Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 in the test: The folding phone now with a better camera

Collapsible foldables are the reincarnation of the flip phones of the early 1900s. With the Flip 6, the sixth generation of Samsung’s compact foldable is coming to the market, which should fit easily into any trouser pocket when folded as a smartphone. When unfolded, these mobile devices still offer a large screen. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 (test report), the successor to Qualcomm’s current top processor, offers a better camera, on par with the Samsung Galaxy S24 (test report) – but without a telephoto lens – as well as a refined design and AI features. This test shows whether Samsung has managed to make a great foldable again.

At first glance, there is nothing that differentiates the Flip 6 from its predecessor. The dimensions are almost identical at 165.1 × 71.9 × 6.9 mm (open) and 85.1 × 71.9 × 14.9 mm (closed). When folded, it fits perfectly in almost any trouser pocket. When unfolded, you will have a large 6.7-inch display in front of you.

Visually, Samsung has brought the foldable closer to the design language of the Samsung Galaxy S24 (test report). The Flip 6 now looks more beautiful thanks to its angular design with a matte look. Like its predecessor, the Flip 6 is waterproof and with IP48 it is now somewhat better protected against dust – but not completely dustproof. A weakness that all foldables currently have.

When opened, the main screen measures 6.7 inches diagonal with a narrow and extended aspect ratio of 22:9. The OLED display has a resolution of 2640 × 1080 pixels (Full HD+), ensuring razor-sharp images at 420 ppi (pixels per inch). The crease is no longer present as in earlier models and can only be felt minimally with a finger. However, the crease is likely to get worse over time, even though Samsung tested it extensively in long-term stress tests and found it adequate.

Image quality is excellent, contrasts are perfectly balanced, viewing angles are stable and colours are strong but not unnatural. The display is always easy to read, even outdoors in bright sunlight; Samsung says it has the capability of up to 2200 nits. Thanks to a 120Hz refresh rate, the image always looks smooth when playing games or scrolling.

Like the Flip 5, it again has an external display with OLED and a diagonal of 3.4 inches and a resolution of 720 × 748 pixels (306 ppi) with a refresh rate of only 60 Hz, unfortunately, the external display is once again not completely rectangular there, but slightly bent along with the two camera lenses. Motorola solved this more beautifully with the Razr 40 Ultra (test report) and its successor, the Razr 50 Ultra. The outside is easy to read. It is mainly used to display widgets such as calendar, weather or notifications.

If you also want to use apps, you need to select the “Allowed apps on front display” option under “Settings” under “Labs” under “Front display”. You can then choose from Google Maps, Netflix or YouTube on the external display. If you need additional apps, you’ll need to use the app GoodLock Install from the Galaxy Store. Under the “Life Up” option you install the “Multistar” function. There you will find “Launcher Widgets” under “I (heart symbol) Galaxy Foldable” to select additional apps and activate them as widgets for use on external screens via “Enable Launcher Widgets”. Depending on the app, the display may not always perfectly match the format of the ad. Not only does it sound complicated, but it is – and then not even perfect, but an emergency solution.

Samsung has significantly upgraded the camera on the Galaxy Z Flip 6. The new main camera is 50 megapixels and optical image stabilization (OIS), as well as a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens. This means that the Flip 6 is roughly on par with the Galaxy S24 – but again there is no telephoto lens, there was no room for it in the thin housing; a second 10-megapixel camera is used for selfies. When folded, you can also use the main camera for high-resolution selfies – but only in rectangular format.

The main camera is impressive in every way and delivers great photos. The dynamic range is wide and well-tuned. Contrast and colors are just right, image details are clear enough. Photos with digital zoom look good and sharp enough even at five times magnification. The night mode is also successful, as it brightens images noticeably when there is enough light remaining, but still produces image noise to a tolerable extent.

Photos with the wide-angle lens do not really differ in color from those of the main lens; details are a little less clear, but the result is convincing. Unlike the main lens, the wide-angle lens is simply unusable in the dark. Selfies with the front lens also come out successful and sharp. The Flip 6 also delivers a good figure when it comes to video, delivering smooth, sharp and colorful videos at 60 fps (images per second) with both the main camera and the 4K front lens.

Thanks to the features of Galaxy AI, objects in images can be cut and moved, and the AI ​​then fills in the empty area. This usually works well and is then combined with a watermark. The AI ​​feature is newly added Portrait Studio. It creates an avatar from a selfie as a 3D cartoon, comic drawing, painting or pencil sketch.

Reporting of images of abuse: NGO criticizes Apple for “underreporting”

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for the Galaxy, which can also be found in the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra (test report), ensures strong performance all around. More performance is not currently possible in Android Cosmos. For the first time, Samsung is integrating a so-called vapor chamber into a flip model, which dissipates heat from the processor. This means it can work longer and more stably under load.

PCMark scores top out at around 18,000 points. In 3DMark’s “Wild Life Extreme” we achieved excellent values ​​of around 5000 points, which makes the Flip 6 a full-fledged gaming smartphone and about 25 percent ahead of its predecessor. However, despite the vapor chamber, performance degrades rapidly with prolonged continuous use, as shown in the “Wild Life Extreme” stress test, in which only less than 50 percent performance was achieved after 20 runs.

By default, the storage capacity goes up to 12 GB. The available storage options are 256 GB and 512 GB in the fastest variant, UFS 4.0. However, there is no memory card slot for SD cards. Everything about the interface is also state-of-the-art, with USB-C 3.2, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and NFC. For positioning, the Flip 6 uses A-GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo, and QZSS, with an accuracy of about 3 meters according to GPS tests. The two speakers sound good and powerful.

Galaxy AI is fully integrated into the Flip 6. This includes translating and rewriting typed text, editing photos, live translation of telephone conversations, and summarizing web pages. The features are still not free from errors, but are constantly being further developed. Our test report on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra shows more details.

The Flip 6 comes with Android 14 and One UI 6.1.1 user interface for customers. The security patch was from June at the time of testing and is therefore current. As always, Samsung is exemplary in terms of updates. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 gets security patches and Android updates for 7 years.

The Koreans pack a few extra apps on the device and offer a relatively independent user interface compared to vanilla Android. It has a Flex mode that can be turned on if you use the smartphone by tilting it. The system displays additional controls if desired. But we don’t see any added value there.

Samsung has increased the battery capacity by about 10 percent to 4000 mAh, which also had a positive effect on battery life. In the PCMark battery test we got a simulated value of about 12 hours. This is quite long and considerable compared to its predecessor. The power supply is not included; the Flip 6 can be charged with a maximum of 25 watts. The entire charging process takes about an hour, and from 20 to 100 percent it takes about 45 minutes. Wireless charging is possible via Qi at up to 15 watts.

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is quite expensive, the RRP is an impressive 1199 euros. With 512 GB it is even 1319 euros. However, there are some strong offers on the market right after the launch. Gomibo currently charges “only” $ 10 for the 256 GB version. 849 euros. You can get the 512GB Flip 6 from Amazon 950 Euros. It is available in silver, blue, yellow, light green and beige. Samsung also offers other exclusive colors in its store: black, peach and white.

Congstar Offers an exciting offer regarding tariff Allnet Flat M Or Allnet Flat L. whoever chooses it gets it Flip to 6 793 Euros By one-time payment. Alternatively, it is possible to pay in installments of 22 euros over 36 months or 33 euros in 24 monthly installments. In any case the total price remains 793 euros. To this are added the costs of the selected tariff of 22 euros for Allnet Flat M or 27 euros for Allnet Flat L.

With the Galaxy Z Flip 6, Samsung has managed to make a meaningful improvement to its foldable without deviating significantly from the design. Except for the missing telephoto lens, the camera is now on par with other premium devices. The external display is practical for displaying widgets, but it also takes some getting used to. The performance is excellent and the software support is exemplary. If you are looking for a smartphone that is as compact as possible with great features and are not put off by the high price, the Flip 6 is the right choice.

Other mobile devices can be found in these leaderboards: