Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 review: A great flip phone that misses the point

Ahead of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 reveal at the summer 2024 Galaxy Unpacked event, I was hopeful that Samsung would hit it out of the park with its latest flip phone. However, after it was unveiled, just weeks after the Motorola Razr Plus 2024 launched, it became clear that the Galaxy Z Flip 6 was perhaps focusing on the wrong things.

That's not to say this is a bad phone. To the contrary, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is a fantastic device, even if it's very much an iterative update over its predecessor. That doesn't mean there aren't upgrades to be found, and some of them are the kind of upgrades we hoped to see on last year's model.

So, is the Galaxy Z Flip 6 worth buying with the $100 price increase, especially with the Galaxy Z Flip 7 on the horizon? After spending nearly a year with the device and comparing it with other flip phones, I have a solid grasp of where the Flip 6 excels and how it falls short.

Derrek Lee

As the self-proclaimed "Flip Phone Guy," Derrek has reviewed nearly a dozen flip phones over the past two years, from the Razr Plus 2023 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 to the Razr Ultra 2025. He has also reviewed several Samsung phones and may be one of the few One UI fans out there.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: Price & availability

Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Flip 6 on July 10, 2024, during the Galaxy Unpacked event in July 2024. The phone went on sale on July 24, 2024, and retails for $1,099. You can choose either 256GB or 512GB of storage, although the 512GB option will cost $1,219.

There are several available Galaxy Z Flip 6 colors to choose from, including Yellow, Mint, Silver Shadow, and Blue. If you order from Samsung.com, you can purchase exclusive colors such as Crafted Black, White, and Peach.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: Specs

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: Design

• Overall design is nearly identical to predecessor.
• Sharp corners can make the phone painful to hold.
• Matte glass looks and feels better than previous models.
• Official dust rating makes it more durable.

As far as design goes, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 made minor changes from the Galaxy Z Flip 5. It now features a completely flat Aluminum Armor frame with a matte finish, a change reminiscent of the Galaxy S24 series.

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is also slightly thinner when folded; otherwise, it retains the same size and weight as its predecessor. It's quite impressive, considering some of the spec bumps the phone has received, which I'll discuss later. And speaking of fold, the hinge is very stiff and sturdy, just like the rest of the phone.

One significant upgrade we see this year is the inclusion of an official dust resistance rating, which brings the phone up to IP68. This ensures it's protected against particles larger than 1mm in size, so it's not foolproof, but it's a major improvement nonetheless.

Even with the impressive durability, I recommend adding a case. Fortunately, we have a selection of Galaxy Z Flip 6 cases for you to explore. I personally like this one from Thinborne.

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The sturdier hinge allows the phone to remain pretty rigid when open at an angle, which is nice for viewing videos and other content. It does make the phone slightly more difficult to open with one hand, but it's not impossible.

Just like the frame, the back glass also features a soft matte finish, which I prefer over the glossy one on the Z Flip 5. That means you won't have to worry about fingerprints as much, except for on the main cover panel.

Speaking of, the two cameras on the front now have a colored ring around the sensors to match the color of the phone, which is a small but nice touch. Unfortunately, with this type of camera protrusion, you will have to worry about dust accumulating around it.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: Displays

• The main display is very bright, even outdoors.
• The display crease has been significantly minimized.
• The cover screen specs are mostly the same, with a relatively low resolution and refresh rate.
• The PWM rate is still lower than that of the competition.

The internal 6.7-inch OLED display has its brightness increased to 2600 nits, resulting in a display that is quite bright and vibrant, even with the screen mode set to Natural (my usual preference). I often find that the built-in screen protector can slightly hinder the view on foldables, but that doesn't seem to be the case with the Galaxy Z Flip 6. It's also highly visible outdoors, which is a significant advantage.

Another notable improvement is the crease, which Samsung has significantly reduced thanks to "enhanced layers" on the main screen. Now, when I run my finger across the display, the crease is hardly noticeable, although not completely nonexistent. There's still much more crease than you'll find on the Motorola Razr Plus 2024, for instance, but it doesn't bother me nearly as much when compared to the Galaxy Z Flip 5.

The cover screen doesn't have the highest specs on the block, falling behind its closest competitors with a 720 x 748 resolution (306 ppi) and a 60Hz refresh rate, achieving 1600 nits of peak brightness. For a flagship flip phone, that's relatively low, even when compared to the mid-range Motorola Razr 2024, which features a higher 1056 x 1066 resolution (413 ppi) and a 90Hz refresh rate with a peak brightness of 1700 nits.

The lower resolution can be a little jarring, especially when compared to the main FHD+ panel.

Unfortunately, Samsung continues to ship phones with low PWM frequencies. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 has a PWM frequency of 240Hz, which is relatively low and may negatively affect those who are sensitive to PWM. I won't have a problem with it myself, but I know others who do, and it's unclear why Samsung continues to ship phones with displays like this even though many other manufacturers either provide higher PWM frequencies or include flicker reduction techniques (like Motorola).

As you can see, both displays also have very high levels of modulation depth, which is the perceived difference between a display's on state and its off state. Screens with high modulation depth feel more like a strobe light to your brain. They are perceived as being clearly off (and therefore completely dark) before turning back on again, typically at full brightness. Users who are sensitive to flickering lights will have the most problems with these types of displays since the difference is so drastic.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: Hardware & specs

• The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 performs exceptionally well.
• The 12GB of RAM ensures multitasking and AI features are handled well.
• Good audio and haptics.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy offers a welcome performance boost over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, accompanied by an increase to 12GB of RAM.

This phone breezes through everything you throw at it. I've played a few games like Honkai: Star Rail and Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis, and the gameplay is incredibly smooth, even at the highest settings. It probably won't blow any of the best gaming phones out of the park, but you shouldn't be disappointed in the performance by any means.

And while the phone occasionally gets warm, I haven't noticed it get uncomfortably hot, which tends to happen to the top half of flip phones such as this.

In a recent benchmarking test, you can see how the Galaxy Z Flip 6 compares to Motorola's 2024 and 2025 Razr series. Surprisingly, it performs better in single-core scores compared to the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025, but falls behind in multi-core tests. It also performs marginally better than the Razr Plus 2024 in single-core tests, but significantly better in multi-core tests.

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 comes with 256GB of UFS 4.0 storage as standard. beating out other flagship phones, such as the Pixel 9 and the newer Galaxy S25. There is a 512GB option, although a 1TB option is still not available, and expandable storage is not an option. Still, for most people, these two storage options should be sufficient (I myself am fine with just 256GB), but if you require more, you'd have to opt for another phone, such as the Galaxy Z Fold 6, which offers a 1TB option.

I also really like the haptics on the Z Flip 6, and tasks like typing, swiping back, or opening the sidebar provide a very nice and subtle vibration.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: Battery life & charging

• Battery lasts all day on a single charge.
• Wired charging still falls behind at just 25W and is quite slow.

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 impresses me with its battery life. This is thanks to the fact that it has a larger 4,000mAh battery, which does well when combined with the more efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. On regular use, I find that I get between six and eight hours of battery life with a single charge.

After unplugging at 8 a.m., the phone will be on its last leg by 8 p.m., and considering how often I'm on my phone, I consider this a win. Of course, battery life will depend on how you use it, and I imagine some Galaxy Z Flip 6 owners may be able to get through a little more than a day. However, you'll probably want to charge before bed or when you wake up, depending on your habits.

The only downside is that the charging speed remains at 25W, while other flip phones have surpassed that speed. As a result, it will take well over an hour to get from empty to 100%. Even after charging to 60%, the phone would tell me I had roughly 50 minutes to fill up the battery. Wireless charging is no better at just 15W, so unless you have time to spare, you'll want to stick to wired charging.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: Cover screen

• Software upgrades on the cover screen are minimal.
• You can now fit multiple widgets on a single panel.
• Apps are only accessible via Labs or the Good Lock extension.

As expected, my experience with the Galaxy Z Flip 6 cover screen has been mixed. Samsung continues to hinder the cover screen experience in the same ways that it did with the Galaxy Z Flip 5. The focus is on panels, or "widgets," rather than using full apps, and the experience, as intended, works for the most part.

Widgets like Weather are well-designed and mostly do what's expected of them, providing glanceable information, so you're hopefully opening your phone less for certain things. Unfortunately, you can't interact with them much beyond scrolling through details or selecting different days to view.

Interestingly, Samsung now lets you fit multiple widgets onto a single panel. This is somewhat limited, too, as you'll have to select from preset dimensions. Some options will occupy a full panel, while others will fit into 2x2 or 2x4 spaces, depending on the app. However, note that you cannot resize them like you can on the Razr Plus 2024 cover screen.

Otherwise, the cover screen experience isn't much different from the Galaxy Z Flip 5. Everything is handled mainly on the main display, and many actions will prompt you to open the phone. You actually have very little way of managing the cover screen from the actual cover screen, a weird limitation that I find highlights the disconnect Samsung has with how it handles the external display. The most you can do from the display is change your wallpaper and add/remove widgets.

There are some fun new interactive wallpapers, and you can add AI wallpapers to the cover screen. As always, you'll have to dig into Labs or the Good Lock app if you want to set up and use full apps on the Galaxy Z Flip 6 cover screen, but once set up, the experience is decent. Fortunately, with One UI 7, Samsung actually makes it a little easier to set up apps on the cover screen, thanks to a more direct way to access the MultiStar module, although you'll still have to dig into the Labs menu.

Just know that you're going to spend some extra time setting up your Galaxy Z Flip 6 since you have two displays to configure and yet another app to download.

Given the relatively small cover screen display size (compared to the Razr series), apps appear even more condensed, which can make navigating the UI a little awkward. There's still no multitasking, so exiting an app does just that without letting you switch to another you have open.

Samsung also utilizes the cover screen in other ways that are useful. The Interpreter app has been updated to include translations on the cover screen, providing both parties with a potentially more comfortable view when speaking.

The cover screen also has AOD, which is always handy, especially on a smaller display. I just wish the quick settings menu were a little more robust, as it currently offers only eight options and a brightness slider, and it seems impossible to edit the buttons. I also don't find the Galaxy AI Smart Replies very useful, which is further compounded by the fact that you can't use them and have apps enabled on the cover screen at the same time.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: Cameras

• Camera improvements fairly minimal over predecessor.
• Phone seems marginally better at capturing movement.
• Selfies don't handle darker skin tones well.
• Useful features when folding the phone at a 90-degree angle.

I was happy to learn Samsung upgraded the primary camera to a 50MP sensor. While I can't say now whether it's significantly better than its predecessor, I'm quite pleased with the result. Images have plenty of contrast, depth, and vibrancy. The camera can struggle with dynamic range, and the sky will often appear overexposed.

Samsung still struggles with movement, so images can come out a little blurry and lacking in detail if your subject isn't completely still. There is also sometimes some distortion toward the edges of the image. That said, I do think Samsung has improved a bit on this front, and the phone has been able to capture things like a moving car and a cat without completely failing.

Fortunately, zooming and low light are also handled well, making for a well-rounded camera experience. However, so far, I'm not a fan of how selfies make my darker skin look, showing that Samsung still has some work in this regard.

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In a more recent camera test, I compared the Galaxy Z Flip 6 with the Razr Ultra 2025 and two other Android phones. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 performed well, often matching the quality of the Razr Ultra 2025. In fact, the biggest difference between the two was color tuning, with images from the Razr appearing more vibrant.

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 does seem to struggle a bit with low-light, where it overcompensates for the shadowy areas. Skin tones also feel a bit off compared to the Razr Ultra.

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The video quality is pretty good, and my only complaint here so far is that recording is limited to 4K 60, although who is really recording in 8K resolution?

Camcorder Mode is a new feature in the video mode that effectively turns the phone into a camcorder when it's folded 90 degrees. The UI adjusts to fit the viewfinder on the top half of the screen and gives you a zoom slider on the bottom half when you begin recording. It also presents a preview on the cover screen while you're recording, making it a neat way to take advantage of the form factor.

Another interesting way the phone utilizes the cover screen is with Auto Zoom, which can be enabled by opening the camera on the cover screen and placing the phone at a 90-degree angle. The camera will automatically zoom in and out depending on how close or far you are away from it, which is a handy way to take individual or group selfies without having to do much work yourself.

But as usual, I would highly recommend downloading the Camera Assistant app, which adds more useful features to your camera, such as a 2x button for faster zooming, auto HDR, a faster shutter button, and more.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: Software and Galaxy AI

• Galaxy Z Flip 6 has been upgraded to Android 15, with Android 16 on the way.
• New Galaxy AI drawing features can be fun, with nice upgrades to previous features.
• The Galaxy Z Flip 6 will receive seven years of software updates.

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 was launched with One UI 6.1.1 based on Android 14 out of the box, which came with some new Galaxy AI features. This includes features like Drawing Assist, which is a lot of fun to use and will not only add some fairly realistic and amusing images to your photos via Sketch to Image but will also turn your doodles into entertaining "works of art" that only a mother could love.

There are a few ways to access Sketch to Image, including the Samsung Notes app and the sidebar. It's also accessible via the Gallery app, where you can sketch elements onto existing images to add an extra touch of flair. The results can range from realistic to pretty outlandish, but I think it's a fun way to edit images, even as a gag. And the tag in the bottom left is a handy way to mark AI-generated images.

I'm a bit less impressed with Portrait Studio in Photo Assist, where the phone attempts to generate artistic versions of faces out of a selection of different styles.

The experience with my Galaxy Z Flip 6 left me somewhat disappointed, although you may be lucky and find one that somewhat resembles yours if you squint. I know it's meant to be a fun feature that you shouldn't take too seriously, but I would be more impressed if it actually created images that resemble me.

The Live Effect feature is cool, transforming 2D photos into cinematic videos, similar to Cinematic Wallpapers on a Pixel phone. It appears to be based on Samsung's excellent Image Clipper feature, which separates the subject from the background and then creates a video that can be used as your wallpaper. I do wish the effect was actually based on motion instead of just looping a video when set on your lock or cover screens, but the effect is still pretty cool.

Other interesting Galaxy AI features that I've enjoyed include Instant Slow-Mo, which now lets you save clips; Composer, which helps you write comments, emails, and more on various apps based on past conversations and prompts that you provide it; and the Recorder app, which I find particularly useful as it will transcribe/translate and summarize recordings for you — something also possible in the Samsung Notes app.

As of May 2025, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 has been updated to One UI 7 based on Android 15, which is the first of seven years of updates the phone will receive. One UI 7 introduces a range of new features, including a significantly enhanced UI, a more intelligent AI Select, a vertical scrolling app drawer, and additional enhancements.

You also get the new Now Bar, which dynamically pulls live information and notifications to your lock screen. Live notifications also appear in your status bar and notification panel, although functionality is limited to a handful of apps.

You can read more about the update in our One UI 7 review, although note that the Galaxy Z Flip 6 does not have access to all new features, such as Now Brief.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: Competition

The flip phone market isn't exactly booming, despite the popularity of these devices. When the Galaxy Z Flip 6 launched, its biggest competitor was the Razr Plus 2024, which had a larger and more functional cover screen, a secondary 2x telephoto camera, and a cheaper price tag. That said, the phone did not have an ultrawide camera, the chipset was relatively underpowered, and Motorola's software update promise was somewhat lacking.

Now, the closest competitor is the Razr Ultra 2025, which is Motorola's newest flagship. It features a more powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, greatly improves image quality, comes with a larger battery with faster charging, and retains Motorola's fantastic use of the cover screen. That said, the software update promise still lags, and Motorola's AI implementation is not as robust as Samsung's. The Razr Ultra is also more expensive, costing $200 more than the Galaxy Z Flip 6.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: Should you buy it?

You should buy this if...

• You're interested in a new flip phone.
• You want access to the latest AI features from Samsung and Google.
• You're already ingrained in Samsung's ecosystem.

You shouldn't buy this if...

• You're tempted by the newer Motorola Razr Ultra 2025.
• You want a useful cover screen experience.
• You want to wait for the Galaxy Z Flip 7.

Samsung clearly played it safe with the Galaxy Z Flip 6, which is more evident in the launch of Motorola's Razr Plus 2024 a week prior, offering upgraded specs, a larger cover screen with a refined experience, and a more affordable price tag. That's not to say this is a bad phone, because it's not. I would normally have no problem recommending this phone because it's quite a fine device, but if you're going to buy it, make sure you get it at a discount.

Of course, now that it's 2025, there are newer, better phones to consider, such as the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 or the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 7. Samsung hasn't confirmed what we can expect with the new device, but rumors have suggested a larger cover screen and a new chipset, which may make the Galaxy Z Flip 7 worth waiting for.

For more news and information on Samsung’s upcoming foldables, check out our Ultimate Guide.