Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Review: Sleeker Design, AI Features, But Still Pricey

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Review: Sleeker Design, AI Features, But Still Pricey, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 marks another step forward for Samsung in its quest to create a foldable device that seamlessly transforms from a phone into a tablet. Five years after the original Galaxy Fold launched, the Z Fold 6 brings a refined design and enhanced durability while packing in some smart AI-powered features. However, the $1,900 price tag makes it clear that Samsung’s foldable is still a luxury product—one that feels both innovative and limited in key areas.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 Design and Display: A Slimmer, Sleeker Foldable

At first glance, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 closely resembles its predecessor but with noticeable refinements. The cover screen has grown slightly to 6.3 inches (from 6.2 inches on the Z Fold 5) and features a more symmetrical design with sharper corners, mirroring the Galaxy S24 Ultra. This subtle change helps the Fold look and feel more like a typical smartphone when closed, without the clunky aesthetic of earlier models.

The edges are now flatter, which makes the phone easier to hold, and the lighter weight (14 grams less than the Z Fold 5) is immediately noticeable. Samsung also improved durability by giving the device an IP48 rating, offering better protection against debris alongside its water resistance.

When unfolded, the 7.6-inch internal screen is familiar, but with fewer distractions thanks to a less prominent crease and sharper corners. The result is a more streamlined look, whether you’re reading an e-book or browsing the web. In fact, the Z Fold 6’s large display proved incredibly useful while navigating Paris—perfect for viewing Google Maps or browsing travel photos on a bigger screen.

Samsung’s New AI Features: Fun But Limited

Samsung is embracing AI in a big way, and the Galaxy Z Fold 6 comes with new AI-powered tools designed to enhance everyday tasks. One of the standout features is Portrait Studio, which uses AI to transform selfies into different artistic styles like 3D cartoons or watercolor paintings. While fun to experiment with, the results can be hit or miss—sometimes flattering, other times less so (I ended up with blue eyes in one cartoon, even though mine are brown).

The Sketch to Image tool is another AI-driven feature that lets you create digital images from simple drawings. Though I’m not much of an artist, I had fun watching my stick figure morph into something that resembled a character from a Tim Burton movie. However, as with Portrait Studio, the practical applications of this feature are limited.

Other AI features include Samsung’s Composer, which can generate text for messages or social media posts, and the Interpreter app that uses both screens to translate conversations in real-time. Although the concept is promising, it was challenging to use in noisy environments like a bustling Parisian market. Still, it could be useful for quiet, one-on-one conversations.

Where the AI Features Fall Short

Despite the cool factor of Samsung’s new AI tools, none of these features truly capitalize on the dual-screen design of the Z Fold 6. The conversation mode in the Interpreter app is the only new feature that fully leverages the foldable form factor, and even this isn’t entirely groundbreaking since Google’s Pixel Fold already offers similar functionality.

What the Z Fold 6 could really benefit from are more creative software features specifically designed for its foldable screen. Flex mode is useful for propping up the phone while watching videos or using apps like Google Maps, but Samsung has yet to unlock the full potential of this unique form factor. For example, Samsung could introduce widgets or custom interfaces for apps in Flex mode, or better optimize the home screen for landscape orientation.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 Cameras: Strong But Still Not the Best

The Z Fold 6’s camera setup includes a 50-megapixel main camera, 12-megapixel ultrawide lens, and 10-megapixel telephoto camera—similar to the Z Fold 5 but with an upgraded sensor in the ultrawide camera for better low-light performance. The results are impressive, especially in well-lit environments. Photos from the Z Fold 6 are vivid and colorful, often outshining those from competing devices like the Google Pixel Fold and OnePlus Open.

However, in low-light settings, the Pixel Fold edges ahead with its brighter, more detailed nighttime photos. Samsung’s ultrawide camera also falls slightly short of the competition when capturing crispness and detail.

On the plus side, the internal 4-megapixel selfie camera may have a low resolution, but it performs surprisingly well due to Samsung’s image processing. I actually preferred selfies taken with the Z Fold 6’s internal camera compared to the Pixel Fold.

Performance and Battery Life: Closing the Gap with Standard Phones

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, the same one used in Samsung’s Galaxy S24 lineup. Whether playing demanding games, running multiple apps in split-screen mode, or processing AI edits, the Z Fold 6 handled everything smoothly without lag or overheating.

Battery life on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will last you a full day, but how long depends heavily on how much you use the internal screen. On average, the battery lasted about 15 hours, dipping to the high 30s by the end of the day. While the Z Fold 6 maintains the same 4,400mAh battery as its predecessor, I would have appreciated an upgrade, especially given the device’s higher price.

Final Thoughts: Is the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Worth It?

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is undoubtedly a premium device with a beautiful design, solid performance, and unique AI-powered features. But at $1,900, it remains an expensive investment, and Samsung’s focus seems to have shifted towards refining the design rather than making foldables more accessible to the masses.

While discounts and trade-in deals may ease the sticker shock, the high price will still deter many. That said, for those who can afford it, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 delivers a top-tier foldable experience that’s hard to beat. But if you’re looking for more innovation in foldable software or a device that bridges the gap between foldables and regular phones, you may have to wait a bit longer for the next big leap.

How We Test Phones

We put every phone through real-world testing, using features, playing games, and taking photos in various conditions. For performance benchmarks, we use tools like GeekBench 6 and 3DMark, and battery life is assessed both through daily use and drain tests. We also look at features like 5G support, fingerprint sensors, and charging speeds to evaluate overall value.

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