Galaxy Z Fold 6: Unlike any other device on the local market

Every summer since 2020, the South Korean giant has launched a new generation of its Galaxy Z Fold series. It’s a foldable smartphone that appeals primarily to those who want a device that transforms into a tablet. Like its predecessors, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 focuses on further design improvements and increased durability. This year, Samsung has also added AI features that we first saw earlier this year on the Galaxy S24 models.

Design: Galaxy Z Fold 6 – lighter to wearThe Z Fold series has always been burdened by its weight, making it feel like a big brick in your pocket. Samsung has addressed this issue with the new model, reducing the weight from 253 grams in the Z Fold 5 to 239 grams. While it’s a mere 14-gram difference, it’s noticeable and makes the smartphone much more comfortable to carry. The thickness has also been reduced by 1.2 mm, making it 12.2 mm. In terms of protection, Samsung has further improved the durability of the device. This model has a reinforced Armor Aluminum frame, a scratch-resistant frame and hinge, and front and back glass with some drop and scratch resistance, thanks to Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. However, despite the protection, the external screen scratched easily during my use. The device has an IP48 rating, which also provides protection against small particles.

Other protection improvements include a 30% stronger display to prevent damage from external pressure and sharp objects. The folding hinge has also been improved with a double rail and reinforced durability to protect against physical impacts.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 (source: Tzahi Hoffman)

Display: Galaxy Z Fold 6 – Excellent screen even in bright Israeli sunlightThe Z Fold 6’s internal screen is the main reason to buy this device. When you open the smartphone, you see a 7.6-inch screen — a huge display that lets you comfortably read documents, watch movies, or work with two apps at once. The internal fold of the screen becomes almost imperceptible after a few seconds of use. The user experience is smooth, and when you open the smartphone, it is also thinner and has better weight distribution, making it more comfortable to read texts.

While it’s the internal screen that makes this smartphone stand out, most of your time will be spent on the external screen, which has been increased from 6.2 to 6.3 inches this year. This is convenient for quick tasks like reading the news or browsing the web. However, for more serious work, you’ll naturally switch to the internal screen. The transition between screens is seamless. For example, you can start reading an email in the Gmail app on the external screen and continue working on it as soon as you open the device to the larger internal screen. Both screens work well in direct sunlight, so there’s no problem using them while walking outside during the summer months in Israel (with 2,600 nits of brightness).

Interface: Galaxy Z Fold 6 – Ability to translate phone conversations in real timeThe highlight of Samsung’s One UI 6.1.1 in Android 14 is the addition of Galaxy AI, which we first saw earlier this year on the Galaxy S24. This feature lets you search for anything you see on your screen (a feature called Circle to Search) by simply circling the image, and Google will find it online. This means a photo of a shoe will reveal the model, circling a QR code will take you to its website, and circling a photo of a place will show you where it is. You can even take a photo of math equations written down on paper and get the answers, making it a powerful tool for students.

Samsung highlighted its translation capabilities (with AI). You get real-time translation of non-Hebrew phone conversations between two parties, with each party hearing the conversation in their own language. You can transcribe and translate conversations in real time with people in the same room, and thanks to the device’s dual screen, each person sees the translation in their own language (this feature is also not supported in Hebrew). You can also translate PDFs, and in Samsung’s browser, translate images and text while browsing. In Samsung’s Notes app, you can record conversations and convert them to text, and in the browser, you can get quick summaries of articles. If you’re not an artist, you can sketch a table, a chair, or even glasses on someone’s face and let the AI turn them into realistic drawings.

Hardware: Galaxy Z Fold 6 – Custom Qualcomm ProcessorAs expected, this smartphone responds quickly, without any lag. It is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, which Qualcomm has specially optimized for Samsung’s new devices. The device has 12GB of RAM and storage options of 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB. The physical fingerprint sensor is located on the side button and responds well. The device also has stereo speakers, supports WiFi 6e, and Bluetooth 5.3.

Camera: Galaxy Z Fold 6 – a good camera, unchanged for two generationsThe rear camera setup remains the same as the previous two generations (Z Fold 4): a 50-megapixel main sensor with optical image stabilization, a 12-megapixel wide-angle sensor, and a 10-megapixel telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. The internal camera under the display is 4-megapixel, while the external selfie camera is 10-megapixel. The main camera takes good photos with a slightly richer tone, although this tone is not maintained when switching to other sensors for optical zoom or wide shots. The camera successfully captured kids in motion, delivering clear images without any issues. Portrait shots with the background blurred were sharp. Night mode photography did not disappoint, producing bright images, but wide shots were a bit blurry around the edges and slightly dark. While it is not a flagship-level camera, it is still good. The external selfie camera took decent photos, but it struggled with lighting conditions. Even indoors in daylight, graininess was visible.

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Battery: decent performance, but slow chargingThe battery capacity remains the same as last year at 4,400mAh. Samsung claims that the battery has been optimized for more efficient power consumption. In my experience, the battery lasted from 7am to 11pm with 17% battery remaining and 3.5 hours of screen time. These are decent numbers. However, the device’s charging is disappointing at just 25W, which is quite slow compared to other devices. Wireless charging is rated at just 15W, and there’s also 4.5W reverse wireless charging for charging accessories like headphones.

Price:NIS 6,800 for the 256 GB version, NIS 7,150 for the 512 GB version and NIS 8,350 for the 1 TB version.

Summary:The Galaxy Z Fold 6 experience is still unlike any other smartphone on the market (especially since foldable devices from Oppo, Google, and Xiaomi are not available in Israel). The smartphone that transforms into a tablet offers a productive experience when you need it, whether it’s for conveniently reading documents, working on two apps at once, or simply watching a movie on the big screen. The external screen is narrow and doesn’t offer the experience of a regular smartphone screen, but it’s comfortable enough for quickly reading and typing emails and messages, using Waze, or paying for parking. The camera is good enough, and the battery lasts all day.