Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 review: Modest improvements, higher price

Samsung ruled the flip-style phone space for years with its Z Flip devices, up until last year when the Motorola Razr Plus (2023) dethroned the Flip. This year’s Galaxy Z Flip 6 aims to reverse the course and get back its title as one of the best foldable phones.

Obviously, all the usual upgrades are in tow with this charming little flippable, like its new 50MP main camera, more durable design, and more functional FlexWindow display. These hardware changes are good, but they're supplemented by the same Galaxy AI features I found helpful in saving me time with the Galaxy S24 Ultra — plus a few new AI capabilities. If that’s not enough, there’s a much bigger emphasis on personalizing the Galaxy Z Flip 6.

These are all fine and dandy for any phone release. However, it’s going to take a lot to convince people to shell out an additional $100 more now that Samsung has raised the price of the Galaxy Z Flip 6. In my Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 review, I’ll tell you if all these new AI features and upgrades justify that higher $1,099 starting price for this phone.

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 review: Specifications

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 review: Price and availability

I know price hikes seem inevitable for every gadget, but it does make it harder to convince people used to shelling out $999 that they should pay $1,099 for the Galaxy Z Flip 6 instead. This base model comes with a generous 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM. If you demand more, there’s also the 512GB option — which raises the cost to a whopping $1,219.

This inherently is a disadvantage for the Flip 6, especially when its closest competition is the $999 Motorola Razr Plus 2024. You also need to remember that the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is competing with other traditional flagship slates in the $999 range, like the iPhone 15 Pro and Pixel 8 Pro.

Preorders for the Galaxy Z Flip 6 are available right now, with the phone going on sale at Amazon, Best Buy, Samsung.com, and other wireless carriers on July 24. There are a total of four color options to choose from: silver shadow, yellow, blue, and mint. Samsung.com also features a trio of exclusive colors — crafted black, white, and peach.

Galaxy Z Flip 6 preorder: up to $1,000 off w/ trade-in @ Samsung
Free storage upgrade! Samsung is knocking up to $1,000 off Galaxy Z Flip 6 preorders when you trade in an older phone. Additionally, you'll get a free storage upgrade with your preorder. The phone features a 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED (2640 x 1080) inner display w/ 120Hz refresh, 3.4-inch AMOLED (720 x 748) outer display w/ 60Hz refresh, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 CPU, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. You also get an upgraded 50MP f/2.2 main and 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide rear cameras and a 10MP f2.2 selfie cam. 

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 review: Design

At first glance, it doesn’t look like much has changed with the design of the Galaxy Z Flip 6, which sports a familiar trim and aesthetic as last year’s Galaxy Z Flip 5. The phone remains incredibly compact when closed, and its Armor aluminum frame gives the Flip a solid feel in the hand.

However, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is not as ergonomic as I’d like because of its flatter edges. The only visible difference with the design this time around is how the outlines of the camera lenses are accented by the same paint job as the phone, giving the phone a much more pleasing contrast.

Speaking of trims, I really like the pastel-like colors Samsung's using for the Galaxy Z Flip 6 — like my blue colored review unit. It’s better made, too, with a matte finish that prevents smudges and fingerprints from dirtying up the Z Flip 6.

The size and design of the FlexWindow also looks identical to late year, complete with the same fin cutout on the bottom right where the cover display meets the cameras. While this keeps a design identity for the Galaxy Z Flip 6, I was hoping that Samsung would follow Motorola’s lead by increasing the display size even more.

Samsung did increase the Flip 6’s durability with a new dual rail hinge design, giving the phone a more responsive feel whenever I close it. More importantly, however, the crease in the middle of the phone is much more subdued. In fact, I’d argue it’s less noticeable than the Razr Plus 2024’s crease.

My only gripe about the Galaxy Z Flip 6 design is that it’s notoriously hard to open because of its flat edges and the tight seam between the two sides. I wish there was a lip of some kind around the edge because even getting my fingernails in between the two halves to properly open, so unfolding the phone one-handed is harder.

On another note, I’m delighted by the dose of personalization that’s added to the Flip 6 when it’s paired with the new FlipSuit cases that combine interactive lock screens to the FlexWindow. There are even a couple of new ones I checked out with built-in LEDs that light up the back of the phone, which takes power via the phone’s wireless charging. These add-ons go a long way to make people take notice of the phone. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 review: Display

If you look solely at the specs, you’ll find that there’s nothing immediately different about the displays on the Galaxy Z Flip 6 — that goes for both its inner and outer display. The latter’s a 6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED with a dynamic refresh rate up to 120Hz, while the outer screen (referred to as the FlexWindow now) is a 3.4-inch AMOLED touchscreen with a 60Hz refresh rate. While I’m not opposed to these specs, I still wish that Samsung increased the size of its outer display at the very least — more so after Motorola added a larger screen to the exterior of the Razr Plus 2024.

What I’m more concerned about is how these displays perform. Samsung’s claim of 2,600 nits for the inner display is bold, but our benchmark testing reveals a peak brightness of 1,942 nits. I’m actually impressed by the result because it surpasses the Galaxy Z Flip 5's 1,504-nit reading, which means the Z Flip 6 is much easier to see outdoors on sunny days.

However, the Z Flip 6 doesn’t get as bright as the Motorola Razr Plus 2024’s peak output of 2,158 nits. Holding the two side-by-side to one another and playing the same video, my eyes can easily tell that the Razr's screen is brighter than the Flip's. That's also true of the phones' outer displays, as Motorola’s larger, more detailed panel is a notch brighter in plain view of the sun. 

Despite this, I do prefer how the Galaxy Z Flip 6’s Super AMOLED display casts the better contrast and punchier colors — perfect for watching videos or the occasional gaming session.

The 3.4-inch FlexWindow on the Galaxy Z Flip 6 becomes more customizable than before. Not only can you swipe through the various widgets on this display, but there's now the option to combine multiple widgets into one home screen layout, making it much more convenient to see important things without opening the phone.

I also love the new interactive lock screens that respond to touch and movement, like one with a donut that moves around the lock screen whenever you tilt or rotate the Galaxy Z Flip 6.

While all of these new personalization options with the FlexWindow are great, accessing full apps still requires a workaround that involves downloading the Good Lock app.

Although it requires a few steps to set up, I’m still confused why Samsung neglects to make this a native feature because it gives the FlexWindow more utility. For example, it’s perfect for when I just want to scroll my social media apps to watch endless video reels while I’m sitting on the train headed for my next stop.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 review: Cameras

I’m very excited for the cameras in the Galaxy Z Flip 6. That’s because the phone now features an upgraded 50MP main camera paired with a 12MP ultrawide lens. The former is a huge step up from the Z Flip 5’s 12MP camera, but it’s made better because of how the Galaxy Z Flip 6 leverages pixel binning to offer a reasonable 2x zoom with optical-like quality. This is the smarter way of approaching the cameras, seeing that it effectively offers the range in most triple camera setups, but with a more compact dual camera arrangement instead.

There’s also a new camcorder mode, just like on the Razr Plus 2024, that gives a nostalgic feel when the phone’s folded in the halfway position — complete with zoom controls at your fingertips. Another new feature is the intelligent way the Galaxy Z Flip 6 can frame my shots with AI zoom. No matter who I’m shooting, whether it's just myself or a group of people, the AI zoom will automatically frame the shot correctly.

Similar to Samsung's Galaxy S flagships, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 benefits from a rich camera app that’s filled with all the modes you’d want in a phone and a few extras — like hyperlapse, dual recording, and portrait video. There’s even a pro video mode with full manual controls, which few camera apps offer. I also love how the FlewWindow can be turned on to act as a preview screen, making it perfect for vlogging and self recordings. As a videographer, these features are a tremendous help.

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is undoubtedly a phone for creators with its rich set of features and tools, but ultimately its camera performance will show me if it’s worthy of being a best camera phone contender. 

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Starting off with the main camera, there are no surprises here: the Galaxy Z Flip 6 handles a wide variety of scenes. I’m not surprised by the above average results, given how Samsung’s phones historically perform with their cameras. 

There’s a fine balance to all the photos above, including the first one of the scenic pond. Against the Razr Plus 2024, the Flip 6 doesn’t overexpose the highlights as much — resulting in a more even exposure.

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I’m all for the ultrawide camera continuing to be a part of the Z Flip's setup, since I love using it to capture more of the scene. The photos between the main and ultrawide above drive this point even more by showing the Z Flip 6's wider field of view, which is also valuable when you’re cramming in a ton of people into a group shot.

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If you insist on using it, the 12MP front-facing camera isn’t too shabby. I actually find its performance better than the selfie camera on the Razr Plus, mainly for how its dynamic range performance better casts an even exposure throughout the shot. It also manages to capture my skin tone accurately. 

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Samsung frequently adds more saturation to portrait photos. As a result, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 makes me look too tanned, especially when compared to the better exposed shot from the Razr Plus 2024. And while the Flip 6 catches good details around my face, the added sharpness with the Razr Plus’ shot makes it look better. 

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I’m really impressed by the zooming on the Flip 6, especially when it’s a glorified digital zoom. While the Razr Plus 2024’s dedicated telephoto has 2x optical zoom, the Flip 6 can clearly deliver almost as good detail. It might not get all the fine details like the Razr Plus’ shot above which highlighted the textures of all the brick and the scratches on the white front door, but the Flip 6’s shot is still usable. 

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Strangely enough, the Flip 6 doesn’t have a dedicated macro mode despite featuring an ultrawide camera. Even without one, it reveals incredible detail in the first batch of closeups with the purple flower. When I zoom into the center, I can make out the sharper edges of the petals and even the pollen. The Razr’s pretty good at this too, but Samsung’s much better.

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