New images of a prototype Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 have emerged, showcasing an even deeper look at the Samsung foldable and internal display crease.
Images of prototype Galaxy Z Fold 6 or even Flip 6 units are not new, and we’ve seen almost every angle available through previous leaks. They showcase the entirety of the device, detailing the new boxier design on both foldable, as well as camera array changes this time around.
Photos credited to Sonny Dickson of further Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 prototype photos. The images exhibit both the outer and inner displays of each device, and it looks like generation six still carries a significant display crease.
The units in the photos are both prototypes or “dummy” units. Essentially, it means each is subject to extensive changes throughout the design process. These images could be showing off a display that carries a larger seam down the middle than the final version will, or Samsung may have equipped these units with an older display to simply show off the silhouette and overall profile of each phone. Still, users have been hoping for a less significant bend when the Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip are open 180 degrees.
The images also show off a black prototype variant, which has “Samsung” crudely stamped on the hinges of both devices. It’s possible Samsung will ditch the etched logo we’ve seen on past Fold and Flip devices and instead opt for a stamped logo, much like in the images here. The etched logo is the preferable option, giving the $2,000 devices a little touch of quality.
Another small possible detail is the way the hinge protection plate flares out at the top and bottom of the Galaxy Z Fold 6. It’s very hard to see, and the lighting in these images could be playing tricks on our eyes, but it looks like the hinge is a couple of millimeters further from the main phone panels at the ends than it is in the middle, where the Samsung logo is. There is no such angle for the Flip 6.
Besides a couple of small tidbits, Samsung’s design changes can be appreciated in these prototype units. Each phone looks to be carrying a smaller bezel around the internal display, and the overall footprint looks a little nicer than last year’s model.
Samsung is set to announce the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 on July 10 in Paris.
According to new reports, Samsung is planning to exclusively use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in its new Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 foldables.
The Elec reports that Samsung will solely use Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chips in the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 globally. Previously, it was thought that Samsung might use Exynos chips in some Galaxy Z Flip 6 models.
Realistically, this doesn’t come as a huge surprise.
Since the first generation, Samsung has been using exclusively Qualcomm chipsets in its foldables, even in regions where Galaxy S devices have been sold with Exynos chips instead. According to this latest report, gearing a new foldable model with Exynos instead of Snapdragon would actually raise the cost due to scale. “Only when foldable phones ship as many units as the S series” would it be a benefit to include Exynos, the report claims.
Samsung’s strategy around the chips in its phones have been going back and forth over the past few years. After many generations using Exynos or Snapdragon depending on the region, Samsung signed a deal with Qualcomm that saw all variations of the Galaxy S23 series sold with Snapdragon around the globe. But, merely a year later, the Galaxy S24 series re-introduced Exynos variants in some countries, though the S24 Ultra uses exclusively Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 are expected to launch in July.
Samsung’s next Galaxy launch event reportedly takes place July 10 in Paris
Samsung is gearing up for a pretty big Summer launch event, with a new report pinpointing the next Galaxy Unpacked event for July 10.
Rumors have been floating around for a couple of months now that Samsung would be hosting a launch event in July for its next batch of Galaxy devices, but a specific date was never mentioned.
SamMobile now claims that the launch date in question will be July 10.
That date, a Wednesday, lines up perfectly with Samsung’s usual pattern even though it is a couple of weeks early compared to the year prior. That said, Samsung has good reason for moving things up a couple of weeks – the location.
According to this report, Samsung will host its next Galaxy Unpacked event in Paris, France.
That’s also the location of the 2024 Olympics, so getting things wrapped up well ahead of the torch’s lighting is definitely in Samsung’s best interest. The Olympics begin on July 26. That also lines up well with Samsung’s usual sponsoring of the Olympic Games, as the company has created special-edition devices numerous times for the Games.
Last year, Samsung hosted its foldable launch event from South Korea.
Samsung’s July 10 event is expected to see the debut of the Galaxy Ring, new foldables, and more. The Galaxy Watch 7, new tablets, and more could be incoming. There’s also a good chance Samsung introduces its first Snapdragon-powered laptop at the event.
If this July 10 date is legitimate, Samsung will likely be making some official announcements by the end of May.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 may borrow design elements from the S24
The Galaxy Z Flip series saw one of its most significant design upgrades last year when the Galaxy Z Flip 5 model introduced the folder-shaped cover screen, replacing the comparatively tiny 1.9-inch panel with a 3.4-inch screen.
Samsung is now preparing to announce the sequel to the Galaxy Z Flip 5, but judging from all the leaks, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 won’t reinvent the wheel.
Instead of bringing another leap in design, the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 6 will most likely refine the existing formula. It won’t rewrite what the Z Flip series stands for but could borrow some design elements from the newer Galaxy S24.
New renders (via @rquandt) belonging to a third-party case manufacturer reveal a few such minor design changes the Galaxy Z Flip 6 might boast.
According to these case renders, which may or may not reflect the Galaxy Z Flip 6’s final design with precise accuracy, the upcoming model may have an even flatter frame than the ongoing Z Flip 5. The Galaxy S24 went through a similar process earlier this year, admittedly inspired by the Z Flip 5.
Another design element the Galaxy Z Flip 6 might borrow from the Galaxy S24 lineup is the speaker grille. This element might now consists of one wide cutout instead of multiple smaller holes.
Finally, these renders suggest that the circular camera cutouts might have a slightly larger circumference for the Galaxy Z Flip 6 or that the space between the two cameras might be thinner.
However, once again, since the renders supposedly originate from a third-party case manufacturer, these finer design design details might not be entirely accurate.
An upgraded camera and a powerful Snapdragon chip
As far as hardware specs go, previous rumors indicate that the Galaxy Z Flip 6 will have an upgraded 50MP primary camera, which could explain the larger cutouts.
The phone will also share its Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip with the Galaxy S24 series. And only the Snapdragon chip, regardless of region. A recent report claims that Samsung is not ready to divide its foldable phones between Snapdragon and Exynos markets yet.
Samsung should lift the veil off the next-gen Galaxy Z Flip 6 in early July at Unpacked. The tech giant is expected to host the event in Paris — the host city of the 2024 Olympic Games. Which is fitting, given that Samsung is an Official Olympics Partner.
After being next in line for quite some time, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5 are both eligible for the One UI 6 beta.
One UI 6 beta has been available for well over a month. Galaxy lineups like the S23 series and even some A series devices have already been included in that beta, which brings a refinement of the previous version with general improvements made in Android 14.
For some time after the initial release, it was thought that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 would see One UI 6 beta sooner than others, but that hasn’t been the case. At least, until today.
One UI 6 for the Fold 5 has officially rolled out first (via SamMobile). The beta for the Flip 5 was later spotted on Reddit. The beta rollout looks to be coming to the Fold 5 in the US and India, whereas it isn’t entirely clear where the Flip 5 is seeing the new beta version. We were able to pull the beta card up in the Members app on the Fold 5.
Both devices will see One UI 6 beta version 1, which comes with the version number F946BXXU1ZWJ2 for the Fold 5 and F73U1EU1ZWJ2 for the Flip 5. Each also includes the October security patch.
Samsung hasn’t detailed a timeframe for other phones in its foldable lineup. Considering it took this long to bring the One UI 6 beta to the Fold 5 and Flip 5, it could be a little longer. Even still, One UI 6’s stable release isn’t far away.
What do you improve on a phone that’s already the default option in its class and competition is either very region-limited or, if widely available, just not popular enough to be a serious threat? Well, not a lot, Samsung says with its Galaxy Z Flip5.
The latest-gen foldables from the Korean company tread carefully, but the Flip does still feel like the more meaningful generational step up. That’s mostly due to the fact that the clamshell is treated to a much-needed cover screen upgrade, the new larger unit greatly improving usefulness (with some caveats). The other major development is in the hinge design, so the Flip5 finally folds flat, as opposed to forming an edge. And that’s mostly it.
Sure, the Flip5 comes with a new chipset – the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 goes without saying. The base storage has been doubled to 256GB, which is also a most welcome change. Minor tweaks can be spotted in the camera system, but it remains essentially the same. Similarly, the internal display may have gotten a brightness boost, but that too is hardly a groundbreaking update.
But perhaps expectations for disruptive changes are unrealistic, and the Z Flip5 brings just the right amount of differences and improvements to make it a worthy successor. That’s what we’ll be trying to find out on the following pages.
Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 unboxing
The Z Flip5’s retail package packs no surprises. The half-height black box features a small stylized likeness of the handset, color-matched to the actual unit inside.
The list of accessories included is predictably short, too. After the removal of the charger from the box with the S21 generation, Galaxies typically ship with just a USB-C cable and nothing else. Well, that, and a SIM eject pin, of course. But let’s shift our focus where it belongs – on to the handset.
Competition
We kicked this review off, stating that the Galaxy Z Flip5 has no real competition, but that’s only sort of true. While it is, indeed, the go-to option if you’re out for a clamshell foldable, the breed does offer alternatives. And depending on what got you zeroing in on the small bendy Samsung in the first place, you might find what you’re looking for in a conventional bar phone.
The Z Flip5 technically starts at $1000/€1200, but still-ongoing pre-order discounts, bundles, and promotions can sweeten the deal. Indeed, when you consider that a Z Flip4 now goes for a little over half that, it’s hard to swallow paying the full MSRP for a Z Flip5. Admittedly, the new cover display is a lot more useful, the gapless design looks nicer, the extra battery life is appreciated, and the cameras are a tiny bit better if still the same. But the last generation is about as cool and is almost as good in most respects. Perhaps the Flip4 could still build a case for itself, with price at the foundation.
Old one vs. New one
The Razr 40 Ultra (or Razr+ 2023 in North America), on the other hand, won’t be saving you any cash. It does have some pros over the Galaxy, though – for example, larger, higher-refresh rate displays in and out, plus the fact that the cover one is fancier-looking and the internal one has a smoother crease. The Razr arguably has a better software implementation for the outer display too, if you want to run real apps there. The Ultra’s ultrawide is more versatile thanks to its autofocusing capability, but that’s about all the camera advantages the Moto has – we’d pick the Galaxy for cameraphone use. The Galaxy’s IPX8 water resistance is also a solid argument in its favor, as is the beefier chipset and, believe it or not, the faster charging.
That just about exhausts the list of globally available high-end clamshell foldables, but there are a couple of other options from China that you could entertain getting – conveniently, each of them called Flip.
The vivo X Flip has unmatched battery life in the class, and is quite likely the best camera system on a small-size foldable. Those two points might make it worthwhile to go through the hoops needed for importing one from China, though unforeseeable issues in long-term use may end up ruining the experience. The Find N2 Flip sounds less enticing. White it does snatch a victory in battery life, the Find’s camera isn’t as capable as the Galaxy’s, and we reckon it’s not worth the trouble.
Which then brings us to the plain old flat non-bendable phones – if you’re after a Z Flip5, maybe you just don’t like to stuff large handsets in your pockets, and a foldable is only one of the ways to avoid that. Another road to that destination is the Galaxy S23 – Samsung’s smallest-size conventional high-end phone. You’ll get everything that’s good about the Flip, plus a slightly better zoom camera, a bit longer battery life, and DeX. And money in the bank too – the S23 starts at around €650, but you can splurge and get the 256GB version for €100 more, and be far from the Flip5’s price tag.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 • Motorola Razr 40 Ultra • vivo X Flip • Oppo Find N2 Flip • Samsung Galaxy S23
Verdict
Samsung may not be having the leading market share in the Chinese foldable scene, but we can’t imagine the bendy Galaxies are anything close to being threatened elsewhere. In that sense, Samsung didn’t have to bring dramatic improvements to this year’s lineup, so they didn’t.
That said, the Z Flip5, in particular, comes with two meaningful and significant upgrades. The gapless folding design is finally here, so the handset no longer looks like a prototype – it’s sexier this way but also simply more compact. The other thing is the cover display – the new one is large enough to actually be useful for a change.
Alongside those two major developments, we’re getting a handful of small ones that add up. The new chipset deserves a mention even if it was a given, but it’s also at least partially responsible for the improved battery life compared to the previous generation – it has to be, since battery capacity has remained the same. Similarly, the camera hardware is unchanged, yet the 5 takes better pictures than the 4.
The Galaxy Flips have been steadily evolving, and with the Z Flip5, Samsung is approaching that point where it would need to do something big soon. For this year, however, we think a cover display and hinge will do. We’d be happy recommending the Galaxy Z Flip5 – just be sure to either grab one of the early promos or wait a couple of months for the inevitable price drops.
Pros
Finally – gapless design.
IPX8-rated for water resistance.
Large and useful cover display with potential for further software tweaks.
Another Samsung Unpacked event has come to pass, and this one brought us the fourth generation of foldable Galaxy smartphones. Quite expectedly, Samsung announced the fourquels of the Fold and Flip, the first being more like a foldable tablet, while the Flip – a nostalgia-sprinkled flip phone.
Today, we will be exploring the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4, which is much like the Galaxy Z Flip3, but better. This is a formula that’s been in use for years now as the technology cannot advance as fast as makers are bringing a new version of their phones. But while the new Z Flip4 won’t make many (if any) Z Flip3 owners upgrade, it improves enough bits to make even more people think of getting this new foldable flagship.
Samsung has improved on the Galaxy Z Flip3 by tweaking all weak points both reviewers and users have agreed upon – low-light camera performance, battery life, charging speed. And, of course, the new Z Flip4 gets to boast the most current Android chip – the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1.
The new Galaxy Z Flip4 features the same internal Dynamic AMOLED 2X and external Super AMOLED screens as the Z Flip3. But thanks to reduced bezels around the foldable screen and a flatter aluminum frame, the Z Flip4 is now a bit shorter and with a thinner hinge.
The Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X remains equally adaptive with up to 120Hz refresh rate and equally bright with a peak brightness up to 1200 nits. The crease in the middle is here to stay for now and so is the perforation for the selfie camera.
The Z Flip4 is IPX8-rated for water resistance – a feature that only Samsung offers across its third and fourth generation of foldable devices. Samsung and Sony are the only two makers that aim to offer water protection on most of their phones, and we truly appreciate the effort.
Besides the chipset upgrade, the Galaxy Z Flip4 also features an improved camera system on the back. It is still a dual-camera setup, but the main shooter now relies on a larger 12MP sensor with 1.8µm pixels coupled with a wider 24mm f/1.8 OIS lens. This new sensor should allow for a 65% improvement in light gathering and improve the low-light performance. The 12MP ultrawide and 10MP selfie cameras remain the same as on the Flip3.
The Galaxy Z Flip4 is powered by a 12% larger battery – it now packs a 3,700mAh cell, up from 3,300mAh within the Flip3. And even better, the phone now supports 25W fast charging, up from the sluggish 15W. The wireless fast charging has been sped up, too, now up to 15W.
And that’s about it – a new chipset, main camera, battery, and improved charging speed. And the latest Android version with the most current One UI, of course.
Disclaimer. We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct.
Going through the specs sheet, there is little missing – a zoom camera comes at the top of our head. The improved hinge should be fine for at least 200,000 cycles, and we appreciate the improved Gorilla panels and the tougher aluminum frame, even if by small margins.
Unboxing the Galaxy Z Flip4
The Galaxy Z Flip4 ships with an incredibly thin and lightweight box. It is lying open, face-down in there, waiting for its first user. A thin paper compartment houses the USB-C cable and the SIM ejector. And that’s all you will find.
There is no charger or case within the retail box, and if you don’t own Samsung’s 25W power adapter, it’s probably a good idea to buy one so you can use that fast charging.
Alternatives
The Galaxy Z Flip4 is a minor upgrade over the Flip3 even if it introduces some important improvements like a larger battery, faster charging, and better low-light performance for the main camera. We did appreciate the option to shoot in full resolution with the rear camera when taking selfies, too.
Obviously, these won’t make any Galaxy Z Flip3 user upgrade to Flip4. But by addressing most of the Flip3 concerns, Samsung has made the Z Flip4 an even more attractive and desirable offer.
The new Flip4 launches at €1080/$999, which is a flagship price, but not as high as €1800 like the Fold4. And for that, we’d consider it a reasonable price for features/money ratio.
There are a handful of foldable smartphones on the market, fewer even if we are to list foldable smartphones like the Flip and exclude foldable tablets like the Fold.
If you are keen on getting a phone like the Flip, but the price of the Flip4 does not fit your budget, you may want to consider the Galaxy Z Flip3 as it is now €400 cheaper than the Flip4. It is pretty much the same device with less inspiring battery life, charging speed and so-so low-light performance.
The recently announced Motorola Razr 2022 will launch any moment now in China, but we are not sure if it will make it to other markets yet. It is based on a 6.7-inch foldable screen, like the Flip4, but it’s got 1B colors and a 144Hz refresh rate. The chipset is the same, and the camera experience is similar. The Razr has an iconic form factor and a larger external display that allows for even more control while the phone is closed.
The rest of the foldable phones are rather large – like the €1800 Galaxy Z Fold4. It’s an all-powerful smartphone with one of the largest OLED screens on a smartphone and an under-display camera for video chats; it’s got a whole bunch of cameras, and the external display is as good as the market offers, large at that. If you don’t mind having a phone this thick (16mm) and heavy (263g), the Fold4 could be your next phone.
Xiaomi has recently announced its Mix Fold 2 – which is even thinner than the Fold4 with larger screens and Leica-powered camera setup. It has a sleeker design and charges faster, but for now, it’s a China-only device.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G • Motorola Moto Razr 2022 • Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 • Xiaomi Mix Fold 2
If you are eyeing the Flip4 because of its compact shape, you may also want to consider some of the compact bars that are available right now. Like the €700 Galaxy S22, which has a 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen, powerful hardware, and its triple-camera on the back has a 3x telephoto.
The €800 Zenfone 9 is even smaller with a 5.9-inch 120Hz Super AMOLED screen, the most recent Snapdragon chipset, and a similar dual-camera that is capable of high-quality digital zoom though. The Zenfone 9 also offers outstanding battery life!
There is also the small iPhone 13 mini, which is the smallest flagship on the market based on a 5.4-inch screen. It is the most powerful small phone in the world right now, and the only major setback is the 60Hz OLED screen.
Samsung Galaxy S22 5G • Asus Zenfone 9 • Apple iPhone 13 mini
verdict
The Galaxy Z Flip went from a fashion-centric device to a full-blown flagship in just a couple of generations. The Flip4 is what the Flip3 should have been from the get-go – a powerful foldable smartphone with excellent camera performance, decent battery life and charging speed.
And indeed, we can say a lot of positive things about the new Z Flip4 – it has a superb water-proofed design that will hit the nostalgia notes across many users. It’s a compact flip phone, one that clicks simply great.
The Z Flip4 offers an excellent AMOLED screen, good battery life, good charging speed, and the speakers are nice. It also packs the most powerful Android chip to date, though the thermals lead to throttling.
Finally, the camera performance is superb across the board, photo and video, day and night.
We consider the Flip4 as the most affordable foldable smartphone of the current generation, and for its thousand euros, it delivers an outstanding set of features.
It’s not an ideal smartphone – it takes a while to get used to its design and form factor. Then you need to live with the crease and the plastic screen protector over the screen. Dust gets in various places, too.
Then there is the heavy throttling just after five minutes of peak loads. And there is no zoom camera.
While durability concerns remain with regular reports of bubbles forming under the screen protector along the crease, solid warranty coverage from Samsung has those reasonable fears taken care of.
The fourth generation Z Flip is moving the series into a bright future, and it does everything right with the technology it has at its disposal. We are recommending it to people who’d like to own a unique phone, small, and yet powerful and capable; to users that will take it with all of its good and not so good aspects.
The big upgrade on Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip 5 is the debut of a new, much larger cover display that’s actually capable of doing some useful things. But, what can you actually do on it? Here’s a quick look at all of the built-in features.
The clockface is customizable
When you first turn on the display, you’ll see a customizable clockface that has tons of different styles and features. Samsung allows users to customize the style pretty heavily, from fonts to colors and more. That background color will be visible throughout widgets as a transparent backing, too.
You’ll have the option to customize the clockface only from the inner display, though. That’s where most settings live, but you can change your preset on the fly through the outer display in a rolodex-style interface.
Widgets are still the focus
Like on past Galaxy Flip models, the core of what you’ll be using on the Galaxy Z Flip 5’s cover display comes from widgets. There are a dozen widgets by default which include:
Calendar
Weather
Alarm
Step counter
Recent calls
Stopwatch
Direct Dial
Timer
SmartThings scenes
Galaxy Buds controls
Finance Watchlist (powered by Google Finance)
Apps
These are all powered by Samsung’s apps, with no option to add custom Android widgets from other apps. But, functionally, they work rather well and take advantage of the screen space made available. Notably, Samsung places all navigation in the bottom section that’s next to the camera. When on widgets, it’s gestures, but if you have navigation buttons enabled, you’ll see those when you open an app.
Flip 5’s weather widget
Yes, there’s a full keyboard
The biggest upgrade from Samsung’s bigger display here might just be interacting with messages. When you get a notification, or trigger any other text box, the Galaxy Z Flip 5’s cover display will show a full-size QWERTY keyboard.
Flip 4, notably, would only show preset replies or allow for voice-to-text or emoji replies. Oppo’s Find N2 Flip is similarly limited, despite having a much bigger display compared to the Flip 4. Samsung’s approach on Flip 5 is most similar to Motorola’s Razr+, though with a big restrction.
The full keyboard on Galaxy Z Flip 5 cover display is currently locked to the official Samsung Keyboard. You can’t use Gboard, SwiftKey, or anything else on the outer display. However, this can work independently of the inner display. If you’re using Gboard on the inside, for instance, Samsung Keyboard will still apply on the outside.
Can the Galaxy Z Flip 5 cover display run full apps?
Since rumors first started swirling, the big question has been whether or not the Galaxy Z Flip 5 cover display can run full Android apps. The good news is that yes, it can, but it’s a little complicated.
By default, there are no full apps on the Flip 5’s outer display. Through the “Labs” option in the Settings menu, you’ll be able to turn on the ability to run a limited list of full apps. That is disabled by default, but once turned on it can enable the following apps on the outer display:
Google Messages
Samsung Messages
WhatsApp
Google Maps
Netflix
YouTube
Samsung tells us that more apps may be added to this list in the future, but for the time being that’s all you’ll be able to use. The apps run as normal, just in a condensed layout. Why Netflix is included, we don’t know.
Google Maps on the Galaxy Z Flip 5 cover display
In any case, the other option is to use Good Lock. While we haven’t been able to test this out just yet, Samsung says that a Good Lock module will allow users to run any app they choose on the outer display.
