With the imminent release of the Galaxy Z Flip 7, I decided to examine how the Galaxy Z Flip 6 has fared since its debut a year prior.
The launch of the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is fast approaching, and we’re anticipating substantial updates and enhancements for Samsung’s upcoming flip device. Rumored improvements such as a larger cover display, a sleeker design, a bigger battery, and a more robust chipset suggest that the Z Flip 7 could represent a considerable advancement over the Galaxy Z Flip 6.
Nonetheless, with the new version approaching, I wanted to evaluate the Galaxy Z Flip 6 to determine how it has stood the test of time over the last year. While I’ve been primarily focused on the Razr Plus 2024 from last year and the Razr Ultra from this year, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 remains one of my preferred flip devices from Samsung due to its sturdy hardware and dependable software performance.
Here are my primary observations from using the Galaxy Z Flip 6 throughout the past year and my hopes for how the Galaxy Z Flip 7 will enhance an already remarkable device.
One UI 7 revitalizes this smartphone
Upon its debut, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 ran One UI 6 built on Android 14, which represented a significant improvement that brought enhancements to the Quick Settings panel, introduced new camera editing capabilities, and launched Galaxy AI.
Although the arrival of the One UI 7 update was frustratingly delayed, it introduced a myriad of changes, including a redesigned quick settings/notification panel, live notifications, a new Now Bar, and a revamped multitasking interface. Most notably, this update included the long-awaited vertically scrolling app drawer, an option that Samsung users previously accessed only through the Good Lock application.
One UI 7 has been a refreshing enhancement, rendering animations smoother than ever and making the Z Flip 6 feel nearly like an entirely new device within less than a year of its release.
The device also boasts a plethora of AI capabilities that function quite well on the somewhat older chip. Photo editing is straightforward, translating full conversations is simple, and the phone adeptly manages AI-generated materials, from text summaries to images. Drawing Assist remains one of my top features, allowing you to transform photos into nearly anything (within reason) by sketching or inputting your desires.
I dislike that One UI 7 seemingly removed the corner swipe trigger for AI assistants, but Gemini has proven itself to be a very competent alternative to Google Assistant and Bixby.
One UI 7 is merely the first significant update for the Galaxy Z Flip 6. One UI 8 is forthcoming and is already in beta for the Galaxy S25 series. With Android 16, Samsung is set to enhance features like AI Select, Reminders and Routines, Auracast, and more.
Three beta versions for One UI 8 have already been released, even though the program has yet to arrive for the Galaxy Z Flip 6. However, given that stable Android 16 is already available for the Pixel and the upcoming launch of the Galaxy Z Flip 7, we anticipate Samsung will broaden the update in some capacity relatively soon.
The camera optimizes its constraints
Cameras on flip phones aren’t typically recognized for their excellence and are usually restricted to just two sensors. Samsung continues to optimize the situation, particularly with the Galaxy Z Flip 6’s enhanced 50MP main camera. As I noted in my review, I remain satisfied with the photos taken by the Galaxy Z Flip 6.
Recently, I compared images from the Galaxy Z Flip 6 to those from the new Motorola Razr Ultra 2025, and Samsung’s flip phone performed admirably in numerous scenarios. The color temperature leans slightly cooler, but photos can appear quite similar between the two in favorable lighting. I find the Razr Ultra images to be a great achievement for Motorola, yet it’s also impressive that the Galaxy Z Flip 6 can keep pace.
The discrepancies primarily exist in zoom quality and low-light performance. Digital zoom quality somewhat mitigates the absence of a telephoto lens. While both devices provide lossless zoom at 2x, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 excels at higher zoom levels, retaining a decent level of detail even at 10x, whereas the Razr Ultra struggles.
As for low-light and nighttime photography, Samsung does its utmost to illuminate images, which can sometimes yield satisfactory results. However, it may also overdo the illumination, resulting in fairly noisy photos, thus making images appear inferior to those captured with the Razr Ultra 2025.
Beyond image quality, I’ve genuinely enjoyed utilizing the cameras. The flip phone design enhances the photographic experience through its flexibility, enabling you to capture selfies via the cover screen or switch to Camcorder Mode for quick, easy, and stable video recording.
Regrettably, Samsung continues to conceal a wealth of valuable camera settings.
