Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 Review – Refining the Foldable Experience

Unboxing the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6

Starting off our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 review with the unboxing, the packaging is similar to last year, with the model name on the bottom and a picture of the device taking centerstage. The key difference here is where last year’s picture is the rear when it’s unfolded, this year’s one is the rear while folded, viewed from the side with a shadow of it present. Inside the box, we found the following items:

• USB-C to USB-C cable
• Documentations
• SIM Ejector tool
• The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 itself

Specifications

Model:	Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6
CPU:	Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, 4nm
GPU:	Adreno 750
RAM:	12GB
Display:	Main Screen 7.6″ QXGA+ (2160 x 1856), Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity Flex Display, 1Hz to 120Hz, 2,600 nits (peak), S Pen support, HDR10+, 374ppi  Cover Display 6.3″ HD+ (2312 x 904) Dynamic AMOLED 2X display, 48Hz to 120Hz, 402ppi, Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Storage:	256GB / 512GB / 1TB UFS 4.0 (not expandable)
Camera:	Main Camera(s) 50MP f/1.8 wide angle camera with Dual Pixel AF, OIS 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide angle camera, 123°, 10MP f/2.4 telephoto camera with PDAF, OIS, 30x Space Zoom (3x Optical) Cover Camera 10MP f/2.2 wide-angle cameraUnder Display Camera 4MP f/1.8 wide-angle camera
OS:	Android 14, One UI 6
Audio:	Stereo speakers, Dolby Atmos
Connectivity:	Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax 2.4GHz, 5GHz, 6GHz, HE160, MIMO, 1024-QAM Bluetooth 5.3 5G Band: SA/NSA/Sub6 LTE-A (7CA) Cat20 2000/200 Mbps
SIM:	Hybrid Sim (2 x NanoSIM and 1 x eSIM)
Battery:	Li-Po 4400 mAh (non-removable) dual battery 25W Fast Charging, 15W Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 Wireless PowerShare
Dimensions:	Unfolded 153.5 x 132.6 x 5.6 mm Folded 153.5 x 68.1 x 12.9 mm
Weight:	239g
Ingress protection:	IP48
Colors:	Pink, Silver Shadow, Navy, Crafted Black, White

Performance

Starting off our benchmark suite with Antutu v10, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 performed well enough, though it is lesser than the S24 and S24 Ultra. Sure, it does have an improvement over its predecessor but it’s not by a big margin, and the Ultra’s score also illustrates the foldable’s true potential. As soon as I saw this, i knew why things turned out this way but I’ll save that for a slightly later section.

Moving on to Geekbench 6, the Z Fold6 had a strong showing with quite a high single core score though the multi core performance is a little lower than expected. It’s still powerful, don’t get me wrong, but I’m starting to see more cases of thermals potentially being an issue. After all, the Z Flip6, the other foldable by the Korean giant, had a lower score despite running the same chip.

Then on 3DMark’s Wild Life Unlimited, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 had a score that is more on par to its predecessor, which surprised me. I expected it to match up or exceed the Z Flip6 ever so slightly but that is not the case here. Taking into account all the results thus far and with the stress test listing its stability rating at 52.3%, it does suffer from thermal throttling quite a bit.

Lastly on PCMark Work 3.0, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 had admirable scores, and it matches up with the Z Flip6 since the difference is negligible. The S24 Ultra had the higher score but as an everyday device, this foldable would be the more versatile option that could work better to improve your productivity since you can move from the smaller cover display to the larger main display anytime you please.

As for battery life, it’s interesting that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 outlasted its predecessor for the cover display but lost when it came to the main display. One might say it’s because the main display is brighter which will take up more battery but that shouldn’t be the case since we’ve disabled adaptive brightness and ensured all devices are running on the same level (nits) for a fair comparison. Safe to say, the difference between this and last year’s model is negligible, but it’s interesting to see the improvements over the years despite having the same battery capacity.

If you’re curious about the charging speed, here’s what we managed to get from 2% battery using a 3rd party 100W GaN charger:

• 15 minutes = 34%
• 30 minutes = 52%
• 45 minutes = 68%
• 60 minutes = 84%
• 80 minutes = 100%

Keep in mind that it only supports up to 25W for charging regardless of how powerful the charger being used is.

Camera

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 has quite a reliable camera system. Pictures usually turn out great with even minor details being picked up and focused on well, along with the brand’s signature punchy colors. The main camera itself excels in pretty much anything you throw at it, even low-light, while the ultrawide has blander colors and has an odd softening effect in the dark. I expected the telephoto to be the same as last year but it feels like it does 10x zoom noticeably better than last year, with pictures looking more crisp than expected. I still wouldn’t go past that range for zoom however, but up to 10x is certainly plenty.

As you may know, the Fold series has always had two selfie cameras (three if you count using the main camera in Flex Mode), and the worst is always the under-display camera on the main display, which you can easily tell from the pictures above. It seems to be pretty much on par with what we have in last year’s model, though it does look a little bit better when you have good lighting. Given the nature of the device however, you will likely be using the main camera for selfies since the option is there anyway, and using either of the front cameras for video calls will be more than sufficient.

Personally, I’m pleased with the performance of the cameras across the board, and while some can be better, it’s definitely one you can rely on. With that being said however, I hope to see some major changes in the next iteration as the camera hardware feels outdates since it’s been the same thing for the past few years.

If you’re looking for the Flip-style foldable, check out our Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 review by clicking right here.

The Good

There are a number of reasons to consider getting the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6. For starters, we’ve had some notable improvements in its build, especially durability, that would make it more ideal as a daily driver. While most people won’t notice improvements in the hinges and the general folding mechanism as it practically feels the same, the biggest one is the addition of dust resistance for the first time. Previously, it was IPX8 but now, it has been bumped up to IP48, and while that may not seem like much, it’s a major step forward for foldables.

Another thing about the build that you would definitely notice is the weight, as they manage to shave off 14g. This puts it at 239g, making it weigh almost the same as the S24 Ultra at 234g. Moreover, it managed to slim down by 0.5mm when it’s unfolded and 1.3mm when it’s folded. You might underestimate the weight loss given that it looks almost the same as before but this makes it much easier to hold and wield the Z Fold6. If it’s not clear enough, you will understand it as soon as you hold one, especially if you can directly compare it the Z Fold5.

This part shouldn’t be a surprise given it’s an area that Samsung has been excelling in, and it’s the displays. These are some of the best in its class for sure, being Dynamic AMOLED 2X displays for both the main and cover screens, with the main display itself seeing improvements in brightness. It’s not just about having a brighter screen as colors would appear richer as well. If it could have the same anti-reflective coating from the S24 Ultra, it would have been perfect but that might be hard to do for foldables at this point in time.

Furthermore, the cover screen has seen an increase in size by 0.1-inches. That might seem like a joke, and I thought it was ridiculous when I first saw it on paper, but it surprisingly made a big difference. While the UI still looks pretty much the same, it feels easier to type on compared to before. They managed to do this without increasing the size, likely because they got the extra screen real estate by shaving off the bezels.

One thing that sets it apart from other foldables isn’t just the software but also the S Pen support. It’s not just a matter of being able to write on such a big screen but the ability to interact and execute actions using gestures make it so much more enjoyable to use. Combine that with advancements in Galaxy AI, such as real-time translations, generative editing for pictures, and Circle to Search, you get quite an insane productivity workhorse unlike anything you’d ever experience in a smartphone. Adding on to that, it feels like Galaxy AI has its true potential unleashed here more than ever given the foldable nature.

Next up, the speakers on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 sound great. It’s adequately loud while the sound quality is nice and clear with a tiny hint of bass. Because of the top and bottom-firing arrangement, you get well-balanced audio regardless of whether you’re using it folded or unfolded. Coupled together with the large main screen and you get yourself a multimedia beast so good, you really don’t need a tablet unless you intentionally want a bigger screen, but you’ll likely rely on a laptop at that point.

Lastly, Samsung has upped the ante when it comes to longevity as it has bumped up from 5 years worth of software and security updates with 4 major OS upgrades to a whopping 7 years of software and security updates with 7 major OS upgrades guaranteed. In case you’re wondering, this also applies to the Z Flip6. I’m personally not sure if this foldable can last as long as the updates but if you’re the kind who changes once in a blue moon, this is as ideal as it gets.

The Bad

As good as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 is, it has its share of drawbacks. For starters, while it’s great that they did increase the cover screen’s size, I was expecting more. Perhaps make it a little wider by bumping it up to 6.4 or 6.5 inches, which will also result in a bigger main display that I’m sure most people would prefer, and the added real estate could also more space to fit in a bigger battery. If industry insider information turned out to be accurate, it’s likely kept this way intentionally to pave the way for the rumored Z Fold Slim / Ultra.

Speaking of which, the battery capacity being unchanged is a bit of a disappointment. Sure, the battery life isn’t bad but if it could see even a small bump to 4,700mAh for example, it would naturally last longer, which many would certainly appreciate. It’s not just the battery either as I expected the charging speed to be higher. I don’t expect it to go as high as 100W or anything close to it but matching up to the S24 Ultra’s 45W would have been a great start.

Lastly, and this has been the running theme for this series of foldables, is the price. The most affordable variant with 256GB of storage and the priciest one with 1TB of storage are retailing for RM7,299 and RM9,099, an increase of RM500 and RM800 respectively from its predecessor. 12GB RAM is the standarrd across the board. This is far from easy price to stomach for most people, but it’s likely still difficult to keep manufacturing costs low and the weakening of the Malaysian currency certainly doesn’t help.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 managed to make a great foldable smartphone even better, but the price is also even further out of reach for a lot of consumers. While it had some notable improvements and I do like the fact that it has a similar look to the S24 Ultra, I believe it’s overdue for a major design overhaul in terms of real estate and screen size. Alternatively, introduce the bigger version as a whole new entry while keeping this shape and form as the “more affordable” fold.

At the end of our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 review, I award this foldable smartphone with our Silver Pokdeward.

Big thanks to Samsung Malaysia for sending us this smartphone for the purpose of this review.