Samsung’s latest compact foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Flip6, is slated to arrive in Malaysia soon. Thanks to an opportunity provided by the South Korean tech giant, I’ve already spent a couple of days testing the device ahead of its local launch.
Let’s start with the design. Apart from the coloured rims surrounding the dual camera setup on its cover, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 looks almost identical to its predecessor. In fact, it shares the same form factor, dimensions, as well as external and internal display sizes. However, there are a couple of things that sets it apart from last year’s model.
One of which is the improved hinge, which not only allows the phone to fold on itself completely flat, but also provide both water and dust resistance with a rating of IP48. In comparison, the Galaxy Z Flip5 only offered a water resistance rating of IPX8. Despite this, it should be noted that there’s still a tiny gap between the hinge and bezel seals.
Next up is the flatter edges, which feels nice and provides the device with a bit more grip. Another difference is the colourways, which ditches the smudge-prone glossy rear panel with a matte finish that’s available in seven flavours: Silver Shadow, Yellow, Blue, Mint, Crafted Black, White, and Peach.
Then we have the phone’s internal display, which now has a less prominent crease when unfolded. Yes, it’s still there, and you can still feel it when you move your finger across the screen. Thankfully, it feels less bumpy than on the Galaxy Z Flip5.
As with its predecessor, I found myself using the newer model in its folded form for apps such as YouTube, X (formerly Twitter), and a handful of others. That said, you still need Samsung’s Good Lock app and its plugins to make the most out of the cover screen, and the keyboard will take up more than half of the screen if you’re planning to reply to your messages here. There are also more widgets this time around, which is useful if you want to quickly take a glance for certain information.
So far, the phone feels very snappy and responsive thanks to the onboard Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chipset, which has also been optimised to accommodate the brand’s Galaxy AI features. Since this article mainly focuses on my initial impressions with the Galaxy Z Flip6, I’ll save my thoughts regarding its overall performance and AI functions for a more in-depth review.
Meanwhile, the onboard battery has a slightly larger capacity of 4,000mAh, which allows the foldable to last longer than its predecessor on a single charge. It’s still a far cry from the standard that’s commonly equipped on most smartphones, but it’s a much appreciated upgrade nonetheless. Charging, on the other hand, is limited to only 25W.
In terms of imaging, at long last, Samsung has finally upgraded its compact foldable smartphone line-up to feature a primary camera with more than 12MP. More specifically, equipped on the Galaxy Z Flip6 is a 50MP main sensor, which is the same one used on the brand’s Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+ models. Throughout the time testing its cameras these past couple of days, I’ve noticed that image quality has indeed improved when compared to the Galaxy Z Flip5, especially in low light.
That’s all I can share regarding the phone for now, so do look forward to the upcoming review. In case you missed it, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 will be available in Malaysia from 24 July onwards, starting from RM4,999.
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