Just how good can you make a folding phone? Samsung has been testing that out in the past few ears, tweaking its Z Fold from a device that was temporarily delayed to fix issues with the screen – reviewers mistakenly peeled a layer from the display – to one that could stand up to scrutiny alongside Samsung’s flagship S series devices.
Over the past few years, the Fold has been refined – a new hinge, improved display, the proportions have been tweaked – to make it more appealing to a wider market.
But Samsung no longer has the market to itself. Although availability in Ireland is limited, there are alternatives to the Fold. Google has its Pixel Fold, OnePlus has its Open, Xiaomi and Oppo have their own folding devices. And if rumours pan out, Apple could be snapping at Samsung’s heels, but with a flip phone rather than the format of the Fold.
So Samsung needs to fortify its position. The Fold 6, like others before it, represents an evolution of its devices rather than a revolution. But that is not necessarily a bad thing.
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Samsung has made the device lighter and thinner – a shade on both fronts – and made it easier to open and close. It has also improved the brightness of the screen.
The Fold 6 tops out at 2600 nits of peak brightness, up from the 1750 nits of the Fold 5. The outer screen has been increased slightly in size, too, to 6.3 inches from the previous 6.2 inches, with the inner screen staying at 7.6 inches when unfolded. That gives you a lot of space both when folded and unfolded, without making the phone itself overly bulky.
On the inside, you get an upgraded chip, a third-generation Snapdragon 8, that powers the snappy multitasking and powerful performance in productivity. All these are minor upgrades but, combined, they provide a compelling offering.
The new device also gets Samsung’s AI capabilities, some of which are better suited to the bigger screen. The photo tools, for example, are easier to use on the inner screen than on a smaller device. The AI-powered interpreter also works well with the dual screen format.
This is the slickest version of the folding phone yet
The Fold bridges both work and leisure, with that 7.6 inch display well suited for streaming video or, as Samsung wants, as a gaming device too. That is powered by the Snapdragon chip, with the excellent visuals boosted by the higher brightness capabilities of the display.
Where the Fold falls down a little is in its camera offering. For the price of the Fold, you would expect something above the S24, but Samsung has opted for a set-up similar to that of the previous Fold, with a 50-megapixel main camera, a 12 megapixel ultra-wide camera and a 10 megapixel telephoto camera with a 3x zoom on the rear of the device. On the inside, a 4-megapixel camera looks after video calls, but with the form factor of the Fold and the external screen, it is unlikely to be used for much else.
The rear cameras are the star of the show here. They cover all the basics, with sharp detail and good colour reproduction, capturing great photos even in lower light. The portrait mode also works well. The zoom may seem underpowered compared with rivals that offer 5x, but it does well enough to get you a little closer to the action.
Good
This is the slickest version of the folding phone yet. The hinge feels solid, the screen is bright and sharp. The rear camera works well, although the zoom is a little lacking, and its low-light performance is good. The Fold’s design makes it far more flexible than a standard smartphone when it comes it to taking photographs, offering a built-in stand and some gesture control.
The device also gets Samsung’s new AI system, which will be useful for those who want to use the Fold to its full productivity potential. Add in the ability to use multiple apps in multitasking mode, taking advantage of the larger inner screen, and you have a powerful took at your fingertips that will cover both work and leisure.
Bad
Most of the features are evolutionary rather than revolutionary. Samsung has been teasing this one out for a while and it has finally got to the point where the Fold feels like a solid smartphone that can hold its own in the traditional market, rather than a niche product.
But it also comes with a hefty price tag. This version of the Fold is not for upgraders from the Fold or 5, but rather for those who are newer to the line.
The camera set-up doesn’t offer much above the S24 and S24+, aside from the flexibility of the Fold’s design.
Everything else
The battery life is decent on the Fold, with more than a full day of use before exhausting it. It has an IP48 rating, which means it is less durable than a standard smartphone but an improvement on the previous Fold, which had only water protection.
Verdict
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is a well-designed evolution of the folding phone – but a pricey one.
