Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: 6 new features it has that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 doesn’t

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 has arrived to stake its claim as the best foldable you can get, with the Galaxy Z Fold 5passing the torch. Inheriting many of its traits (now at a pricier $1,900), the Z Fold 6 looks to carry on Samsung’s winning foldable formula. 

So, does all that mean “same-same, but slightly different?” Sort of, but small refinements can make one of the best even better. The Z Fold 6’s fundamentals — like its cameras, battery capacity, and memory — remain the same as its predecessor, but take a closer look and you’ll find a few enticing enhancements. 

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy Unpacked July 2024: How to watch

1. Leaner and wider

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 was already perfecting the foldable form with its thinner and lighter design compared to its previous model, but the Z Fold 6 trims its form factor down even further for a more compact design. 

Coming in at 153.5 x 132.6 x 5.6 mm unfolded and 153.5 x 68.1 x 12.1 mm folded, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is shorter, thinner, and wider than the Z Fold 5. That’s 1.4 mm shorter, 0.5 mm thinner, and 2.7 mm wider when unfolded, and 1.4 mm shorter, 1.3 mm thinner, and 1 mm wider when unfolded, to be exact. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 closed Credit: Mashable

The Z Fold 5 is already on the tall side, so it’s nice to see the Z Fold 6 take the cue and cut down the size. It makes for a sleeker, compact package that doesn’t make as much of a bulge in pockets. It’s noticeably lighter, too, weighing 239g — making it 14g lighter than its predecessor. 

As for why Samsung decided to make the foldable ever-so-slightly wider? Well, it may have something to do with the secondary display. 

2. Brighter (and slightly bigger) display

A bigger display in a more compact form factor? That’s a win for the Galaxy Z Fold 6. While the inner display still boasts a 7.6-inch AMOLED screen with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, the outer display now stands at 6.3 inches. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 front display Credit: Mashable

That’s a small, but favorable 0.1-inch size up over the Z Fold 5, giving the front display more room for activity. That's not all, both screens can now reach a substantially higher 2,600 nits of max brightness compared to the Z Fold 5’s 1,750 nits. That’s the same as the Galaxy S24 Ultra(and well above the iPhone 15 Pro’s 2,000 nits). 

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When outdoors or in brighter environments, that’s an important feature to have. Having brightness at max can deplete the battery, though, so it’s a good thing Samsung claims the Z Fold 6 can last around one to two hours longer than the Z Fold 5 (even though it sports the same 4,400 mAh battery capacity).

3. A boost in Snapdragon power

Like the rest of Samsung’s smartphone lineup this year, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 comes equipped with the latest and greatest octa-core Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. If the Z Fold 5 is already a champion at multitasking, the Z Fold 6 is a master. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 with multiple windows Credit: Mashable

With enhanced processing power, improved power efficiency, and a boost in ray tracing, the chip offers plenty of extra juice to give the Z Fold 6 an edge over its predecessor. Plus, it brings over 12GB of RAM and up to 1TB for storage, making this foldable an effective mini-computer that fits in your pocket. 

With the chip upgrade also comes a 1.6x larger vapor chamber compared to the Z Fold 5, meaning it stays cooler under the hood while playing games or using demanding apps.

4. A change in resolution

Interestingly, Samsung gave the Galaxy Z Fold 6’s inner display a slight uptick in resolution. Instead of the Z Fold 5’s 2176 x 1812 (QXGA+) display resolution, the Z Fold 6 boasts a 2160 x 1856 (the same QXGA+) screen resolution. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 main display Credit: Mashable

While it's still a Dynamic AMOLED with a 120Hz refresh rate, the slight increase in pixel count can result in clearer, more detailed visuals — but not by much. However, with the handy S Pen, it translates to cleaner notes and scribbles compared to the Z Fold 5. At the end of the day, any slight improvements are welcome. 

5. Fancier snaps

Even though the Galaxy Z Fold 6 comes with the same camera as the Z Fold 5 (50MP wide, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto), you can still expect spruced-up pictures, thanks to the included ProVisual Engine. 

Taking advantage of Galaxy AIand an improved NPU from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, you can expect more consistency in detail in each shot taken, along with clearer zoom resolution. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 inner display camera Credit: Mashable

As with the Samsung Galaxy S24, there will also be more AI camera magic, such as Edit Suggestions, Generative Edit, Instant Slo-mo, and more. 

6. Enhanced Armor and dust protection

Foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold series are made of tough stuff, including Gorilla Glass Victus 2, but they miss out on one mainstream flagship feature: dust resistance. The Z Fold 5 offers water resistance up to 1.5 meters in depth with its IPX8 rating, but nothing to fend off those annoying small particles. 

The Galaxy Z Fold 6, however, finally brings an IP48 rating. That “4” means the foldable is protected from solid objects 1 mm in size, which is super beneficial for a smartphone that constantly opens and closes. Fortunately, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 also gets this rating. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 hinge Credit: Mashable

For even more durability, the Z Fold 6 comes with an “improved Armor Aluminum frame,” as Samsung puts it. The Z Fold 5 already boasted this Armor Aluminum, but its successor toughens its form factor even further, which hopefully translates to fewer nicks and scratches. 

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is set to arrive on July 24 and is available from $1,900. Want to hear more about the Galaxy Z Flip 6, Galaxy Watch 7, or Galaxy Ring? Check out everything announced at the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event. 

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