When phones weren’t so smart, flip phones were cool. They had this satisfying snap when you closed them, like hanging up with attitude. You felt that all eyes were on you just before you hung up a call. Not to forget they were pocket-friendly as well and were all about style. Flipping a phone open to answer a call felt like a scene straight out of a mafia movie.
Along came smartphones and flip phones were retired to an obscure corner of technology. Samsung flipped (no pun intended) the pages of history books though and bought back the form factor. Since then Oppo, Motorola, Xiaomi — all have their versions of the flip phone. Yet, the benchmark remains the Samsung Galaxy Flip phone.
Samsung’s latest iteration of a flip phone is the Galaxy Z Flip 6. The South Korean tech behemoth has made a few interesting tweaks but hasn’t flipped the template that seemed to have worked so well. I used the Galaxy Z Flip 6 for a while as my daily driver and here’s what I think:
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 review: Design and display
Want a phone that looks different from every other phone in the market? The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is the one for you then. Once you open the Galaxy Z Flip 6, it blends seamlessly into the crowd of rectangular smartphones.
Samsung has done a fine job on the the rather minimalistic design as the Galaxy Z Flip 6 has sharp, angular edges lending it a robust appearance. The crease remains visible, particularly in shifting light, but it's less noticeable than before. Over the years, Samsung has smoothened the crease and it shows.
Overall the build quality is impressive and this phone doesn’t give a touch-me-not delicate vibes. The hinge on the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is firm and you can easily position it at any angle with confidence. The one thing that impressed me the most is that how durable the Galaxy Z Flip 6.
The 6.7-inch display is certainly big but packed in a smaller and lighter package. For instance the iPhone 15 Pro Max also has a 6.7-inch display but definitely feels heavier. Samsung has made the Z Flip 6 notably thinner and lighter than its larger competitors, making it a more pocket-friendly option.
As impressive the display is, it doesn’t compare highly to Samsung’s very own other flagship phones. Case in point: the Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus, which has a similar screen size as the Flip 6 but offers offers a higher resolution and more clarity.
The cover display is what adds to the allure of modern-day flip phones. It also enhances the user experience and on the Flip 6 it is a 3.4-inch. However, Samsung has been playing catch up here despite having the first-mover advantage. First, Oppo made the cover display experience better and now Motorola offers a bigger 4-inch display and 165Hz refresh rate on the new Moto Razr. So Samsung’s cover display remains good enough for basic tasks but leaves you wanting for more as it cannot handle advanced tasks.
However, despite its impressive capabilities, the device feels like it is not at full steam and not utilising the best of Samsung. For instance, there’s no DeX support, which is a bit surprising as it many Samsung users are fond of it. Not to forget the cover screen still feels very limited. You can customise which apps to launch on the cover screen but it doesn’t extend to too many apps. What I believe is that the Z Flip 6 has the potential to be an even more productive device with a few software refinements.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 review: Camera
The Galaxy Z Flip 6's upgraded 50MP main camera represents an improvement over its predecessor, it still falls short of the photographic capabilities of traditional flagship smartphones like the Galaxy S24. A lot of it is down to the flip phone design as the sensor size, lens placement, and zoom capabilities are compromised to accommodate the folding mechanism. As a result, capturing images with the same level of detail and clarity as a dedicated camera phone remains a challenge.
Not that the images are disappointing as some of them were quite impressive. In well-lit conditions, you will find a lot of details and clarity in the images clicked by Z Flip 6 are quite good. It is a fun camera as the form factor works in its favour. When folded, it allows many creative shot compositions. Voice commands and gestures also work great for clicking photos. One can experiment a lot with different angles and perspectives because of the flip design of the smartphone. You can use half close the phone and use it as a camcorder as well. It looks cool and does an impressive job of shooting videos.
Samsung has incorporated AI image enhancement tools, including an intriguing Sketch to Image feature. However, the latter is better suited to the larger canvas of the Galaxy Z Fold 6.
It’s not one of the best camera phones out there but the Z Flip 6 still offers a capable photography experience.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 review: Performance
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which powers the Galaxy Z Flip 6, is a really powerful flagship processor. It ensures that multitasking, gaming, and resource-intensive applications run smoothly without any noticeable lag. Coupled with ample RAM, the device can handle multiple apps simultaneously, making it a really strong performer.
Gaming is fun on a flip phone and I gave Call of Duty: Mobile and Shadow Fight 4 a shot on the Z Flip 6. The smartphone didn’t heat up too much even after 30 minutes of non-stop gaming.
Samsung is pitching it as an AI flip phone and it has quite a few innovative features. One that impressed me quite a bit was Composer, a tool integrated into the Samsung Keyboard that suggests text for email or social media posts. It is really helpful when you are travelling to a foreign country. On the same lines is the Interpreter feature, which leverages both the cover and main screens to facilitate face-to-face conversations with real-time translations displayed on the device. Samsung has done a really fine job with this feature. There are times when it gets it wrong but mostly it is on point.
A couple of AI features in the camera app up the fun quotient of the Galaxy Z Flip 6. For example, the Portrait Studio allows you to transform portrait photos into fun works of art. With a simple tap, you can convert your images into various styles, such as comic book characters, 3D cartoons, watercolour paintings, or sketches.
Then there’s Sketch to Image, which allows you to scribble on existing images. The AI then interprets and creates a much better version of what you scribbled. My scribbles — without a stylus or for that matter even with the stylus — leave much to be desired. But the AI tool on the Galaxy Flip Z 6 made it look rather good.
Compared to its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 gets a bigger battery — a 4000mAH. And the results are there for you to see. On medium usage, you can get about 10 hours of battery life on the Galaxy Z Flip 6. If you end up watching a few hours of videos on YouTube and some bit of gaming coupled with regular usage, you will get close to 8 hours, which means you need to charge the phone before the day is over.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 review: Verdict
The Galaxy Z Flip 6 delivers a flagship-level performance that is impressive for a foldable device. Whether you're a power user, a gamer, or simply looking for a reliable daily driver, this phone has the power to meet your needs.
Having said that, the flip form factor — as stylish and appealing it may look — isn’t the idea for modern-day smartphone usage. When flip phones were all the rage, people didn’t do much with them — texts and calls, which means you didn’t have to open and shut the phone too many times. Times have changed drastically now and people are glued to their phones for texts, emails, social media and whatnot. There were times when the flip form factor really annoyed me. For instance, if you get into a WhatsApp trail of messaging, then you can’t really open and close the phone so many times. I am not sure about the practicality of the flip form factor. Don't forget that you will be forking out a lot of cash for this smartphone.
The Galaxy Z Flip 6 starts at Rs 1,09,999, which for a form factor that takes time to get used to is overpriced.
Nevertheless, Samsung continues to make innovative additions to the Galaxy Z Flip. The addition of AI features add quite a bit of value to it. If you are seeking a flip phone, then the Galaxy Z Flip 6 certainly merits to be in one of your top choices. For flip phone people, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 delivers all they are looking for and is one of the best in its class.
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