Samsung’s latest series of folding screen phones are currently the market leaders of this segment. The Z Fold6 we reviewed earlier, is undoubtedly the company’s best foldable 2-in-1 device yet, but at the same time, competition is getting thick and heavy. The same goes for the Flip6, with a tough competitive path ahead, we witness the 6th iteration of a celebrated compact phone with top-end performance and an updated flagship-level main camera. Would these updates be enough to attract new buyers? Will a few compromises that comes with the form factor convince the existing Samsung customer to switch? Let’s find out in this long-term review of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6.
Design and Build
The Z Flip6 is a remarkably well-engineered device. We don’t mean this lightly because truly, it is a marvel of the flip phone, which now, many other brands are testing their engineering skills with. The hinge, as we all know, from generation 5, has been able to offer a sturdiness and stability that is currently unmatched. For the first time, we have a Flip that fully closes with almost zero gaps due to which, IP48 rating has been achieved, eliminating the problems of dust, almost. We say almost, because the problems do persist owing to the tough challenges in design and India’s environmental challenges. When the hinge is fully closed or open, there is no way dust can enter it, but when half closed, there are possibilities of small particles entering the hinge, but surprisingly, they were not able to make any scratches on it.
Also remarkable is the new flat-sided design, which increases the sturdiness of handling the device, and the superb matte glass back, which withstood an incredible amount of no-case usage in tough conditions. Overall, both the design and the build quality of the Z Flip6 is top notch, with a few caveats that are unavoidable with a folding screen that requires an extremely complex hinge mechanism. When held closed, the device feels like super solid and when fully open, it feels like an extremely light device that is very easy to use. Both sides of the flip are covered with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection. Together with an enhanced armor aluminium frame and a new rubberized protection layer around the inner display, the Z Flip6 is worthy of being called the most robust Galaxy Flip ever made.
The Cover Screen
Sporting a 720×748 60Hz SuperAMOLED screen at the front is no easy feat, but it is not an upgrade from the Flip5. This screen, also covered by Gorilla Glass Victus 2, ensures that damage is minimal and scratches are non-existent, but at the same time, it introduces a few challenges to the experience. First off, the consistency in the experience between the inner screen and the outer screen is a bit of a hit-and-miss. Surely, we have gone through only two generations of nearly a full front screen for the Flip5 and the Flip6, but some feedback is due here. The screen resolution is comparatively lower, which introduces a difference not only in pixel density but also in the refresh rate and, mainly, the lack of LTPO technology. On the Fold6, we were delighted to take advantage of the low refresh rate screen and the always on display to always provide some kind of data that can be glanced at, but on the Flip, that kind of experience is limited in the sense that, you will lose more battery due to it being 60Hz all the time, and also live with an older black and white method where only the white pixels are lit. Surely, Samsung can do better here, as the competition seems to be taking advantage of this gap here and providing LTPO and higher resolution displays for theirs.
Secondly, while the cover screen is indeed a magical place where almost all the basic functions of a phone can be used, it still requires some work to enable many apps and their mini versions to be able to be displayed when needed. For many apps, when we hit the notifications, it requires us to open the flip and use the screen inside, which is a bummer. Thanks to GoodLock, Samsung’s best customization service always readily available to help, there is a possibility of enabling more apps to be displayed on the cover screen which we did, with ease and enjoyed it more. So, yes, by default, the experience is limited, but make sure to install the GoodLock app for unlocking the extended features and enjoy the cover screen to its full potential. Our favorite widgets were for the Sound Recorder because the mics are excellent are capturing real-world sound with astounding clarity. Then, we used the favorite contacts widget, the weather widget and the music player controls the most. For a quick glance, the cover screen is still way ahead of its curve, and we hope Samsung works on it a bit further to provide a more fuller experience in the next generations.
Display
When it comes to displays and Samsung, there is no competition. A 2640×1080 super wide Dynamic AMOLED 2x display awaits us, with 2600 nits of potential max brightness. Armed with LTPO tech, it can go down to 1 Hz and up to 120 Hz when needed. Such displays are top of the crop these days, and we are delighted to have the same in the Flip6 as well, considering it is a folding one. Yes, the cover of the screen is plastic and it kind of decreases the touch and feel of a premium experience, but that’s a compromise we have to make for having such a great display that can fold itself neatly, and this time, surprisingly, without much crease. The crease has massively reduced thanks to the new hinge that ensures a really hassle-free inner-screen experience this time. The colors, the contrast, the viewing angles, the resolution, the HDR, the refresh rate, we had nothing to complain. In fact, it wowed everyone who had a glimpse of it, especially previous Flip users who had to live with a strong crease. Watching content on it was a delight and the switching speed between the inner screen and the outer screen and vice versa is a class act, thanks to the symphony of software and the processor, more on that later. Overall, a really good display from Samsung here, no complaints except the inevitable reality that flexible screens are plastic and there tend to be dust scratches on the installed screen protector (which should NOT be removed).
Performance
Powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy 4nm Mobile Platform, you can expect no less than a flagship-level performance, and surely enough, the Flip6 delivers the goods because for the first time, we have been given 12GB of RAM, unlike the Flip5’s 8GB. This is why we would call this phone a “Compact Powerhouse”, which delivers truly leading results in a form factor that has never been achieved before in the smartphone space. It’s an ultra-fast and ultra-stable upgrade that can clearly stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the S-series and the Fold. Let’s check what it means via these benchmark scores.
Beyond the benchmarks, when it comes to heating issues. It manages to stay cool under heavy loads most of the time, but I did see thermal persistence when the camera is used for a longer time. It refuses to cool down quickly in hot conditions, especially when used outside. Surely it does not reduce the performance nor result in issues related to the camera stopping the recording, but the device remains hot for a longer time than usual due to environmental conditions. Otherwise, it has pretty solid thermal performance. Check these benchmarks and satisfy your need for authentic numbers.
Battery Life
In our experience, the Z Flip6 has stellar battery performance for its class. Armed with a 4,000 mAh battery and a super-efficient processor, the battery easily lasts for a day considering one is a medium-power-user, with social media and the camera as the main apps. The standby performance is stellar, making the Flip6 a big step up from the previous versions.
Camera
While the number of cameras and their placements remain the same compared to the earlier one, the main camera has received a major upgrade, to the latest 50MP sensor, a large unit with tons of light gathering abilities and powered by a new engine that produces top-notch results in all lighting conditions, especially at night. This major upgrade has been a long time coming, with Flip users always feeling left out, when it comes to the camera performance. The second camera unit is the same 12MP sensor with its similarly good output. Let’s take a look at some camera samples.
Yes, that moon shot was taken with digital zoom, which is ample proof that the camera is serious this time, making this camera set up a perfect companion for content creators. But there’s more to the Flip than meets the eye. First, we have the ability to access the main camera as a selfie-vlogging camera from the cover screen. This makes it one of the best selfie cameras out there, and yes, we can access the ultra-wide camera too, with the ability to change the orientation of the camera to suit our angles.
We can also use the Flip as a stand by itself, by opening the screen half way and placing it on any surface, to shoot with the main camera. This is also possible with the inner-screen’s front camera, with the Flex mode. Another feature added to the cover screen camera is the auto-zoom, which uses the ultra-wide and AI tricks to make sure you are always in the frame, which means, you can walk around inside the frame and the camera will follow you, to the maximum extent possible. These exclusively Flip features are why content creators will enjoy using this phone, to shoot some interesting vlog content that is not possible with normal phones. Imagine getting to use that amazing main camera at night, where the light is low, and still you get some amazing low light photos and video. No front facing camera can match this, and that’s all thanks to the unique form factor of the Z Flip6.
Galaxy AI and OneUI
The OneUI experience on the latest Samsung devices have been given a boost. GalaxyAI now permeates the OneUI experience wherever possible and offers unique on-device capabilities of image generation, like “Portrait Studio” and “Sketch to image” which are really fun additions to the gallery editing experience, apart from the already great erase and fill features that have been available since last year’s introduction in the S series. The text features are also great, like “Live translate” which works for calls, and the “Composer” which helps you with creating any kind of text content in messages or notes. The one we used the most was the “Summarize” feature that is available readily inside the browser. All these features add up to a unique set of tricks that can be used in everyday tasks and also turn into time-pass hobbies.
While all the AI features are indeed welcome, we cannot overlook the fact that some key productivity features like the Samsung DeX are missing. But it kind of makes up with the Flex mode, using which you can turn your phone’s bottom half into a trackpad and a scroll wheel, to use the top half of the screen, like a micro PC. Sure, it’s not entirely useful when it comes to the tiny form factor, but there is hope that someday it could translate into a larger screen experience when connected via HDMI.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 is a Compact, Creative Powerhouse of a smartphone. Due to increasing prices of the SoC and other materials, the price is now pegged at Rs. 1,10,000 in the Indian market, making it one of the flagship-level models. Thankfully, the hinge is great, the design and build are sturdy and solid. Creativity gets a major boost with the new cameras and AI. And it remains a powerhouse, thanks to a battery-efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in its core.
For content creators, who are looking for a great main-camera experience, with additional tricks of a flip cover screen, the Z Flip6 might be a tempting option, to say the least. For people looking for a compact phone experience, while not compromising on the power of a flagship, the Z Flip6 is a terrific option. For Samsung users, upgrading from a Flip3 or a Flip4, this will be a substantial step up in the experience, with Galaxy AI and a promised series of software updates ensuring longevity and trust.
The Galaxy Z Flip starts at Rs. 1,09,999 for the 12GB+256GB model and the 12GB + 512GB model cost Rs. 1,21,999. It is available from online and offline retailers with offers.