The new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 gets incremental updates to its redesigned large cover screen from last year. It now has a better processor, improved cameras, and a bigger battery.
The Flip 6 is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor with 12GB of RAM, an optional 512GB of storage up from the regular 256GB, which does not appear to be available in SA; and a marginally bigger 4000mAh battery.
The camera receives the biggest spec update in terms of a 50MP + 12MP shooter, up from last year’s 12MP + 12MP offering.
Samsung Z Flip 6: Design
The Z Flip 6 has received subtle, yet noticeable design updates when compared to the Z Flip 5. The front cameras now have a ring around it that matches the shade of the phone.
The back half has a matte finish, compared to the previous glossy back, which is better as it does not attract fingerprints marks.
The sides are flat instead of curved and has the same uniform matte finish that matches the colour of the phone. It feels like the Flip 6 has gotten better with each iteration.
Software and AI features
The Z Flip 6 runs Android 14 and Samsung’s One UI 6.1.1 interface on top. It includes the standard Galaxy AI features introduced with One UI 6.1 earlier this year on the Galaxy S24 – like Circle to Search, Translation, Note Assist, Transcript Assist and Generative Edits.
What’s new on One UI 6.1.1 is that it brings updated AI features like Portrait Studio to turn your selfies into different styles of art; Composer to create emails, comments, and social media posts in different tones; Sketch to Image to turn your scribbles into different types of art; Interpreter to convert speech to text from calls or lectures in real-time; and Google Gemini integration instead of using Google Assistant.
Other features that support translating, transcribing, and summarising are Samsung Notes, Voice Recorder, PDFs and Live Translation on third party apps.
Samsung has the upper hand over other Android manufacturers when it comes to software support.
The Z Flip 6 will receive the company’s standard seven-year Android OS upgrades and security updates. If you plan to hold onto your phone for a long time, this is great.
Using Galaxy AI features on the daily
For anyone buying the Z Flip 6, a big part of it is using Galaxy AI for the first time, consider that S24 users are not upgrading after six months.
The amount of AI features the phone has, is extensive. The Samsung website for One UI lists them all, if you want to reference it, but it is impossible to use each one of them.
The ones that excited me the most was Sketch to Image, which turns drawings into pieces of art, offering endless entertainment.
No matter how badly you draw, you can choose to turn it into different styles, like illustrations, watercolour, sketch, pop art and 3D cartoon.
Here’s an example of a face I drew and the five results:
A feature I think may be useful for most people, at the risk of sounding like it will make you lazy, is the Composer. This works with the default Samsung keyboard and can generate messages for email or social media in different styles or tones.
Here’s an example of me asking it to compose an email to diplomatically turn down paid work because the money was too little, in three different styles: professional, casual and polite. I think it did a pretty good job.
I found that using AI features with photos can be entertaining with hit and miss results. I cannot draw and using your fingers on the Flip 6 screen is a bit challenging though you can change the size of the tip and colours, but I just used it in default white.
I drew a piece of cake with my coffee, and this was the AI generated result, which appears on the image when you save it, for transparency. I think if the size was a bit bigger, it could pass off as real. Another result was a cheesecake slice but without a plate, which definitely looked odd.
Sometimes when using the AI features, I was getting an error that said, “Could not complete, Try again later”. I wasn’t sure what was causing it as I had a working internet connection and I was logged into my Samsung account, which is the minimum requirements for these features.
Under Portrait Studio, you can choose different styles to turn your selfies into art. This is not a feature I would continue to use but it could be appealing to a younger crowd. These were my results. It picked up on the main characteristics, but didn’t feel right.
Upgraded Camera
The 50MP camera is the upgrade from its 12MP offering last year. I found the results on the 12MP to be more sharp while shooting various types of flowers. This is what a comparison looks like with the Flip 5. The Flip 6 on the 50MP is a bit saturated, there are no edits on these pics except for labelling them.
Here’s another example of just using the new 50MP lens on the Flip 6 with the 12MP on the Flip 5. Both phones were held steady, but you can tell that older model is more crisp.
I prefer the 50MP lens for landscape shots, which beats its predecessor, unlike the close-up shots. Here’s a wide-angle photo on the 50MP, which it does better when you need get in more detail and great for posting on social media.
By design, the Flip is a phone with a built-in tripod that lets you shoot without asking strangers for help. There’s also a new auto-zoom option when taking selfies using the cover screen, or as Samsung calls it, Flex Mode.
Auto-zoom will automatically choose the better angle for whatever is on screen, from people to pets, for the regular photo mode, and not for videos or portraits. I used the cover screen the most for the camera and not necessarily trying to read emails or access social media on it.
Final thoughts
After extensive use and traveling with the Flip 6, I still appreciate the compactness of it fitting into my jeans pocket, highly underrated given how smartphones are just getting bigger.
I’ve also enjoyed playing around with the AI features, which I think buyers may enjoy, albeit with hit and (comically) miss results.
As “small” as this phone is, it supports multi-windows. So, you can open two apps in split screen mode, and have a floating window above it. I love this mode when I’m at events and away from my laptop.
Battery life is improved, when compared to Flip 5, due to that marginally bigger battery.
With regards to the camera, I think buyers of the Z Flip phones should know that the camera quality will never match that of the S Series, the details are not the same. I’ve always said, you’re not buying a flip phone for the camera, however, the results are acceptable if you’re a content creator and the compactness appeals.
The Flip 6 now supports having two eSIMs activated on it at once, which travellers may appreciate.
However, Samsung hasn’t yet nailed the overheating issue, despite adding a cooling chamber on the Flip 6; it still heats up when you take a bunch of photos.
And I’m not fond of the amount of dust it attracts around the lenses, and on the screen if you put a clear case on it.
But at the end of the day, there aren’t many clamshell options in SA, so Samsung’s now mature offering of the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is the best you’re going to get, especially with the seven-year Android updates.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 retails for R25 999 and comes in blue, yellow, mint and silver.
Originally published here.