Samsung talks a lot on how they’ve improved the cameras in its newest phones, but not everyone’s always looking to upgrade their phones on a yearly basis. That’s why I'm looking at the differences between the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the Galaxy Z Fold 4, just because that’s usually just enough time to see meaningful improvements.
Just like my other photo shootouts, like between the Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs Motorola Razr 2024, I’ve captured over 200 photos between them to see how they compare in different scenarios to see which is the best phone for photography.
What’s interesting is that their camera specs look identical on paper. This turns out to be a triple camera setup that consists of a 50MP main camera, 12MP ultrawide, and a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom. Their selfie cameras, too, are identical with 10MP cameras on the outer screen — while 4MP under display cams can be found with the inner screens.
Knowing that the setup is identical, it obviously will come down to how the Z Fold 6 tweaks its photos with newer image processing algorithms and AI. And with that, let’s begin!
Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Galaxy Z Fold 4: Daytime
These shots close to the New York Public Library almost look identical at first glance, but the Z Fold 6 is pulling in better contrast with the Chrysler Building in the far background and in the brickwork of the nearby building on the left. As a result, it adds more clarity to the shot that makes those fine details pop out a smidge more. But if you don’t pixel peep, you could argue that the Z Fold 4 delivers just as good results.
Winner: Galaxy Z Fold 6
Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Galaxy Z Fold 4: Dynamic range
This one’s tricky because it was a really cloudy day, so everything around Bryant Park has that soft, evening lighting. However, I ended up pointing at the American Radiator Building because of its darker facade. It’s pretty apparent that the dynamic range performance is better with the Z Fold 6. Not only does the building get treated to a pleasant glow, but the Z Fold 6 also brightens up the shadowed areas of the surrounding trees at Bryant Park. Although, the Z Fold 4 still puts up an excellent shot.
Winner: Galaxy Z Fold 6
Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Galaxy Z Fold 4: Closeups
While neither foldable has a dedicated macro mode to get me ultra close to subjects, I still ended up taking these closeups of this Hibiscus flower. My eyes are instantly drawn to the Z Fold 6’s shot mainly for how it captures more fine detail of the pollen around the stem, in addition to how there’s more definition in the petals. It’s not a bad photo with the Z Fold 4, but notice how those details aren’t as sharp to the eye.
Winner: Galaxy Z Fold 6
Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Galaxy Z Fold 4: Color reproduction
Due to the brighter exposure of the Z Fold 4’s shot, it overexposes the red and green bell peppers in these shots — whereas the Z Fold 6 has a more neutral exposure that results in more vibrant colors. This also extends to the green zucchinis on the top shelf, as well as the brown ginger root on the bottom.
Winner: Galaxy Z Fold 6
Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Galaxy Z Fold 4: Outer screen selfie
I’m not sure what Samsung’s doing to tweak the outer screen selfie shot with the Z Fold 6, but I’m constantly seeing it over sharpening the background. It doesn’t look good when you look at these shots side-by-side.
On one hand, both manage to capture all the fine details of my face, including the fabric and stitching patterns of my shirt, but the background just looks more crisp to me with the Z Fold 4.
Winner: Galaxy Z Fold 4
