Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 Launched With Better Performance and AI

At today’s Unpacked event in Paris,  Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the Galaxy Z Flip 6. The successors of the Galaxy Z Fold5 and Z Flip5 launched last year in Seoul, both models offer some hardware upgrades but no significant changes.

By limiting the most expensive improvements, Samsung is probably banking on the popularity of its foldable devices to limit the high costs of the foldable form factor’s Bill of Material (BOM). The company also aims to boost profitability with a $100 price hike for each device.

Pricing and availability

The Galaxy Z Fold6 starts at $1899 for the 256GB version and is available in Silver Shadow, Pink, and Navy. The Z Flip5 costs $1099 with 256GB of storage and is available in Silver Shadow, Yellow, Blue, and Mint. Pre-orders start today, July 10, and both devices will be available on July 24 at Amazon, Best Buy, Samsung.com, and carriers.

With an eligible trade-in and a preorder by July 23, Samsung offers up to $1,000 for a Galaxy Z Flip6 or up to $1,200 for a Galaxy Z Fold6, and double the storage from 256 to 512GB or 512GB to 1TB for Galaxy Z Fold6 and 256GB to 512GB for Galaxy Z Flip6.

What’s new?

SoC: increased performance

The most significant hardware upgrade is the new processor; both phones now feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, along with 12 GB of RAM and storage options of either 256 GB or 512 GB. Additionally, the Z Fold6 has a 1 TB storage option. On stage in Paris, Samsung announced that the new Qualcomm processor, specifically optimized for Galaxy devices, provides a significant boost in performance, with a 42% improvement in NPU performance and a 19% increase in GPU performance.

To enhance performance for heavy workloads such as gaming, Samsung has enlarged the vapor chamber on the Z Fold6 and, for the first time, added a vapor chamber to the Z Flip6.

Design: both are sturdier – the Z Fold6 is slicker, lighter, and thinner 

Apart from the chipset, the most significant upgrade is the new, slimmer design, which makes the Z Fold6 look like a regular large-display smartphone. Samsung has reduced the weight from 253g to 239g and the thickness from 13.4 mm to 12.1 mm when folded. This makes it only 7g heavier than the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and 2g more than the Honor Magic V2. I am pleased that the chassis is now slightly wider and shorter than the Z Fold5, with thinner bezels, providing better proportions for both viewing and holding experiences.

The Z Flip6 did not receive many design updates, It has a similar form factor and the same dimensions as its predecessor.The frame’s shiny chrome finish has been replaced by a mat metal finish.

The Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 are now more robust, thanks to Samsung’s improvements to the hinge design and chassis for enhanced fall resistance. Both models are now IP48-certified, offering 30 minutes of underwater resistance (8) and protection against 1 mm foreign objects (4), though they still do not prevent dust intrusion. Previous models were only IPX8-certified.

Displays with enhanced brightness

Samsung has enhanced both devices’ internal Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays, increasing the peak brightness from 1700 nits to 2600 nits. The manufacturer also added a new layer to improve durability and make the crease less visible.

For the Z Fold 6, the cover screen is now a 6.3-inch display with a higher resolution of 968×2376, slightly larger than the previous 6.2-inch 904×2316 panel. The peak brightness of the cover screen is 1600 nits, and the adaptive refresh rate remains at 1-120Hz.

More Battery and Updated Primary Camera for the Z Flip6

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 features a larger 4000 mAh battery, an upgrade from the previous model, and a new 50 MP primary camera sensor, significantly improving over the 12 MP shooter in the Z Flip 5. The primary wide camera now includes an f/1.8 aperture and Optical Image Stabilization (OIS). This upgrade should result in better image quality, particularly in low-light conditions, and improved HDR compared to the Z Flip5.

While the Z Fold 6’s camera system appears unchanged on the specifications list, Samsung stated that the 12 MP ultrawide camera is new, offering better low-light performance and enhanced noise reduction capabilities.

Software

At Unpacked, Samsung emphasized the new AI features and a 42% improvement in NPU performance. Both devices offer Galaxy AI, a suite of AI features launched with the Galaxy S24 series in February. 

The latest Google Gen-AI app, Gemini, fully integrates with the outer screen experience and the multi-window split screen mode. Users can access Google’s AI-powered assistant in overlay  By swiping the corner of the screen.

Samsung has optimized Interpreter mode to take advantage of the dual display, displaying one language on the cover screen and the translation on the inner panel. Live Translate is another feature that allows users to translate calls directly on the phone in real-time.

What is similar to the previous models?

Displays

Apart from the increased peak brightness, the Fold 6 retains the same 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X internal display with a 1-120 Hz adaptive refresh rate as its predecessor. Similarly, the Z Flip 6 features the same 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X inner screen as the Z Flip 5, also with a 1-120 Hz adaptive refresh rate.

Samsung did not enlarge the Z Flip 6’s cover screen, keeping it the same 3.4-inch Super AMOLED display as the Z Flip5, with a 720×748 resolution and a 60 Hz refresh rate.

Cameras

Z Fold6

On paper, the Z Fold6 has the same camera hardware as the previous model. It includes a triple rear camera setup with a 50 MP f/1.8 wide camera with OIS, a 12 MP f/2.2 ultrawide shooter, and a 10 MP f/2.4 telephoto camera with OIS and 3X optical zoom. There is a 4 MP f/1.8 shooter under the inner display and a 10 MP f/2.2 selfie camera under the cover screen. As mentioned previously, Samsung has highlighted a few improvements in performance, particularly in low-light conditions and noise reduction.

Z Flip6

Besides the bump in resolution of the 50MP primary sensor, the Z Flip6 features the same 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide camera on the cover screen and the same 10MP f2.2 selfie camera as the Z Flip5.

Same Battery for the Z Fold6

Like the previous model, the Z Fold6 is equipped with a 4400 mAh battery that supports 25W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse charging. Samsung claims it can reach up to 50% charge in just 30 minutes with wired charging using the appropriate charger..

AT&T Deals

AT&T announced several deals for the Galaxy ecosystem launch today, including getting a free Galaxy Z Flip6 or up to $1,100 off for the purchase of a Galaxy Z Fold6 when customers trade in a Galaxy phone ( any year, any condition). The carrier also offers the “Triple Play Bundle,” in which customers can get a Galaxy Tablet and Watch for $0.99/mo. each with the purchase of a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 or Z Flip6. Starting July 16, with the purchase of a new Galaxy phone with an AT&T installment plan, AT&T provides  Next Up Anytime for $10 per month to upgrade earlier and more often.

 

Eliane Fiolet
Categories: General
Tags: AI (Artificial Intelligence), Android, editorpick, Foldable Smartphones, Galaxy Z flip 6, Galaxy Z Fold 6, Qualcomm, Samsung, snapdragon, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3