Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 unveiled with better cameras and durability — but higher price

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 hands-on.
(Image credit: Future)

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 has arrived with a more durable design, a more powerful main camera and a wide array of Galaxy AI features that tap into artificial intelligence. It also arrives as the most expensive foldable flip phone from Samsung since the Galaxy Z Flip 3.

Samsung would prefer you fix your attention on that Galaxy AI part. The usual host of Galaxy AI features like Circle to Search, generative photo editing, Instant Slow-Mo, and assistance with notes and transcripts are all along for the ride, but Samsung has introduced some new AI-powered capabilities, some of which are specifically designed for the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and its unique design.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 Hands On! Ready To Reclaim the Throne - YouTube Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 Hands On! Ready To Reclaim the Throne - YouTube
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Nevertheless, you'll have to pay up for the privilege of owning a Galaxy Z Flip 6. After years of offering its foldable flip phone at a starting price of $999, Samsung has raised the price of this new phone to $1,099/£1,049. That gets you a phone with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, There's also a 512GB version of the Galaxy Z Flip 6.

Galaxy Z Flip 6 preorders are now underway with Samsung offering up to $1,000 back with an eligible trade-in. Preorders at Samsung.com also get a year of Samsung Care Plus, and the ability to double their storage at no extra cost — meaning you get a 512GB Galaxy Z Flip 6 for the cost of the 128GB model. The phone goes on sale July 24.

Should the Galaxy Z Flip 6 be your next phone? Our Galaxy Z Flip 6 hands-on has some initial impressions while we work on our full review. But for now, here's what Samsung's announced about its latest flip phone.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Price$1,099
ColorsSilver Shadow, Yellow, Blue, Mint, Crafted Black, White, Peach
Inner display6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED (2640 x 1080) , 1-120 Hz
Outer display3.4-inch AMOLED (720 x 748), 60 Hz
Rear camera50MP main (f/2.2), 12MP ultrawide (f/2.2)
Front camera10MP (f/2.2)
ChipsetSnapdragon 8 Gen 3
RAM12GB
Storage256GB, 512GB
Battery4,000 mAh
Wired charging25W
Wireless charging10-15W
Dimensions6.5 x 2.83 x 0.27 inches (open), 3.35 x 2.83 x 0.58 inches (closed)
Weight6.59 ounces / 187 grams

amsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 design and display

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 hands-on.

(Image credit: Future)

On the surface, it looks like not much has changed with the Galaxy Z Flip 6, which sports the same basic design as its predecessor. The listed dimensions of the new phone when opened up are unchanged from the Galaxy Z Flip 5, and the screen sizes are the same as before, despite rumors that claimed Samsung was going to expand the size of the 3.4-inch cover display.

But there are some noteworthy changes to the phone's design, particularly to its durability. Samsung says it strengthened the folding edge of the phone to better distribute the shock of external impacts; it also gives the phone a responsive feel when you open and close it. When the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is closed, it's a slightly thinner than its predecessor.

More significantly, Samsung uses enhanced Armor Aluminum for the Galaxy Z Flip 6's frame, while also using Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for more durable glass. The interior and exterior displays may not have increased in size, but Samsung has made the 6.9-inch main screen brighter than before — it's rated to hit a max brightness of 2,600 nits.

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 comes in Silver Shadow, Yellow, Blue and Mint color options. If you order your phone from Samsung, you also can pick among Crafted Black, White and Peach options.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 cameras

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 hands-on.

(Image credit: Future)

Perhaps the biggest change to the Galaxy Z Flip 6 has been made to its camera setup. Since the original Galaxy Z Flip, Samsung has used a pair of 12MP sensors for its main and ultrawide cameras, but the Galaxy Z Flip 6 turns to a 50MP sensor for its main lens. That camera is capable of delivering a 2x optical-quality zoom, letting you take sharper zoom shots even without a dedicated telephoto lens.

When shooting video with the Galaxy Z Flip 6, a new Camcorder mode kicks in when you fold the device into a 90-degree angle, turning the upper half of the screen into a view finder. Samsung has also added video HDR support to its Night mode, which should lead to brighter videos even in dim lighting.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Galaxy AI

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 hands-on.

(Image credit: Future)

Apart from the camera and an upgraded system on chip — more on that momentarily — the hardware changes to the Galaxy Z Flip 6 are pretty modest. That puts the focus on Galaxy AI features, and Samsung is betting you'll like what you see.

A new Suggested Replies feature is optimized for the Galaxy Z Flip 6's cover display. It's a variation on the Chat Assist feature introduced to the Galaxy S24 series earlier this year, with AI providing possible responses to incoming texts. In the case of Suggested Replies, though, the feature is streamlined for the 3.4-inch panel on the outside of the phone.

Interpreter Mode also gets fine-tuned for the Galaxy Z Flip 6, which takes advantage of both screens when the phone is in a Flex position. That way, you can carry on a conversation with a person in another language, with both of you seeing the translated speech appearing in on the exterior and interior displays.

Other AI features include Photo Ambient, which adjusts your phone's wallpaper in real time based on factors like the time of day and the weather. A Photo Assist feature in the Gallery app turns your photos into sketches and cartoons. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 performance and battery

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 hands-on.

(Image credit: Future)

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 runs on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, the same silicon Samsung uses in the Galaxy S24 Ultra around the world as well as its other Galaxy S24 models released in North America. That's the top-performing Android system on chip, and it even manages to best Apple's best silicon in some tests, so expect some blazing performance from the Galaxy Z Flip 6. To keep things cool, Samsung has added a vapor chamber to the Galaxy Z Flip for the first time.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 also excels at power management, which should help the Galaxy Z Flip 6 improve upon the battery life of its predecessor. A bigger battery — 4,000 mAh in the new phone compared to 3,700 mAh in the Galaxy Z Flip 5 — should also help in this regard. Charging speeds are unchanged at 25W wireled and up to 15W wireless.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 outlook

With seven years of software and security updates guaranteed, Samsung is looking to boost the long-term value of the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and maybe take some of the sting out of the phone's higher price. The performance of the upgraded camera and the utility of the Galaxy AI features added to the phone will also go a long way toward determining if the higher price tag is worth it.

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Philip Michaels

Philip Michaels is a Managing Editor at Tom's Guide. He's been covering personal technology since 1999 and was in the building when Steve Jobs showed off the iPhone for the first time. He's been evaluating smartphones since that first iPhone debuted in 2007, and he's been following phone carriers and smartphone plans since 2015. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics, old movies and proper butchery techniques. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.