The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 upgrades to 50MP camera and SD 8 Gen 3

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 is slimmer, lighter, tougher and smarter than its 2023 predecessor and receives a notable upgrade to its camera system.

The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, no matter which market you are in. The chipset’s processing power is leveraged for a variety of AI tasks and (for the first time on a Z Flip) the heat is reined in by a vapor chamber.

Additionally, the phone now comes with 12GB of RAM (up from 8GB last year) and 256GB or 512GB of storage.

The main camera has been upgraded to a 50MP sensor (f/1.8 85° lens with OIS), which provides 2x in-sensor zoom. You can get closer still with AI zoom, which goes up to 10x magnification. The 12MP ultra wide camera (123°) remains unchanged, the same goes for the 10MP selfie cam (1.22µm, 85°).

The main display is now an LTPO panel (1-120Hz), but it keeps the same 6.7” diagonal and FHD+ resolution. The Flex Display is the same size and resolution as before, 3.4” 720 x 748px, and still runs at 60Hz. It can reach 1,600 nits in high brightness mode.

Auto Zoom is an AI-powered feature for Flex Mode (i.e. when using the phone half folded so that it acts as its own tripod). The feature automatically zooms in and out to get the best framing for a shot without your direct control, allowing for hands-free group photos. Nightography has been extended to support video HDR. The advanced image processing features are available from inside the Instagram app.

Other AI features also use the Flex Display, e.g. Suggested Replies analyzes your recent messages and suggests a response to incoming messages, so you don’t have to open the phone or type with it closed. It can also show notifications from Samsung Health. New widgets have been added for even more customization and you can have multiple widgets on at the same time.

Samsung has further optimized the hinge to achieve a slimmer profile when the phone is closed. The Galaxy Z Flip6 measures 85.1 x 71.9 x 14.9mm when closed and 165.1 x 71.9 x 6.9mm when opened and weighs 187g. The Z Flip5 was 15.1mm when closed (but the same 6.9mm when opened). The other dimensions are unchanged, including the weight.

The Z Flip6 and Z Fold6 are the first foldables with particle ingress protection – IP48. That doesn’t prevent dust from entering, but should keep out larger particles. Water protection is at the same level as before and can survive being 1.5m (5ft) underwater for 30 minutes. The phone uses enhanced versions of the Armor Aluminum and Gorilla Glass Victus 2, making it the most durable Z Flip yet. Following in the footsteps of the S24 series, the device features recycled cobalt and rare earth elements, plus recycled plastics, aluminum and glass. The packaging is made out of 100% recycled paper.

Also like the S24, the Galaxy Z Flip6 (and Z Fold6) will receive 7 years of OS updates and security patches. This will do a lot to reduce e-waste. The phone starts out with Android 14 and One UI 6.1.1, so Android 15 and One UI 7 will be the first major upgrade.

The battery capacity has been bumped up to 4,000mAh, a decent upgrade over the 3,700mAh of the Z Flip5. Charging is still the same with 25W wired (50% in around 30 minutes) and 15W wireless.

Connectivity includes 5G and some versions of the phone combine a physical SIM with eSIM. Additionally, there is Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 colorways

The phone is available in Silver Shadow, Yellow, Blue and Mint, however, Samsung.com has some exclusive options: Crafted Black, White and Peach.

Pre-orders for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 kick off today, general availability starts on July 24. The base 12/256GB model is priced at $1,100 / £1,050 / €1,200. For comparison, the Z Flip5 (8/256GB) was $1,000 at launch. However, Samsung US offers multiple ways to reduce the price. The good news for Europeans is that the Flip6 costs the same £1.050/€1,200 as its predecessor.