Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6: Pushing the Boundaries of Foldable Technology

Why the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is more than the sum of its parts

Google and OnePlus collectively threw the challenge flag at Samsung last year when the companies released the Pixel Fold and OnePlus Open, respectively. Those two great foldable phones were the first that really competed with Samsung on North American soil, at a time when its innovation with foldables was stagnating. I had hoped that Samsung would be up to the challenge, bringing more upgrades to the Galaxy Z Fold 6. That wasn't the case, so why do I love using it so much? We didn't get faster charging, better multitasking features, Qi2 support, main camera upgrades, or anti-glare screens; but after more than a week of using the Galaxy Z Fold 6, I'm confident it's the best folding phone I've ever used. After years of using foldables, I'm sure the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is more than the sum of its parts. Related Review: The Galaxy Z Fold 6 has cost Samsung its head start in the foldable race A real tortoise-and-hare situation 15 It starts with a thinner, rectangular chassis The Galaxy Z Fold 6 feels better than my Pixel Fold and Z Fold 4 The design of a smartphone is a superficial factor, sure, but it determines whether a phone feels cheap, premium, or dated. For example, the curved display on the OnePlus 12R makes it seem less modern than the Google Pixel 8a. This year, Samsung went all-in for the rectangular design on the Galaxy Z Fold 6. It has sharp edges and corners that are only ever-so-slightly rounded, and the whole thing is more akin to the Galaxy S24 Ultra than the Galaxy S24. I love the rectangular, flat chassis of the Galaxy Z Fold 6. To me, it simply fits the phone. The shape matches the rectangular aspect ratio of the cover screen and the squarish inner screen perfectly. Plus, I don't want my nearly $2,000 foldable to look like a regular flagship phone, many of which feature prominent curves. Instead, I want it to feel modern and futuristic, and that's the feeling I get from the Galaxy Z Fold 6 -- thanks to the rectangular shape, miniscule bezels, and thin form factor. The thinness certainly has something to do with the premium feel of this device. The camera bump is worse than ever, though, as I can't even use this phone on a table without feeling enraged. Aside from that, it feels great in your hand and in your pocket. No, it's not the thinnest foldable on the planet, but it's thin enough that you forget you're not using a traditional slab phone. The matte finish is nice to see, too. The polished rails on the older Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 5 were a reflective mess that became easily covered in smudges. What's so premium about that? Is this the perfect cover screen? The Pixel Fold cover screen may be too wide I've spent the last year daily driving foldables with cover screens too narrow (Galaxy Z Fold 4) and really wide (Pixel Fold). I was surprised to find that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 cover screen, which is a few millimeters wider than last year's model, finds the perfect middle ground. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 and older had cover screens that were nearly impossible to use for anything that required speed; the narrow keyboard was a real deterrent to efficiency. However, the Pixel Fold's cover screen was wide enough to feel like a regular phone. Before I got my Pixel Fold review unit, that's what I thought I wanted from a big-screen foldable. Oh, how wrong I was. Your mileage may vary, but I found that because the Pixel Fold's wider cover screen was like a typical smartphone's display, I used it like a typical smartphone. Real-world usage of the Pixel Fold over many months saw me rarely open the main screen, which is the opposite of what you expect from using a foldable. I want a cover screen that doesn't make me want to pull my hair out when I need to use it, but also one that pushes me to open that gorgeous main display whenever possible. In a week of testing the Galaxy Z Fold 6, I used the main screen on this phone more than any other foldable. Whether the new aspect ratio or a more manageable form factor is the cause, I'm finding a great rhythm of mixing usage of the inner and outer displays. I think this foldable might have the perfect combination of screen sizes and aspect ratios to maximize usability and value. For what it's worth, the OnePlus Open has a similar combination of aspect ratios and screen sizes. However, OnePlus' foldable is slightly wider, and I'm not sure whether I'd want or need the extra space. Related My favorite foldable of 2023 may just be my favorite foldable of 2024, too This OnePlus Open is looking absolutely fire 2 Build quality is still unmatched The hinge and overall sturdiness are huge wins Close It's easy to take for granted the build quality you get with Samsung foldables. There were a rough few years at first, but it seems like Samsung has worked out most of the kinks by now. In particular, the inside of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and its slim bezels, hinge, and raised edges make it more durable and sturdier than its competitors. You don't realize how amazing Samsung's hinge is until you try a different foldable. Motorola's Razr+ (2023) has a uniquely-terrible hinge that feels shaky and loose to a fault. The Pixel Fold's hinge was fine for me at launch, but after nearly a year of using the device, it doesn't come close to opening completely flat. My guess is that the already-weak hinge got dust and debris lodged inside it over time, limiting its range of motion. Regardless, it's not good, and the whole device feels more like a rough draft the more you use it. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 feels more like a normal phone than any foldable, making it a great option for first-time buyers. The problem is, it costs nearly two grand, and that's why Samsung's lack of upgrades makes it hard to recommend despite the polished experience. That said, it's not nearly as unfortunate as the Google Pixel Fold. Related Google Pixel Fold review: An $1,800 rough draft Google's first foldable fails to live up to its full potential Should we reward Samsung's complacency? I'm torn about whether the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is worth the price So, should you buy a Galaxy Z Fold 6? I've said a lot of good things about it, and yet the answer is complicated. At the vesy least, I think buyers need to seriously consider whether they're willing to reward bad behavior by spending $1,900 on this smartphone. Selling a phone that costs this much with the same main camera sensor for three straight years is the definition of complacency. At some point, consumers need to decide enough is enough and vote with their wallets. So, even though I think the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is the most polished foldable I've used, I probably won't buy it. The one I'm testing is a loaner from AT&T, and I'll have to decide whether to buy a Galaxy Z Fold 6 of my own, choose the OnePlus Open instead, or stick with my trusty Galaxy Z Fold 4 when it's time to send it back. As of now, while the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is certainly better than prior Galaxy foldables than its minor upgrades would suggest, I don't think I can stomach giving Samsung all that money for playing it this safe. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 7.5/ 10 Samsung's latest foldable takes some cues from the Galaxy S24 Ultra, with a boxier design and an all-matte finish. It features a slightly wider cover display for a more comfortable typing experience, as well as new Galaxy AI features and an upgraded ultra-wide camera.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, Flip 6 review: The endless pursuit of perfection

What is a foldable? In smartphone parlance, it's a device that folds into two halves. There are broadly two types of foldable phones in the market today. Those that fold horizontally like the Fold 6 and those that fold vertically like the Flip 6. Both have distinct use cases. While book-style folbables like the Fold 6 are designed to give you a 2-in-1 phone plus tablet experience, devices like the Flip 6 are meant to do just the opposite, they fold into something even smaller so you can fit them easily in your pocket. Kudos to Samsung for making both. The Fold and Flip may seem like chalk and cheese, but the underlying mechanism is the same. Both rely on meticulously designed rails, hinges, and bendable screens to open and close. The trifecta needs to be absolutely precise to make everything work. More importantly, it needs to be strong and durable enough to ensure it works continuously without fail. Which is why, they are nothing short of an engineering marvel, these folbdables. If technology and gadgets excite you, these foldables make for one helluva ride. And Samsung has held the keys to this joyride for almost half a decade. Since 2019, it has fashioned a new Fold and a new Flip, year after year reiterating on its commitment to a category that not many competing brands dare to touch even today. And it works both ways. The commitment is what builds confidence among people and reviewers like us to be swayed by all the engineering and then -- expectedly -- ask for more. Say for instance, a wider cover screen in the Fold, or the ability to run more apps on the Flip's. Fold 6, Flip 6 -- Build quality While long-term durability concerns remain, the Fold and Flip are no longer seen as fragile objects. At least to people like us who have had the privilege to review these devices since the early days. The Fold 6 and Flip 6 are rock solid. You can take it to the bank. Samsung has come a long way. Particularly on the Fold 6, the inner workings have been tuned and tuned to near perfection bringing the weight and thickness down to a more ergonomic 239g and 12.1mm. The chassis is flat, no curves whatsoever, bringing it in line with the Galaxy S24 series phones. (The sharp bottom edge could be a little uncomfortable for our left-handed friends and the big camera bump, difficult to live without a case). The Flip 6 looks and feels largely the same as the Flip 5 though it does hold stiff at more angles than before. Their IP48 rating makes the Fold 6 and Flip 6 the first commercially available foldable devices to be resistant to dust in addition to water (which has existed on these devices since the Fold 3 days). Any amount of protection, no matter how small or big, is appreciated. More so on a foldable. Fold 6, Flip 6 -- Display The inner displays are an exact do-over from last year. That's 7.6-inch 1856x2160p (QXGA+) 120Hz LTPO AMOLED for the Fold 6 and 6.7-inch 2640x1080p 120Hz LTPO AMOLED for the Flip 6. The only major difference is that these screens can get brighter (2,600nits versus 1,750nits). Like protection, this upgrade too is much appreciated. As for the big ol' elephant, the crease in the middle remains as unhinged as ever. You must learn to live with it. But credit where it's due, there's definitely an improvement over the first few generations. The Flip 6's cover screen is same as the Flip 5's -- 3.4-inch Super AMOLED 60Hz with 720p resolution. It's once again shaped like a folder leaving much of the bottom left part unused. The Fold 6 has a slightly bigger cover screen at 6.3-inch (versus Fold 5's 6.2). Its LTPO AMOLED can also go as low as 1Hz (120Hz maximum) whereas the Fold 5's could hit only 48Hz at the lowest. The resolution is 968x2376p (HD+) and peak brightness is 2,600nits. Compared to the Fold 5 (23.1:9), it has a slightly more usable 22.1:9 aspect ratio -- baby steps to a more user-friendly future. Fold 6, Flip 6 -- Camera Samsung has brought parity to both the camera sets for the first time and while the Fold 6's setup is virtually identical to the Fold 5's, the Flip 6 is getting a big spec bump as a result. Both have 50-megapixel primary sensors with an f/1.8 optically stabilised lens. It is joined by a 12-megapixel f/2.2 camera with a fairly wide 123-degree field of view (FOV). The Fold 6 also has a third 10-megapixel 3x telephoto (f/2.4/OIS), mostly for bragging rights. Aside from their occasional tendency to overexpose, these cameras shoot well enough in all sorts of lighting conditions, as long as you're not in the habit of pixel peeping. The selfie cameras (Fold 6 has two of those: 4MP on the inside and 10MP on the cover. Flip 6 has just the one, a 10MP on the outside.) are your usual spec-fillers, but the good thing is that you might not need them as much, as the form factor allows the more powerful back cameras to do all the heavy lifting for you. Fold 6, Flip 6 -- Performance, battery life Speaking of heavy lifting, the customary annual chip upgrade gets you the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 inside the Fold 6 and Flip 6. The parity extends into memory as well. Both ship with 12GB of RAM by default. Storage goes up to 1TB in the Fold 6 and 512GB in the Flip 6. Performance falls in line with what we've come to expect from these devices over the last few years. They work well enough in day to day, not so much in benchmarks especially load testers like CPU Throttling and 3D Wildlife Stress. The Flip 6 does hit you with a bit of a surprise in terms of agility over an extended period. Samsung has done well with cooling. All that efficiency bodes well for battery life. The Fold 6 and particularly the Flip 6, last 2-4 hours longer than their predecessors, as evidenced by both tests and real-world use. The Flip 6's bigger 4,000mAh battery (versus 3,700mAh in the previous model) has something to do with this, too. The Fold 6 makes do with the same 4,400mAh as the Fold 5. Samsung's undying reluctance to move on from 25W charging is becoming more and more difficult to justify at this point. The silver lining -- if you can call it one -- is that these devices are meant for the long haul. Samsung is committing to an industry-leading seven years of Android and security updates and the hardware needs to hold up to fulfill that promise. The battery is a crucial element that degrades over time, more so with fast charging. Maybe slow charging is a feature, not a bug. Fold 6, Flip 6 -- Software The One UI 6.1.1 software inside both these phones is chef's kiss. Honestly, it doesn't get any better than this. Samsung, at this point, is just flexing. This year, the big focus is on artificial intelligence. Another commitment it is reiterating with the introduction of some brand-new Galaxy AI features (first launched with the S24 lineup) with the Fold 6 and Flip 6. Note Assist now supports real-time transcription, translation, and summarisation directly within Samsung Notes, streamlining note-taking during meetings or lectures. The Composer feature in Samsung Keyboard generates suggested text from simple keywords, making it easier to craft emails and social media posts. The Interpreter mode allows both parties in a conversation to view translations on the main and cover screens, while Live Translate now supports real-time phone call translations across third-party apps. On the creative front, Photo Assist and Portrait Studio enhance content creation, and the new Sketch to Image feature generates artwork from simple sketches. Additionally, Google's Gemini and Circle to Search are now more deeply integrated, further boosting the devices' AI capabilities. Not everyone will fall for these features. Not everyone needs them. But they are conveniences, nonetheless. You got two screens, you might as well make the most of them sometime. For better or worse, these features also prove -- or at least give the impression -- that Samsung isn't standing still. It's constantly at work. The hardware may not be iterating as fast as we want (nay, expect), but these devices are getting better year-on-year. One year, it's about adding water-resistance, one year it's about closing the gap, one year it's about AI and whatnot. Fold 6, Flip 6 -- Should you buy them? If you ask me, I'll say, I would love a foldable with the OnePlus Open's physical dimensions, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro's camera and Fold 6's software. (On the flip side, the Moto Razr 50 Ultra's cover screen destroys the Flip 6's cover screen in terms of both sheer size and scale of apps, can't say the same about the rest of the package though.) That's the dream. But that's wishful thinking and we all know that. Or is it? Maybe the upcoming Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold will end our misery. Samsung has already breached the 2-lakh price barrier with its new foldables. Hopefully, Google sees this as an opportunity and doesn't mess up the pricing. But that's all in the future and subject to the Pixel Fold actually being good. Until then, Samsung is the undisputed king of foldables, its Fold 6 being the most complete and compelling case for the category, even if its pricing may sting a bit. The Flip 6 somewhat justifies the price bump better with its improved camera and bigger battery.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs. Z Flip 5: Modest improvements across the board

Most refined Z Flip yet Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is the most evolved version of the Flip lineup from Samsung, featuring a fun form factor. It comes with a 3.4-inch cover and a 6.7-inch main AMOLED display, both of which are colorful and bright. The Flip 6 packs the new Galaxy AI features, a dual camera setup, and a battery that can last all day, making the experience slightly better than on its predecessor. ProsFantastic main displayExcellent performanceGreat battery life ConsCosts $100 moreSlow chargingLimited cover display $1100 at Amazon Still a great buy Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 was our go-to recommendation last year for those who were thinking about switching or trying the foldable form factor in a flip style. It had two beautiful displays, a dual camera setup that captured decent images, and a battery that did well for the most part. ProsFun form factorGreat performanceLarge cover display ConsOK battery life and slow chargingThe camera isn't the best $1000 at Amazon Samsung has been making foldables for over five years, and it's fair to say that the company still makes some of the best foldable smartphones. The Flip series has been the most successful flexible devices to date, bringing back the fun form factor with even more possibilities and a new way to take advantage of the large display and unique set of features. The latest Galaxy Z Flip 6 brings small, but meaningful, refinements to the series, adding a new hinge mechanism, the same compact form factor that we all know and love, and other small changes that further enhance the experience of the modern flip phone. Price, specs, and availability The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 is available at most retailers and carriers, as well as directly through Samsung. The base model comes with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and costs $1,100, which is a $100 increase over the previous generation. It's available in Yellow, Mint, Silver Shadow, and Blue colors at most retailers; Crafted Black, Peach, and White are exclusively available at Samsung.com. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is also available at all the usual places, including Best Buy, Amazon, and most carriers. When it was released, it retailed for $1,000, but it can now often be found for less than $600. The base model comes with 256GB of storage and 8GB of RAM, and it's available in several different colors, including Mint, Graphite, Cream, Lavender, Gray, Blue, Green, and Yellow. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5SoCQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for GalaxyQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2Display typeAMOLED (internal and external)AMOLED (internal and external)Display dimensions6.7" (main), 3.4" (cover)6.7" (main), 3.4" (cover)Display resolution2640 x 1080 (main), 720 x 748 (cover)2640 x 1080 (main), 720 x 748 (cover)RAM12GB8GBStorage256GB or 512GB256GB or 512GB Battery4,000mAh3,700mAhCharge speed25W wired, 15W wireless25W wired, 15W wirelessCharge optionsWired or wirelessWired or wirelessOperating SystemAndroid 14 with One UI 6.1.1Android 14 with OneUI 6Front camera10MP, f/2.210MP, f/2.2Rear camera 50MP, f/1.8 main; 12MP, f/2.2 ultrawide12MP, f/1.8 main; 12MP, f/2.2 ultrawideDimensions85.1 x 71.9 x 14.9mm (folded), 165.1 x 71.9 x 6.9mm (unfolded)85.1x 71.9 x 15.1mm (folded), 165.1 x 71.9 x 6.9mm (unfolded)Weight187g187gIP RatingIP48IPX8ColorsSilver Shadow, Blue, Mint, YellowGraphite, Cream, Lavender, MintStylusNoNoPrice$1,100$1,000 Read our review 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 Read our review Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 review: Flex Window for the win A slightly larger cover screen makes all the difference in the world Design Same old, but slightly refined Close Both the Z Flip 6 and Z Flip 5 look almost identical on the outside, as very little has changed between the two generations. Both feature a plastic front with a Gorilla Glass panel, and an aluminum frame. The easiest way to tell the two apart is by looking at their color options, and the colored rings around the camera setup on the Z Flip 6. Other than that, the two devices are practically identical, having the same folded and unfolded dimensions. The only difference, in terms of numbers, is when it comes to thickness. Both devices measure 6.9mm when unfolded, but the Z Flip 6 is 14.9mm when folded, compared to the Z Flip 5's 15.1mm. The difference is negligible, but it's still great to see a small change. Close The two flip phones also weigh the same at 187 grams, and have the same overall form factor. The hinge, on the other hand, is different on the new Z Flip 6, but it retains all the same features and overall functionality from the Z Flip 5. The other main differentiator is ingress protection. Foldables have never been as rugged as standard non-foldable smartphones, but the Z Flip 6 now features an IP48 certificate. In contrast, the Z Flip 5 only has IPX8, which signifies it's not rated against small particles like dust. In the case of the Z Flip 6, the device can't handle very small and fine dust, but larger particles shouldn't enter the device, protecting the internals from damage. Related Samsung's latest foldables might not be as rugged as you think Not dustproof, handle with care Display Brighter display makes the Z Flip 6 more usable outside While the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Z Flip 5 come with the same 6.7-inch LTPO AMOLED displays with 120Hz refresh rates, the Z Flip 6 brings a few upgrades to the table. Most notably, it peaks at 2,600 nits of brightness, compared to the Z Flip 5's 1,750 nits. It's worth noting that this peak brightness only applies when supported HDR10+ content is displayed, but it does help when it comes to regular use, as the panel is easier to see in direct sunlight. We're also happy to report that the crease, while still there, is less noticeable to your eyes and fingers, and Samsung did a great job making it less distracting when looking at the phone indirectly. Close The cover display remained the same 3.4-inch Super AMOLED panel with the same resolution and even Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protective glass. There aren't any major improvements, but it's worth mentioning that the Z Flip 5 already had an excellent display that was great for anything from multitasking, to watching videos, or even playing games. The only problem is that Samsung hasn't made any big improvements to the software, which means the cover screen is still limited when it comes to functionality and features. There are only a few supported apps users can use, and it's still primarily oriented towards checking notifications, using compatible widgets, and previewing photos before capturing them. Related Gemini doesn't play nice with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6's cover screen When the Flip 6 is shut, Bixby's your best bet Software and performance Reliable software updates make the Flip series futureproof Samsung was once known as one of the worst companies when it came to updates, but the company did a complete 180, and it's now one of the best. Samsung offers four major OS upgrades and five years of security patches for the Galaxy Z Flip 5, making it a great foldable for the next three to four years. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is even better, with Samsung promising seven years of software upgrades and seven years of security patches. This means the Galaxy Z Flip 6 will receive upgrades until at least Android 21, or 2031, which offers immense value and a great way for those wanting to futureproof themselves. The software on the Galaxy Z Flip series is also one of the most extensive and functional. It has lots of built-in features that let users take advantage of the unique form factor, adding a tripod mode when taking photos, or making it easier to hold up the phone and providing controls on the lower half of the screen when watching movies. Galaxy AI also adds more functionality, enabling users to take notes faster and more efficiently, browse the web, and edit photos. These add to the Galaxy experience, further enhancing it and providing features that make life easier, more manageable, and a little more fun. When it comes to power, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of base storage. The Z Flip 5 has 8GB of RAM and the same 256GB of base storage, but it's powered by the one generation older Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. In terms of efficiency and power, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 obviously takes the crown, not to mention the added heat management features built into the Z Flip 6. The Z Flip 5 holds up surprisingly well, but it's worth mentioning that if you plan on multitasking or playing games for extended periods, neither phone will hold up as well as traditional flagships due to the limited space for a more capable vapor chamber. Related Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: 5 best features every owner should use Check out all the fun features on your Flip 6 Battery life A full day's worth of power The Galaxy Z Flip 5 has a 3,700mAh battery, while the new Z Flip 6 is equipped with a larger 4,000mAh cell inside. The extra 300mAh ensures the phone can last even longer on a single charge, and the chipset also makes things more efficient, saving you power when you need it the most. In terms of real-life usage, both phones can last a full day on a single charge, but we found that the Z Flip 6 can last slightly longer than its predecessor. It's still not fantastic, but it's more than capable of lasting a full day with general use, especially if you rely on the cover screen for certain tasks instead of opening it up to power millions more pixels. The one area that hasn't received the slightest improvement is charging. Both devices are stuck on slow 25W wired and 15W wireless charging. Luckily, both phones can go from 0% to 50% in 30 minutes, but a full charge will take over an hour and a half. Related Best Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 wireless chargers in 2024 Safety, reliability, and moderate speed Camera The Flip 6 captures better photos The Galaxy Z Flip 6 has a 50MP primary camera and a 12MP ultrawide camera, while the Z Flip 5 has a 12MP primary camera and the same 12MP ultrawide camera. While neither phone stands out for photography, they can capture photos with plenty of details, contrast, and great colors. Images in low light are equally good, too, but they won't be as good as those of standard phones such as the Galaxy S24. Having said that, the Z Flip 6 brings a few improvements, most notably the 50MP f/1.8 main sensor that was also seen on the Galaxy S24. The one thing that stands out is that the Flip series still doesn't have a telephoto camera, which some users may miss. During our Z Flip 6 review, we found the dual camera setup to be great. It captured detailed images with slightly over-saturated colors, but Samsung is well-known for that. The overall set of photos are great in most lighting conditions, and it can even do well in low-light, providing a great overall experience that lives up to expectations. While the Z Flip 6 is still not as good as the main Galaxy S line, we can see improvements and hope it'll one day provide the same experience as the primary flagship series. Which is right for you? Samsung made some small, but notable, enhancements to the Galaxy Z Flip 6. While we like it and can easily recommend it to most people, it's worth mentioning that it's a small, iterative upgrade, and that Galaxy Z Flip 5 users may be disappointed. The Flip 6 has a beautiful display and a great, albeit limited, cover screen, as well as a decent camera setup and great battery life. However, while Samsung made some improvements to ingress protection, and to the hardware and hinge mechanism, it failed to improve enough in other areas like charging or the cameras. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 The Galaxy Z Flip 6 might be a small upgrade, but it brings a lot of refinements that make it a great upgrade for those on the Galaxy Z Flip 4, and even for some Flip 5 owners. It's a great flip phone with excellent availability, a flagship chipset, and an improved battery life. $1100 at Amazon$1100 at Best Buy$1100 at Samsung As for the Galaxy Z Flip 5, it might be a year old, but it remains an excellent foldable for its price, especially knowing that it can sometimes be found for as low as $600 at select retailers with select discounts. If you're new to foldables, and you want to give them a try, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 might just be the best foldable for those on a budget. For everyone else who has a bit of extra change, the Z Flip 6 will be an even better option, especially for those who want to futureproof themselves. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 The Galaxy Z Flip 5 remains an excellent buy in 2024, especially if you're on a budget and want to try out the versatile and fun form factor. It has a decent overall set of features, specifications, and one-day battery life. It's an ideal alternative if you want to experiment, or save a few bucks on your next smartphone. $1000 at Amazon$1000 at Best Buy$1000 at Samsung

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Review: Best Features Besides AI

When Samsung released the Galaxy S24 Ultra in January, its range of Galaxy AI tools were a key focus area, including Circle to Search and language translation. I've lived with the Galaxy S24 Ultra as my main phone for three months since launch and have found there are some truly helpful hardware features, like the antireflective display. But some software tools haven't lived up to expectations, like some of the AI features. Even so, there are plenty of hidden features in this phone that make it better than I anticipated from when I first read the specs on paper. If you're looking for more about the phone, you can read my CNET colleague Lisa Eadicicco's full S24 Ultra review, where she deep-tests the performance benchmarks, battery life and all its AI tools. Read more: Best Samsung Phone for 2024 My last Samsung Galaxy phone was the S22 Ultra, and it's held up well over the past two years. So when Samsung released the S24 Ultra with its suite of new AI tools and the promise of seven years of software updates, I hoped it would win me over in the same way the S22 Ultra did. You can give me AI features and a 200-megapixel camera, but the one feature I use without fail every day is the screen. I feel Samsung underplayed how big of a deal the antiglare display is on the S24 Ultra, especially because the company only released a video with more details on the Corning Gorilla Armor construction three months after launch. The display dramatically cuts down reflections and glare outdoors compared to other flagship phones. I compared it to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, Pixel 8 Pro and even last year's S23 Ultra on a bright San Francisco day and there was no contest -- the S24 Ultra easily beat them all. I can take photos and watch YouTube videos without needing to shade the screen. You can see how each screen performed in the video embedded on this page. The Gorilla Armor coating is also more scratch-resistant than earlier Gorilla Glass displays, according to the company. Three months in and after a few other CNET editors borrowed this phone, it still looks good, with no scratches to report. Compare this to my S22 Ultra, which developed a deep scratch on the display just a few weeks into use. Read more: Blizzard Bound: A Photojournalist Takes the Galaxy S24 Ultra to Tahoe I find it puzzling that Samsung only revealed details on the screen's construction months later. Maybe that's due in part to the display issues that some people experienced a few weeks after launch. Samsung addressed those issues with a software update. Upgrading to this display from the curved S22 Ultra also brought another unexpected perk: a flatter display. I find it's better for taking quick notes with the S Pen when the display is off because I can write up to the edges if I need. No contest: For me the best AI feature on the S24 Ultra is Circle to Search. I use it all the time, whether that's searching for something on a webpage, or circling something from the camera app. The other AI features I'm using frequently from the Samsung tools include the shadow and reflection eraser, plus the rotating canvas option that fills in the edges of the image. But all these AI features have come to the S23 Ultra and Z Fold 5 and Flip 5 with the One UI 6.1 update. Google Pixel phones also have Circle to Search. So they aren't a big enough selling point for the S24 Ultra anymore and, like my colleague Lisa Eadicicco said, it feels like a missed opportunity for Samsung. I've also been using Gemini AI instead of Google Assistant, and it's been a good experience for the most part. I've been using it more than I anticipated. However it still has issues understanding my Australian accent at times when I use voice-to-text dictation so I mainly type requests to Gemini until that improves. This is probably the first time in a long time that the camera hasn't been a huge part of my Galaxy experience. This phone still has the great zoom capabilities and having that flexibility to move from ultrawide through 100x is fun, but I never use 100x zoom because it makes my photos look like watercolor paintings. I generally max out at 30x. Read more: Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Camera Comparison But the camera doesn't feel as exciting as earlier Galaxy phones, or even other Android phones like the Xiaomi Ultra 14 that push the boundaries with a 1-inch type sensor size. That's in part because Samsung removed the 10x optical camera for a new 5x one, opting instead for pixel binning the 50-megapixel image to get to 10x hybrid zoom. Specifically for video at 10x, like filming at a concert, it removes flexibility and forces me to use 10x digital zoom more than I like. I'm always team optical over hybrid or digital zoom. Here's a list of a few updates the Galaxy S24 Ultra has received since launching in January 2024: Sharing files between devices is something I do every day, especially if I want to share a photo I took with friends or with my work computer. I've always wanted a universal AirDrop, but we're almost there with Android adopting Quick Share (it used to be called Nearby Share). But the S24 Ultra does one better, because when you go to share an image, you'll see the option to scan a QR code or copy a URL, so you can share full-resolution files with another device or with friends. I use this all the time to transfer between the S24 Ultra and iOS, or to my work computer, which is a Mac. To wrap up, the Galaxy S24 Ultra has won me over more than I thought it would. Features like Galaxy AI weren't as helpful as their hype but quality-of-life improvements like the antiglare display made an impact. I'll be interested in revisiting this phone in a few months, especially once we know more about other updates Android 15 might bring.