- The Galaxy Z Fold 6 features better performance and battery life compared to the Z Fold 5.
- Besides the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and the physical form factor, all other aspect of the foldable remains unchanged.
- Design-wise, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 has a smaller footprint both when folded and unfolded compared to Z Fold 5.
It’s that time of the year when Samsung launches new foldable devices. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 launched last year brought design improvements such as screen folding completely shut leaving no gap and better performance, while most of the other things remained the same compared to the Z Fold 4. Samsung has launched the Z Fold 6 and if you’re wondering if it brings any improvements, here’s how the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Z Fold 5: Key Specifications
| Specifications | Z Fold 5 | Z Fold 6 |
|---|---|---|
| Build and dimensions | Aluminum frame; 154.9 x 129.9 x 6.1 mm (unfolded) 154.9 x 67.1 x 13.4 mm (folded) Weight: 253 grams Protection: IPX8 | Aluminum frame; 153.5 x 132.6 x 5.6 mm (unfolded) 153.5 x 68.1 x 12.1 mm (folded) Weight: 239 grams Protection: IP48 |
| Displays | Inner: 7.6 inches 1812 x 2176 pixels AMOLED 2X 120Hz with 1750 nits of peak brightness Outer: 6.2 inches, 904 x 2316 pixels Super AMOLED 120 Hz display protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2 | Inner: 7.6 inches 1856 x 2176 pixels AMOLED 2X 120Hz with 2,600 nits of peak brightness. Outer: 6.3 inches 904 x 2316 pixels Super AMOLED 120 Hz display protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2 |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
| Battery | 4,400 mAh with 25W charging, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless | 4,400 mAh with 25W charging, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless |
| Software | One UI 5 based on Android 13 (4 major updates) | One UI 6.1 based on Android 14 (7 major updates) |
| Cameras | 50 MP f/1.8 primary, Wide camera 10 MP f/2.4 secondary, Telephoto camera 12 MP f/2.2 third, ultrawide camera 4 MP f/1.8 inner selfie snapper 10 MP f/2.2 cover display selfie camera | 50 MP f/1.8 primary, Wide camera 10 MP f/2.4 secondary, Telephoto camera 12 MP f/2.2 third, ultrawide camera 4 MP f/1.8 inner selfie snapper 10 MP f/2.2 cover display selfie camera |
| 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. 12 GB + 256 GB 12 GB + 512 GB 12 GB + 1 TB | LPDDR 5 RAM and UFS 4.0 storage. 12 GB + 256 GB 12 GB + 512 GB 12 GB + 1 TB |
| Starting price | $1,799 | $1,899 |
Build and Display
The build and design of the Z Fold 6 are almost similar to that of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 with the only differences being a more flat and sharper design language on the new foldable. Its chassis is made out of aluminum, which Samsung claims has been improved significantly.
The Z Fold 6’s dimensions are 153.5 x 132.6 x 5.6 mm when unfolded and 153.5 x 68.1 x 12.1 mm when folded. This makes it 1.4mm shorter, 2.7mm wider, and 0.5mm thinner when unfolded. Similarly, the device is 1.4mm shorter, 1mm wider, and 1.3mm thinner when folded compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 5. The slightly shorter size and thinness, combined with 14 grams lighter means users should get a better grip when holding the device.
Despite the phone being 2.7mm wider when unfolded, the display size remains the same, i.e., 7.6 inches. What doesn’t remain the same is the display resolution. The new Z Fold 6 has a 2150 x 1856 pixels resolution compared to Z Fold 5’s 2176 x 1812 pixels.
Its display is much brighter now at around 2,600 nits peak brightness from last year’s 1,750 nits. The secondary screen is now 0.1-inch taller. Both are 120Hz Super AMOLED panels with the cover display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
With the Armored Aluminum frame, the Z Fold 6 now has an IP48 rating for protection against dust and water. In contrast, the Z Fold 5’s IPX8 rating did not offer dust resistance at all. Overall, Samsung continues the trend of making marginal improvements in the Z Fold series.
Z Fold 5 Vs Z Fold 6: Performance
No surprises here either. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is powered by Qualcomm’s latest and greatest, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. The SoC is around 50% better than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in the Z Fold 5 thanks to its newer cores and a revised core architecture and setup of 1+3+2+2 compared to 1+2+2+3 on the 8 Gen 2.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4nm)
- 1 x Cortex-x4 (3.3 GHz)
- 3 x Cortex-A720 (3.2GHz)
- 2 x Cortex-A720 (3GHz)
- 2 x Cortex-A520 (2.3GHz)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 (4nm)
- 1 x Cortex-X3 (3.19GHz)
- 2 x Cortex-A715 (2.8GHz)
- 2 x Cortex-A710 (2.8GHz)
- 3 x Cortex-A510 (2.0GHz)
While both SoCs are based on TSMC’s 4nm process, Qualcomm claims the 8 Gen 3 is a tad more efficient, thus, resulting in a better battery life than its predecessor. Overall, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 brings solid performance and efficiency improvements, making the Z Fold 6 the better-performing device between the two.
Cameras and Battery
Unlike the Galaxy Z Flip 6 which received a primary camera upgrade, things remain stagnant at the Fold’s end. The Z Fold 6 features the same camera setup as the Z Fold 5. The setup consists of a 50 MP f/1.8 Wide, 10 MP f/2.4 Telephoto, and a third 12 MP f/2.2 Ultrawide snapper. There’s the same 4 MP under-display camera unit inside and a 10 MP f/2.2 selfie unit on the cover screen.
We would’ve loved to see at least some improvements in the camera department, given that Samsung has been using the same setup since the Galaxy Z Fold 4. Maybe the addition of a 50 MP Telephoto or Ultrawide camera for better zoom or field of view could’ve been better, but it is what it is.
The battery remains the same as well, i.e., a 4,400 mAh cell, but the overall battery backup should be a tad better than Z Fold 5 thanks to 8 Gen 3 being more efficient. Unfortunately, the charging speed remains unimproved and is still only 25W.
Z Fold 5 vs Z Fold 6: Storage and RAM
No surprises here as both the Storage and RAM remain the same. The base variant has 256 GB of UFS 4.0 storage coupled with 12 GB LPDDR5 RAM. However, there are 512GB and 1TB variants that you can buy, but with the same 12GB RAM. We hoped Samsung had bumped it to 16GB across all variants but alas.
Software
The Z Fold 6 runs One UI 6.1 based on Android 14 out of the box whereas the Fold 5 launched with Android 13 and has received an update to Android 14. However, one major difference is that the Z Fold 5 only has three more updates remaining, whereas the Z Fold 6 will receive major Android updates for 7 years just like the S24 series!
Z Fold 5 Vs Z Fold 6: Should You Upgrade?
With a price increase of $100 for the base variant, the answer should be pretty clear. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is a minor upgrade over the Z Fold 5 with the only differences being the slightly improved form factor and better performance due to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. In conclusion, we don’t see enough of a reason to upgrade to the Z Fold 6 if you already own a Z Fold 5.
What are your thoughts on Samsung’s measly specification improvements in the Fold series? Let us know in the comments below
