Another year, another round of innovations from Samsung and its latest Fold and Flip devices.
The Seoul-based tech giant has released the sixth iteration of its coveted folding phones: the Fold, a phone-to-tablet handset that opens like a book, and the Flip, a clamshell device aimed at younger users.
Known officially as the Galaxy Z Fold6 and Galaxy Z Flip6, they’re available to buy and pre-order now - but is the Fold6 worth the £1799 price tag?
As a long-standing fan of Android technology and Samsung in particular, I’m familiar with older Fold devices, but with the 6 in my hands, I wanted to see the advancements and tech wizardry for myself in a real-world setting.
Here are my thoughts on the biggest handset launch of the summer.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 Key specs
- AI Features: Interpreter, Live Translate, Chat Assist, Circle to Search, Note Assist, Transcript Assist, Photo Assist, Drawing Assist
- Storage: 256GB / 512GB / 1TB
- Dimensions: Folded - 153.5 x 68.1 x 12.1mm, Unfolded - 153.5 x 132.6 x 5.6mm
- Weight: 239g
- Max Display refresh rate: 120Hz
- Front Camera: 10MP(Cover) + 4MP UDC(Main)
- Rear Camera & Zoom: 12MP Ultra Wide Camera, 50MP Wide-angle Camera, 10MP Telephoto Camera, Optical Zoom 3x, Optical quality Zoom 2x, Digital Zoom up to 30x
- Battery: 4400mAh (typical)
- Video Playback: Up to 23 hours
- Display & Size: Cover: 6.3", Main: 7.6", QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X
- S Pen Compatibility: Yes
- Durability: Enhanced Armor Aluminum Frame, Corning® Gorilla® Glass Victus® 2, IP48
- Galaxy Exclusives: Samsung Care+, Samsung Health, Samsung Wallet
Design
Samsung’s folding phone innovation is impressive as it is, but it takes things to the next level with the Fold6.
Like the Fold5, the latest model uses a 'Flex Hinge' to strip back unnecessary bulk by ensuring the leaves sit flush against each other with a combined depth of just 5.6mm - now that’s compact.
No inside gap means a neater fit in the pocket. When fully opened and viewing content, the hinge is virtually invisible, resulting in a seamless viewing experience.
The other noticeable change? The device's corners are much sharper than its predecessors. This makes the viewing space appear much larger, despite being a tiny change of a few millimetres.
Finally, weight. The Fold6 weighs just 239g compared to the 253g of the Fold5. In the hand, the lighter weight is immediately obvious and a welcome improvement.
Colourwise, choose between light and dark grey or blush pink. If you buy the device through Samsung online, exclusive black and white shades are also available.
Set up
There’s little need to crack out a manual or look up an online how-to: set-up is incredibly swift and transferring data between Samsung phones can be done wirelessly (although a data transfer cable is included in the box for old or incompatible models).
Using Google Chrome and Samsung passwords (if you’re already a member of the club), I could access 90 per cent of my apps and websites (only the financial ones required signing back into, and let’s face it - that’s just good security). They even appeared on the cover and main screens in the same configuration as my old phone, which means you can start using it straight away without skipping a beat.
Performance
A brighter screen, excellent refresh rate and great sound quality means watching content on the Fold6 is a sublime experience. I downloaded and watched a Netflix movie on a short flight and found the rich colours and inky blacks as impressive as if I were watching it at home on my TV. The display is beautifully bright with a peak of 2600 nits, compared to Galaxy Z Fold5's 1750 nits.
The camera zoom is something else. While the Fold’s cover has a 10MP camera for selfie-taking, the rear boasts a 50MP Wide-angle Camera, 12MP Ultra Wide Camera and 10MP Telephoto Camera. Zoom adjusts automatically depending on your subject, or you can tweak it manually if you’re honing in on some distant detail.
For example, below left is a snap I took from an aisle seat on a plane. The image on the right, taken seconds later, shows the zoom at its strongest with automatic light adjustment and great detail of the approaching coastline.
The company claims that battery life lasts longer than the Fold5, despite being fitted with the same 4400mAh battery. I found that in daily life it goes the distance, but on holiday when there’s a heightened use of apps like maps, Google Chrome and the camera, an evening recharge was necessary (plus I have a chronic fear of the battery dipping below 40 per cent).
If you’re a gamer, good news: this phone is built for truly immersive entertainment. The device boasts an upgraded high-performance processor called Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform for Galaxy, helping graphics run smoothly and glitch-free.
Highlight: AI features
A full suite of AI features awaits, without a doubt the Fold6’s biggest USPs. Look out for Samsung’s AI logo, four stars, to initiate them on various apps.
Samsung is especially proud of its Circle to Search feature, a technology it shares with Google (you’ll find it in new Pixel phones too). Instead of typing keywords into a search engine when you see a dress or destination that intrigues you, simply long-press the home key and circle what you're interested in on the screen. Google will run a search on this captured area and generate search results, leading you to an answer.
As a journalist, transcribing interviews is a necessary evil. The Fold6 makes this chore laughably easy turning audio into text, transcribing phone calls - even in two different languages - and summarising notes with Note Assist. Chat Assist generates copy from a few keywords while Browsing Assist gives you a summary of lengthy articles or blog posts like recipes, helping you work and play smarter, not harder.
Photo editing gets the AI treatment too. You can lift objects and people by drawing around them and moving them into new positions. Once in place, AI tech will smooth the edges and fill in the blanks to give a seamless finish - it’s the easiest editing you’ll do. You can even sketch objects, from Big Ben to a small accessory like sunglasses and turn the doodle into an image thanks to AI.
Finally, the Live Translate feature means nothing is lost in translation on your next holiday.
Menus become decoded into English (or your preferred language) when viewed through the Fold6's cameras and an interpreter feature allows you to have real-time conversations with everyone from tour guides to waiting staff through written text as well as audio (sparing you the shame of mispronouncing anything). There are 16 languages available right now, with plans to take it to 20 before the end of 2024.
Verdict
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6
This impressive new launch from Samsung only gets better the more time you spend with it.
From a sharp and bright display and a whip-fast processor to incredible zoom on the cameras and auto adjust that picks out the finest detail, this may be the most capable handset on the market today. The slightly larger main display and sharper corners make the most of every millimetre so you’re getting as much viewing and browsing space as possible (especially helpful when you’re using multiple apps at once).
The 120hz refresh rate is perfect for streaming shows, scrolling your newsfeed or catching up on the latest headlines, not to mention remote working, especially with the Multi View feature which allows you to see up to three apps at once.
Its range of developed AI features is what makes the Galaxy Z Fold6 soar above the competition, from Live Translate, Chat Assist, Browsing Assist and its much-celebrated Circle to Search innovation (in partnership with Google). This tech is reflected in the elevated RRP, but if you can afford it, it’s the best phone for your pocket. Oh and the folding mechanism? Well, that never gets old.
The phone is powered by a 4400mAh battery but there’s also super fast charging to get your handset back up to full power quicker.
Samsung has once again raised the bar for mobile technology with this device, leaving the competition quaking in its wake.
Buy now £1799.00, Samsung
