Samsung is being particularly conservative with its foldable line-up this time around. But whereas the Z Flip 6 boasts a camera upgrade, the Z Fold 6 tries to wow consumers mainly with external changes and -you guessed it- AI features.
Very little was wrong with the Galaxy Z Fold 5. Samsung combined sophisticated hardware with (generally) mature software to continue the Fold series’ steady march. In appearance, it was reminiscent of the S23 line (sans Ultra), with shiny aluminium bezels. However, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 has bigger ambitions: the dulled-out aluminium is an emphatic reference to the S24 Ultra’s titanium, giving the foldable a somewhat more “premium” look and feel. In addition, 14 grams have been shedded, leaving us at a total weight of 239 grams. The device’s diet is also reflected in its thickness, or rather lack thereof. It is only 12.1mm top-to-bottom when folded versus the 13.4mm of the Z Fold 5.
The similarities with the S24 Ultra, Galaxy Z Fold 6’s cousin, don’t end at the looks. The internal showrunner is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in both cases. It is a high-end SoC that includes a slight “for Galaxy” clock frequency bump at Samsung’s request. This is all sounding pretty great: what other S24 Ultra pros do we get, and what cons may lurk ahead?
Tip: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review: much more than just AI
Galaxy AI with extras
As with every other premium Samsung phone in 2024, Galaxy AI is taking centre stage in the company’s PR push. Simultaneously with the launch of the Flip 6 and Fold 6, it has added “sketch-to-image,” which, as one may have guessed, turns sketches into AI images. There is some censorship going on when using it and, overall, the AI tool is pretty inconsistent. Faces can’t be adjusted unless it’s a hat or pair of sunglasses you’re looking to add. Nevertheless, AI changes elsewhere in the image may still randomly mess up faces for whatever reason.
We have discussed the other components of Galaxy AI on several occasions. The Google-derived Circle to Search and Generative Edit are useful additions, and they have been so ever since they debuted half a year ago. The former is extremely intuitive: a single click at the bottom of the screen and a rough circling around your chosen subject quickly produces search results with at times scarily high accuracy. You may wish to search for items of clothing, but can also find anything from specific buildings to artwork or kitchen appliances. It’s remarkably dynamic.
Some AI capabilities, such as the transcription feature in the voice recorder app, suffer from a broader Samsung OneUI malady. Samsung tends to build apps that others have already perfected and usually does a decent job. Usually, this is only a problem when switching from or to a non-Samsung phone, though.
In any case, Samsung’s dedicated AI offerings are regularly competent enough, but sometimes simply worse versions of other AI apps. For example, transcriptions are more accurate on a Google Pixel than on Samsung smartphones. You will also get better text summaries if you let ChatGPT or Claude try their hand at them rather than the Samsung equivalent. The advantage for Galaxy users is that these AI tools are all at their fingertips and pretty much ubiquitously applied to OneUI’s many apps. And for now, they’re free, although Samsung isn’t saying whether that will remain the case after the end of 2025. You can also just ignore them if they don’t tickle your fancy. What would that leave you with?
Also read: Review: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 is almost the complete smartphone
Screen (slightly) larger
One disappointing conclusion is that the S24 Ultra’s single biggest asset is missing in action from the Z Fold 6. We’re referring to the Ultra’s anti-reflective coating, a feature that may sound less impressive than it is. The reality is that you can consistently look at the Ultra’s screen with crisp clarity. Even direct studio light is largely repelled by this coating, meaning the device is almost universally usable. Could such a coating even make the Z Fold’s ever infamous crease invisible?
Nothing could be further from the truth. Apart from the sharper corners, the Z Fold 6’s large internal screen looks exactly the same as the 5’s. True, the maximum brightness has gone from 1,750 nits to 2,600, but any reflection still causes problems, revealing the crease in all its infamy. You are constantly reminded that the unfolded Z Fold 6 is not a full-blooded tablet due to this suboptimal screen setup. You do tend to forget about the crease after a while if the sun isn’t pointing it out for you, however.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is an amazing feat of mechanical engineering. So was the 5, as were the four models that preceded it. Most major teething problems are well and truly gone. Still, we wonder why Samsung allows itself to be overtaken by competitors when it comes to innovation. Its saving grace is that global market segmentation stops the spread of foldable alternatives. In Europe, for example, the Vivo X Fold Pro isn’t nearly as easily acquired, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that the crease is much less visible on that device.
Thus, there are rivals champing at the bit to expose Samsung’s lack of hardware innovation. The 0.1 inch of extra space on the cover screen does not change that fact one iota. The cornered-off, thinner front bezel does make said cover screen appear more symmetrical than on the Z Fold 5, although the problem remains that this front of the Z Fold 6 feels cramped for typing messages.
Cameras the same
We won’t dwell on the cameras, as they have remained virtually the same. We ourselves couldn’t identify any differences between the Z Fold 6 snapshots versus those of the Z Fold 5. At most, any improvements are software-based, as only the ultrawide lens has been replaced with a better low-light performer boasting the same 12 megapixels. Tom’s Guide conducted a photo face-off between the Z Fold 5 and 6, with the match-up proving to be much of a muchness. Do you prefer the harsher contrast Samsung has historically leaned in to? Then the Galaxy Z Fold 5 may just be the preferred choice over its successor.
Either way, the cameras weren’t prioritized this year, and that’s a shame. Again, it is the comparison with the (much cheaper) S24 Ultra where the problem really reveals itself. Those cameras are significantly better and much more suitable for a high-end 2024 offering. It is almost certain that this Z Fold 6 shortcoming is the result of space constraints within the densely populated foldable chassis. Whatever excuse Samsung can legimitately drum up doesn’t matter to the end user, though. Besides: if you design and build a car and the engine you wanted doesn’t fit, that’s on you.
Calling and battery life
As with the Galaxy Z Flip 6, call quality is outstanding. Likewise, the battery life is similar between the devices: good, but not enough to keep it from needing an overnight charge. You can get a full day of use out of it with reasonable ease, something that is quite impressive due to the thin chassis and the 4,400 mAh tasked to keep the giant internal AMOLED screen running at a dynamic 120Hz. The large internal display lures users into multitasking, meaning you’re invited to use it in a way that puts even full-scale stress tests to shame. A somewhat unorthodox combination of Google Maps, YouTube and a game tucked away in the corner predictably chugs through power and turns the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 into an impromptu finger grill. In normal use, heat’s not an issue at all.


Conclusion: going through the motions
Almost all improvements to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 have now been mapped out. It is still worth noting, however, that the new foldable has become much more durable. For example, the new Z Fold 6 is IP48-rated. This protects it from matter that’s more than a millimeter thick, and it can even survive a substantial water splash. Nevertheless, fine sand, which hasn’t agreed to Samsung’s demand it be larger than a millimetre thick, will still remain the foldable’s arch nemesis. Users should really ask themselves if they can make do on their beach trip without the Z Fold 6. Another big plus in terms of durability is the extended support for updates: Samsung is giving users seven years of security updates and seven Android releases versus the five years and five Android versions for the Z Fold 5.
These are nice additions to the already attractive Galaxy Z Fold offering. Number 6 in said offering, however, is only a small step forward. The Z Fold 5 also has access to parts of the Galaxy AI suite, by the way, so even with regard to its key selling point, the added value of the Z Fold 6 is minimal. The thinner, lighter Fold 6 sure looks more expensive at any rate. It also actually is more expensive: the starting price for the model with 12GB of RAM and 256GB storage is a dazzling 1,999 euros, 100 euros more than its predecessor. Those opting for 256GB of storage will have to pay 2,119 euros; for a full 1TB, Samsung charges 2,359 euros.
These are gargantuan prices for a niche, high-end product. Fortunately, there’s nothing really wrong with the device, but it’s a shame that the improvements are so minimal which makes the price hike feel wholly unjustified. Frankly, it wasn’t a slight downsizing that was needed, even though Samsung seems to be doubling down on it if rumours are to be believed. There may yet be a Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim, which would possibly be only half a millimeter thinner. A further thinning from 12.1 to 11.6mm makes very little sense to us when there are many other areas to improve on. Would even the S24-class cameras fit inside it?
Given the at best acceptable battery life, a Slim would be a dubious move, and in our humble opinion, completely the wrong way to go. Due to the already high price range, we would rather see a Samsung foldable that nails the top specs, including a better camera system, anti-reflective coating and whatever staggering price tag required to justify such upgrades. Only then will the appeal of the conventionally stunning Galaxy S24 Ultra be diminished, which is made to look downright cheap compared to the exorbitant Z Fold 6.
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