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Camera7
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Display9
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Design9
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Performance9
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Battery7
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Value for money9
In case you haven’t heard, I’ve recently switched to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6, from the S24 Ultra – which I’d previously switched to from the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
I just can’t help myself, can I?
If truth be told, I’ve found the switch to the Land of Samsung rather straightforward. Bar some minor niggles with the absence of the multi-device compatibility afforded by the Apple ecosystem, my digital life has barely skipped a beat.
This makes reviewing phones like the new Z Flip6 far more interesting and relevant. It no longer feels like I’m heading into the unknown; this is familiar territory now. It’s home.
And this is quite an upgrade.
Z Flip6 specs and pricing
Let’s start with the pricing. I’m afraid if you’re based in the United States, the Flip6 has received a bit of a price hike over the device it replaces. It’s around $100 across both storage options. In the UK, the pricing remains the same: £1,049 for 256GB, or £1,149 for 521GB.
So, the Z Flip is still, basically, in flagship territory when it comes to price. Thankfully, the specs match up.
Samsung’s diminutive flippable phone is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, sports 12GB of RAM, and there are two storage sizes from which to choose, as noted earlier.
The internal display is a 6.7-inch AMOLED unit with a 120Hz refresh rate and up to 2,600 nits of peak brightness. The cover display is a Super AMOLED panel that’s 3.4 inches in size and capable of 1,600 nits of peak brightness. It also sports a 120Hz refresh rate.
The battery is the biggest ever to be placed in a Z Flip device at 4,000mAh and it promises an extra three hours of video playback as a result.
As you might expect, the camera system has received an upgrade over the Flip5, with the ultra-wide now a 50MP camera and optical quality zoom thrown into the regular 12MP camera for good measure.
Water resistance is now rated at IP48 (the Z Flip5 was IPX8), and you can choose from seven colours. Samsung sent me the yellow one to review.
What I love about the Z Flip6
There’s a lot to love about the Z Flip6. Its predecessor was one of my favourite phones of last year, simply because it was so much fun to use. I think in the age of hyper-capable flagships and throw-everything-at-the-wall AI features, the fun factor can so easily be overlooked.
The good news is that the Flip6 hasn’t grown up too much. It’s just gotten beefier while remaining as enjoyable and unique as before. And the upgrades chosen by Samsung are smart – and right. We’ve got the latest Snapdragon chip, 12GB of RAM (up from 8GB on the Flip5), more battery life, brighter displays, better cameras, and, obviously, they’ve ported all of the Galaxy AI stuff over from the S24 series.
I still love the size, too. It’s so pocketable and fun to carry around. It’s hard to explain until you’ve used one, but the Flip6 is a satisfying little device to grasp and throw into your pocket, and I think that kind of thing genuinely adds to the ownership experience.
The design remains unchanged from last year, but that’s fine, too – it’s an attractive device which closes perfectly flat and has more than enough colour options to satisfy most tastes. I’ve even grown to like the slightly weird yellow-gold colour of my review unit.
That cover screen? It’s a triumph – still. The big upgrade last year from the Flip4’s tiny front display was, again, the right thing to do, and it completely transformed the Z Flip into a highly personal, unique device. Taking selfies on it is an addictive experience you’ll stick with (check out this year’s Olympians!), and it’s lovely to be able to benefit from the main camera system in that scenario. Yes, you can also run apps on the cover screen but, as I’ve always found, it’s more of a flex (literally) than something you’re likely to continue using.
Speaking of the ‘f’ word, Flex Mode is genuinely useful on the Flip6. This is when you half open the phone and place it on a surface. It’s great for light content viewing, keeping an eye on timers, and shooting videos or taking photos. You can even turn the Flip6 into a mini laptop complete with a virtual touchpad. The use cases for that mode are questionable, but I love the fact it’s there.
Oh, and that camera system? It shoots lovely photos at 0.6x and 1x, but I do wish we had more optical reach. Beyond 2x, things do get a bit rough. I guess that just isn’t a concern for the majority of people who buy this phone, though.
What I don’t love about the Z Flip6
I’ve thought long and hard about this, and there are only two things I don’t love about the Z Flip6.
The first is the aforementioned camera concession you have to make if you go for the Flip6 over something like the S24 Ultra. The latter might be more expensive, but it offers a far more capable camera system thanks to that brilliant 5x optical zoom. Just like the Fold6, I’d love to see a more flagship-worthy camera system on the next iteration of the Z Flip.
The second gripe is battery life. Samsung’s flippable and foldable phones are still a few notches down in battery performance against their traditionally formed counterparts. I’m willing to make that concession at the moment, given the extra utility afforded by the bendy display (and the fact it has two displays to power), but we do need to see further improvement in the next version. If you’re wondering, it will still cover you for a day and a bit, but this isn’t the two-day battery performance to which I’ve become accustomed.
Who is the Z Flip6 for?
This is a tough one. You have to be ready for Z Flip life if you’re to buy and enjoy the Flip6. The challenge is that you don’t know what Z Flip life is like until you commit, and for some people, that can be too late.
Samsung’s marketing suggests that it sees the Z Flip’s audience swing in favour of the young and cool parade, but I don’t think that’s the only market for it. I’m rather far from that notch on the hip-ometer, yet I still love this phone. If I wasn’t a tech YouTuber who changes phones more often than he changes his underwear, I’d be sorely tempted to make the Flip6 my smartphone of choice.
Put it this way – if you’re fed up with massive smartphones and just want something more interesting and fun, there’s a reason you’re reading this review of the Flip6. I have a hunch that you’re going to love it.
If you’re unsure, borrow your mate’s, or head to a store and give one a go – you’ll be surprised (one way or another).
Conclusion
I’ve not touched on AI properly in this Z Flip6 review, have I? This is for two reasons – firstly, I’ve covered Galaxy AI a fair bit in previous articles. Secondly, I just don’t believe that it’s as big a deal for users as device manufacturers think (hope) it is. Put it this way – AI is a topic that barely makes an appearance in the comments sections of my YouTube videos – people seem to be far more concerned with the regular smartphone features.
On that front, the Flip6 smashes it – and does some unique and interesting stuff to boot. For a little over £1,000, you can’t argue with that. As noted, Samsung’s choice of upgrades over the Flip5 is considerate and sensible.
This isn’t a phone for Flip5 owners – that upgrade makes zero sense – but if you’re new to the Flip game, it’s a great time to jump on board. Just bear in mind that, as before, you need to be ready for Flip life (if you’ve read this far, you probably are).
