Why You Can Trust CNET
Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement
Samsung's new book-style foldable phone, the Z Fold 6, went on sale in late July for a price of $1,900. That's $100 more expensive than its predecessor.
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 makes strides towards durability, gaining protection against water ingress for the first time ever. It also has a lighter design and new AI features. But taken in total it's only an incremental upgrade -- just like the clamshell Galaxy Z Flip 6, which was unveiled alongside it at Samsung's Unpacked event a couple of months ago.
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 has a slightly larger 6.3-inch cover screen, which opens like a book into a larger 7.6-inch display. Each display is clearer than previous models, and both have a 120Hz refresh rate. The phone also gets a routine upgrade to its processor, which takes the form of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Samsung says the chip is optimized for AI.
The camera setup consists of five cameras and appears to be identical to the one found on the Z Fold 5. You can scroll down to our specs chart for more details on the camera module. We'll have to see how the Z Fold 6 and Z Fold 5 cameras compare in real life, since the former has that more advanced chipset, which should presumably help boost its photography skills.
Apart from the price bump, the more salient changes come by way of a more compact design and durability. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 weighs 239 grams (8.4 ounces), which is lighter than Galaxy Z Fold 5, which weighs 253 grams (8.9 oz.) and the Galaxy Z Fold 4, which weighs 263 grams (9.27 oz.). The Z Fold 6 is also slimmer than its predecessors, shedding more than 1.3mm from its width when folded compared to the Z Fold 5 and 3.7mm from the Z Fold 4.
Apart from the eye-watering price, the bulky book-style foldable design and subpar durability were hurdles in mass adoption of foldable phones. It's promising that Samsung is making strides in both departments. Foldable phones still make up a small fraction of the overall smartphone market, but that share of the pie is growing, according to research firms. Samsung is betting AI can also help it make up some of that ground.
Google's Gemini app is fully integrated into the Galaxy Z Fold 6. Other features include Live Translate, which translates phone calls directly on your device in real time. It's unclear at this time whether the new AI features are optimized for a foldable phone design.
For more information on how the Galaxy Z Fold 6 compares with its predecessors, take a look at our specs chart below.
| Samsung Galaxy Fold 6 | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 | |
| Cover display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate | 6.3-inch AMOLED; 2,376 x 968 pixels; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate | 6.2-inch AMOLED; 2,316 x 904 pixels; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate | 6.2-inch AMOLED; 2,316 x 904 pixels; up to 120Hz |
| Internal display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate | 7.6-inch AMOLED; 2,160 x 1,856 pixels; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate | 7.6-inch AMOLED; 2,176x1,812 pixels; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate | 7.6-inch AMOLED; 2,176 x 1,812 pixels; up to 120Hz |
| Pixel density | Cover: 410 ppi; Internal: 374 ppi | Cover: 402 ppi; Internal: 374 ppi | Cover: 402 ppi; Internal: 374 ppi |
| Dimensions (inches) | Open: 6.04 x 5.21 x 0.22 in.; Closed: 6.04 x 2.68 x 0.48 in. | Open: 6.1 x 5.11 x 0.24 in.; Closed: 6.1 x 2.64 x 0.53 in. | Open: 6.11 x 5.12 x 0.25 in.; closed: 6.11 x 2.64 x 0.62 in. |
| Dimensions (millimeters) | Open: 153.5 x 132.5 x 5.6mm; Closed: 153.5 x 68.1 x 12.1mm | Open: 154.94 x 129.79 x 6.1mm; closed: 154.94 x 67.06 x 13.46mm | Open: 155.1 x 130.1 x 6.3mm; closed: 155.1 x 67.1 x 15.8mm |
| Weight (grams, ounces) | 239 g (8.43 oz.) | 253 g (8.92 oz.) | 263 g (9.27 oz.) |
| Mobile software | Android 14 | Android 13 | Android 12L |
| Camera | 50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (3x telephoto) | 50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto) | 50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto) |
| Front-facing camera | 4-megapixel (inner under-display selfie); 10-megapixel (cover selfie) | 4-megapixel (inner under-screen); 10-megapixel (cover screen) | 4-megapixel (inner under-display); 10-megapixel (cover screen) |
| Video capture | TBD | 8K | 4K |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Snapdragon 8 Gen Plus 1 |
| RAM/storage | 12GB + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 12GB + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 12GB + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Expandable storage | None | None | None |
| Battery | 4,400 mAh | 4,400 mAh | 4,400 mAh |
| Fingerprint sensor | Side | Side | Side |
| Connector | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C |
| Headphone jack | None | None | None |
| Special features | IP48 rating, 25W wired charging, wireless charging + powershare, 3x optical zoom (up to 10x digital and 30x Space Zoom with AI Super Resolution tech) | 5G-enabled, IPX8 water resistance, S Pen support, 25W wired charging, wireless charging, wireless power share, triple SIM | 5G, 30x space zoom camera, IPX8, 25-watt fast-charging (no in-box charger) |
| US price starts at | $1,900 (256GB) | $1,800 (256GB) | $1,800 (256GB) |
| UK price starts at | TBD | £1,749 (256GB) | £1,549 (256GB) |
| Australia price starts at | TBD | AU$2,559 (256GB) | Converts to AU$2,960 (256GB) |