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Samsung has a new flip phone to offer, the Galaxy Z Flip 6. This is actually the company’s new flagship clamshell foldable, and in this article, we’ll compare it to last year’s offering. In other words, we’ll compare the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5. These two smartphones are very similar in most ways, but in others, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is an improvement over its predecessor, as it should be.
We will first list their specifications, side by side. Following that, we’ll compare them across a number of other categories. We will compare their designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio performance. Let’s see how much of an improvement is the Galaxy Z Flip 6, and whether it’s worth upgrading to it or not.
Specs
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, respectively
– Screen size (main):
6.7-inch Foldable LTPO AMOLED 2X (120Hz, HDR10+, 2,600 nits)
6.7-inch fullHD+ foldable LTPO Dynamic AMOLED 2X (120Hz, HDR10+, 1,750 nits)
– Screen size (cover):
3.4-inch Super AMOLED (120Hz)
3.4-inch Super AMOLED (60Hz)
– Display resolution (main):
2640 x 1080
– Display resolution (cover):
720 x 748
– SoC:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
– RAM:
12GB (LPDDR5X)
8GB (LPDDR5X)
– Storage:
256GB/512GB (UFS 4.0)
256GB/512GB (UFS 4.0)
– Rear cameras:
50MP (wide, f/1.8 aperture, Dual Pixel PDAF OIS), 12MP (ultrawide, 123-degree FoV)
12MP (wide, f/1.8 aperture, 24mm lens, 1/1.76-inch sensor, 1.8um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF, OIS), 12MP (ultrawide, f/2.2 aperture, 123-degree FoV, 1.12um pixel size)
– Front cameras:
10MP (cover display, f/2.2 aperture)
32MP (f/2.4 aperture, 0.7um pixel size)
– Battery:
4,000mAh
3,700mAh
– Charging:
25W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless (no charger)
– Dimensions (unfolded):
165.1 x 71.9 x 6.9 mm
– Dimensions (folded):
85.1 x 71.9 x 14.9 mm
85.1 x 71.9 x 15.1 mm
– Weight:
187 grams
– Connectivity:
5G, LTE, NFC, Wi-Fi, USB Type-C, Bluetooth 5.3
– Security:
Side-facing fingerprint scanner
– OS:
Android 14 with One UI 6.1.1
Android 13 with One UI 6.1 (upgradable)
– Price:
$1,099+
$999
– Buy:
Galaxy Z Flip 6 (Samsung / Best Buy)
Galaxy Z Flip 5 (Best Buy)
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5: Design
Design-wise, these two smartphones are very similar. Samsung stuck with the folder shape for the cover display, and even the camera placement is basically the same. Even when you unfold them, they look very similar. They are basically the same in terms of measurements. The two smartphones are even the same when it comes to weight. Both of them also have a flat frame all around.
There is one difference that you’ll notice the moment you start using them, though. The hinge has been improved, it’s more rigid, in a good way. It feels even more sturdy now, even though the one on the Flip 5 was not bad at all. Both smartphones have two cameras on the back, and their displays are the same size. That goes for both main and cover displays. A display camera hole sits on the main display, it’s centered up top.
Both devices are made out of metal and glass. Armor aluminum frame is included on both, though the one on the Flip 6 is an ‘Enhanced’ variant, which is supposed to be a bit tougher. Both devices are quite slippery due to their build, though when folded they’re much easier to use with one hand, of course. And yes, you’ll be using that cover display more than you think, most probably. All in all, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 does bring some design improvements, but the two phones are very similar in that regard.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5: Display
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 has a 6.7-inch fullHD+ (2640 x 1080) Foldable Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X main display. That panel has up to 120Hz refresh rate and it supports HDR10+ content. That panel also has an 85.8% screen-to-body ratio. The brightness here goes up to 2,600 nits. The cover display measures 3.4 inches, and it’s a Super AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The screen resolution is 720 x 748, while the peak brightness is 1,600 nits. The Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protects this display.
The Galaxy Z Flip 5, on the other hand, has a 6.7-inch fullHD+ (2640 x 1080) main display, a Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel. That display has a refresh rate up to 120Hz, and a 1,750 nits peak brightness. The screen-to-body ratio is 85.9%. The cover display on this phone measures 3.4 inches, and it’s a Super AMOLED panel with a 60Hz refresh rate. The resolution is 720 x 748 pixels, and this panel is also protected by the Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
The main difference between the main displays on these two phones comes down to brightness. That’s something that Samsung improved, and you will notice it in direct sunlight and generally when you’re using the device outdoors. Other than that, the displays are basically the same. The cover display on the new model has a major improvement in terms of refresh rate. That aside, they’re all very good, all four displays. The colors are vivid, they pop. and the viewing angles are good on all four displays. The touch response is also good, and the blacks are deep.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5: Performance
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy SoC. That is basically an overclocked version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. It’s a 4nm chip and the best Qualcomm has to offer at the moment. The phone also comes with 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage. The Galaxy Z Flip 5, on the flip side, is fueled by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy SoC. That is an overclocked variant of the flagship SoC Qualcomm had to offer last year. This phone includes 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 flash storage.
While the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is the latest and greatest Qualcomm has to offer, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 is still a great processor. When compared directly, both smartphones offer very smooth performance. There’s no denying that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is the more powerful chip, but both are very good. Day-to-day performance is not an issue for either phone, and you’ll hardly notice the difference. Well, something similar can be said for gaming too.
After about an hour of Genshin Impact, both of these smartphones performed admirably. Yes, they did get warm, but that is perfectly normal when gaming is concerned, especially with graphically-intensive games. The point is, neither phone got too hot to handle or anything like that.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5: Battery
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 includes a 4,000mAh battery on the inside. That is one area in which Samsung improved things, as the Galaxy Z Flip 5 has a 3,700mAh battery. A larger battery doesn’t always mean better battery life, but in this case, it does. Just to be clear, the difference is not big, but it’s there, which is a good thing. The battery life overall is good on both, though.
We managed to get around 15-20% better battery life from the Galaxy Z Flip 6, overall. Depending on what we were doing that day, the phone can provide up to 7 hours of screen-on-time. We even managed to get to 8 hours of screen on time. This will largely depend on what you do and which display you end up using. We did use the cover display quite a lot during our Galaxy Z Flip 6 usage so that certainly helped us get such great battery life. Your mileage may vary, of course.
When it comes to charging, things have not improved at all. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 supports 25W wired and 15W wireless charging just like its predecessor, in addition to 4.5W reverse wireless charging aka Wireless PowerShare. It takes around an hour and a half to fully charge the phone, which is not good, having the competition in mind. There are phones out there that charge considerably larger batteries in a fraction of that time, so… yeah. The good news is that the battery life is really good, so most of you likely won’t have to charge either device mid-day.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5: Cameras
Samsung brought some improvements to the camera department too. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 comes with a new main camera sensor, well, new for the Galaxy Flip series. It basically jumped up to the Galaxy S24 level here. The ultrawide unit stayed the same, though. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 has a 50-megapixel main camera, and a 12-megapixel ultrawide unit (123-degree FoV). The same ultrawide camera is included on the Galaxy Z Flip 5, but that phone also has a 12-megapixel main camera.
So, can you expect similar photos to what the Galaxy S24 provides? Well, yes. Samsung definitely worked on oversharpening and oversaturation, as those were the issues in the past. You won’t see that many of those, even though the company definitely prefers more vivid shots. The pictures are not on the same level as what flagship cameras can provide, but they’re quite good. The increase in detail level on the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is noticeable compared to the Galaxy Z Flip 5.
Telephoto shots are a hit-and-miss, as there’s no telephoto camera. The farther you go, the weaker quality you’ll get, as you’re getting a processed crop from the main camera. Ultrawide cameras provide very similar images here. They’re not identical, despite the fact the hardware is, but they’re very similar. That being said, they’re good, but not outstanding or anything. Most of you will be happy with the performance. The same goes for low light shots, though you may want to avoid the ultrawide cameras in low light, the main units do a better job in such conditions.
Audio
When it comes to audio, both smartphones have stereo speakers. Those speakers are good on both phones. They’re technically slightly louder on the Galaxy Z Flip 6, but the difference is so minor that you won’t even notice it. The sound quality is good.
Neither phone includes an audio jack, however. So if you’d like to connect your wired headphones to either of these two phones, you’ll need to use a dongle. Alternatively, both phones offer Bluetooth 5.3 support for wireless connectivity.