An Impressive Foldable Despite Repeat Compromises

If you’ve read any of the last few reviews I’ve done on Samsung’s foldables over the years, you know I’m particularly keen on this type of device. Foldables are cool, damn it. They let you carry around a device that serves multiple functions, especially in the case of models like the Galaxy Z Fold 6, Samsung’s sixth-generation book-like folding smartphone. It’s a portable TV screen that you can prop against the mirror as you groom for the day, and it has a laptop-like desktop mode you can engage by plugging it into a display. It can stream cloud games and fit into accessories like the Razer Kishi Ultra to transform into a handheld console.

But just because the Galaxy Z Fold 6 does nearly everything doesn’t mean that it’s perfect in every way. Whereas Samsung has improved things like the overall hinge and chassis design of the Z Fold and prolonged the battery life, the expensive Galaxy Z Fold 6 falls short with its camera performance and long-term durability. At a starting price of $1,900—$100 more than last year’s base offering—I expect the device to shoot nearly as well from far away as the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Yes, the pop-out glass needed for that capability would compromise the relative thinness of the Z Fold 6. It’s a perfect example of the kind of compromises to consider before committing to the foldable way of life.

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Galaxy Z Fold 6 review Design

Square has entered the chat

You may have noticed immediately from the initial images and promotional material that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is a square-like device, more than ever before. Samsung cornered off those edges just like a cardboard box. They make for a more tablet-like device when it’s opened and more phone-like when it’s closed. I’m digging the new form. Samsung made the Z Fold 6 a smidge thinner than the Z Fold 5, which is a wild feat. It’s under half an inch when folded up.

But still, you’ll be more comfortable toting this in a bag unless your pants have thick, reinforced pockets. The Galaxy Z Fold 6’s front cover screen is a slightly larger 6.3-inch panel than the narrow 6.2-inch display that existed before. I know the numbers don’t sound like a significant leap, but this version of the Z Fold 6 feels much nicer to hold when it’s in “phone” mode.

One caveat of carrying a foldable is that it’s not the most durable device. For instance, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is merely IP48-rated. That’s good for accidentally spilling a margarita or getting caught in the rain, but I wouldn’t recommend a foldable to someone frequently on the water with a phone around their neck.

A better hinge

The Galaxy Z Fold 6’s hinge has been revamped to be more durable. Samsung is relatively slim on the details, though it mentions that it removed any exposed metals in the hinge and tightened it so that there’s more resistance. This supposedly cuts down on the crease on the inner display that tends to become prominent with use.

Samsung improved the hinge on last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 5 relative to the Z Fold 4 before it, too; it’s par for the course with a device considered cutting edge. Buying into it means relying on technology that’s still evolving. If you’re curious about the actual longevity of the folding device, the Reddit forums can give you a taste of some of the headaches that develop with the Z Fold as a daily driver. I haven’t experienced these things firsthand with Gizmodo’s review Z Fold 6 units, but as they say, your mileage may vary.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 Specs

Great specs, as always

You already know the Galaxy Z Fold 6 has improved hardware from last year’s Z Fold 5. It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, 12GB of RAM, and plenty of memory for the things you will do with this device. The Z Fold comes with up to 1TB of storage if you’re willing to pay extra.

Performance-wise, this is one of the best Samsung phones you can get. The Geekbench 6 results were pleasing; nothing was unusual for the Snapdragon processor. From my experience with the last two models, the Z Fold maintains a consistent performance for at least the first year and a half of its life out of the box for things like game streaming and running apps side-by-side—you can run three apps at a time. However, I’ll be honest: it’s hard to maintain that many screens, even if it is a valid bragging right.

The Galaxy Z Fold 6’s battery life has improved significantly. In our battery rundown tests, the foldable managed 20 hours and 35 minutes on a charge with the inside screen at 200 nits. That’s three hours more than last year’s Z Fold 5 with the same 4400 mAh battery size.

The camera should be better

There’s nothing inherently wrong with the Galaxy Z Fold 6’s camera system. Everything you need is here: a 50-MP primary camera with OIS and a f/1.8 aperture, a 12-MP ultra-wide camera with a 123-degree field of view, and a 10-MP telephoto camera with up to 3x optical zoom. It’s the same camera system on the Galaxy S24/S24 Plus, which is fine, except that it’s not because this is a $1,900 phone and not an $800 one. It would be nice to see Samsung up the ante for its most expensive smartphone. Let me zoom in just a little more so that the photos of my kid playing soccer on the other side of the field don’t appear jagged.

The inside under-display camera remains just as mediocre as ever. It’s still a measly 4-MP sensor with the aperture of a 16-MP sensor. It’s not crisp enough for making TikTok confessionals, and still, I’m not too fond of it for selfies on Instagram. At least the phone can be more easily propped up for front-camera confessionals than before, but I wish I had the same quality from the inside camera.

What about Galaxy AI?

I don’t have much to say about the Galaxy Z fold 6’s new features that I haven’t already in this piece. New features like PDF Overlay, Sketch to Image, and the Real-Time Interpreter are helpful in scope but still limited compared to what most Android phones already do. For instance, Galaxy AI’s interpreter does not yet offer Dutch translation. So, I’ll use the Google Translate app to find my way around the Netherlands in a few weeks. In retrospect, having both abilities on the Z Fold 6 seems redundant.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 review Verdict: The best foldable could be greater

Samsung knows how to make a foldable smartphone that can appeal to the masses. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 retraces all the steps that have worked so far for the company to find some relative success in this niche gadget category. It’s powerful, well-built, and capable of handling all the software tricks Samsung pushes through Galaxy AI.

The Z Fold 6 is a worthy update if you’re due for a new foldable and are three years behind. If you can hold out, waiting a year to see how Samsung refines the camera hardware wouldn’t hurt. A phone that costs this much should offer one of the better camera systems in the lineup, not the same glass as the phones that everyone else can afford.

When I return from two weeks abroad with the Galaxy Z Fold 6, I will have more to say about the camera and its ability as a pinch desktop device. I’m tasking myself with bringing nothing but the foldable to serve as my all-in-one to test the true efficacy of its promises and whether those abilities hold up to the multi-thousand price point. Stay tuned.

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