Categories: Techno

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 review: we love it, for better and for worse

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It is number 6 but it is only the 4th generation of Samsung folding smartphones in a clamshell format. The Galaxy Z Flip6 embodies the best of what can be found in the Korean, if one wishes to embark on the adventure of the folding smartphone.

And why not ? If the first generations suffered from faults that were prohibitive for the general public (weak autonomy, visible folding, finishes to be reviewed, software little or not optimized for this format), it is necessary to to see that the engineers have worked well.

In 2024, the folding smartphone benefits from a manufacturing quality worthy of a “classic” model, an attractive technical sheet and a software experience taking advantage of this very particular format. It remains to be seen which brand to turn to.

Samsung, a pioneer in this industry, has long gone it alone. But the competition has accelerated, especially last year, with models that are just as convincing, if not even more so. 2024 is therefore a pivotal year (no pun intended) for Samsung which must, through its know-how rather than its marketing power, convince that it deserves its place as leader in this market.

Precisely, the Galaxy Z Flip6 has the heavy task of showing the world that the folding clamshell smartphone is establishing itself as a credible alternative to classic smartphones which, let's face it, have a lot of difficulty in reinvent.

Is 2024 the year of switching to the Flip side ? To find out, we used the Galaxy Z Flip6 for a week. Spoiler: we really liked it, even if it remains imperfect in many aspects.

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Its design more attractive than ever

The Galaxy Z Flip6 is one of those products that you have to have in your hands to realize all the its splendor. If Samsung's marketing teams no longer have to demonstrate their talent for sublimating a product, the visuals of the Z Flip6 are still far from reality.

Without reinventing the recipe, but by refining it little by little, the Korean makes his Z Flip6 more beautiful than ever. The designers first focused their work on the hinge. From now on, the Galaxy Z Flip6 closes completely, leaving no space between the two parts of the screen once folded. This may be a small thing for you, but for some it means a lot.

Still as solid (it resists 200,000 opening/closing cycles), this hinge is for the first time waterproof and dust-resistant (IP48 certification). It also comes with Gorilla Victus 2 glass protection, the most resistant at the moment.

These adjustments help reassure consumers who feared for the lifespan of folding smartphones. Thanks to this engineering feat, the Z Flip6 should accompany its owners for a few years. Samsung also provides 7 years of software support. This Z Flip6 therefore has nothing to envy of a classic model in terms of longevity.

If its weight and dimensions hardly change, the Z Flip6 is intended to be more assertive thanks to lines inherited from the Galaxy S24 range. Its edges are more prominent, its back is flat and its finishes finer than ever. Finally, the choice of colors and the excellent handling make this Galaxy Z Flip6 a little technological gem.

Let's finish the aesthetic aspect by highlighting the excellent brightness of the internal screen. Samsung announces 2,600 nits, a record for this type of device. However, the technological limits of flexible screens do not yet make it possible to completely compensate for reflections, particularly those caused by the sun.

A very small defect that we find on all folding smartphones but which does not dampen our enthusiasm. The Galaxy Z Flip6 is a magnificent smartphone that leaves no one indifferent.

AI everywhere

Unsurprisingly, the Galaxy Z Flip6 features Galaxy AI, Samsung's artificial intelligence layer. We will not dwell on the features already extensively detailed in our tests of the Galaxy S24 and S24 Ultra.

On the other hand, it seems important to us to emphasize that Samsung has optimized Galaxy AI for folding smartphones with, in particular, some exclusive features.

This is the case for example of’Interpreter which allows, through interposed screens, to’ exchange orally with a foreign interlocutor. Each screen then transcribes the words of the other.

In order to limit interactions on the big screen, Samsung also includes suggested responses directly on the external screen. More than just quick responses, which we already know, these short sentences take up the history of previous messages (the last 7 of a same conversation) to offer responses created by the AI.

Watercolor

Sketch

Comics

Cartoon

Samsung also adds productivity tools, more relevant with a Z Fold6 than a Z Flip6, but still interesting. For example, the dictaphone with transcription, translation and summary is directly accessible from the Notes application. A mode Conference allows you to record, translate or summarize the words of a speaker, professor, politician, etc.

The rest of the new features are funny at best, anecdotal at worst. We think, for example, of the Studio Portrait (photos above) which transforms a portrait or selfie into a drawing with different styles (Comics, Cartoon, Watercolor or Sketch). Useless therefore essential ?

Its good camera

Without being the best camera phone on the market (that's not what we're asking of it), the Galaxy Z Flip6 proves convincing in this exercise. By equipping it with the 50 MP main sensor of the Galaxy S24 Series, Samsung greatly improves the photo experience on its folding clamshell smartphone.

Thus, in good light conditions, the Z Flip6 captures excellent photos. It even appears very good in low light, big black spot from the previous generation. Portraits, one of Samsung's specialties, are still just as successful.

With the ultra-wide angle not changing one iota, our conclusions are the same as last year. OK outdoors with good light, it is difficult at night or indoors with artificial lighting.

Due to lack of space, the Z Flip6 does not have a telephoto lens. This does not prevent it from capturing excellent quality photos with 2x zoom. The 4x zoom is also convincing in good light conditions. The 10x zoom is starting to run out of steam. In low light, you will have to limit yourself to a 2x zoom factor to obtain satisfactory results.

Ultra wide angle

Big angle

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2x zoom

4x zoom

10x zoom

Ultra wide-angle

Big angle

Zoom 2x

4x zoom

10x zoom

Finally, Samsung continues to take advantage of the folding format to make the photo experience more cool. The external screen can still act as a monitor, which allows you to capture group photos with a simple gesture (by saying hello to the camera) or to shoot vertical videos and stories by placing the phone on any flat surface. Perfect for content creators, video quality up to 4K at 60 fps.

The Galaxy Z Flip6 therefore never competes with market references in terms of photography but, through its versatility and its format, offers a unique creative experience.

The Galaxy Z Flip6 is equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen3 chip, latest generation of Qualcomm platforms. In theory, it offers an unparalleled level of performance and allows smartphones equipped with it to support the most demanding users.

This is the case with the Galaxy Z Flip6, which can accomplish any task without blinking. Well almost. In reality, its performance remains excellent provided you do not extend it over several tens of minutes.

Despite the integration, for the first time, of a steam cooling chamber, Samsung is having difficulty calming the enthusiasm for the Snapdragon 8 Gen3. Result: the Galaxy Z Flip6 sometimes heats up a lot, often a little too much. This is particularly the case in gaming, during photography or filming sessions extended.

In order to avoid a rise in temperature which would be fatal, Samsung therefore turned the button “throttling” to the maximum. throttling consists of relieving the chip in order to avoid overheating by reducing performance. In this specific case, the power drop oscillates between 30 and 40% in the most demanding tasks. In game, for example, we never exceed 40 fps.

Samsung is therefore integrating the Snapdragon 8 Gen3 chip primarily for marketing reasons since it does not exploit the full potential of this state-of-the-art component. That being said, we would also have criticized him if he had integrated a less efficient chip into a product in this range.

Its average autonomy and slow charging

Despite its thinness, the Galaxy Z Flip6 hides a generous 4 000 mAh battery, 300 more than its predecessor. Does this improve overall battery life compared to the Galaxy Z Flip5? Absolutely not.

The integration of a latest generation chip and brighter screens consume more energy. Thus, the Z Flip6 is just as durable as the Z Flip5 but is no better.

As we specify in all our folding smartphone tests, battery life depends on how often you open the phone. Larger and more fluid, the internal screen consumes more energy.

For the purposes of our test, we explored in depth and breadth the possibilities offered by the small external screen. Concretely, we only opened the phone when it was necessary: viewing videos, browsing social networks, sending emails, etc.

So we used the external screen to check the weather, our calendar, respond to messages or even control our music. By adopting these new habits, we achieved a day of intensive use (with games, photos and videos), a little more by limiting ourselves to standard uses.

Like its predecessors, the Galaxy Z Flip6 is therefore very far from market benchmarks, but it remains durable enough to comfortable daily use.

We could have hoped for a really fast fast charging system, but Samsung persists in capping the charging power at 25 W wired (15 W wireless).

It therefore takes more than an hour for the Z Flip6 to regain all its energy. An eternity in 2024, even more so for a model marketed at this price. The icing on the lithium, the charging block is still not supplied (and will probably never be known again).

Its price still high

The Galaxy Z Flip6 is marketed from 1 200 euros. A high price which positions it in the ultra smartphone segment high-end, such as the Galaxy S24 Ultra, the iPhone 15 Pro or the Pixel 8 Pro.

This pricing positioning upsets us for three reasons. Firstly because, despite its innovative folding format, the Z Flip6 never really competes with classic smartphones sold in this price bracket. It is particularly outdated in the field of photography, performance or even autonomy and recharging.

Next, Samsung is not reinventing the wheel. If the design of the Z Flip6 is refined and matured, the experience does not really change compared to the Galaxy Z Flip5. Some will say that Galaxy AI is reshuffling the software cards. That's true, but the Z Flip5 should inherit all the features of its successor soon.

Finally, if we look even further, the technological advances of this latest generation do not mark a clear transition from the very first models. Also, if we could understand a high price for an emerging product category, the situation is very different today.

Since the first Galaxy Z Flip, the market has expanded significantly and sales volumes have increased significantly. Logic would dictate that the prices of folding smartphones tend to fall over the years, as is the case in the majority of markets, all industries combined. However, Samsung is not lowering prices. Worse, it increases them. When it was released, the Galaxy Z Flip3 cost 1 100 euros, or 100 euros less than this Z Flip6. Of course, inflation has happened in the meantime. But it is starting to feel good about inflation.

Would 2024 be the year of foldable smartphones ? After the very convincing Razr50 Motorola Ultra, Samsung offers a near-perfect version of the clamshell folding smartphone.

The Korean company manages to correct most of the flaws of this very particular format: the external screen, more comfortable, is intended to be more practical thanks to AI, the design and finishes are impeccable and the fold is almost imperceptible (both to the sight and to the touch). Add to that, for the first time on a folding smartphone, a waterproof certification and a 7-year update tracker. Enough to reassure you about the durability of the product.

But then, where is the problem ? Samsung is ultimately trapped on points that it had managed to correct on the previous generation: performance is restricted to avoid overheating (already very present), autonomy does not improve and recharging is only fast in name.

Above all, Samsung continues to offer its Z Flip6 at 1,200 euros. The price therefore hardly drops compared to the first iterations, nor compared to the Z Flip5, while the manufacturer achieves economies of scale on numerous recycled components. Furthermore, sales volumes have increased significantly, which should automatically lower prices. Alas, this is not the case.

As a result, the Galaxy Z Flip6 may appeal to us in many aspects, but in our opinion it remains too expensive. As is often the case, we therefore advise waiting for the price to drop a little and for Samsung to bombard distributors with promotions. Otherwise, you can also opt for the Galaxy Z Flip5, which offers a similar experience for a much more affordable price at the time of writing this review.

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Teilor Stone

Teilor Stone has been a reporter on the news desk since 2013. Before that she wrote about young adolescence and family dynamics for Styles and was the legal affairs correspondent for the Metro desk. Before joining Thesaxon , Teilor Stone worked as a staff writer at the Village Voice and a freelancer for Newsday, The Wall Street Journal, GQ and Mirabella. To get in touch, contact me through my teilor@nizhtimes.com 1-800-268-7116