As the smaller of the two Samsung foldable phones launched last month, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is the one that’s easier to sell. It’s smaller to hold, follows a once-familiar clamshell design and is cheaper as well.
Okay, it doesn’t come with the same large screen that can be unfolded on the bulkier Galaxy Z Fold 6, but the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is made less for productivity than convenience and great looks.
For starters, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 slips into a pocket more easily than a regular candybar phone when it’s folded. At 187g, it’s also not going to be a drag, either.
At the same time, the handy 3.4-inch screen on the cover is large enough to pop up messages and lets you get quick responses out without having to flip open the 6.6-inch main screen.
Notably, Samsung has kept to the rounded corners on the Galaxy Z Flip 6, even though it has made the Galaxy Z Fold 6’s edges more angular. Is this to keep the flip phone, a popular model for women, from becoming too masculine?
Hard to say, though, as a guy, I’d be happy to carry the Galaxy Z Flip 6 around. Yes, it does resemble a lipstick case but the appeal of clamshell phones has been there since the early late 1990s. It’s the convenience that wins.
Still on design, another thing I like about the new Samsung phone is the near-flat state the phone is in when you unfold it.
When you fold it, the two parts close up perfectly. This is neat and speaks of the precision of the manufacturing. Plus, the matt finish on the phone is classy. Yes, this Samsung flip phone is a looker.
Sure, the crease is still ever slightly visible, but on this flip phone, it seems a little less obvious than the Galaxy Z Fold 6. Perhaps that has a larger screen.
Like with its bigger brother, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is said to have its hinges toughened up. This means less worry, if you’re the type with buttery fingers, like me.
This is especially important when you have to open and close the phone over time, especially with one hand. In other words, possibly losing grip of the device every once in a while (no, I did not drop it while testing my phone!).
The decently sharp screen (760 x 748 resolution) on the cover, for me, is handy for quick responses to messages and simply getting updated, say, about your health stats or stock prices.
Only issue is the lack of apps – outside of the core ones – that make use of this screen. Note also that it only has 60Hz refresh rate. Good news is, the 3.4-inch screen is a still Super AMOLED display that looks bright and vibrant even in sunny Singapore.
The large main screen, by contrast, sports Full HD+ resolution. When unfolded, it gives you useful real estate to scroll through websites.
For YouTube shorts and TikTok videos, you’d expect this bright Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen to fill up nicely in the vertical format as well.
The main screen comes with 120Hz refresh rate, which can show decently fast motion in games or videos, for example. But mostly, this helps to make the app animations and other everyday interface presentations more fluid.
It helps, of course, to have a top-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, along with 12GB of memory onboard. This powerhouse engine is packed into the Galaxy Z Flip 6 along with 256GB or 512GB of storage.
I didn’t play games extensively on the Galaxy Z Flip 6, because the elongated screen just isn’t as attractive as the large, more squarish Galaxy Z Fold 6.
That said, when I fired up Dead by Daylight on the phone, the survivor game played smoothly. Despite having the graphics dialled up to the max, the new Samsung phone has the horsepower to run this game, as well as other similarly demanding apps today.
What of the AI smarts that Samsung has been heavily promoting? Well, a lot of the apps are handy and fun to try out but what stands out for me, as I mentioned in the Galaxy Z Fold 6 review, is the translation and summary apps.
The live translation feature lets you speak with someone in a different language and have it translated instantly, which is a great help on your travels.
The summary app, like many already on your PC, for example, is useful to quickly get the gist of a report you want to catch up on. It’s great for busy executives.
When it comes to imaging, Samsung has boosted the rear camera resolutions to 50 megapixels on the wide-angle camera and 12 megapixels for the ultra-wide. This means an upgrade from last year’s dual-12-megapixel setup.
The wide-angle lens, which you’d use most often, is great for everyday shots like food and people. It offers good contrast, colour vibrancy and a decent amount of detail.
For example, you can see the texture of, say, condiments on a bowl of noodles, or the sharp lines along building structures. The contrast also catches the eye, bringing images a notch up over, say, my own Galaxy A54 mid-range phone.
Just as importantly, the camera also captures images in dim settings well, at least most of the time. In restaurants with low lighting, for example, it does well enough to make the dishes look good.
In dark settings, say, in a park, Samsung seems to have improved on the algorithm as well, not overly brightening up a night sky all the time. Unfortunately, in some instances, it still does with the Night Mode. I seem to have better luck with the Galaxy Z Fold 6.
The flip phone’s ultra-wide camera, while useful, sometimes feel like it could offer a wider perspective. Great for capturing some holiday selfies but at times you wish it could capture more of the background.
Of course, the flip format also lets you do some creative shots. You can flip the phone and see a preview while setting up a selfie, for example.
When I used the Galaxy Z Flip 6, the battery easily lasted a day without worrying about needing a recharge. Part of the reason, I suspect, is that I don’t have to flip open the large screen all the time.
Notably, the Galaxy Z Flip 6’s battery pack has been upgraded from the 3,700mAh in last year’s model to 4,000mAh this year. That’s just under 10 per cent improvement but you’d expect apps to be more enhanced and optimised over time as well.
On the whole, the new Samsung flip phone is a nice upgrade with its better camera and souped-up processor, not to mention the slightly bigger power pack.
The design, as before, is attractive and will win over many first-time buyers of foldable phones. There are small issues, like the crease still being visible at certain angles, but the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is an accomplished flip phone that should be top of your list if you’re looking for one.
Going for S$1,648 for a 12GB/256GB model and S$1,828 for a 12GB/512GB one, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is not cheap. However, you can typically get a good few hundred bucks off an earnest retailer or through a trade-in. That should sweeten the deal.
