At this point, folding phones are an established category, and with their cost slowly declining, some out there might be considering taking the plunge for the first time. Unlike the Galaxy Z Flip 6, the more expensive Z Fold 6 arguably offers more utility because it's a tiny tablet you can slide into your pocket.
But does it feature notable upgrades over last year's Z Fold 5? Unfortunately, not really. Welcome to the world of luxury smartphones and iterative updates. Still, the Z Fold 6 is an all-around solid device with very few compromises. If you already own the Z Fold 4 or Z Fold 5, the new model doesn't include much beyond a more squared-off design, a slightly wider Cover Display and a minor upgrade to its ultra-wide camera.
With that in mind, if you were hoping this would be the year Samsung stopped coasting with its Fold line and offered meaningful changes, I'm sorry to say you'll be sorely disappointed with the Z Fold 6.
Price, availability, and specs
Regarding specs, you'll be very familiar with what the Z Fold 6 offers if you're a Fold 5 user. First off, the overall build is smaller, coming in at 6.4 x 5.21 x 0.22-inches (135.5 x 132.6 x 5.6mm) when unfolded and 6.04 x 2.68 x 0.48-inches (153.5 x 68.1 x 12.1mm) when folded, versus the Fold 5's 6.10 x 5.12 x 0.24-inches (154.9 x 130.1 x 6.1mm) and 6.10 x 2.64 x 0.43-inches (154.9 x 67.1 x 13.4mm), respectively. It's also lighter at 8.43oz (239g) compared to the Fold 5's 8.92oz (253g), but in practice, I didn't notice much of a difference.
On the display front, the Cover Screen is 6.3-inches (968 x 2,376) compared to the Fold 5's 4.6-inches (720 x 1,680), while the inner, unfolded screen is still 7.6-inches, with a slightly different resolution (1,856 x 2,160 compared to 1,812 x 2,176) due to the slight change in folded and unfolded screen size. Peak brightness now hits 2,600 nits, just like the Galaxy S24 line, but the upgrade isn't that noticeable.
The Fold 6 features Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 built on 4nm technology, a step up over last year's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. RAM continues to clock in at 12GB, however. On the camera front, there's one notable change -- the new 12-megapixel ultra-wide shooter. This sensor is flanked by the same 50-megapixel main and 12-megapixel telephoto with 3x zoom. The lackluster 4-megapixel inner under display camera and 10-megapixel outer shooter return as well. Stylus support is back this year, but I didn't get the chance to test that feature out myself. With that in mind, the S Pen is again not included with the smartphone like it was with the defunct Note line.
Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 6 starts at $1,900 for the 256GB storage configuration and goes all the way up to $2,200 for the 1TB storage tier (it's currently on sale for $2,020). This year's colors include 'crafted' black and white as Samsung Store exclusive options, alongside pink, navy and silver shadow. The smartphone is available as of July 24.
Build and design
The power-user foldable
Unlike the Flip 6, which aims to appeal to a wider audience through its cute, fun design, the Fold 6 is designed with a more pro-user in mind. Have you ever wanted a pocketable tablet and don't mind your main device being thicker than the average phone? Maybe Samsung's phone-to-desktop DeX platform fits perfectly into the way you work and consume content? Then this is the pricey phone for you. Only this very specific subset of users will get enough out of Samsung's latest foldable to make its high cost worthwhile.
My fondness for the Fold 6 fades when it's time to fold it up and take it on the go.
During my time with the Z Fold 5, I frequently wondered if it was the right phone for me. Sure, it's great to unfold the device and experience its sprawling 120Hz capable 7.6-inch screen in all its glory, and it does genuinely look great, rivaling the Galaxy S23 Ultra's, Pixel 8's and iPhone 15 Pro's display quality under most lighting conditions. Unfortunately, my fondness for the Fold 6 fades when it's time to fold it up and take it on the go. Its thickness makes it fit awkwardly in my pocket despite being thinner than last year's Fold 5, and the Cover Display, unfortunately, still doesn't feel quite right (more on this later).
Beyond these changes, the Fold 6 features an overall boxier design, similar to the Flip 6. This gives the foldable a refined look and makes it easier to hold, particularly when not unfolded and using only the Cover Screen. The same responsive, clicky buttons are back, including the power button and volume rocker, and feel as great as they did last year. The overall build quality of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 remains solid, too. It feels like it could handle minor drops thanks to its fluid, closed-off hinge and matte rear. However, it still doesn't feel quite as solid as a standard phone, so if you're prone to dropping your device like I am, it might not be the device for you. Samsung offers one free screen repair and screen protector replacement within two years of purchase if you buy the device directly from it, offering a bit of extra assurance.
When it comes to this year's colors, pink (which is featured in this review) stands out as my favorite. It's more off-white than pink, and looks great thanks to the Fold 6's matte rear. It's a bit flashy, but also low-key and exactly what I want from a new phone. Beyond the above changes, the Fold 6 looks nearly identical to the Fold 5, with the only other notable difference being the revamped camera bump with black ribbed outlines around each lens. It's a minor design shift I'm not fond of because last year's lenses blended better with the rear of the device.
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