I’ve had Samsung’s foldable for about a month, it’s the Galaxy Z Fold 6, the latest foldable from Samsung, packed with a ton of AI-type smart features. But how does it compare to flexible rivals like the impressively Vivo X3 Fold Pro? Here’s my full review.
Design, Main Screen, and Cover Screen
The Latest Galaxy Z fold Model is slightly slimmer and a bit lighter compared to previous generations, but at just under 240g, it’s still heavy. Samsung has removed the rounded corners, giving the new foldable a proper rectangular finish with flat edges.
As a result, this fold phone doesn’t feel particularly comfortable to hold, with the corners digging into your palms at times. The flat edges make it awkward to open one-handed compared to more curved rivals you have to wedge your thumbnail into the gap to pry it open. Still, this feels well-constructed, with a hinge that doesn’t jut out as far as before and a tougher armor aluminum frame. Between the scratch-resistant metal and the Victus 2 glass, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 still looks fresh after a month.
It has a frosted finish around the back, resistant to smudges, though some dirt might get stuck around the camera bump. The phone is one of the few foldables that is IP68-rated, making it water-resistant and more tolerant of dust and grit. And the silver finish is smart but the Navy version might be a more exciting choice.
It has taken feedback from previous reports about the slim display and has adjusted the aspect ratio of the Ninja to a more moderate direction. The 6.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED outer panel is 1mm wider than the previous generation, yet it still feels cramped when viewing documents or responding to messages.
Typing on this screen cover can be frustrating, especially if your names are larger. Switching between the screen and the inner display isn’t smooth, but most of the information is well-presented.
Despite its odd shape, the resolution is 2376 x 968 and maintains the clarity of the image, and the cinematic aspect ratio is great for watching movies. Like and encourage and the screen is bright including enjoying during the day while eating at night.
The company has also upgraded the screen cover with LTPO technology, allowing the performance to be adjusted down to 1Hz for the always-on display, and its power-saving displays up to 120Hz for a smooth experience.
Galaxy Z Fold 6 features a 7.6-inch internal display, similar to the previous generation with a 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED panel. The brightness has been upgraded, ensuring excellent visibility even in direct sunlight, although the screen protector remains quite reflective.
The panel’s brightness is intense, and it can dim for comfortable use at night. The new protector offers improved shock absorption, but the crease is still noticeable, especially with dark apps. You can feel the central ridge when running your finger over it, but it’s subtle. The internal display has a full-view finish, with the 4-megapixel selfie cam hidden beneath the panel. Although not as subtle as some rivals, the camera’s presence isn’t intrusive.
As for the stereo speakers, they deliver proper audio, whether you’re enjoying content on the cover screen or the large internal display. There’s clear separation and full-bodied sound, loud enough to hear even in a noisy environment.
Galaxy AI Features
This is running Samsung’s latest One UI launcher, which is quite heavy with dual apps and services. For example, you don’t just get Google Assistant; you’ve also got Bixby, smart home features, contactless payments, app stores, and more. The big story here is AI, and it’s packed with smart features, most of which I covered in my recent tips and tricks guide. Some of these, like the Interpreter tool that translates foreign speech into English and vice versa, could be helpful when traveling. There’s also live translate support in third-party apps like WhatsApp.
One of the best additions is Samsung’s web page summarization tool, which I use often to catch up with news and reviews in short breaks. It effectively cuts out the unnecessary paragraphs that often clutter articles. However, I haven’t found the AI drawing tools particularly useful, but they are entertaining, especially when adding random elements to photos or enhancing sketches. Samsung is one of the best in integrating AI features seamlessly into daily use, second only to Google with its Pixel phones.
The foldable experience is decent, dock is easy to use for managing multiple apps on the large screen, but I still prefer the OnePlus method, which is better for multitasking. It can be a bit glitchy; for example, auto-rotate often struggles, causing the app to freeze or malfunction. However, it offers seven years of software support, including OS updates and security patches. By then, I might be defunct due to personal issues.
Performance and Battery life
There’s no major performance issue, It features Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, specifically refined for Samsung, along with 12GB RAM. Gamers will be pleased, as this powerful chipset handles demanding games like Zenless Zone Zero smoothly, even with graphics maxed out. However, the cover screen might feel a bit narrow for fast-paced action, so it’s better to use the larger internal display despite slight peripheral vision limitations.
Samsung has also added a larger vapor chamber compared to the previous model, keeping the device cool even during extended gaming sessions. While the One UI gaming mode is basic compared to other flagship phones, the priority mode helps maintain a distraction-free gaming experience.
The battery tech hasn’t changed from the previous generation. It’s still a 4,400 milliamp capacity cell in the bendy frame. Unfortunately, it’s a bit of a letdown compared to competitors like OnePlus and Vivo. Every day, using it with my SIM inside, by the evening it’s either in power saver mode or completely dead, especially with even modest camera use. Recharging is slow, which is inconvenient if you’re heading out for an evening. You’ll definitely want to carry a power bank. On the plus side, it does support wireless charging.
Cameras Test
The camera is slow and hasn’t seen significant hardware upgrades. It features a 50MP main shooter, a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and a 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. The camera app includes numerous options, including timers, aspect ratio changes, and resolution adjustments between 12MP and 50MP. It also offers various filters and intelligent optimization settings. For more natural results, disable scene optimizer.
While this isn’t as advanced as Galaxy S24 Ultra, it still performs well for action shots and family pictures, provided lighting is adequate. Camera can sometimes oversaturate high-contrast scenes, but colors are generally well captured. Focus issues may occur in low light, and stable hands are needed for night shots.
The ultra-wide lens provides similar tones to the main camera but struggles at night. The 30x zoom lens is good for portraits but not for detailed zooming due to dark and sharpened images.
The phone includes bonus modes like portrait, night, food, and pro modes, as well as expert raw for on-the-fly editing. The Single Take mode captures various videos and stills, useful for family moments. 4MP internal camera is adequate for video chats but less clear than the 10MP cover screen camera, which is better for selfies and can also be used with the rear cameras for selfies. The phone supports hand gestures for selfies but can be uncomfortable after a while.
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 excels in photo editing and video recording. It can capture up to 8K resolution footage at 30fps, though most test clips were at 4K. The video quality is sharp with good stabilization, but low-light performance remains grainy and flat. The phone offers video editing tools, including slow-motion effects. Overall, the camera is effective for capturing family moments and fun memories.
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Design and Build Quality7
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Cover Display Quality6
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Main Display8
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Sofware8
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Performance9
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Battery Life5
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Cameras7
