Our Complete Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 Review

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 was announced on July 10 2024 at the Galaxy Unpacked event as Samsung’s latest contribution to the foldable flip phone market.

Since its release, we’ve had a good few months to dive into the Flip 6’s features and see if they’re worth the upgrade from the Flip 5 – or whether you’re better off choosing the Galaxy Z Fold 6 if you’re looking for your first flip phone (or holding out for the rumored Apple foldable iPhone!)

At a starting price of $1,099 for 256GB, keep reading our Galaxy Z Flip 6 review to decide whether this new model is worth the $100 price hike.

What We Like About the Galaxy Z Flip 6

Samsung hasn’t made a huge number of changes since the original Galaxy Z Flip series launched back in 2020. Some updates are therefore needed to bring it in line with other foldable phones on the market, like the Motorola Razr Plus Sixth-generation Flip phone. 

Here are the key things we particularly enjoyed about the Z Flip 6:

Design

The Galaxy Z Flip 6’s design is pretty similar to the Z Flip 5. It comes with the same strong Armor Aluminium frame and Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which is built to survive drops of up to 1 meter on surfaces replicating concrete.

However, the 6 now has a sleeker matte finish and flattened edges, creating a more premium vibe for the latest Galaxy flip foldable. This finish also feels less slippery in your hands, adding some much-needed drop protection to the device.

Choose from Blue, Mint, Yellow, and Silver Shadow colorways, plus Samsung Store exclusive White, Peach, and Crafted Black options. Each of the Flip phone cameras features a ring accented with these colors as a nice additional touch. 

Away from aesthetics, Samsung has really focused on durability – the Z Flip 6 comes with an IP48 water and dust resistance rating. While the previous model was rated IPX8, which is built to survive in depths of water up to 1 meter high, IP48 adds the dust resistance element, protecting the device from particles and solid objects 1mm or larger.

Display

A horizontal crease through the middle of the screen is, unfortunately, a natural feature of all foldable phones. However, Samsung has made this crease a lot less visible on the Z Flip 6, and almost unnoticeable if you choose a lighter wallpaper. This works brilliantly with the 2600-nit peak brightness of the internal screen for clear low-light viewing.

The Z Flip 6 features the same 3.4-inch FlexWindow Cover display and 6.7-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2x Main screen as the Flip 5, with a bright 2640 x 1080 resolution. It also has a 120 Hz maximum refresh rate which offers fast, seamless scrolling – everything you could want in a flagship flip phone display. 

Another great display feature is the level of customization available. Choose from Vivid or Natural options to achieve your ideal color balance, and switch to Dark mode if you prefer a not-so-bright screen.

Chipset

One of the biggest improvements we noted for the Z Flip 6 is the upgraded performance, which is mainly thanks to the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. This chip is designed to support AI processing, with a 30% performance improvement and 20% better power efficiency. 

And this is something that can definitely be seen with the latest Galaxy AI features; from Chat Assist, allowing you to send messages directly from the Cover screen, to Circle to Search, which provides instant Google Search results.

Samsung’s latest model is the first Z Flip phone to have a vapor cooling chamber, along with advanced central and graphic processing units for enhanced performance. Together, this chamber, an extra 4 GB of RAM, and the new Galaxy chipset provide a longer battery life by helping the Samsung phone run more efficiently.

The Flip 6’s enhanced efficiency is also supported by a 4000 mAh battery capacity (300 mAh higher than the Flip 5), with a 23-hour battery life for video playback. Enjoy the same 25W wired and 15W wireless charging speeds as the Flip 5, but be sure to purchase your own cable, as there isn’t one included in the box.

Cameras

The Z Flip 6 camera system doesn’t quite rival that of the flagship Galaxy S25 Ultra or the iPhone 16 Pro Max. However, it certainly offers an improvement from the Flip 5.

The Main camera lens has been upgraded from 12 to 50 MP, paired with the same 12 MP Ultrawide sensor to capture even higher-resolution photos. The system also includes 4K video recording for the first time in Galaxy’s Flip lineup, plus Auto Zoom with 2x optical quality, which is supported by Galaxy AI.

One thing we loved about the Samsung Flip phone cameras is the selfie preview option. Simply double-tap the power button with the lid closed and use the Cover screen as a viewfinder!

What We Don’t Love About the Galaxy Z Flip 6

Despite its many performance and hardware upgrades, the Flip 6 has one major drawback, courtesy of its foldable phone design. Samsung’s latest model may feature enhanced dust resistance and a strong hinge, but flip devices in general have a lower durability due to the delicate hinge mechanism.

An effective solution is to protect your phone with a shockproof phone case, which absorbs any impact that could damage the hinge or internal components. Look for key features like military-grade drop protection, waterproofing, raised edges, and lightweight, high-strength materials for premium impact resistance.

A downside of the Flip 6’s Cover Screen is its limited functionality, since it only displays basic information. You can add some widgets to accompany app notifications, though there are only a few options (like a calendar or weather widgets), making customization limited. 

You’ll also still need to open the lid for full interaction. For example, with the Gmail app, your only option is to clear the notification – to reply, the lid must be fully opened. This isn’t ideal if your hands are full, you’re out running, or are just really busy!

Would We Recommend the Galaxy Z Flip 6?

For foldable phone fans, the latest Galaxy Flip model is an impressive option that we’d recommend – especially if you’re looking for a cheaper option compared to the Z Fold 6.

The Z Flip 6 is arguably Samsung’s best flip phone to date, with its upgraded Main camera, new Snapdragon chipset, boosted battery life, and enhanced IP48 rating. The design changes may be limited, but the satin matte finish and enhanced IP48 rating of the Flip 6 lift its aesthetics and practicality too.

If you’re considering making the switch from a traditional phone, keep in mind the naturally lower durability levels and limited functionality of the FlexWindow Cover display. Investing in suitable protection for the hinge and dual screen setup solves the former problem, while the latter is one you’ll need to weigh up before upgrading to the latest Flip phone.