses are given more prominence and protrude more – there's no actual difference between the two. It's a 50-megapixel main, 10MP 3x zoom, and 12MP ultra-wide – so not as advanced as Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra .
Other changes are ones you can't see: inside there's a new larger vapour chamber to aid cooling, but no battery capacity or charging speed increase. The processor is upgraded to the latest Qualcomm top-tier Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 that's 'made for Samsung' (i.e. overclocked) – with 12GB RAM being the same as before. It's super-powerful all round, though, just as you'd expect.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review: Design
- Colours : Silver Shadow, Pink, Navy, Crafted Black, White
- Dimensions : 153.5 x 132.6 x 5.6mm / Weight : 239g
- S Pen compatible (sold separately)
As I said in my Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Z Fold 5 comparison , I've often heard people say that the older model was too tall and narrow. In a folded position the cover display isn't quite an echo of the best Android phones , owed to its aspect ratio, but the Z Fold 6 tries to set the record straight. Well, a little .
With this wider and less tall cover display, I feel the Z Fold 6 has taken a step in the right direction. Go too far with it and you'll end up with a cover display that will arguably deter you from using the larger display inside – which is one of the problems that I found with Google's Pixel Fold . Samsung is playing a balancing act and delivering a point of differentiation compared to its rivals' approaches.
What's probably more important, to me, is that Samsung has trimmed down the Z Fold 6 (it's now just 5.6mm thick – or thin , for a better description) and as a consequence even lighter than before. Indeed, it's almost the same weight as the flagship Galaxy S24 Ultra – and it doesn't feel massively different in the pocket either, so there's no significant compromise in owning a foldable such as this.
Visually, the Z Fold 6 is a little sharper-looking than its predecessor, doing away with the more heavily curved edges, yet still dressed in a familiar polished frame, with matte glass on the rear, all of which opens to reveal that expansive inner display. It comes in a variety of colour options: Silver Shadow, Pink, Navy, Crafted Black, and White.
This is a very well-built phone, and while some foldables I've seen and/or reviewed – namely the Honor Magic Vs and Google Pixel Fold – don't open out completely flat, Samsung's Z Fold 6 locks into its totally flat position with a satisfying motion. That's an important part of the foldables puzzle that so few others seem to be able to get right – and isn't to be overlooked as a success for Samsung.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review: Displays
- Cover display: 6.3-inch 22.1:9 aspect ratio OLED, 968 x 2376 resolution, 2600 nits peak, 1-120Hz refresh rate
- Internal display: 7.6-inch 20.9:18 aspect OLED, 1856 x 2160 resolution, 2600 nits peak, 1-120Hz refresh rate
When I think about the best phones , I'm used to most makers providing a 6.7-inch panel with a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. That's pretty much the norm, with popular handsets such as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max going down that route (the Google Pixel 8 Pro is close, at 20:9, as the other oft-used approach). People find that a comfortable sweet-spot.
There are some exceptions that go taller and more narrow with a 21:9 cinema-like ratio instead (eyes on you Sony Xperia 1 V – interestingly the follow-up Xperia 1 VI did away with the narrow ratio). The Z Fold 6, however, is even more exaggerated: its 22.1:9 aspect ratio isn't as extreme as its predecessor, sure, but it's still undeniably narrow and means you get a 6.3-inch diagonal measure – but it's not any less tall than most flagships, despite what such figures may suggest.
Open the phone out and the internal display is an unusual 20.9:18 aspect ratio across a 7.6-inch diagonal. It's not a million miles away from being square, quite honestly, so it's brilliant for Instagram displaying in nearly full-screen. I've also really loved using this bigger display for games and apps that can really dig into the extra real estate – from South Park: Phone Destroyer 's otherwise hidden visuals (you might see them on some tablets, to be fair) to two-handed typing in a multi-windowed Gmail.
As with any folding phone, however, there are caveats to take into consideration regarding such displays. The cover display is just like any flagship phone, really, but the folding panel inside is different because of its more reflective coating – which means it's a bit of a fingerprint magnet too.
Fortunately, Samsung has upgraded that internal display's brightness maximum, upping it from 1750 nits peak to 2600. You're not going to get those numbers in the real world across the whole panel, mind, but the key takeaway point here is that using the phone outside in sunlight – and I've done so in super-bright Tucson, Arizona, to really test its mettle – now combats reflective issues better than before. It's still not perfect, but it's as good as you'll find on any foldable in my view.
Like the previous device, both the Z Fold 6's OLED displays have dynamic refresh rates, up to 120Hz, so everything looks silky smooth. There's HDR10+ high dynamic range support, too, and plenty of resolution for a sharp 410 pixels per inch. It makes HD content look suitably high-definition, that's for sure.
It's also worth pointing out that the Z Fold 6 is compatible with Samsung's S Pen stylus, which is a great opportunity that many will love... except I didn't have one delivered for this review, so I've been using finger jabs and swipes only. However, based on T3's earlier Z Fold 5 review , you can see how much my fellow reviewer loved using the stylus for the versatility it can bring. When paired with excellent apps like Concepts or pre-installed Samsung Notes it really comes into its own. And Galaxy AI features, including Google's Circle to Search, are even more fun with the S Pen.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review: Performance & Battery
- Processor : Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, 12GB RAM
- Battery : 4,400mAh capacity, 25W wired / 15W wireless
There's no doubting that the Z Fold 6's processor brings top-tier flagship performance. That's the benefit of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, which takes a no-holds-barred approach to overclocking in this 'made for Samsung' version and, assuming your settings are all in check, will smash through all types of apps and games. That 12GB of RAM means you can have plenty of those open at once, too.
However, top-tier chipsets do result in heat, so despite that 1.6x larger vapour chamber for cooling purposes, I've found times when the Z Fold 6 has gotten a bit too hot. Especially when hot-spotting – this foldable is particularly unhappy when I've done that for an hour-long train journey to continue working on my laptop.
As a result, I've found the Z Fold 6's battery life struggles to get through a full day. I've tested it over a 10-day period before writing up this review, too, and in a variety of locations – including a somewhat humid London in the summer, so it's not only seen US desert landscapes and 39C heat – and have looked over Samsung's battery data recordings within the software.
On many days I've used more than 100% of the available charge. Quite often I've been able to get 14 hours before a full battery depletion and the phone turning off. That's a couple of hours short of what I'd hope to get though. A greater battery capacity would certainly help here, especially when handling this dual-screen design, but then that would add weight and potential thickness – so, again, it's a balancing act. There are features, such as Adaptive Battery, and app-limiting options that you can switch on to help extend longevity – which does work, I just prefer the premium, high-power approach to use.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review: Software
- Google Android 14 with Samsung's OneUI 6.1.1 interface
- Samsung Galaxy AI integrated artificial intelligence
Samsung's software is a winner when it comes to a specifically foldable-optimised interface. Running the latest version of Android with Samsung's OneUI (v6.1.1), it looks like other Samsung phones on first glance. While you could miss all the smart touches that make this phone a multi-tasking marvel when closed, open it up and the Z Fold 6 starts to flex its foldable muscles.
There's a taskbar at the bottom of the screen, displaying your favourite and recently used apps. Drag apps from that bar for split-screen multitasking, or to create a pop-up floating window, which you can dock like cards on the side of your screen to quickly switch between. This is a massive display of that 12GB RAM's potential, with multiple floating windows running on top of split-screen apps – I've had eight apps running on-screen in total, no dramas.
Samsung also continues to lead the charge when it comes to making the most of the part-folded experience. If you're watching a video on the main screen, fold the phone slightly, and the video will jump into the upper half. If your app doesn't automatically do so, then you should still see an option to push it to the top half, making it easy to control the action. This is cutting-edge stuff and makes the Z Fold 5 more of a workhorse than most phones.
Also cutting-edge, yet what I'd call work-in-progress, is Samsung's Galaxy AI suite of artificial intelligence features on board. This is another area where that 12GB RAM comes into handy, to cut through heavy large language models (LLMs) with relative ease. Galaxy AI not only benefits camera automation and post-shoot editing – with suggestions, subject removal and so forth – but even offers real-time transcribing, translating and contextual search features. And with the two screens, you can even do live 'to-me-to-you' translations. It's pretty awesome, futuristic stuff.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review: Cameras
- Main: 50-megapixel, f/1.8 aperture, stabilisation (OIS)
- 3x optical zoom: 10MP, f/2.4, OIS
- Wide-angle: 12MP, f/2.2
- Selfie: 4MP under display
One area where I'd expected to see an advance was with the Z Fold 6's cameras. But, no, they're the same here as they were in the last model – and, thinking about it, the same as in the even older Z Fold 4 too. That means they lean away from being cutting-edge, as was once the case, below the Galaxy S24 Ultra's top-end offering, and into the 'fine but unexceptional' category.
The headline specification here is that there's a trio of cameras: a 50-megapixel resolution primary with optical stabilisation (OIS), a 10MP optical zoom also with OIS, and a 12MP ultra-wide. Not the highest of resolutions in some areas where it matters, but at least there's a proper zoom that can snap far-away subjects as if bigger in the frame. They're all handy to have, and I've found I've used them all extensively, but in a phone this pricey I think Samsung should be putting its best-of-best on display.
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The results are decent, though. As said of its predecessor: "if you're coming from another Samsung Galaxy phone and like the crunchy, punchy, contrast-heavy photo aesthetic, with brightened-up night scenes and ramped-up colours, then you'll really like the Z Fold's photos". I certainly do, from those I've shot in museums, to sunsets, late-night street walks, and hyper-sunny HDR shots in the brightest of conditions – as you can see in my eclectic image gallery embedded above.
While I'm happy with what the Z Fold 6 can help me achieve – and the low-light shooting from the main camera is particularly great, just as I found of the clamshell Z Flip 6 model – I think it's the competition that Samsung needs to keep an eye on. After all, the OnePlus Open offers plenty more resolution across its optics, while Xiaomi shows a number of reasons why it can better Samsung's offering too (despite not being available in Europe or the USA yet (possibly-maybe ever)).
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 review: Verdict
On the face of it, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 may appear to have performed a mere nip and tuck redesign over its Z Fold 5 predecessor – as the added width and decreased height is marginal, really – but it's a step in the right direction for Samsung. And, indeed, for folding phone fans.
While I've seen many of Samsung's competitors forging forward in leaps and bounds in recent years, there's still something exciting about the Z Fold series. Its software is second to none, which I find really important in any foldable, and while it doesn't come with an S Pen stylus – I really wish it was integrated into the body here! – being able to use one will be a game-changer for some users.
Sure, the Z Fold 6's front display is very much still taller and narrower than your norm. But that's a defining factor of this phone. It means you won't always default to using that display, which has made me more inclined to use the large folding display within – something other foldables don't always tempt me into doing, given the sheer scale of their cover displays.
Overall, if Samsung is to win the foldables race it needs to not rest on its laurels. For the Z Fold to be the ultimate in this category it needs to up the camera ante, improve the battery life, and ever so slightly tweak its design footprint once more to appeal to the most potential buyers. Nonetheless, Samsung still shows its class. The Z Fold 6 is an accomplished and exciting foldable with the software being one of its big wins.
Also consider
If you can cope with an even more narrow cover display and want to save a bunch of cash, the older Z Fold 5 remains a great option with many of the same features as its successor.
Overall, though, the best foldable currently on the market is the OnePlus Open, which features a larger cover display, no compromise to cameras, and it's even cheaper than Samsung's latest Z Fold too.
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