Samsung's most ambitious and premium foldable phone series, which the company introduced in 2019, got a new sequel at Unpacked 2024 in Paris. Predictably called Galaxy Z Fold 6, the phone was made official this week and is now available for pre-order for a limited time.
Witnessing the Galaxy Z Fold 6 at Unpacked made us think it is a great time to be a foldable phone fan. Mind you, this new device is nothing revolutionary but appears to be an exquisite refinement. It brings a handful of upgrades where it counts, all the while improving durability, which has always been one of Samsung's top priorities.
And this brings us to the first item on our list. We have gathered what we think are the best Galaxy Z Fold 6 features and improvements below, starting with higher durability and moving into performance and software. Here's all you need to know.
Better hinge protection and (marginally) improved crease
It's great that Samsung hasn't waned and continues to make its foldable flagship stronger and tougher every year, even though no other device in its category comes close to the level of durability offered by the Galaxy Z Flip and Fold lineups.
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is wrapped in a stronger Armor Aluminum frame with 10% higher scratch resistance and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection for the back panel and cover screen. In addition, the dual rail hinge structure is better supported by a strengthened folding edge, which can better distribute shocks on external impacts.
Samsung also mentions that the foldable display has “enhanced layers” that “help to improve the crease while maintaining strength.” We can confirm the crease is indeed less visible, but not by a lot. Nevertheless, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 takes another step in the right direction.
To top it all off, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is the thinnest foldable phone Samsung has ever manufactured. It measures just 5.6mm when unfolded and 12.1mm when folded. And now, it has an IP48 rating against solid particle and water ingress, up from the last generation's IPX8 (where “X” meant it was unrated).
Wider cover screen and brighter main screen
Samsung improved the display situation on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 in two ways. First, the cover screen is marginally wider now and has a 22.1:9 aspect ratio. It should improve the slab-type phone experience a little bit.
As for the main 7.6-inch foldable screen, it's just as fantastic as before, except now it's massively brighter. It can top 2,600 nits of brightness, up from 1,750 nits last year. This quality of life improvement will make it easier to use the phone unfolded in direct sunlight and bright environments.
A larger vapor chamber for longer sustained performance
The Galaxy Z Fold series is a powerhouse and a fantastic mobile gaming device. So, how has Samsung made the Galaxy Z Fold 6 even better in this regard? By giving it a faster and better-cooled chip.
The Fold 6 is powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC from Qualcomm, which Samsung says delivers fantastic Ray Tracing performance on the bright 7.6-inch foldable screen.
More impressive are the extra steps Samsung took to ensure the chip stays cool and maintains performance over longer heavy usage periods. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 boasts a newly designed vapor chamber that is 1.6x larger than before, ensuring users can game and multitask for longer without losing performance.
Dual-screen Interpreter, Sketch to Image, and more Galaxy AI
Galaxy AI is now par for the course for new Samsung flagships, but the Galaxy Z Fold 6 improves the formula with extra tools and clever additions.
Interpreter, for example, now works on both screens at the same time, similar to the Google Pixel Fold's dual-screen interpreter mode.
One other big Galaxy AI addition must be Sketch to Image. It's not a Fold 6 exclusive, as it is also available for the Flip 6, but it works best with the Fold's optional S Pen.
Sketch on/to Image lets you draw rough sketches and turn them into elaborate images with the help of Generative AI. This new tool also lets you add objects to images by inserting rough sketches.
The story continues after our Galaxy Z Fold 5 hands-on video…
Similarly, Portrait Studio leverages Generative AI techniques to turn portrait photos into cartoonish images. There's also a new Composer mode that lets you create personalized texts for social media, and Live Translate is now available for apps other than Samsung Phone.
Seven years of OS upgrades
Last but not least, and to nobody's surprise, Samsung said it will support the Galaxy Z Fold 6 with seven major OS upgrades. The phone ships with Android 14 and will eventually get Android 21 — assuming the OS will even be called that by then.
Together with higher durability, this new firmware support policy ensures that you can buy the Galaxy Z Fold 6 now and use it for longer without having to worry about future-proofing or lack thereof.
If you're tempted to buy the Galaxy Z Fold 6, you might be happy to learn that pre-order customers get one year of free Samsung Care+ coverage for an even more care-free experience. Hit the pre-order button below for more details.
