This is the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 and the Z Fold6.
While they look similar on the outside, there are some minor changes from a hardware perspective and lots of changes from the software side of things. So let’s find out what is different and also go through what other devices were launched during their latest Unpacked event.
Hardware
Let’s start with the hardware on the Galaxy Z Flip6. The camera ring has been matched to the colors of the device, which comes in Blue, Yellow, Mint, and Silver Shadow. The buttons do feel nicer to press compared to last year’s model.
The huge upgrade is the main camera, which has been upgraded from 12MP to 50MP. The battery has been upgraded from 3,700 mAh to 4,000 mAh, which is great because the battery life was my only complaint about the phone last year.
The hinge has also been improved, which I did feel made the phone feel even more solid. There’s also improved outer glass protection and the Galaxy Z Flip6 baseline RAM will start at 12GB instead of 8GB last year.
As for the Galaxy Z Fold6 hardware, there is firstly a brand new color, which is Pink. Other than the color, the overall weight of the phone is significantly reduced from 250g to 239g. For context, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra weighs about 233g.
The whole front screen is a little wider too, and other than Pink, it comes in Silver Shadow and Navy. There will be other exclusive online colors for the Z Fold6 as well.
Finally, as for the chipset, the Galaxy Z Flip6 and the Galaxy Z Fold6 come shipped globally with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 For Galaxy, which is a Snapdragon-based chip specifically tuned for Galaxy devices. It has an IP48 rating compared to IPX8 last year.
Software
From the software front, there are many improvements to the current Galaxy AI features and some new features.
First, there is the new Galaxy AI Writing Composer, where there’s a new Composer tab in the keyboard app that allows you to give commands on what exactly you would like to type.
It’s like having an AI assistant in the keyboard app itself, where you can choose between Standard, Email, Social Media, or a comment you want to generate. You can choose the tone to be Professional, Casual, or Polite. You can also translate whole PDF documents to different languages quickly.
There’s the Portrait Studio, which transforms a picture of a person into a Comic, 3D Cartoon, Watercolor, or Sketch using Galaxy AI. It processes the image to the template you choose and generates several choices, and it also works for selfie photos as well.
There’s a clever integration of the “Camcorder Mode”, mentioned in my review of the Galaxy Z Flip5, where if you choose to flip into that orientation, you can zoom in and out easily on that folded screen and trigger recording.
There’s the Sketch-To-Image feature, where you can draw something like bunny ears and Galaxy AI will generate different sketches to choose from.
If you want to take your sketches to a whole new level, you can sketch a mouse from scratch, which will generate a whole new image once you choose the template, like the watercolor template.
You can do the sketches with your fingers, the S Pen Pro, or the Fold Edition S Pen.
You can even sketch out writing words, which will generate the context of what you wrote, giving you different options to choose from.
There is the Interactive Wallpaper, where you can interact directly with your wallpaper. This looks extra nice, especially on the Z Flip6’s cover screen.
As for enhancements, I tested the Live Translate or Interpreter for Galaxy AI during the hands-on session using both the Galaxy Z Fold6 and the Z Flip6, together with the new Buds 3 Pro.
The language translation can be heard from the phone speaker, and the Buds integration makes the translation very seamless and more private.
If you’re using the Flip or the Fold device, it shows the translation on the screen facing towards you, which is a good integration within these foldable devices.
The Flex Zoom is much more seamless than before, automatically adjusting the frame to ensure you get the best framing possible.
Circle To Search, a famously used feature, has also been improved to solve math problems, not just search things online.
I’m planning to test the new and enhanced features of Galaxy AI on both of these devices, so stay tuned for that.
While on the topic of software, both phones will receive Android updates for up to 7 years and ship with Android version 14 and One UI version 6.1.1.
Other Hardware Releases
As for the other hardware, there are the new Galaxy Buds 3 series and the new Buds Pro, which have two light indicators, orange and blue, to indicate battery levels and pairing.
They also have an improved design to match the ear canal based on market research and come in White and Grey, with an IP58 rating.
Besides the Galaxy Watch 7, which includes new double-pinch gestures and other great wearable software features, there’s also a brand new Galaxy Watch Ultra. It’s a rugged version of their wearables watch lineup, with a quick action button, multiple sports modes, SOS alarm triggering, and an IP68 rating, up to 3,000 nits of peak brightness.
I’m planning to get the white version, not only because it looks sleek but also to test out the watch further, as it can apparently last up to 48 hours with a 3nm processor and is based on WearOS.
Finally, there are more Flip Suit Card Cases and Cards, and some light features for the Flip6, with more interactive advancements for the screen and new accessories for the watch, the covers for the Flip, and the Buds as well.
If you’re wondering, unfortunately, the Galaxy Ring will not be available in Malaysia yet, so let’s hope for that.
With this, let me know if there are any specific things you would like me to test in my in-depth review of all these devices, and I’ll revert to your comments in my full long-term review.
