Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 in review: noticeable upgrades and slight weaknesses

With the Galaxy z flip5 Samsung made a huge leap forward last year because the external display was finally usable. However, it was not without its flaws and that is exactly where the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 wants to build on.

For a recommended retail price of 1.199 euros, Samsung wants to improve the battery life and the cameras in particular. You can find out whether this is really the case and whether the Flip6 is worth it in this review.

Verdict on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6

In my opinion, Samsung did a lot of things right with the Galaxy Z Flip6. Compared to its predecessor, they made exactly the right adjustments and brought an excellent foldable onto the market. The design and folding mechanism have been refined, the processor is even more future-proof, the software is more sophisticated, the battery life is significantly better and the main camera has also received a noticeable upgrade. For the successor, however, I would like a better ultra-wide-angle camera, fast charging and better viewing angle stability on the display. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 is currently available for around 700 euros, which is a fair price in my opinion. If you can imagine a foldable as your daily driver, you're doing everything right with the Flip6.

• Buy Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 on Amazon

We would like to thank Samsung Austria for providing the test device!

Haptics, design & processing

Samsung has made only minimal changes to the design this year. When opened, it measures 165,1 x 71,9 x 6,9 millimeters and when closed, 85,1 x 71,9 x 14,9 millimeters - very similar to the Flip5. It weighs 187 grams, which I find very pleasant. It also sits well in the hand, but for my taste, the angular frame makes it look a bit sharp. But that may be a matter of taste.

While the frame of the predecessor is high-gloss, the Flip6 now has a matte frame. This has the advantage that fingerprints and scratches are no longer as noticeable. The back is made of glass, which is also matte andprofeels high quality. The upper half is filled by the external display and the cameras. You can choose between blue, green, silver and yellow. You can find even more colors in Samsung's online shop.

There is no reason for criticism in terms of workmanship. The keys have a good pressure point and sit firmly in the casing. The hinge makes a stable and high-quality impression. Creaking noises like those of my fold4 are out of place here.

Interior display – typical strengths and weaknesses

The large internal display is almost unchanged. It remains at 6,7 inches, a full HD resolution (2.640 x 1.080 pixels) and a smooth 120 Hertz. In my opinion, the resolution could be a bit higher for such an expensive smartphone, but for everyday use the resolution is completely sufficient. Individual pixels can only be seen if you pay close attention and compare it with a sharper display. The refresh rate of 120 Hertz ensures that animations and scrolling appear as smooth as butter. The maximum brightness is great as usual, so I never had any problems with readability even on sunny days. I also really like the color reproduction and you can even adjust it to your own preferences in the settings.

What I am not happy with, however, is the viewing angle stability. Even when tilted slightly, the white content in particular takes on a very bluish tint. Unfortunately, Samsung has also been unable to reduce the crease in the middle of the screen.

outdoor display - useful

Software & Performance

The software used is the company's own user interface One Ul based on Android 14. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 has been provided with updates for an impressive 7 years, which simply cannot be praised enough. Apart from Google, nobody can currently compete with Samsung. Hats off!

One Ul offers many additional functions and the always-on display is, in my opinion, one of the best on the market. Visually, the user interface has little to do with stock Android, as it is more colorful and not quite as tidy. Nevertheless, I see progress here compared to last year. Samsung places particular emphasis on the AI ​​functions. At this point I would like to refer you to our test reports on the S24 series:

• Samsung Galaxy S24+ review: What can the new AI phone do?
• Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra in review: AI, AI Captain

Under the hood is the Snapdragon 8 Gen3 from Qualcomm, which is supported by 12 GB RAM and either 256 or 512 GB flash memory. The latter is not expandable. The performance is wonderful. Inputs are recognized quickly, there are almost no stutters or delays, and the Flip6 has no problems even with complex apps. Together with the 120 Hertz refresh rate, this ensures an excellent user experience. I didn't notice anything negative in terms of heat development. It does get noticeably warm under full load, but it's by no means worrying.

Battery - long running and charging times

The battery has a capacity of 4.000 mAh, which is 300 mAh more than its predecessor. Together with the more efficient battery, this fortunately has a positive effect on everyday use. I am always progot through a day without any problems and even 1,5 to 2 days were possible with my usage. At the end of the day, with a screen-on time of around 3 to 4 hours, I still had about 50 percent battery left, which is really strong for 4.000 mAh. With the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6, almost everyone should have no problems getting through a day without charging.

Unfortunately, fast charging is only possible with up to 25 watts, which is why you can't really call it "fast charging". Compared to the competition, this is extremely weak. At least wireless charging and even wireless reverse charging are possible.

Camera - light and shadow

On the back there is a dual camera, which is positioned as follows:

• 50 Megapixel main camera
• 12 megapixel ultra wide angle camera

Picture: TechnikNews

The flip-foldable has finally received an upgrade. The main camera is now the same as the S24 and S24 Plus. It takes excellent photos in good lighting conditions, which are no longer as oversaturated as they were a few years ago. Colors are usually reproduced realistically, although there is a slight lack of contrast in some cases - the Flip6 takes brighter photos. The dynamic range is great and many details are retained. To be honest, I don't see any significant difference to the predecessor in this respect, but the Flip5 also took good photos. The Flip6 does a pretty decent job in the dark, but for an RRP of €1.199 I expect more. The white balance in particular is often too warm.

I would have expected a little more from the ultra-wide-angle camera. It takes usable pictures in good lighting conditions, but as soon as it gets darker, it is no longer really useful. The pictures lack detail and the noise level is simply too high. I like the zoom shots much better. Despite the digital zoom, I even managed to get usable results at 10x magnification. Selfies and videos are also very good.

Others – Stereo speakers, vibration motor & fingerprint sensor

The fingerprint sensor is not in the display, but on the side in the power button. Since the button is so high up, the sensor is unfortunately very difficult to reach. However, there is nothing to complain about in terms of speed and reliability.

The built-in vibration motor is rather average for a flagship smartphone. I like the stereo speakers much better. Since the Flip6 is so thin, it lacks a bit of volume (in the truest sense of the word), but they are loud enough and sound reasonable.

Last but not least, I would like to mention that the foldable is protected against water and dust according to IP48. You should still be careful with dust, as the protection against dust is only at level 4. The S24 Ultra's is at level 6.

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