Galaxy Z Fold 6 Review: Samsung's Most Polished Foldable

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is the latest addition to Samsung’s expanding foldable portfolio and successor to what was considered a decent foldable smartphone from last year – the Galaxy Z Fold 5. What has changed this year? Well, on paper, not much, but plenty of refinements and the company’s go-all-in take on AI (artificial intelligence) features is something that can’t be missed.

Compared to other flagships of 2024, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 also manages to place itself somewhere at the top, and we will talk about it in detail in a bit. But what’s not gone too well is the pricing. To compare, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 launched in 2022 was priced at Rs. 154,999 for the 12GB + 256GB variant. Similarly, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 launched last year came at the same price as Fold 4. The point worth making here is that this already was a super premium smartphone pricing, keeping everything in mind. However, the Galaxy Fold 6 this year sets a new benchmark for pricing as it starts at Rs. 164,999 for the base 12GB RAM and 256GB storage. If you want more storage in Fold 6, you must pay Rs. 176,999 for the 512GB storage and a whopping Rs. 200,999 for the 1TB storage model. Well, that was the pricing, and now let’s dive into what the Fold 6 offers you this year and whether you should consider it.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Design: Thinner and lighter

• Dimensions – 153.5×68.1×12.1mm (folded) | 153.5×132.6×5.6mm (unfolded)
• Weight – 239 grams
• Durability – IP48 (water resistant)

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 has ditched the rounded corners seen on the Fold 5 and gone for a more flatter design. The result is a rectangular bar design – when folded with sharper edges. This is the first thing you will notice on Fold 6 when comparing it with Fold 5 from last year. Next up, the bezels. The Fold 6 sports thinner bezels around the display and also features a broader cover screen – making a huge difference in daily use compared to its predecessor.

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 weighs 239 grams

Dimensions-wise, Fold 6 has shed some thickness and weight. The new foldable is slimmer than its predecessor at 12.1mm (folded) and 5.6mm (unfolded) thickness. At 239 grams, the Fold 6 feels way lighter in daily usage compared to the Fold 5 (253 grams). Apart from weight cuts, Samsung has achieved an excellent proportionate weight distribution. This helps because it makes Fold 6 handy for texting and even doing camera work with just one hand.

The phone features Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 at the front (cover screen) and back

The aluminium frame feels sturdy and offers a solid hand feel of the Fold 6 with a claimed improved scratch-resistant matte finish. For protection, Samsung has provided Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on both the front display and glass back. This year, the company has also taken a step in the right direction by adding IP48 protection, proving that Samsung has upped the sealing further. However, it is still not dust-resistant, so make sure you’re not using it around sand surfaces or in an environment where dust particles can enter the device.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 comes with IP48 rating for water resistance

When it comes to foldables, I believe that flip or clamshell phones have more fun colour choices than typical book-style foldables. However, Samsung has tried to change that impression by offering multiple options. The Fold 6 is available in Pink (yes, you read that right!), Navy, Crafted Black (Special Edition), White (Special Edition), and Silver Shadow, which we received for this review. I would have loved to try White for sure, but this Silver Shadow colour slowly grows on you and is a better choice for the long run.

The Fold 6 features an improved hinge mechanism

Talking about improvements, the hinge is refined on the Fold 6, focusing on making it lighter and stronger. Samsung claimed at its Unpacked briefing that the hinge carries multiple improvements, including enhancements added to make it more sturdy, using a dual rail hinge, and being resistant to shock. The phone snaps solidly when folded and gives confidence in everyday use.

Jumping to the crease – the most controversial topic for a foldable device. There’s good and bad news. Bad first, it is still there (very much visible). The good news is that the crease is further reduced, and Samsung is making sure to improve the hinge mechanism with every iteration. The main screen gets a new protection this year, though Samsung hasn’t given specifics. We know that it is thicker and more durable to last longer.

The main screen on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 features 7.6-inches

You get the phone, standard documentation, a SIM ejector tool, and a USB Type-C cable in the retail box. I’d like Samsung to consider adding a case in the retail boxes of the foldables, considering the price tag they carry, or even making it a bundle of some sort. For consumers, anything added as a bundle is always a welcome addition.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Display: Best display on a Samsung foldable, yet

• Display – 7.6-inch main screen & 6.3-inch cover screen
• Display type – Dynamic LTPO AMOLED
• Display protection – Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (cover screen)

As mentioned, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 stacks well and ranks among flagship-grade smartphones. The display stands out and impressed me the most. While there’s hardly any change on paper compared to its predecessor, the Fold 6 still outshines Fold 5 with its display performance. The Fold 6 features a broader cover screen – with a minor bump – measures 6.3 inches, up from 6.2 inches on the Fold 5. The main screen offers a screen resolution of 1856×2160 pixels and 374PPI pixel density, while the cover screen offers 968×2376 pixels and 410PPI pixel density.

The Fold 6 offers a 91 percent screen-to-body ratio

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 offers an excellent display (main and cover) for everyday tasks. Be it gaming, multitasking, browsing, streaming, reading, or more. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 offers a peak brightness of 2600nits, and the sunlight legibility is excellent. The adaptive 120Hz refresh rate promises smoother animations and buttery transitions in everyday usage. The Fold 6 supports both HDR10+ and HDR10 standards while, as expected, it comes with Widevine L1 certification.

The 7.6-inch main screen is one of the best you can find for multimedia consumption. The under-display selfie camera on the main screen hides almost perfectly, and you can take full advantage of the real estate.

Interestingly, Fold 6 is wider than Fold 5; however, the main screen specs don’t change. Samsung has translated a slight bump in width with improved resolution and aspect ratio. The cover screen is now easier to use thanks to a wider 6.3-inch size, which makes it ideal for typing quick texts, emails or chatting on social media apps.

The cover screen on the Fold 6 measures 6.3 inches and offers 410PPI pixel density

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Performance: Setting the benchmark for other foldables

• Processor – Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4nm)
• RAM – 12GB LPDDR5X
• Storage – 256GB/512GB/ 1TB UFS 4.0

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 packs Qualcomm’s top-end Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, and the phone feels snappy in real-world performance. It doesn’t miss a beat – be it multitasking, gaming, streaming, photo or video editing. The Galaxy Fold 6 outshines all other 2024 foldables in the performance department. Gaming is handled smoothly, and I had a good time trying out Call of Duty: Mobile and Asphalt Legends Unite on the Fold 6. Interestingly, Samsung chose to go for a larger vapour chamber on the Fold 6, which has paid off. I didn’t notice any heating issues, thanks to better thermal management.

The phone features 12GB of RAM and comes in three storage variants

If you have ever wondered if foldables can handle heavy-duty tasks, then Galaxy Z Fold 6 is here to answer that question. In our synthetic benchmark tests, Fold 6 performed excellently, which was expected, and you can notice the results in the table below.

The speaker on the Fold 6 is capable and loud enough to fill a small room. The clarity is also excellent. The call quality is fantastic, and the foldable can comfortably latch to networks in low network zones. I had a great time typing on the cover screen of the Fold 6 and noticed that it packs a powerful haptic motor. It’s good that Samsung has caught up on basics while covering the premium end of the spectrum. Good work overall in the performance department by Fold 6.

The Galaxy Fold 6 packs stereo speakers

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Software and AI: Adding value

• Software – One UI 6.1.1
• Version – Android 14
• Latest security patch – June, 2024

The Galaxy Fold 6 runs One UI 6.1.1 based on Android 14, and lately, if you have used a premium Galaxy device, there’s little to look at here. You will be treated with a familiar UI with minimum bloatware. The transition from the cover to the main screen is smooth, and most apps open smoothly without a stutter. Samsung promises seven years of Android and security updates on the Fold 6, which should outlive the phone itself – in case someone buys a phone now and plans to keep it till 2031. It’s a good thing to have, for example, the IP rating on your phone. You might never use it when water can spill on the device, but the protection gives you peace of mind.

Samsung’s new foldables – Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 come with a host of AI features. This way, Samsung ensures it stays ahead of the AI curve that rivals are slowly pushing out with their new phones. Mostly, the iPhone 16 next month will be Apple’s next big bet with AI.

Both Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 come with a host of AI features

But, for Samsung, the ground was prepared in January only when the company unveiled the S24 series with the entire Galaxy AI push. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 are just carrying that forward and in a good way. I talked about them in detail in my Flip 6 review, but most of those AI features are fun to play on the Fold 6, thanks to more screen real estate offered here.

I will start with my favourite pick, and that’s the Notes app from Samsung. The Note assist brings a bunch of AI features like auto-formating, summarising notes, transcribing and summarising voice recording, auto-generating covers based on content in notes, fixing grammar and spelling, and translating text in notes. It also offers PDF overlay translation for quick translation of PDF documents – a feature you won’t find for free on the Internet. During my review of the Fold 6, the Notes app was on my home screen and was my go-to app for multiple work-related tasks.

Sketch to image was another of my favourite AI features on Fold 6 and was a fun way to explore the creative side of a bad painter. The feature is so good that it makes you feel you can draw. But that’s just AI doing the heavy lifting for you. I also tried the Interpreter feature’s conversation mode, which can translate in real-time and worked flawlessly.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 runs OneUI 6.1.1 out of the box based on Android 14

Portrait Studio can convert your portraits to 3D cartoons or any preferred available styles, while Photo Assist gives you AI photo editing tools. The Fold 6 is an excellent phone if you love reading, and the browsing assist feature can help you summarise a webpage text or even help with translations. If you need chat assistance, AI can offer help through the Chat assist feature, which can compose text based on your request and also assist you with changing the text’s tonality and checking grammar.

Portrait Studio feature in action on the Fold 6

All of these features combined can help with your daily tasks, but only if you use them correctly and, of course, if they are helpful in your work. For me, most of these were very handy and fun to explore.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Camera: Decent but not the best out there

• Main camera – 50-megapixel, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS, f/1.8 aperture, AF
• Telephoto camera – 10-megapixel, PDAF, 3x zoom
• Ultra-wide camera – 12-megapixel, f/2.2 aperture
• Selfie – 4-megapixel, f/1.8 aperture & 10-megapixel cover screen front camera with f/2.2 aperture

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 packs the rear camera setup we saw on the Fold 5 and Fold 4. The big change this time is the upgraded ultrawide sensor for better low-light photos. The selfie cameras are also the same as what we saw last year.

The primary camera is a 50-megapixel sensor

Jumping straight to the camera results, the Fold 6, regardless of the camera hardware, takes some amazing daylight shots. Plenty of details and images are colour-accurate, vivid and vibrant in most well-lit situations. Shots have an excellent dynamic range, and autofocus works well. It captures decent skin tones in portraits.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 daylight camera samples (tap to see larger image)

Even the bokeh shots came out well. I loved the depth estimation on Fold 6, which was accurate in most portrait shots.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 camera samples (tap to see larger image)

Coming to the ultrawide camera, the photos are decent in daylight situations, with ample details and a good dynamic range. However, one shocking news is that there is no autofocus on this camera, which means if you try to use Fold 6 as your point-and-shoot camera, you may end up with some results with soft focus. The telephoto camera is also a capable one.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 camera samples (tap to see larger image)

In low-light conditions, photos slightly get sketchy because of many factors, including irregular autofocusing. There are high levels of noise in low-light photos as well as underexposed subjects in several of our samples.

Another problem was in the zooming department. The Fold 6 isn’t a phone that takes good zoom shots, and there’s no doubt about it.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 night camera samples (tap to see larger image)

The 4-megapixel under-display camera on the main screen is best used for video calls and is no longer apt for social media uploads. The 10-megapixel camera, on the other hand, is better for social media uploads and does an excellent job in every lighting situation. Samsung has also slightly improved video quality on the Fold 6.

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 may not win the best camera award in premium smartphones. But it packs capable cameras. It’s just that I need to compare every aspect of the device, keeping the price in mind, and that sets my bar high for the Fold 6 to match.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Battery: Still catching up

• Battery capacity – 4,400mAh
• Charging rate – 25W (wired) & 15W wireless
• No charging adapter in the box

The battery department is barely touched by Samsung this year for the Fold 6. It’s like the company chose to avoid bumping battery capacity to ensure that the weight remains lower than last year’s Fold 5. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 packs a 4,400mAh battery, and it lasted nearly for a day with mixed usage where I spent the most time with the cover screen, while for tasks like reading stories, editing, and streaming, I ended up using the inner display. Considering the battery specs haven’t changed, Fold 6’s battery performance is more or less similar to that of Fold 5. In our video loop test, the Fold 6 lasted for 20 hours and 24 minutes, during which we ran the videos on the bigger inner display, which was impressive.

The Fold 6 sports a 120Hz refresh rate

Battery life aside, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 disappoints in charging speeds. Samsung, for reasons it knows best, is holding on to 25W fast charging support at a time when Android flagships priced upwards of lakh support minimum 65W charging speeds. During the review, we noticed that the Fold 6 charges from 0 to 50% in 30 minutes. However, full charging takes over 100 minutes, which isn’t good for a phone that costs almost a bomb.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Review: Verdict

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is the best foldable yet from the house of Samsung. It delivers on so many things it promises, and it is a boon for multitaskers. The displays are one of the best on the foldables I have used; performance is snappy, while software with AI features is a USP. The more time you spend with Fold 6, the more you will be a fan of the form factor – especially the use cases it offers, which feel like multiple devices are rolled into one. In a time when smartphone manufacturers are slowly getting bullish on AI features on their devices, Samsung can proudly boast that it has successfully integrated a bunch, and they work fine.

The top-of-the-line Fold 6 variant with 1TB storage costs Rs. 200,999

It’s a supremely capable foldable smartphone, but it may not outright beat other Android flagships, including the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The reason is simple: it’s not meant for that. So, why should you buy it? If you want to experience a refined book-style foldable smartphone with tons of AI goodness and top-notch performance, then Galaxy Z Fold 6 is the phone for you. It offers one of the best UI experiences you can’t get on other foldables like the OnePlus Open (Review) and Vivo X Fold 3 Pro (Review). The software support promise is the cherry on the cake.

Now, let’s talk about some problems. The biggest problem is that foldables do not appeal to everyone, and the second is the pricing of the Fold 6. Because of the folding form factor, it is fragile compared to other phones with a bar design and appeals to a niche target audience. Of course, the pricing is on the high side.

Talking about alternatives, the Galaxy S24 Ultra (Review) offers almost everything that Fold 6 offers at a lesser price, minus the fold design. OnePlus Open and Vivo’s X Fold 3 Pro are also available if you strictly want a book-style foldable other than Fold 6.