Samsung’s sixth-generation foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Fold 6, features improvements over its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Fold 5, but it will have to compete with new entrants like the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro, which has been a success of late. The South Korean giant is banking on its ecosystem and new advances in generative AI to give the Galaxy Z Fold 6 a leg up.

We used the phone for a month and analyzed what has really improved it, is it worth spending Rs 1.65 lakh on it?

design

Samsung has retained the form factor of its predecessor in the Galaxy Z Fold 6. However, it feels more relaxed as the even weight distribution does not strain the hand when using it. The Fold 6 weighs 239 grams, while Vivo’s X Fold 3 Pro weighed 236 grams. The matte aluminum frame offers a better grip and is also not slippery. The phone feels stable in the hand.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 design | Image credit: Haider Ali Khan

The improved hinge gives it a solid look overall. Both screens close flat without leaving a gap in between. Flexibility is equally ensured at different angles as it opens completely. The IP48 rating makes it a durable partner. Although the camera module on the back makes it uneven on a flat surface, it allows for better air circulation underneath for heat management. It does not heat up during intensive camera usage and video calls.

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The Galaxy Z Fold 6 features a 6.3-inch Dynamic 2x LTPO AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate and 2,600 nits peak brightness. It is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. The display offers a vivid output with a better dynamic range. It is highly visible even in sunlight and its 410 pixels per inch allows for maximum interaction with the phone during the day. In comparison, the X Fold 3 Pro has a 6.53-inch display and 4,500 nits peak brightness.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 display | Image credit: Haider Ali Khan

The main display offers a similar refresh rate and brightness as the cover display, but is 7.6 inches (like the Fold 5). The adaptive refresh rate now drops from 60Hz to 1Hz, which helps with battery efficiency. With its 1856 x 2160 pixel resolution, the main display is a pleasure to interact with. It’s so addictive that you won’t like other screens. The content and photos come out beautifully on it. The fold remains, but has improved over the last generation. In comparison, the X Fold 3 Pro has an 8.03-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2480 x 2200.

processor

Samsung has used Qualcomm’s top-end mobile platform, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. It has 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. This combination gives this multitasking phone enough power to run everyday applications, do editing, and play games. The same processor also powers the Z Flip 6 and all the other major flagships launched this year, including Vivo’s X Fold 3 Pro.

AI of the generation

The SD 8 Gen 3 is also good at AI tasks, which Samsung is heavily marketing in its new foldable phones. The new “Galaxy AI” gives you additional options to play with your photos and videos, makes your workday easier with call recording, summarization, note-taking help, proofreading, PDF support, allows you to transcribe live calls, creates email drafts, and has features like circle search and Google Lens integration. It also helps create full images from rough sketches and recreate selfies in artistic styles.

There is Portrait Studio that lets you turn photos into 3D cartoons, watercolors, etc. The Composer feature helps you generate text for social media and messages using prompts. The Interpreter works here too and can be a handy tool abroad as you can communicate using the internal and cover display with real-time translation.

operating system

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 runs One UI 6.1.1 based on Android 14. This allows you to run up to 8 apps on the screen at the same time. The good thing is that Samsung has you covered with 7 years of guaranteed operating system and security updates in the Fold 6.

camera

Samsung uses the same optical equipment for the Galaxy Z Fold 6 as its predecessor. It has a 50 MP main camera as well as a 12 MP ultra-wide-angle sensor and a 10 MP telephoto lens on the back. Vivo, on the other hand, offers a 50 MP lens (main lens) + 50 MP (ultra-wide angle) + 64 MP (telephoto lens) on the X Fold 3 Pro.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 camera sample | Image credit: Haider Ali Khan

The phone works well in every situation, so it’s not really the hardware changes, but the software optimization. The AI ​​gives you additional editing options.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 camera sample | Image credit: Haider Ali Khan

Shots taken in daylight are detailed enough to share without too much post-processing. Colors are well preserved and sharpness is good. There is hardly any noise during the day. Image stabilization ensures that there is enough data in an image, even when you or the subject are moving.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 camera sample | Image credit: Haider Ali Khan

The ultra-wide-angle camera has been optimized to offer much better color reproduction this time around, bringing even low-light scenes to life. It produces photos with good color accuracy and therefore looks vibrant and expressive most of the time.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 camera sample | Image credit: Haider Ali Khan

The 3x optical zoom telephoto lens does a good job. Up to 10x digital zoom, details are retained and the desired results are achieved, but the further we go, the worse the performance gets. We believe the Galaxy S24 Ultra offers better zoom.

On the front, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 has two selfie lenses: a 10MP lens on the cover screen, while the second one on the inner display offers a resolution of 4MP. The main lens shows good results during the day, while some noise can be seen at night, which is quite natural. The 4MP lens is rarely used outdoors. However, it works quite well during the day but struggles in the evening. The inner selfie lens offers huge room for improvement.

The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro featured two 32MP lenses on the cover and the inner display.

battery

Samsung has used the same 4,400mAh battery in the Galaxy Z Fold 6 as its predecessor. Since it uses the latest processor and has a better dynamic refresh rate, it’s enough to last a day. However, for gaming and binge-watching, you’ll need to plug it in twice a day.

If you interact more with the main display, the battery life may change. However, if you interact mostly with the display, the battery life may last longer than a day.

It takes time to charge because it supports 25W wired charging and the charger is not included in the box. You will need more than an hour to fully charge it, but if it has about 30% power left, it will take about 30 minutes to reach 80%.

Its competitor Vivo X Fold 3 Pro, meanwhile, has a 5,700 mAh battery and a 120 W charger included.

Verdict

Samsung presents an improved foldable phone with the Galaxy Z Fold 6, to which it has made mostly incremental changes. The integration of Galaxy AI makes it even more productive and helps users get through the day with better support on many fronts, but it does require human moderation. The actual hand feel and durability are a huge advantage, along with the generation’s improved AI capabilities.

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 offers a more vibrant display compared to its predecessor and improved overall performance with the new processor. The camera impresses with its genuine intent. The fold is minimal, but it remains.

However, the phone is priced at ₹ 1,64,999 for 12GB + 256GB, which is ₹ 10,000 higher than the Z Fold 5. Samsung is the market leader in the foldable space and is now on its sixth generation, so the company must be trying to make foldable devices accessible to a larger, if not all, audience.

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is compared with the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro, which retails for ₹ 159,999.