- The Galaxy Z Flip 6 brings better performance and a primary camera over the Z Flip 5.
- The battery on the Flip 6 is 300 mAh bigger and charges at a much faster rate.
- The cover display on the Flip 6 is now IPS compared to AMOLED on the Flip 5.
Samsung has unveiled its latest Fold and Flip foldable devices in the Galaxy Unpacked event, and there’s a lot to talk about them, which we’ll do in our full review. With each generation of Flip devices, we’ve seen diminishing feature additions and besides using a different SoC, most of the other specifications remain identical. The jump from Z Flip 4 to Z Flip 5 was a significant one, but are the improvements from Z Flip 5 to Flip 6 just as significant? Let’s find out in our Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs Z Flip 5 comparison.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Z Flip 6: Specifications
| Specifications | Z Flip 5 | Z Flip 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Build and dimensions | Aluminum frame; 165.1 x 71.9 x 6.9 mm (unfolded) 85.1 x 71.9 x 15.1 mm (folded) | Aluminum frame; 165.1 x 71.9 x 6.9 mm (unfolded) 85.1 x 71.9 x 14.9 mm (folded) |
| Displays | Inner: 6.7-inch 1080 x 2640 pixels AMOLED 2X 120Hz with 1750 nits of peak brightness Outer: 3.4-inch 720 x 748 pixels super AMOLED 60Hz display protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | Inner: 6.7-inch AMOLED 2X 120Hz with 1750 nits of peak brightness. Outer: 3.4-inch 720 x 748 pixels IPS 60Hz display protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
| Battery | 3,700 mAh with 25W charging, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless | 4,000 mAh with 25W charging, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Software | One UI 5 based on Android 13 | One UI 6.1 based on Android 14 |
| Cameras | 12 MP f/1.8 primary, wide camera 12 MP f/2.2 secondary, ultrawide camera 10 MP f/2.2 selfie snapper | 50 MP f/1.8 primary, wide camera 12 MP f/2.2 secondary, ultrawide camera 10 MP f/2.2 selfie snapper |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, USB 3.2 Type-C, | Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, USB 3.2 Type-C, |
| Security and Audio | Side-mounted fingerprint scanner. Stereo Speakers | Side-mounted fingerprint scanner. Stereo Speakers |
| Storage and RAM | LPDDR 5 RAM and UFS 4.0 storage. 8 GB + 256 GB 8 GB + 512 GB | LPDDR 5 RAM and UFS 4.0 storage. 12 GB + 256 GB 12 GB + 512 GB |
| Launch price | $999 | $1,099 |
Build and Display
Let’s start with the key differentiating specifications between the two. Starting with the build and design, the overall dimensions of Z Flip 5 and Z Flip 6 are identical except for the thickness when folded. The Z Flip 5, when folded, is 15.1 mm thick, whereas the Flip 6’s thickness is reduced to 14.9 mm. While this is not a drastic change, it’s worth pointing out and should make the phone’s bulge in your jeans pockets less noticeable.
The next major change (a downgrade) is found in the outer display. While the inner displays of both Z Flip 6 and Flip 5 are identical, the outer display now uses IPS display instead of Super AMOLED tech. The resolution and size are identical to the Z Flip 5, i.e., 720 x 748 and 3.4 inches, respectively.
The cameras now have rings around them, and they match the color of the unit, which is a nice touch. However, the overall design of the Flip 6 isn’t very different from the Flip 5 which may disappoint people who were expecting huge design changes.
Z Flip 6 vs Z Flip 5: Performance
When it comes to performance, the Z Flip 6 features Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 whereas the Z Flip 5 came with Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Although the 8 Gen 4 is on the horizon, the 8 Gen 3 is technically still the latest flagship Snapdragon and considerably improves the performance and efficiency.
Both are octa-core processors and based on TSMC’s 4nm process. The 8 Gen 3 features with 1 x 3.3GHz Cortex-x4, 3 x 3.2GHz Cortex-A720, 2 x 3GHz Cortex-A720, and 2 x 2.3GHz Cortex-A520.
The 8 Gen 2 has 1 x 3.19GHz Cortex-X3, 2 x 2.8GHz Cortex-A715, 2 x 2.8GHz Cortex-A710, and 3 x 2.0GHz Cortex-A510. The core setup on the 8 Gen 3 is faster, more recent, and superior. Overall, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 boasts a whopping 50% improvement over the 8 Gen 2.
Cameras
Cameras are an area where Samsung’s Flip series has struggled, but that should hopefully change with the addition of a 50 MP f/1.8 primary sensor on the Flip 6 compared to last year’s measly 12 MP sensor. This should help the camera capture sharper images and boast in-sensor zoom.
Galaxy Z Flip 6 Vs Z Flip 5: Battery
And the next big improvement comes in the Battery department. The Z Flip 6 boasts a bigger 4,000 mAh battery compared to the Z Flip 5’s 3,700 mAh battery. Samsung claims the new high-capacity battery can make the phone last at least a couple of hours more on LTE. The charging speed remains the same at 25W.
Storage and RAM
The storage remains the same, i.e., UFS 4.0, and the base model is 256 GB which we expect will be the standard for at least the next three years. The RAM, too, is the same as last year (LPDDR5) but the amount has been bumped up to 12GB from 8GB.
Z Flip 6 Vs Z Flip 5: Stay or Upgrade?
The base variant of Galaxy Z Flip 6 costs $1,099 which is $100 more than the Z Flip 5’s launch price last year. The Z Flip 6 improves in performance and efficiency, battery life, charging speeds, and the amount of RAM. Besides, the 50 MP shooter should perform better than the Z Flip 5’s 12 MP snapper, but the secondary display has been downgraded to an IPS from an AMOLED panel.
All in all, we believe there are not a lot of changes for you to consider upgrading to the Galaxy Z Flip 6 if you already own a Flip 5. Hence, unless you absolutely need better cameras and battery life, we’d suggest sticking to the Flip 5. For those who are buying their first foldable and are confused between the Flip 5 and Flip 6, we’d recommend getting the Z Flip 6 or checking out the Moto Razr 50 Ultra.
What are your thoughts on the Galaxy Z Flip 6? Do you think Samsung downgrading the cover screen to an LCD for a better processor and cameras probably to keep the same price as last year justified? Let us know in the comments below.
Abubakar Mohammed
