Not just AI: The Galaxy Z Fold 6 surprised us

Although Google just announced its new high-end foldable smartphone a few days ago, it's Samsung that brought foldable smartphones with flexible screens into the mainstream. This year, they're already releasing the sixth generation (or fifth, depending on how you count). Yes, we’ve already reviewed the smaller and more accessible Flip 6 here, but the device that truly embodies the foldable smartphone concept—both literally and figuratively—is the more expensive Fold. It offers a larger screen in your pocket without taking up the space of a large screen. And, of course, you'll pay more for it. So, what’s new in the Galaxy Z Fold 6? We received it for review. 

Design and Build

Compared to last year's Galaxy Z Fold, the Fold 6 is lighter and slimmer. The difference may seem minor—just over a millimeter in thickness when closed and 14 grams less—but in hand, the device feels significantly lighter, no longer resembling a brick. The external screen has grown slightly, now 6.3 inches instead of 6.2. The design is largely similar to last year’s model, but this time it comes with an IP48 rating, making it resistant to water up to 1.5 meters and particles larger than 1 millimeter—think ants, not dust.

The colors and finish are impressive this year. I received the device in a space gray-silver shade that catches the eye, although it does pick up fingerprints. The back is sleek, with three rear cameras arranged vertically alongside a flash. The camera module causes a slight wobble when placed flat on a surface. As usual, the Samsung logo is etched on the hinge, and the front is all screen with a front camera at the top center.

In the “open book” mode, the power and volume buttons sit on the right side, with the power button doubling as a fingerprint scanner. The SIM tray is on the left side, and the phone supports eSIM, as with most modern smartphones. The speakers are located at the top, with a USB-C port at the bottom. There are four microphones in total—three at the top and one at the bottom—ensuring clear audio.

Screen and Sound

One major improvement in the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is the enhanced screen resolution. The main display now has a resolution of 2160x1856 pixels (a 4K screen at 7.6 inches), with brightness more than doubling from 1200 nits to 2600. The external screen has also been extended by a tenth of an inch, with a resolution of 2376x968 pixels and a more flexible refresh rate, ranging from 1 to 120Hz.

As with previous Samsung AMOLED screens, the result is an outstanding picture on a flexible display. The fold at the center is almost unnoticeable, likely due to the screen’s higher brightness. There’s also a choice between natural and vivid color modes—I opted for natural. In either case, the display is excellent, offering detailed and rich colors.

The sound quality is equally impressive, especially when holding the device in landscape mode, where the stereo speakers sit on either side. Dolby Atmos support makes a noticeable difference, and there are sound-enhancing features like an equalizer and age-based sound amplification. The result is crystal-clear audio for any listener.

The square main screen can be a bit annoying when watching rectangular-shaped movies, as zooming in cuts off parts of the sides. To fix this, you can use the external rectangular screen, which works great. The hinge even allows the device to be propped up as a viewing stand. In short, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is a perfect companion for watching movies on the go.

Camera

In terms of hardware, the Galaxy Z Fold 6’s camera system remains the same as last year’s, featuring five cameras in total: a 50-megapixel main rear camera, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens, and a 10-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. Additionally, there’s a 10-megapixel front camera and a 4-megapixel under-display camera. While the under-display camera is a technological feat, it feels redundant compared to the front camera.

This year’s camera improvements are software-based, thanks to AI. As with last year, there are no complaints, and Samsung continues to provide an excellent photography experience in most lighting conditions. AI offers advanced editing options, such as blurring or removing items from images—no Photoshop needed.

The cameras capture beautiful daytime and nighttime photos, and the video quality, including slow motion, is impressive. However, the 30x zoom can sometimes produce noisy images with overly saturated colors.

Another feature is the “Samsung Moon,” where the camera uses AI to “complete details” and produce perfect moon shots—perhaps too perfect. Depending on your preference, you can either capture a natural shot or let the AI work its magic and impress your friends.

Performance and AI

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is a performance beast, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip and 12GB of RAM. In benchmark tests like Wild Life Extreme, it outperformed the Samsung S24 series and even the iPhone 15 Pro, achieving incredible scores.

The device also excels in AI capabilities, from text and voice translation to real-time transcription and image creation. While some features, like the voice translator, don’t yet support Hebrew, the writing, translation, and summarization tools work flawlessly.

Battery Life

The Galaxy Z Fold 6’s battery, divided into two, remains the same as last year, with a capacity of 4,400mAh. It supports 25W fast charging and wireless charging, though it still lacks the new Qi2 standard. Battery life is impressive, lasting up to two days under average use, and slightly more than a full workday with heavy use.

The Bottom Line

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is an impressive Android smartphone in nearly every aspect we tested. It offers a wide and large display when you need it and folds into a more compact form that fits in your pocket (it’s still a tall device, but not significantly thicker than a regular smartphone). It’s genuinely hard to find faults with the Fold 6, except for one: the price. The 256GB version of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 costs NIS 7,000, and in Eilat, it will cost you a bit less than NIS 6,000. It’s still a substantial expense for a smartphone, as you could buy a high-quality laptop for that price.

Here’s the real issue: unless you have an irresistible urge for a flexible screen and a foldable smartphone or a specific need for a large display you can carry in your pocket, this is indeed a high price for a smartphone. The second justification for spending seven thousand shekels on a smartphone is if you plan to use it as a laptop replacement by connecting it to a keyboard and large display, which is definitely possible with the wireless DeX option, especially with the added AI capabilities this year. In conclusion, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is a highly successful foldable smartphone, if you have the funds.