This year will be increasingly challenging for Samsung especially in the foldable phone and flip phone market. Manufacturers from China are increasingly aggressive in marketing their devices which are not only offered at lower prices but with more attractive features. Samsung launched Galaxy Z Fold6 in Malaysia with more focus on software. It's my AI device of choice but is it a must-have for other reasons? Here's my full review for the Z Fold6.
Specifications
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6
External Screen – 6.3″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X 120Hz
Inside – 7.6″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X 120Hz
HDR10+
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor for Galaxy (4nm)
1 X 3.36 GHz Cortex-X32 chip
2 X 2.8 GHz Cortex-A715
2 X 2.75 GHz Cortex-A710
3 X 2.00 GHz Cortex-A510
Adreno 750 Graphics Chip
RAM 12GB LPDDR5X
8GB RAM Plus
Internal Storage 256/512/1000 GB UFS 4.0
Main Camera 50mp f/1.8 OIS, (Wide Angle)
12MP f/2.2 (Ultra Wide)
10MP, OIS, f/2.4 3x Optical Zoom (Telephoto)
10MP f/2.2 Selfie Camera (External)
4MP f/1.8 UDC (Inside)
4400 mAh battery
25W wired charging
11W wireless charging
4.5W reverse charging
SIM/Telephony 2 Nano, 1 eSIM
5G
NFC Yes
No Audio Jack
Waterproof IP48
Scan System Side fingerprint scanner
Sale Price RM 7,299 (12/256GB)
RM 7,899 (12/512GB)
RM 9,099 (12/1TB)
SCREEN and DESIGN
Like the prototype design I saw in Seoul last year, this year's Z Fold6 finally features an external screen that has a screen ratio more like a typical candybar smartphone. It's 1.4mm lower but 1mm wider. The result is that the external screen is now 6.3″ and no longer 6.2″ but still Dynamic AMOLED 2X 120Hz. From the outside the Z Fold6 looks like an S24 Ultra as the outer screen is now boxy with no rounded corners.
The inner screen still remains 7.6″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X 120Hz and there is a UDC under-screen camera system. S Pen stylus support is also maintained but there is still no storage built into the body. Another thing that hasn't changed is the crease line which is still visible although less noticeable. This fold line is still not able to be resolved by Samsung. In fact, so far Oppo, Huawei, Honor and Tecno also still do not have a solution to the issue that exists on all these folding screen devices.
Last year's hinge was further updated to produce a device that folded more closely. In fact, through a design update, the Z Fold6 passed the IP48 standard this year, which means it finally has the ability to withstand dust years for the first time. Last year the Z Fold5 just passed the IPX8 standard. The process of opening and closing feels smooth without strong resistance to the force applied by the hand.
The second more significant change is the body design which is now really boxy. More boxy when compared to the Galaxy S24 series launched last January. I quite like this new aesthetic as it makes the device look sturdier and gives the optical illusion of it looking thinner.
What is not an illusion is that the Z Fold6 is much lighter because it weighs only 239 grams, which is 7 grams heavier than the Galaxy S24 Ultra. If all along you felt the Z Fold series was too heavy, this year's model is the lightest ever produced.
The finish of the Victus 2's Gorilla Glass back panel and sides of the device is matte which makes it not easy to trap dirt and also less slippery. The power and volume buttons are still placed on the right "door" with the power button also being the fingerprint scanner.
On the top of the left door there is an audio grille with a thin groove design. Elements from the S24 series are reused on the Z Fold6. At the bottom of the left door is placed another groove for the audio grille. This is to ensure balanced stereo audio can be produced. At the bottom of the right door is a USB-C charging port.
The three main cameras on the back consist of a 50MP OIS wide-angle lens, a 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens and a 10MP telephoto lens up to 3X optical. On the inner screen there is a 4MP selfie camera under the screen and on the outer screen there is a 10MP selfie camera in the screen hole. Yes, no changes have been made to the specifications of the Z Fold6 camera.
This in my opinion is disappointing but this has already been done by Samsung on the S24 Ultra which also recycles components of last year's model. The only difference is in the larger camera lens used. Because the size of the lens is larger, this year's camera hump looks more balanced with the body of the device. Overall the device looks neater, sturdier and similar to an S24 Ultra only with a folded screen.
USAGE AND SOFTWARE
One UI 6.1.1 operating system based on Android 14 is used. This version is more recent than the one used on the S24 Ultra and Z Fold5 which currently use One UI version 6.1. So there is no drastic change between these two versions. In fact I understand the changes are only to some new AI features which will be listed below.
The device operates smoothly with the help of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy processor, 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. As I said above no new standard features are introduced. There are still features such as connecting the view from the outside screen to the inside, viewing the device to watch videos only on one side of the screen, multi window three simultaneous applications and the taskbar at the bottom which facilitates the multitasking process.
Speaking of RAM, the RAM Plus feature can add up to 8GB of memory virtually. It can be turned off if the owner does not want part of the storage to be taken up to add RAM. There is also the option of just adding 2, 4, and 6 GB of virtual RAM.
Samsung's strength still lies in software. Like the Galaxy S24 series, the Galaxy Z Fold6 and even the Galaxy Z Flip6 will receive operating system support and security patches for seven years, which is significantly longer than any other Android device manufacturer except Google.
Galaxy A.I
In Interpreter mode, the external screen can display the translated conversation in real time. Next, Sketch to Image turns sketches using the S Pen into real drawings with the help of AI.
Portrait Studio, on the other hand, transforms a face image into a 3D cartoon, sketch or watercolor painting. This can then be used as a personal avatar on social media. This mode also allows the user to add objects in the captured image. Based on the sketch of the hat on the head, a variety of realistic-looking hats can be generated without the user doing manual editing.
Composer mode is also introduced to help writing. There are three options which are Email, Social Media and Comment. The appropriate text will be generated by Galaxy AI if the user does not want to write a long email that needs to be sent, for example. Finally, Circle to Search is improved with the ability to answer math questions.
BENCH MARK
Here are the scores recorded in the Geekbench 6, Antutu 3D and 3D Mark Wildlife Extreme benchmark tests. Samsung Galaxy on Z Fold6 with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 compared to Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 (Snapdragon 8 gen 2), Oppo Find N3 (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2), Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 (Snapdragon 8 Gen 3), Xiaomi 14 Ultra (Snapdragon 8 Gen 3), Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (Snapdragon 8 Gen 3) and iQOO 12 (Snapdragon 8 Gen 3)
Antutu 3D
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 – 1,610,669
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 – 1,597,608
Oppo Find N3 – 1,405,149
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 – 1,361,432
Xiaomi 14 Ultra – 2,000,434
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra – 1,768,765
iQOO 12 – 2,075,821
Geekbench 6
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 – 1902/6943
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 – 1948/5373
Oppo Find N3 – 1537/4561
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 – 2061/5760
Xiaomi 14 Ultra – 2221/6632
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra – 2278/7016
iQOO 12 – 2181/6631
3D Mark Wildlife Extreme
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 – 4752
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 – 2929
Oppo Find N3 – 3654
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 – 4574
Xiaomi 14 Ultra – 4717/
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra – 4657
iQOO 12 – 5045
What is interesting here is that there is no significant performance difference between the Z Fold6 and the Z Fold5. The difference between the two devices with chips from two different generations is too small to make a big difference in performance. I can tell you after using both devices for two weeks, I can't see any difference in terms of launching apps or doing multitasking.
Z Fold6 performance is very smooth. Aided by fast UFS 4.0 memory. As fast as my experience using the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The high power is very useful so that I can run COD Mobile and COD Warzone Mobile simultaneously using Multi Window mode.
The majority of tested primers can be run at high settings without any problems. The issue only arose on COD Warzone Mobile with the device getting a little hot and the frame rate being less consistent. This feature is not yet fully optimized by the developer. For 99% of Android apps I'm sure this issue doesn't happen.
TELEPHONY And GPS
The device supports 5G network. On the Celcom Digi network I use there is no issue accessing the 5G network almost every time. Voice calls are also clear especially if using VoLTE and VoWiFi. WiFi performance is also excellent. If you subscribe to internet service up to 2Gbps, WiFi 6E on Z Fold6 can support it.
GPS performance on Z Fold6 is better than Z Fold5. There is no issue of taking a long time to track the location every time the mapping and navigation application is opened on the phone.
CAMERA
The camera specifications have not changed since the Galaxy Z Fold4. Only the design of the lens and hump is modified to look more balanced when viewed from the back. Samsung says the improvements are done at the software level. For example there is the Ultra HDR mode that was introduced through the S24 series earlier this year.
The pictures taken are sharp and bright. In a good lighting situation the colors look alive and have high saturation. Super HDR mode makes photos with bright lighting especially at night look more realistic. The pictures below cannot show the HDR effect because when edited the HDR information is lost. Is the Fold6 picture quality better than the Fold5? The answer I can say is not very significant. If you want a big change in picture quality this year model you will be disappointed.
The night mode is very satisfying thanks to the large 50MP sensor and the OIS system. Longer exposures of up to 7 seconds can be done to get brighter night shots. Image noise is minimal but not as good as I was able to enjoy on the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
The zoom mode is good up to about 10x zoom only. Beyond this level the image begins to lose its sharpness. Below are sample images using 1x, 3x, 10x, 20x and 30x zoom modes. The conclusion from the test we did the camera on the Z Fold6 is a corporation with its status as a flagship device.
BATTERY
As with the camera, this year's battery is still 4400 mAh and supports 25W wired charging, 15W wireless and 4.5W reverse charging. Reverse charging cannot be used on the Watch Ultra and Watch7 due to changes to the back panel.
I'm disappointed because the battery capacity is still small when compared to Xiaomi MIX Fold 4, Vivo X Fold 3 Pro and the recently launched Honor Magic V3. All of these devices are equipped with batteries with a capacity of over 5000 mAh and charging at least 66W. Samsung no longer has a good reason to continue to simply recycle old hardware with minimal improvements.
The good news here is only SOT 9-10 hours a day we can enjoy on moderate usage. The device can also last all day with around 10% remaining at night before we go to bed. But imagine if a bigger battery was used. Definitely the battery life will be able to last longer.
The 25W charger is also not included with the purchase and Samsung simply provides a USB-C to USB-C cable with every purchase.
AUDIO
Two side-firing stereo speakers offer balanced audio. The lattice design in the form of a new groove I feel makes the audio sound louder. There is Dolby Atmos audio system support for a more immersive audio experience. If wireless headphones/earbuds are used, there is AAC, SBC and LDAC codec support.
Audio quality is better than most smartphones with candybar designs. It just depends on the location of the hand when the Fold6 is held. If held incorrectly, both speaker holes will be covered by the palm of the hand, blocking the audio.
IN THE BOX
Here's what's included in the box.
1x Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6
1x USB-C to USB-C charging cable.
1x Manual.
1x SIM Pin.
CONCLUSION
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 is a solid folding screen device with a powerful processor, sleeker design and software that's still the best in its class. If you've never bought a foldable screen device, the Z Fold6 is a solid choice as it can be used for a long time thanks to 7 years of software support. The best AI features for smartphones also make it the device of choice for our AI .
But the problem this year is that the Z Fold6 is sold at a higher price than last year's model with no changes to the battery, camera system and charging system. Interesting features on software in particular and Galaxy AI will be given to Z Fold5 and Z Fold4 by the end of this year. The difference in power between Z Fold5 and Z Fold6 is also not significant.
I feel that the Z Fold5 is still an adequate device in terms of its capabilities compared to the Z Fold6. So it is difficult to recommend the purchase of the Z Fold6 because the improvement compared to the previous model is too minimal. In Malaysia, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 is sold at a price starting at RM 7299.
Pro
Powerful specs for a first.
Best-in-class software with useful AI features.
The thinner design feels more solid.
S Pen support.
Long lasting battery.
IP48 waterproof.
Android version support of 7 versions and 7 years of security patches.
Cons
Slow 25W charging for flagship devices.
There are no changes to the camera specifications.
Doesn't offer a significant improvement over the Z Fold5.
Prices rose sharply.