Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 review: Sammy’s finest flip yet flatters to deceive

At a glanceExpert’s Rating ProsSuperb performanceGreat internal displayExcellent main cameraImproved dust resistanceSeven years of updatesConsAwkward cover screenUnderwhelming battery lifeSlow chargingProne to overheatingOur VerdictThe Z Flip 6 is the best flip phone Samsung has made by far, with impactful upgrades to the main camera, dust resistance and software support. But the cover screen is still more frustrating than fun and other issues stop it being the best flip phone of 2024. Best Prices Today: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 Retailer Price €937.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Despite its name, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is Samsung’s fifth flip phone in as many years, with the company skipping the ‘2’ branding. For the first few generations, it was the clear market leader, with no realistic alternative in the UK and US. But more recently, Motorola’s revamped Razr Ultra (also known as Razr+) line has offered strong competition. That’s especially true in 2024, where the Razr 50 Ultra/Razr+ (2024) offers a compelling experience for less money than Samsung. Does the Z Flip 6 do enough to re-establish it as the go-to flip phone brand? I spent a week using it as my main smartphone to find out. Design & Build Near-identical design to Z Flip 5 Premium build, including robust hinge Improved IP48 water and dust resistance The design of the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is almost identical to its predecessor, for better and for worse. It functions just like any other clamshell foldable, with a large, regular phone screen that folds in half to reveal a small cover display. Samsung has stuck with the same 3.4-inch panel for the latter, despite Motorola increasing the cover screen of its Razr 50 Ultra to 4 inches. Mattias Inghe Mattias Inghe Mattias Inghe By comparison, the Z Flip 6’s cover screen looks dated, with fairly chunky bezels around the screen. These end abruptly at the bottom to make room for the cameras and flash. I don’t want to make this a comparison review, but the Razr 50 Ultra’s version covers pretty much the entire front of the phone – I can’t see why Samsung can’t do the same. Opening the device reveals a much more modern-looking internal display, though there are a couple of clear giveaways that it’s a foldable. The Z Flip 6’s cover screen looks dated, with fairly chunky bezels around the screen The most obvious one is the crease, which separates the screen into two halves. It’s a common concern for people new to a folding phone, but Samsung has minimised its impact. You can only see it when looking from an angle, while the subtle indent has no tangible effect on scrolling. You’ll also have to make do with plastic around the edge of the display, which looks a little cheap but helps cushion the phone when it’s being closed. Even if you shut it with some force, there’ll be no damage to the screen inside. And that impressive durability is a running theme for the Z Flip 6. Elsewhere, the device is made from a tough blend of Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (which promises to survive drops of up to 1m onto hard surfaces) and aluminium. The latter extends to the hinge, which feels impressively robust. Unless you’re very heavy-handed, I’d be confident in it surviving several years of daily usage. I was able to open and close the device one-handed (albeit with some difficulty), and unlike early versions, the Z Flip 6 folds completely flat. Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry Samsung has also upgraded the dust resistance, with the Z Flip 6 (and Z Fold 6) now boasting an IP48 rating. This is the first time its foldables have had official protection from dust, with any ‘solid objects larger than 1mm’ unable to penetrate. However, as I found out at the beach, it’s still vulnerable to smaller particles such as sand, where grains can temporarily get lodged in the hinge mechanism. I can’t see how you’d get the full protection on a folding phone, though, so it’s a sacrifice you must make. The ‘8’ in IP48 means the Z Flip 6 retains flagship-level water resistance, with the device rated to survive submersion in up to 1.5m of fresh water for up to 30 minutes. If you’ve never used a flip phone before, it’s also worth emphasising just how compact the Z Flip 6 is. When folded, it’s much thicker than a regular phone, but takes up around half of the total footprint. Combined with a weight of just 187g, I often couldn’t even tell when it was in my pocket. Flip phones in general can be a game-changer for women, who often have to put up with much smaller pockets. Samsung continues to build a fingerprint scanner into the power button, and it’s naturally positioned on the right when open or closed. I found this generally fast and reliable, though there were a few more failed attempts than I was hoping. Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry The Z Flip 6 also features a new range of with Blue, Yellow, Mint and Silver Shadow widely available and Crafted Black, White and Peach exclusive to the company’s website. I tested the Blue version for this review, which is fairly pale and nondescript, as are the Yellow and Mint (shown in photos here) that I’ve also seen in person. Regardless of the colour you choose, the bottom half of the back of the phone has a grippy matt coating over the glass, which limits visible fingerprint smudges and makes it comfortable to use case-free. A subtle tweak this year is that the cameras have colour-matched rings around them, which may be divisive. The final thing to mention in this section is the haptic feedback, which matches the S24 Ultra and Z Fold 6 as some of the best around. You can expect subtle yet realistic vibrations while typing, switching between apps, taking photos and more. The intensity of this feedback can be customised, or it can be turned off altogether. Screens & Speakers 3.4-inch AMOLED cover screen 6.7-inch AMOLED internal display, 120Hz LTPO Dual stereo speakers I wish Samsung had made the Z Flip 6’s cover screen bigger, but I can’t complain about the quality of either display here. Both the 6.7-inch (1080 x 2640) internal panel and 3.4-inch (720 x 748) cover display are excellent OLEDs, offering rich, vibrant colours and deep blacks. Neither are the highest resolution around, but detail and clarity certainly aren’t lacking. Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry The cover screen is primarily functional, showing at-a-glance information or slimmed-down versions of apps. It’s not where you’ll be watching movies or scrolling social media, so it should come as no surprise that the internal display has a few extra features. I wish Samsung had made the Z Flip 6’s cover screen bigger, but I can’t complain about the quality of either display here Alongside that higher resolution, the main one is a 120Hz refresh rate (as opposed to 60Hz), ensuring navigating the phone feels extra fluid and responsive. As an LTPO panel, it can automatically drop as low as 1Hz to save power, though there’s no way to fix it at anything above 60Hz. I also recorded a maximum brightness of 693 nits, significantly higher than the 426 nits that the cover screen can output. But crucially, both are clearly visible in bright outdoor environments, especially if you turn off auto brightness and turn on the ‘Extra brightness’ mode. Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry The Z Flip 6 boasts the usual dual stereo speaker setup, with one downward-firing speaker combining with the earpiece. The audio is full-bodied, combining strong clarity with a nice hit of bass and avoids distortion at high volumes. Specs & Performance Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen for Galaxy chipset and 12GB RAM Strong performance, but prone to overheating 256- or 512GB of non-expandable storage Like most Android flagships in 2024, the Z Flip 6 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Specifically, it’s the ‘For Galaxy’ version we’ve seen on the S24 Ultra and Z Fold 6, which means it’s been overclocked slightly compared to Qualcomm’s regular chipset. Unlike the regular Galaxy S24 and S24+, there’s no shift to the Exynos 2400 in certain regions. From testing both versions of the S24+, we know that this is a good move for the Z Flip 6. Circle to Search on the Galaxy Z Flip 6 Circle to Search on the Galaxy Z Flip 6Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry Circle to Search on the Galaxy Z Flip 6Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry If you’ve read any reviews of a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered phone, nothing I say about performance will come as a surprise. The Z Flip 6 delivers consistently superb performance across a range of scenarios. Across the likes of web browsing, calls and texts, social media, watching videos and taking and viewing photos, there was no slowdown or hesitation whatsoever. Switching between apps is rapid, as is using two apps side-by-side in ‘Flex Mode’ or displaying information on the internal and cover displays simultaneously. As expected, this strong performance extends to gaming. The likes of Asphalt Legends Unite, Genshin Impact and PUBG Mobile were all smooth and lag-free, making for a really enjoyable experience. The Z Flip 6 delivers consistently superb performance across a range of scenarios At least for a while, anyway. The Z Flip 6’s tendency to overheat made the back of the phone uncomfortably hot to the touch after just a few minutes. Over time, this resulted in a drop in frame rate. More frustrating is the device can get hot even during general everyday usage. I understand that the folding mechanism makes heat management more difficult, but I was hoping for better from a fifth-generation phone. Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry In terms of storage, you can choose between 256- and 512GB on the Z Flip 6. There’s no support for expandable storage, though, so make sure you get enough. Either way, you get a healthy 12GB of RAM which is 50% more than the Z Flip 5. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 benchmarks Cameras Upgraded 50Mp main sensor 12Mp ultrawide, but no telephoto 10Mp internal selfie camera The Galaxy Z Flip 6 boasts a significant camera upgrade. Samsung has replaced the 12Mp sensor from the Z Flip 5 with a 50Mp one, bringing it in line with both the Galaxy S24 and S24+. Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry Megapixel count doesn’t directly correlate to image quality, but I’m pleased to report a big step forward for photos from the main lens. The biggest improvement is consistency. The Z Flip 6’s main camera takes detailed, well-exposed shots almost every time, while retaining the excellent dynamic range of its predecessor. The Z Flip 6’s main camera takes detailed, well-exposed shots almost every time In colourful environments, photos are vivid and eye-catching, albeit not quite true to life with the typical colour saturation Samsung historically prefers. This is less of an issue in more muted scenarios, where images are much more accurate. However, I was consistently impressed with the photos the phone took of both urban environments and the natural world. In low-light scenarios, the long-exposure night mode automatically kicks in, though you can toggle it off. It makes a marked difference to the brightness, while retaining key details and minimising noise. Night mode off (left) and on (right) You’ll also be using the main lens for portrait-style photos. The Z Flip 6 produces an attractive background blur (that you can adjust before you take the shot), while edge detection is generally good. It’s not quite Honor 200 Pro-level, but impressive nonetheless. Overall, I don’t see a significant drop-off in quality compared to the S24 Ultra’s 200Mp main sensor, which is a big compliment. And unlike some phones, I wasn’t reluctant to switch to the 12Mp ultrawide lens. There is a small drop-off in dynamic range and exposure is more variable, but it didn’t stop me capturing some great photos that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. The image from the main lens (left) is better than the ultrawide (right), but there isn’t much in it Samsung continues to prioritise an ultrawide lens over a telephoto, with Motorola taking the opposite approach on the Razr 50 Ultra. It means the Z Flip 6 isn’t the phone to buy if zoom shots are important to you – the digital version becomes grainy at anything beyond 2x, and doesn’t go beyond 10x. If I had to choose between the two, I’d go for an ultrawide. But the lack of a telephoto would be frustrating at the likes of concerts, and I think the goal for future flip phones should be to include both. It’s also worth mentioning the internal camera available when the phone is unfolded, which remains a 10Mp sensor. It’s fine for video calls, but I’d highly recommend using the main camera to take higher-quality selfies instead. You still get a preview of the shot on the cover screen, and still get the option for that background blur. See more of my camera samples in the slideshow below: The Z Flip 6’s main lens can capture video in up to 4K at 60fps, with OIS (optical image stabilisation) ensuring it remains mostly steady. Footage is above average when it comes to Android phones, but still a disappointment compared to stills. The iPhone remains the gold standard in this area. Battery Life & Charging Upgraded 4000mAh battery 25W wired charging 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless Samsung has upgraded the battery capacity on the Z Flip 6 – it’s now a 4000mAh cell. For context, that’s the same as the Motorola Razr 50 Ultra, but still well behind most non-folding phones. Unfortunately, it shows. The Z Flip 6’s battery life is underwhelming, to the extent that I was often worried about making it through a full day. These were generally heavier usage days, involving GPS, high brightness and lots of mobile data usage – things will be more comfortable if you’re working from home, for example. Dominik Tomaszewski /