Samsung recently unveiled the new Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 at the Galaxy Unpacked event in Paris. While the Z Fold 6 isn’t a major departure from its predecessor, the Z Fold 5, it brings several noteworthy enhancements. If you’re considering an upgrade or trying to decide which Fold model to choose, let me walk you through all the upgrades in the Galaxy Z Fold 6 that you should know about.
Table of Contents
1. New Design Inspired by S24 Ultra
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 sports a design reminiscent of the Galaxy S24 Ultra, with a flatter and sharper aesthetic. Samsung has upgraded the chassis with an enhanced armor aluminum frame, that should improve durability, though this remains to be tested. The Z Fold 6 is slightly more compact and lighter than its predecessor, measuring 153.5 x 132.6 x 5.6 mm when open and 153.5 x 68.1 x 12.1 mm when folded, and weighing just 239 grams. That is just 7 grams more than S24 Ultra which weighs 232 grams.
That means it’s 1.4mm shorter, 2.7mm wider, and 0.5mm thinner when unfolded compared to Z Fold 5. When folded, it’s 1.4mm shorter, 1mm wider, and 1.3mm thinner. Plus, it’s 14 grams lighter, weighing just 239 grams. When you open it up, it measures 153.5 x 132.6 x 5.6 mm, and when folded, it’s 153.5 x 68.1 x 12.1 mm.
2. A Better Adaptive Cover Display
The Z Fold 6 improves upon its predecessor’s display capabilities. While the Z Fold 5’s inner display dynamically adjusted from 1 to 120 Hz, its cover display was limited to 48 to 120 Hz. This means it adjusts between 1 Hz to conserve battery when there’s no activity and ramps up to 120 Hz for smoother animations.
Now, with the Galaxy Z Fold 6, Samsung upgraded the cover display to also support a 1 to 120 Hz refresh rate. While you may not notice a difference in your daily use, this improvement is expected to improve battery life, especially since both the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Fold 6 have the same 4,400 mAh battery.
3. Brighter Displays
Samsung has significantly increased the peak brightness of both the cover and inner displays on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 from 1750 nits to 2600 nits. This ensures better visibility in bright environments, such as direct sunlight, although the display won’t always operate at peak brightness.
4. Dust Protection Rating
Until now, the Galaxy Fold series didn’t have any official dust protection rating with the Z Fold 5 offering only IP X8 protection. In this rating system, the first digit (0-6) indicates protection against solid objects like dust, and the second digit (0-9) indicates protection against liquids. “X” means the rating isn’t specified.
Now, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 comes with an IP 48 rating. The “4” in the dust rating means it’s protected against solid objects larger than 1 mm, such as most wires, screws, and large insects. However, it’s worth noting that this improvement is mostly on paper, as issues with wires and large insects aren’t really a concern.
5. Upgraded Processor
The new Galaxy Z Fold 6 comes with the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. Samsung says the CPU is about 18% faster the GPU is 19% quicker than the previous Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. But the real upgrade is the NPU (think of it like the brain for AI features), which is now 42% faster. This means it can handle new Galaxy AI features better, all directly on your phone.
Here’s a breakdown of the cores and clock speeds for both processors:
Galaxy Z Fold 6 – Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4nm)
- 1 x Cortex-X4 (3.3 GHz)
- 3 x Cortex-A720 (3.2 GHz)
- 2 x Cortex-A720 (3.0 GHz)
- 2 x Cortex-A520 (2.3 GHz)
Galaxy Z Fold 5 – Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm)
- 1 x Cortex-X3 (3.19 GHz)
- 2 x Cortex-A715 (2.8 GHz)
- 2 x Cortex-A710 (2.8 GHz)
- 3 x Cortex-A510 (2.0 GHz)
Both use the same 4nm tech to squeeze out power efficiently, with Qualcomm saying the 8 Gen 3 uses a bit less battery, so it lasts longer. Overall, the new Snapdragon chip in the Z Fold 6 makes it faster and smarter than the Z Fold 5.
Should You Upgrade to Galaxy Z Fold 6
Considering the $100 price hike for the base model which now costs $1900, the decision seems straightforward. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is a small upgrade from the Z Fold 5. It has a slightly better design, has small display spec improvements, and runs slightly faster with the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. If you already have a Z Fold 5, these changes might not be enough of a reason to switch to the Z Fold 6.
However, if you are rocking an older Fold model like Fold 2 or Fold 3, you must consider upgrading because the difference you will feel would be significant. Booking begins July 24.
