Ready for a surprise? The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is pocket-friendly. Before now, it was only just about suitable to carry around in your pocket all day, provided you didn’t mind it being a bit bulky and heavy.
Now, it’s more agreeable than my Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max in a case, and that should tell you everything you need to know about the engineering advances Samsung has made with the latest big-screen foldable.
I’m pleased to see the Z Fold 6
I have had the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 for barely 48 hours. It arrived during a busy time when I’ve been in and out of the house, and all I’ve wanted is for a phone that’s convenient to slip into my pocket as I head out the door. I wasn’t expecting the Z Fold 6 to fit the bill, as very few big foldables ever do. Yet the phone has now reached the point where it’s less noticeable than the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and you can see for yourself in the photos.
It’s not an illusion, and it’s not like I have giant pockets either, as it’s played out when you compare the numbers. Like many people, my iPhone 15 Pro Max is inside a case — a Casetify Impact Case with MagSafe charging — so this has to be taken into account, but I’m not using a case on the Z Fold 6. While this is a crucial difference, I’ve never used a case on a Samsung folding phone, including the original Galaxy Fold, and it has been fine, plus I’m only using a case on my iPhone because I like the design. I don’t think it needs it for protection.
The Z Fold 6 weighs 239 grams and is 12.1mm thick folded up, and 68.1mm wide. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is 221 grams, 8.2mm thick, and 76.7mm wide without its case, but inside, it is much bigger. It then weighs 273 grams, is 13mm thick, and 82mm wide.
This is how I carry it each day, and the Z Fold 6 takes up less space and feels a lot less cumbersome. There is a train of thought that a big-screen foldable is big and annoying to own, and the Z Flip series is the one you want if size and convenience are a consideration. I don’t think that’s true anymore.
What about the whatabouts?
Reading this may come a surprise to some, but also cause ire among others. “Ahh,” the smug will say, “but what about the Honor Magic V3?” Yes, the currently China-only Honor Magic V3 is slimmer folded up at 9.3mm and lighter at 230 grams, but it’s wider at 74mm, making this aspect come closer to the iPhone 15 Pro Max than the Z Fold 6. Many will point to this being a good thing, as it’s more like a “normal”-sized phone than the Samsung foldable.
So far, I’ve been using the Z Fold 6 closed most of the time, apart from when I watch videos, and it’s the most ergonomic and manageable version yet. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 was already much better than older Fold phones due to small adjustments by Samsung to the aspect ratio and bezel size, but the further alterations for the Z Fold 6 make it even better again.
I have had no problems typing, using apps, or generally interacting with the cover screen at all. The phone’s modest 12mm thickness makes it easy to grip and hold, while the small camera module doesn’t add much extra to the size at all.
I’ve also been trying out the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro folding phone, which is 236 grams, 72mm wide, and 11mm thick, putting it in-between the Honor and Samsung phone’s dimensions, and it’s more of a pain to use one-handed than the Z Fold 6.
I’m not saying the new Samsung phone is the best folding phone ever and everyone else is wrong, but I am saying you shouldn’t simply accept that thinner and wider equals better, as in reality it’s just different, and one may suit you more than the other. Try them all out before buying if you can.
It’s shaping up to be one to buy
My first two days with the Z Fold 6 have been all about discovering the ergonomic advances so far, and part of that is because there isn’t really much else to discover that’s dramatically new about the phone. The software, camera, and processor are all updated, but only marginally so it doesn’t really feel like I’m using a hugely different phone to the Galaxy Z Fold 5. That still makes it a brilliant phone, just not a hugely changed one specs wise, particularly if you already own the last model.
I can’t call the improved design revolutionary either, as they are such small changes to what we saw last year, and it’s not like the phone itself has some type of big design change. However, when you look back over Samsung’s range of big-screen folding smartphones as a whole, the little alterations start to really add up.
The Z Fold 6 is without a doubt Samsung’s most usable version yet, and as the durability has been improved alongside the hardware changes, I feel comfortable using it without a case. That’s not something I could say about the original Galaxy Fold.
While last year the Galaxy Z Flip 5’s hardware had more attention than its big-screen sibling, this year it’s the turn of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 to see the most radical changes to the hardware, and it’s very welcome indeed. Even after an hour with the phone ahead of launch, I wrote that if the upgrade deals where I live were more favorable then I’d be waiting for my own personal model to arrive.
Although I’m only part way through my final review, this initial impression has not changed one bit. It’s another excellent Fold phone from Samsung.
