• Follow

  Followed

  Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6

  SoC

  Qualcomm Snapdragon Gen 3 for Galaxy

  Display

  7.6-inch AMOLED main display, 6.3-inch AMOLED front display, both with 120Hz dynamic refresh rate

  RAM

  12GB

  Storage

  256GB, 512GB, 1TB

  Battery

  4,400 mAh

  Ports

  USB-C

  Samsung's new Galaxy Z Fold 6 is one of the most powerful Android devices. Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chip, its stylus support and wide book-style AMOLED screen make it a perfect productivity monster.

  Pros & Cons

  • Large, brighter AMOLED screen perfect for multitasking
  • Plenty of software features to stay productive
  • Large external display for one-handed use

  • Expensive
  • Cameras still lag behind other flagships

  $1900 at Samsung $1900 at Best Buy $1900 at Amazon
• Follow

  Followed

  Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6

  SoC

  Qualcomm Snapdragon Gen 3 for Galaxy

  Display

  6.7-inch AMOLED main screen with 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, 3.4-inch AMOLED cover display

  RAM

  12GB

  Storage

  256GB

  Battery

  4000mAh non-removable

  Ports

  USB-C

  The new Galaxy Z Flip 6 is a fantastic lifestyle phone with plenty of power thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy processor. Thanks to a larger internal battery, it also has a longer battery life than its successor.

  Pros & Cons

  • Ultra-pocketable design
  • Larger, more useful external display
  • Powerful Snapdragon Gen 3 for Galaxy processor

  • No stylus support
  • Not great for productivity

  $1100 at Samsung $1100 at Best Buy $1100 at Amazon

The foldable device market is very different from when Samsung popularized the category with the original Fold and Flip releases. With competition nipping at its heels, Samsung has opted for yet another iterative upgrade for the latest foldable phones. Even so, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 will likely be among the best foldable phones, as Samsung stays just ahead of the competition. With many features in common, these two foldable phones are designed for very different people. So, which foldable is best for your needs?

Pricing, availability, and specs

The newest Galaxy foldables are here

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 were announced on July 10. Pre-orders are live, and retail availability is expected about a week later. You can get them directly from Samsung, your choice of retailer like Amazon or Best Buy, or your cellular carrier. The Z Fold 6 starts at 256GB for $1,899 and scales depending on storage tier. All models have 12GB of RAM; you can choose between navy blue, silver, or pink. Samsung-exclusive colors are Crafted Black, and White.

The Samsung Z Flip 6 starts at 256GB for $1,099 and scales up depending on storage amount. It has fewer storage tiers and tops out at 512GB. It comes in blue, silver, yellow, and green and will be available from the same retailers and carriers carrying the Z Fold 6. Samsung has three exclusive colors: Crafted Black, White, and Peach. And even if Samsung doesn't seem to offer hardware bonuses, you'll probably want earbuds for your new Samsung foldable.

• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6

  SoC

  Qualcomm Snapdragon Gen 3 for Galaxy

  Display

  7.6-inch AMOLED main display, 6.3-inch AMOLED front display, both with 120Hz dynamic refresh rate

  RAM

  12GB

  Storage

  256GB, 512GB, 1TB

  Micro SD card support

  No

  Rear camera

  10MP 3x optical zoom, f/2.4, 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.2, 50MP main camera with autofocus, f/1.8

  Front camera

  10MP cover camera, 4MP under-display main screen camera

  Battery

  4,400 mAh

  Ports

  USB-C

  Connectivity

  5G, 4G LTE, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax 2.4GHz+5GHz+6GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, UWB

  Dimensions

  153.5 x 68.1 x 12.1mm (folded); 153.5 x 132.6 x 5.6mm (unfolded)

  Weight

  239g

  IP Rating

  IP48

  Colors

  Navy Blue, Silver, Pink, Black, White

  Operating System

  Android 14 / One UI 6.1.1

  Charge speed

  25W wired, 15W wireless, Wireless PowerShare

• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6

  SoC

  Qualcomm Snapdragon Gen 3 for Galaxy

  Display

  6.7-inch AMOLED main screen with 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, 3.4-inch AMOLED cover display

  RAM

  12GB

  Storage

  256GB

  Micro SD card support

  No

  Rear camera

  12MP ultra-wide, f/2.2, 50MP main camera with autofocus, f/1.8

  Front camera

  10MP, f/2.2

  Battery

  4000mAh non-removable

  Ports

  USB-C

  Connectivity

  5G, 4G LTE, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax 2.4GHz+5GHz+6GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC

  Dimensions

  Open: 165.1 x 71.9 x 6.9mm; Closed: 85.1 x 71.9 x 14.9mm

  Weight

  6.6 oz

  IP Rating

  IP48

  Colors

  Blue, Silver, Yellow, Green, Black, White, Pink

  Operating System

  Android 14 / One UI 6.1.1

  Charge speed

  25W Wired, 15W wireless, Wireless PowerShare

Design and display

Both fold, but in different directions

At first glance, the designs of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 seem vastly different, but they're not. The Z Flip 6's clamshell design is unchanged from its predecessor, although it's a hair smaller in every dimension. The cover screen is unchanged, but the surrounding area now reflects the device's color instead of being black. It's the most portable foldable in the Western markets, and easily usable, so it should be the go-to choice for a smaller device.

When folded, the Z Flip 6 is almost square, at 2.83 inches wide, 3.25 inches tall, and 0.59 inches thick. That's easy to slip into almost any pocket or into the tiniest of bags. When unfolded, you get a 6.7-inch inner screen with an FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2K Infinity Flex Display with 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and 22:9 aspect ratio. The cover screen is unchanged from last year, with a 60Hz Super AMOLED screen with 720x748 resolution, but it'll be more useful thanks to Galaxy AI helping you reply to messages.

The book-style Z Fold 6 is slightly shorter and thinner than the Z Fold 5, making it 14 grams lighter. The main 7.6-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity Flex Display has a 120Hz refresh rate, but so does the 6.3-inch HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display on the cover screen. Both devices use Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the cover screens and feature an IP48 rating this year. That's the same waterproofing rating as before, but this is the first time the foldable devices come with a rating against dust ingress.

Winner: Tie, both represent the best of Samsung's foldable knowledge.

Hardware and performance

Not so different, but one is better for both productivity and slacking off

Samsung's latest foldables are packed with some of the latest and best specs on any Android device. Both are powered by the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chipset, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB and 512GB storage options. They have the same specs this year, whereas the Flip 5 only had 8GB of RAM last year. Expect plenty of performance from the Z Fold 6 or Z Flip 6, but they're very different in how they let you use all that processing power.

The first big difference is that the Fold 6 has another storage tier, allowing for 1TB of storage. It also has a brighter screen this year, making it more usable in brighter lighting conditions. And it has more powerful, versatile cameras than the Z Flip 6, with a 12MP ultra-wide, 50MP wide-angle, 10MP telephoto on the rear panel, a 10MP cover camera, and a 4MP under-screen camera on the main screen. Samsung regularly has some of the best smartphone cameras, and even if they're the same sensors as last year's, they will likely have better processing and produce better images.

The smaller Z Flip 6 has changed its rear cameras this year. The Flip 5 had dual 12MP cameras, with an ultra-wide and wide-angle sensor. The Flip 6 swaps the 12MP wide-angle sensor for a 50MP one, likely the same sensor used in the Z Fold 6's primary camera. Expect better camera performance than last year, and to get a feel of what that was like, check out our review of the Flip 5. Inside, you get the same 10MP selfie camera as last year, but you can use the new 50MP camera for selfies using the cover screen as a viewfinder.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6

Battery life

Both are all-day performers

Both devices have Super Fast Charging, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, and Wireless PowerShare. They differ in battery size, but it's not as much of a difference as you might think. I regularly get days of battery life from my Fold 5, which has a 3,700mAh capacity. The Flip 6 increases its battery to 4,000mAh, and with a more efficient chipset, it could outperform my real-world usage. But keep in mind that I use my Flip 5 more like a feature phone, keeping it folded mostly and replying to messages from the cover screen. If I used more apps on it, that battery life would still be all-day, but only that day.

The Z Fold 6 has a 4,400mAh battery, the same size as the previous Fold 5. That's still plenty for all-day usage, even with multitasking, drawing, or any other more strenuous tasks you might want to run on that larger screen. Yes, including gaming, which is fantastic with the right controller accessory. We found the Fold 5 was mostly capable of a typical 13-hour day but would need a top-up late at night. With the new chipset being more efficient, that top-up might be unnecessary.

Winner: Tie.

Overall winner: Different devices for different people

Samsung's latest foldables are powerful and feature-packed, but they're made for different users, so making a blanket declaration of who wins is tricky. Both devices are flashy-looking and will turn heads, and both will let you play with a foldable screen that still feels like magic to me. If you still aren't sold on the promise of foldables, perhaps our selection of the best phones will help you choose a typical form factor.

Still, for foldables, the Z Fold 6 is the better choice for productivity and play, with its large screen for multitasking, S Pen support for sketching or writing, and a better cluster of cameras. One UI makes for a more polished user experience than other foldable phones and comes with comprehensive carrier support.

On the other hand, if you want a small, pocketable phone that fits your lifestyle, the Samsung Z Flip 6 could be that device. It's significantly more affordable than the Z Fold 6, which might make it a great first foldable to see if you like the form factor. Because of the way it folds up, it's better for video calling or handfree selfies, where it turns into its own tripod. It's also great for browsing websites with that long screen but isn't as great for documents as the text gets challenging to read.