The Galaxy Z Flip 6 has been out for a few months and competes against some fairly impressive contenders in the growing foldable space, including devices from the likes of Motorola and Xiaomi. Compared to the Galaxy Z Flip 5, the phone is fairly iterative, sporting a very similar design and many of the same specs. However, the phone also comes with some upgrades that make it one of the most powerful flip phones on the market, although that will come at a cost.
As expected, the phone comes with 2024's flagship Snapdragon processor, which is capable of some impressive AI features. It also has an upgraded camera, a larger battery, and some subtle but nice design changes that really emphasize the idea that this is just an iterative change.
So, what else is new about the Galaxy Z Flip 6, and is it worth buying over the Z Flip 5, or are you better off saving a few bucks for last year's model? We'll break down all the specs and features here. You can also check out our Galaxy Z Flip 6 review for our full impressions of the latest flip phone.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: Price & availability
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 was announced on July 10, and preorders started on the same day. The phone went on sale on July 24 and retails for $1099, roughly $100 more than the previous model.
The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is offered in one 12GB RAM configuration, but buyers can choose between 256GB or 512GB of storage, depending on their needs. There are also several different standard colors, including Silver Shadow, yellow, blue, and Mint. However, you can also opt for some Samsung.com-exclusive colors, such as Crafted Black, white, and Peach.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: Design
The Galaxy Z Flip 5 brought a few design changes with the new hinge mechanism and larger cover screen, and this year, Samsung didn't really rock the boat. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 sports a largely identical design with some subtle refinements. For instance, the frame is completely flat, mirroring changes made to the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24 Plus. The frame also has a matte finish instead of a glossy one like the Galaxy Z Flip 5, and the glass is also frosted instead of glossy, meaning the phone should mostly avoid fingerprints.
As for colors, Samsung opted for fairly bright pastels. As mentioned, the options include Silver Shadow, yellow, blue, and Mint, with Crafted Black, white, and Peach offered only on Samsung's website. This year, the color continues to be featured on the frame, hinge, and back panel, although now it's also featured on rings around both camera sensors, solely for aesthetic purposes. This makes the camera sensors more pronounced than those on the Galaxy Z Flip 5, although they also protrude a bit more from the body of the phone.
The phone has roughly the same dimensions as its predecessor and even weighs the same. The difference lies in the thickness, as the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is a couple of millimeters thinner at just 14.9mm when folded.
The folding display is the same size at 6.7 inches, although the improved hinge design means there is a less noticeable crease than before. There is also a bumper surrounding the display to help protect the screen when the phone is closed. Meanwhile, the cover screen is also the same size and shape as the Galaxy Z Flip 5.
One notable design change is the addition of an official IP rating for dust resistance. The phone has an IP48 rating, with the 4 meaning that the phone is protected against particles larger than 1mm, while the 8 means the phone is able to be submerged. Official dust resistance is not something often found on foldable phones, making the Z Flip 6 among the first to feature such a rating.
At 187g, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is not particularly heavy. It weighs the same as its predecessor and is roughly 10g lighter than the Galaxy S24 Plus, which has the same size display. However, holding the phone for extended periods may lead to some discomfort, given the sharp edges along the frame. A Galaxy Z Flip 6 case is recommended, while owners also might want to invest in a Galaxy Z Flip 6 screen protector for the cover screen. Note that the Galaxy Z Flip 6 won't exactly fit Galaxy Z Flip 5 cases due to minor differences in design, including the more pronounced camera lenses.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: Specs
The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, which appeared earlier this year on the Galaxy S24 series, offering faster speeds and more efficiency. In addition, the phone also has 12GB of RAM, which should allow for better app management and on-device generative AI features powered by Google Gemini and Galaxy AI.
As for the main display, it's a 6.7-inch AMOLED panel with a Full HD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate, the same as its predecessor. It's an LTPO panel, meaning it can dynamically change the refresh rate between 1 and 120Hz, depending on the content being displayed. It's a pretty bright display with a peak of 2,600 nits, meaning it should be viewable outside and in direct sunlight, although the built-in PET screen protector may hinder visibility if it becomes smudged with fingerprints.
The cover screen has the same specs as the Galaxy Z Flip 5, a 3.4-inch 60Hz OLED panel with a resolution of 720 x 748.
Compared to the Galaxy Z Flip 5, the battery has increased to 4,000mAh. This, along with a more efficient chipset, means the battery should last longer throughout the day, which was noted in our review. Charging remains the same at 25W wired and 15W wireless, with reverse wireless charging available for other devices like headphones or a smartwatch.
There's no expandable memory, but like its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 has a minimum of 256GB of storage, or buyers can opt for 512GB.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: Cameras
One of the biggest changes made to the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is with the camera system, which now features a 50MP primary sensor, which should be capable of capturing more light, video HDR, and 2x optical zoom. Paired with it is a secondary 12MP ultrawide camera, and on the front is a 10MP selfie camera.
Below are camera samples taken from the Galaxy Z Flip 6:
Samsung is touting new camera features such as Auto Zoom, which uses AI with the FlexCam to zoom into the subject when they move closer to the lens, or zoom out when they move further away, in order to keep them framed in the photo.
If you fold the phone at a 90-degree angle, you'll also enable an Auto Camcorder mode, which makes it easy to start recording video with a new UI.
As for video recording, the Z Flip 6 supports 4K at 60fps, but you won't find 8K support.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: Software & support
The Galaxy Z Flip 6 launched with the latest version of One UI out of the box. One UI 6.1.1, based on Android 14, brings a handful of features to the device, including new Galaxy AI capabilities. This includes a new Interpreter Mode that lets users use the cover screen when translating conversations in real-time so that both parties can view the text at the same time.
There are also new ambient AI wallpapers and interactive wallpapers for the cover screen. With Galaxy AI, the cover screen will offer suggested replies when responding to messages, and this will be available in any messaging app with Samsung keyboard.
A new composer feature will let users generate full text for emails or social posts with just a few prompts. Samsung is also adding some new features to the gallery app, which will let users generate fun images based on photos taken of people or generate realistic images from simple drawings.
For the cover screen, Samsung is adding a wider variety of apps with available widgets, meaning you won't have to open the phone to check Samsung Health or the calendar. Users are also able to add multiple widgets to a single panel for added functionality. It should be noted that full app support is still not official on the cover screen like you'll find on the Motorola Razr Plus 2024, but you can still use apps on the Galaxy Z Flip 6 cover screen via the Labs setting or by enabling apps in Good Lock. You can also use the CoverScreen OS app, which enables the use of full apps and auto-rotate, although you'll need to pay for a subscription for full access.
Like the Galaxy S24 series, Samsung has promised up to seven years of OS upgrades and software updates for the Galaxy Z Flip 6, which means the phone will be supported up to Android 21. In the meantime, Samsung has been regularly updating the Galaxy Z Flip 6 with monthly software updates
The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is eligible for Android 15, which has already arrived on Pixel phones. However, after the One UI 7 beta was reportedly delayed and pushed back, Samsung announced that the official update would not be available until 2025 with the launch of the Galaxy S25 series. Additionally, the beta will not be available until later in 2024, likely in mid-November or December. It's unclear which phones will be eligible for the beta program, but the Z Flip 6 may be among them.
At the Samsung Developer Conference, the company showed off One UI 7, which will feature some drastic changes, such as the separation of the quick settings menu and notification panel, revamped UI designs, and some UI optimizations for one-handed use. Samsung may also introduce new AI features like notification summaries.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: How it compares to the Galaxy Z Flip 5
To help put things into perspective, here are the full specs between the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 so you can see the similarities and differences between these two phones.
The biggest difference between the phones is the new chipset, which is more powerful and efficient, and more RAM, which should help it perform better. The camera also has roughly 4x the resolution, and the battery is larger, which should help it last longer than its predecessor.
As far as build quality, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is water resistant, but lacks an official rating for dust resistance like what is present on the Z Flip 6.
Lastly, the Z Flip 5 will receive OS upgrades until Android 17, with an additional year of security updates. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 has longer software support and, therefore, will receive OS upgrades until Android 21, although it's unclear how well the chip will be supported that far into the future.
For more, check out our Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs. Galaxy Z Flip 5 comparison.
