Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Launched to Rival Chinese Foldables With Thinner Body and Galaxy AI

Samsung’s latest Galaxy Unpacked event kicked off yesterday in Paris where the Korean tech giant introduced a host of new devices including the highly anticipated foldables, its first smart ring, new wireless earbuds, and new smartwatches.

The two new foldables are none other than the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6. For this article, we will talk solely about the Z Fold 6. It gets the same Galaxy AI treatment as the Galaxy S24 series.

Design and Display

The main difference between the Z Fold 5 and Z Fold 6 is the design. The new model brings a lighter and thinner body, akin to its Chinese rivals such as the Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 and Honor Magic V2.

While still not quite a regular phone screen, the Fold 6’s cover display has a slightly different shape (22.1:9 compared to 23.1:9 on the Fold5). This lets them make it a little bigger (6.3 inches diagonally) without the phone feeling much wider. The downside? Slightly thicker bezels around the screen.

Samsung also revamped the hinge and added a much larger cooling system inside the phone to keep it from overheating. Plus, the Fold 6 now officially has the IP48 rating for dust protection, a first for foldable phones.

Unfolding the Galaxy Z Fold 6 reveals a large 7.6-inch inner display, which Samsung calls “Infinity Flex.” The aspect ratio is comfortable for viewing content at 20.9:18.

Both the inner and outer screens are Dynamic AMOLED 2X panels with a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. Durability is enhanced with Corning Gorilla Glass 2 protecting both the cover display and the back of the phone when folded.

Internals and Software

Internals are powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip with 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB storage options with no memory card expansion. All memory configurations will come with 12 GB of RAM.

As for Galaxy AI features, the phone retains helpful features like Note Assist and Circle to Search, but the new One UI 6.1.1 built on Android 14 takes full advantage of the foldable design.

With Interpreter mode, conversations can be translated and displayed simultaneously on both the main and cover screens. Additionally, the Sketch to Image feature utilizes AI to transform simple sketches in the Gallery or Notes app into works of art.

In a software commitment, Samsung promises the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will receive updates to the Android operating system for the next seven years.

Cameras

In terms of hardware, the camera system sees minimal changes. The Fold 6 offers a 50MP main camera with f/1.8 aperture and optical image stabilization (OIS) for clear photos. It’s joined by a 10MP telephoto lens offering 3x optical zoom for capturing distant objects and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera with a 123-degree field of view for expansive shots.

The outer screen has a 10MP selfie camera housed in a punch-hole cutout while the inner screen has a 4MP under-display selfie shooter, which can also be used for video calls.

Battery and Pricing

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 retains the same 4,400 mAh battery as its predecessors for three years running. While it supports 25W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and even 4.5W reverse wireless charging, Samsung assures users that the phone’s improved efficiency will translate to longer battery life.

Color options include Silver Shadow, Pink, and Navy, with more exclusive Crafted Black and White versions available only on Samsung’s website. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 starts at a hefty $1,899.99.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Specifications