Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6: The Future of Foldable Smartphones

I replaced my Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra with the Z Fold 6 for two weeks - and can't go back

Like with older Z Fold models, camera hardware and battery performance remain areas of improvement. I've tested every Galaxy Z Fold model since 2019, and the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is the closest the company has ever come to perfecting the phone-to-tablet form factor. It's gotten so good that, after two weeks of use, I've almost forgotten what life was like using a regular slab phone like my Galaxy S24 Ultra. When open, the Z Fold 6's 7.6-inch screen is a near-perfect canvas for watching movies, playing games, and getting work done. Since carrying the phone around, the tablet I have stationed on the kitchen countertop for pulling up recipes and playing videos has become less valuable. When closed, the Z Fold 6 almost feels like a regular smartphone, with a slimmer, lighter design this year that helps with the illusion. Also: I bought Samsung's $649 Galaxy Watch Ultra: What I learned after weeks of testing Of course, if you've been following the tech world over the past five years, this isn't the first time you've read about the Z Fold's value proposition. Your response, whether positive or negative, probably hasn't changed much either. I mostly blame Samsung's lack of innovation for that. That's why I've spotlighted the key differences with this year's model below -- and how they ultimately affect the day-to-day experience -- to assist with your buying decision in 2024. While the dimensions of the Z Fold 6 and last year's Z Fold 5 are a game of millimeters, flattening the edges, widening the outer screen (and, naturally, the inner screen), and switching to a lighter aluminum material have made the new model much easier to manage. The only issue I've encountered is that the flat edges make it difficult to unfold the phone at times, as there's no groove or indent to dig your finger into. Also: Buying a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6? Make sure to order this model Regardless, the phone feels very Ultra-esque, as it should for the price, with a polished Silver Shadow color that looks strikingly similar to the Titanium Gray of the S24 series, and I'm a fan. At 239 grams, the Z Fold 6 weighs the same as the OnePlus Open and just a little more than the iPhone 15 Pro Max (221g). While the phone still bulges a bit when tucked in a pants pocket, it's less of a burden to use when standing on the subway or navigating through the city. Lefties may feel some discomfort when holding the Z Fold 6 as the bottom corner is sharper than previous models, so I'd advise putting on a case, which you would probably do regardless. Also: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. OnePlus Open: Which foldable phone should you buy? The rest of the Z Fold 6's design is admirable, too, including the wider outer display, which makes two-handed typing more feasible, and there's less letterboxing when watching videos in landscape orientation. Samsung has also certified the Z Fold 6 with an IP48 rating, meaning it can withstand water immersion of up to 1.5 meters, so showering, rain, and dropping the phone in the sink or toilet is a little more forgivable. With 12GB of RAM and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, the Z Fold 6 flew through most, if not all, the tasks that I threw at it, including browsing the web in split-screen mode, using both the inner and outer displays when taking pictures and videos outdoors, and gaming on max settings. Naturally, I've come to appreciate the brighter 2,600-nit display (up from last year's 1,750 nits), which made things easier to visualize under the summer sun. Likewise, Samsung's OneUI software continues to be a bright spot for its foldable line, with plenty of ways to multitask, open pop-up windows, and interact with the larger Z Fold display. Since I tested the Z Fold 5 last year, the company has also added the ability to continue using an app when switching from the inner display to the outer one. It's a feature I once praised Samsung's competitors for having. Also: Here's why Samsung's new Galaxy Z Fold 6 is a major design success With Samsung's commitment to seven years of OS upgrades -- a key advantage when compared to other foldable phones -- you can expect the Z Fold 6 to stay feature-relevant until at least 2031. My only knock on the phone is how glossy and reflective the inner display is, an inevitable limitation with thin, foldable glass. This feels like an aspect Samsung can (and should) work on going into next year. It's also easy to muffle the speakers, as they're positioned where you'd typically tuck your pinky finger when holding the phone. The Z Fold 6 is the latest device to promote Samsung's Galaxy AI push, with a larger canvas for users to take advantage of the company's productivity, communication, and creative tools. That list includes Circle to Search, Note Assist, Composer, Interpreter Mode, and Sketch to Image, most of which I found to be more on the gimmicky side, though useful when needed. It really depends on your use cases, whether you often need help drafting emails or designing graphics for social media or are a part of a few too many meetings and need summaries to keep up. Also: Every new AI feature coming to Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 (and how they work) For me, the tech simply isn't reliable enough to play a bigger role in my workflow; I often found myself taking a chance on a feature, like Interpreter Mode, to work, only for it to mistime, misinterpret, and therefore, mistranslate a conversation. I'm hopeful that such features will only improve with time, but for now, they shouldn't be a primary reason to buy the Z Fold 6 (or any other AI-touting smartphone.) If you were expecting camera upgrades with this year's Z Fold, I have good news and bad news. While the camera system has a new ultrawide sensor that Samsung says can pull in and process more light data (read: improved nightography and more details overall), that's as far as the changes go. Fortunately, photos and videos on the Z Fold 6 are still vibrant and sharp, with just enough pop to separate subjects from backgrounds. I just wish Samsung matched the S24 Ultra's camera setup, from the farther zoom capabilities to the 200MP main sensor. The company's most expensive phone should have those specs. Also: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Z Fold 5: Which premium model should you buy? Lastly, Samsung settled with the same 4,400mAh battery and 25W charging rate as last year's Z Fold 5, and the difference in endurance and speed (for the worse) compared to my S24 Ultra was immediately noticeable. Even when compared to competing foldables, like the OnePlus Open, the Z Fold 6 doesn't last as long and charges slower -- a big miss for a device that now costs $200 more. With the Galaxy Z Fold 6, Samsung has taken another step closer to normalizing the foldable phone experience, but with the $100 price increase this year, you really have to consider its benefits -- especially when compared to other foldable phones -- before splurging. You should buy the Z Fold 6 if you want the best phone-to-tablet experience on the market right now, with a refined design that's sturdier, more durable, and lighter in the hand than ever. You should also consider Samsung's seven years of software and security support and a free screen repair, which are unavailable on competing devices from Google, OnePlus, and Motorola. Lastly, look into trade-in offers and discounts across retailers and carrier stores; there's a good chance you'll be able to knock off a few hundred dollars with the phone you already have.

This one thing might be the reason to buy a Galaxy Z Flip 6 over the Moto Razr+

Motorola and Samsung both recently unveiled their new flip-style foldables, and they're pretty competitive. You'll want to go with Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 6 if you care about prolonged software support and better camera quality, but if you care most about having a large and useful cover display, you'll want the Motorola Razr+ (2024). However, there's another thing to consider that many buyers forget about until it's too late. See, the best Samsung phones hold their value better than any other kind of Android phone. You can buy a Samsung phone and trade it in for hundreds of dollars a year or two down the road when you're in the market for an upgrade. By comparison, you'll be lucky if anyone takes a Motorola phone. I know, because I bought last year's Motorola Razr+, and I can't get rid of it. Related Best Android phones in 2024 Premium devices with premium capabilities The Motorola Razr+ is the better phone today It has a bigger screen, better cover screen app support, and a sleek design Close Samsung has decidedly lost its lead in the foldable race, with competitors like Motorola and OnePlus starting to make Galaxy foldables look paltry by comparison. That's true of the clamshell foldable market, too, because the Motorola Razr+ (2024) is arguably the better phone. Motorola's cover screen is larger, and you can do more with it. Essentially, it's just a smaller Android phone, with no functionality lost. The story isn't the same with the Galaxy Z Flip 6's cover screen. Apps sometimes work, though you have to hop through some hoops to achieve that. The best example of the finicky experience is Gemini, which doesn't play nice with the cover screen on the Galaxy Z Flip 6, while it works fine on the Razr+. Related Motorola's new Razr+ is everything I want from a flip phone Proper software updates would be nice, though 2 I think the design of the Motorola Razr+ is sleeker and sexier than the Galaxy Z Flip 6, for what it's worth, and the bezels on the latter phone's cover screen make it look dated. The Razr+ also has improved cameras, even if the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is still the kind of flip-style foldable camera quality. Oh, and Motorola's foldable is $100 cheaper, retaining that $1,000 sweet spot Samsung couldn't hold onto. To me, the Razr+ is the phone you buy if you want the best clamshell foldable today. However, it's hard to imagine the Razr+ being the best clamshell foldable as far as longevity is concerned. There's Motorola's questionable software support, too -- it took a full year for the Razr+ (2023) to get Android 14, right as Android 15 is right around the corner -- but that isn't the biggest factor you should consider. Instead, it's how little the Motorola Razr+ will be worth in a few years if/when you want to sell it or trade it in. The problem with investing in a Razr+ No one wants secondhand Motorola phones The best smartphones today are an investment, and you shouldn't expect to pay $1,000 or more only for the phone to be worthless after a few years. Whether you like holding onto your old phones, giving them to a friend or family member, trading them in, or selling them, you want them to be worth something. Motorola phones simply aren't worth that much on the secondary market, and you might have a hard time getting rid of them. That's been my experience with my Motorola Razr+ (2023), which is barely worth anything now. I can buy the exact same phone for under $200 on eBay, and that's for a device in great condition. Going a bit higher in price, there have been over 200 Razr+ phones sold for under $300 on the site -- it's important to remember that the Razr+ costs $1,000, so it has less than a fifth of its value after just one year of ownership. Somehow, the trade-in situation is worse. Best Buy, Samsung, and Amazon won't take this phone at all -- it isn't even an option on their trade-in lists. Maybe I could trade it in as an "other" phone, but that means giving up a flagship phone for essentially nothing. From what I could find, the only places that would accept my Razr+ were Motorola and OnePlus. I've only had the Razr+ for a year, and I'm stuck with it. I'm not willing to give away a perfectly-working smartphone for $200, but that's what these are worth on the secondhand market. My hands are tied. Related Motorola Razr+ review: My new favorite foldable The GOAT of flip phones can finally reclaim its throne Samsung phones hold value impeccably I'd buy a Galaxy Z Flip 6 for this reason alone, hands-down Close It's hard to justify wasting an investment on a Motorola Razr+ (2024) when I could buy a Galaxy Z Flip 6 instead. Samsung phones hold their value a lot better than Motorola phones, especially when you factor in the company's enhanced trade-in deals. For example, you could've traded in a Galaxy Z Flip 5 for $650, which could go toward a new Galaxy Z Flip 6 during the preorder period. That means the Galaxy Z Flip 5 held more than half its value after a year of use. The resale sites tell the same story, with Galaxy Z Flip 5 devices regularly selling for around $500. Compared to the Razr+ (2023), it isn't even a competition. Related Review: Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 6 is great but it's no longer the slam dunk foldable choice The best one yet, but is that good enough? 3 But most people don't upgrade their phones every year, so how will older Galaxy models fare? Just as well, evidently. You could've traded in a Galaxy Z Flip 3 from 2021 for a whopping $500 when going for a new Galaxy Z Flip 6. Yes, a Galaxy foldable from three years ago is worth more than double the value of a Motorola Razr+ (2023) that's only a year old. Whether we want to consider it or not, trade-in values and resale values should factor into purchasing decisions. Being smart about how and when you buy and trade-in phones can significantly reduce the amount of money you spend on them over time. A $1,000 flagship smartphone shouldn't lose nearly all of its value after a single year of ownership. It's unacceptable, and I can't recommend Motorola phones until the situation improves. Samsung foldables hold their value too well for me to justify choosing a Razr foldable again, even if Motorola phones might impress on the spec sheet. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is Samsung's most evolved take yet on the flip-style foldable form factor. Its 3.4-inch AMOLED cover screen supports Galaxy AI features without opening the device, along with upgraded widgets and suggested replies, but its gorgeous 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED folding display will still have you flipping the phone open quite a bit. $1100 at Samsung$1100 at Amazon$1100 at Best Buy Motorola Razr+ (2024) $900 $1000 Save $100 The Motorola Razr+ (2024) is an impressive flip foldable, featuring high-end internals. With the 2024 variant, Motorola has made one of our favorite flip phones from last year even better, bumping the cover screen size even further, fitting a beefier battery, and improving the cameras. $900 at Amazon$900 at Best Buy$900 at Motorola 9:15 Related I spent 30 days with a flip phone -- is it worth it? [Video] I spent 30 days with the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra