Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. Galaxy Z Fold 4: Do you have to improve?

Samsung is as soon as once more making an attempt to woo foldable cellphone fanatics again into its camp with the brand new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. The important thing attraction this time round is a recent design served in a thinner chassis. There’s a quicker chipset inside, a barely extra sturdy construct, a redesigned hinge mechanism, and a shallower crease on the inside foldable panel.

All that comes at a $100 worth improve, although. For sure, it doesn’t sound like a very thrilling year-on-year improve in comparison with the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and it’s actually not a standout machine in comparison with rivals just like the OnePlus Open and the Vivo X Fold 3 Professional.

However should you’ve been rocking the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and are of two minds as as to whether to remain put or splurge on an improve, there are a couple of features it’s best to take into account. On this comparability, we’re going to deal with the important thing variations that ought to matter to patrons.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. Galaxy Z Fold 4: specs

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
Measurement 68.1 x 153.5 x 12.1mm (folded)

132.6 x 153.5 x 5.6mm (unfolded)

67.1 x 155.1 x 15.8mm (Hinge) ~ 14.2mm (Sagging)

130.1 x 155.1 x 6.3mm (unfolded)

Weight 239 grams 263 grams
Colours Silver Shadow

Pink

Navy

Crafted Black (on-line unique)

Purity White (on-line unique)

Graygreen

Phantom Black

Beige

Burgundy (on-line unique)

Value Begins at $1,900 Begins at $1,800
Cowl show 6.3-inch HD+

Dynamic AMOLED 2X

2376 x 968 decision with 22.1:9 side ratio at 410 ppi

120Hz refresh price (1~120Hz)

6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X

2316 x 904 decision with 23.1:9 side ratio

120Hz refresh price (48~120Hz)

Major show 7.6-inch QXGA+

Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity Flex Show

2160 x 1856 decision with 20.9:18 side ratio at 374 ppi

120Hz refresh price

2,600 nits max brightness

7.6-inch Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X

2176 x 1812 decision with 21.6:18 side ratio at 373 ppi

120Hz refresh price

Chipset Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
RAM 12GB 12GB
Storage 256GB

512GB

1TB

256GB

512GB

1TB

Rear cameras 50MP predominant with DPAF, OIS, f/1.8

10MP telephoto with DPAF, OIS, f/2.4, 3x optical zoom

12MP ultrawide with f/2.2, 123-degree FOV

50MP predominant with DPAF, OIS, f/1.8

10MP telephoto with DPAF, OIS, f/2.4, 3x optical zoom

12MP ultrawide with f/2.2, 123-degree FOV

Selfie cameras 10MP with f/2.2 (cowl show)

4MP with f/1.8 (inside under-display digital camera)

10MP with f/2.2 (cowl show)

4MP with f/1.8 (inside under-display digital camera)

Battery 4,400mAh 4,400mAh
Charging 25W quick charging

15W wi-fi charging

4.5W reverse wi-fi charging

25W quick charging

15W wi-fi charging

4.5W reverse wi-fi charging

Water resistance  IP48 IPX8
Connectivity  5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth v5.3 5G, LTE, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth v5.2

Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. Galaxy Z Fold 4: design and construct

The open and closed Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6.
Andy Boxall / Digital Traits

For the Galaxy Z Fold 6, Samsung has created what it calls a “​​twin rail hinge construction” paired with a “strengthened folding edge” and a better resilience to shock absorption alongside the body. The corporate has additionally used an enhanced number of Armor Aluminum and the second-gen Corning Gorilla Glass for the quilt show and the rear shell.

Samsung gained’t say what diploma of added safety they provide, however these supplies are actually extra resilient. The crease on the inside versatile display can be smaller. The largest distinction, in comparison with the Galaxy Z Fold 4, is that there isn’t a hole between the 2 halves of the cellphone when the cellphone is shut closed.

That’s a significant reduction, because the uncovered hole allowed mud and liquid particles to make their approach inside. Given the historical past of damages that many patrons have reported, the Galaxy Z Fold 6’s gapless design needs to be a key promoting level. For the primary time, Samsung has additionally added mud safety to its foldable, bestowing IP48 safety upon its newest cellphone.

The Galaxy Z Fold 4 solely served an IPX8 degree of water resistance, however no validated safety in opposition to mud. Higher shock distribution to exterior impression may sound like typical advertising jargon, however within the context of a foldable, it’s something however.

The back of the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Andy Boxall/Digital Traits / Digital Traits

We lately investigated foldable hardware complaints at official Samsung centers and encountered issues where bumps and drops misaligned the hinge assembly. As a result, the Samsung foldable refused to open fully, and there were glue leakage issues. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 seems to have taken a much-needed measure to fix those woes.

Regarding the 2024 slate of foldable phones, Samsung says these make for “the most durable Galaxy Z series yet,” while also being the slimmest and lightest foldable phones it has ever made. In a nutshell, if your primary concern is the build quality, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 delivers practical benefits over the Galaxy Z Fold 4.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. Galaxy Z Fold 4: internals

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 in different colors.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Samsung has armed the Galaxy Z Fold 6 with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, while the Galaxy Z Fold 4 relies on the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 silicon. There’s definitely a performance boost on the table, but both are based on the 4nm process, so the lift isn’t as huge as one would expect from phones spaced two years apart.

Both phones come with 12GB of RAM and memory options starting at 256GB and going all the way up to 1TB. The battery capacity also remains the same at 4,400 mAh, and so do the charging credentials, which max out at 25 watts for wired charging.

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 embraces the multi-eSIM format, but that varies depending on the market where you buy it. Another minor change happens in the wireless connectivity department. The latest from Samsung uses Bluetooth v5.3, while the Galaxy Z Fold 4 sticks with the Bluetooth v5.2 standard.

The Galaxy Z Fold 4's closed shape.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The resolution remains mostly the same on the display, but there are two key changes. The cover display on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is bigger at 6.3 inches and more “normal” compared to the oddly tall 6.1-inch front panel on the Galaxy Z Fold 4.

The on-screen fluidity will also be uniform across both screens on the new phone. The cover and inner OLED panels on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 can vary between 1Hz and 120Hz, adaptively optimizing to the on-screen content. On the Galaxy Z Fold 4, the cover display’s refresh rate can only drop to as low as 48Hz, while the peak remains identical at 120Hz.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. Galaxy Z Fold 4: cameras

A person holding the open Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6.
Andy Boxalll / Digital Trends

If you’re looking for new camera hardware, well, there is barely any. The only notable change — at least on paper — is the 4-megapixel under-display camera, which sees its field of view go from 80 degrees on the Galaxy Z Fold 4 to 85 degrees on the Galaxy Z Fold 6.

The rest of the hardware is identical. You get a 50MP main camera, a 12MP sensor for ultrawide capture, and a 10MP telephoto snapper with 3x optical zoom range. The cover screen offers a centrally aligned 10MP selfie camera.

There are some minor differences in the feature set. On the Galaxy Z Fold 6, you get a feature called “optical quality zoom 2x,” which Samsung says is enabled using an Adaptive Pixel sensor. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 could only capture 8K video at 24 frames per second (fps), but the Galaxy Z Fold takes it to 30 fps.

Something curious has happened on the slow-motion side of things. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 could do 960 ultra-slo-mo at HD resolution, but that frame rate is not available on the Galaxy Z Fold 6. Instead, it gets two additional options: 120 fps at FHD and 120 fps at UHD.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. Galaxy Z Fold 4: software

A person holding the open Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 runs Android 14-based One UI 6.1.1 out of the box. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 recently started getting One UI 6.1 thanks to a software update. Now, the UI experience will be familiar, but there are two crucial differences: the years of updates left and the AI experience.

Let’s start with the AI experience. There was a lot of AI chatter at the Unpacked event, and barring hardware-level limitations, the experience will be uniform across both phones. Samsung’s dedicated Galaxy AI website mentions the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and its capability to run options reminiscent of Circle to Search, Observe Help, Stay Translate, and generative AI-powered photograph modifying — amongst others.

And it appears a number of the newer AI improvements introduced for the Fold 6 may also make it to older foldables, however we’re unsure if the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is on the record. “We additionally plan to roll out the brand new Galaxy AI options we introduced right this moment to pick Galaxy gadgets by the tip of the yr,” Samsung’s Annika Bizon stated at Unpacked.

After all, not all Galaxy AI options showing on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will make it to the Galaxy Z Fold 4, so maintain that in thoughts.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 partially open, showing the Cover Screen.
Andy Boxall / Digital Traits

Subsequent, let’s test the software program longevity scenario. Samsung will push 4 years of OS updates on the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and safety updates for 5 years.

On the Galaxy Z Fold 6, the corporate has promised seven generations of yearly Android updates and safety patches. That’s top-of-the-line assurances on the market, and should you intend to maintain a foldable cellphone for the long term, this software program replace dedication is a significant step in the correct route. It’s a,so essential to notice that the Z Fold 4 is already two years by its promised updates.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. Galaxy Z Fold 4: verdict

Closing a floating window app on the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Andy Boxall / Digital Traits

The query of upgrading to the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is comparatively simple. In case your Galaxy Z Fold 4 is supplying you with {hardware} hell (necessitating speedy and costly repairs) otherwise you need a foldable that may keep in your pocket for the following half a decade on the very least, it’s best to head over to Samsung’s web site and rating the perfect trade-in deal.

In any other case, past a sturdier construct and a cleaner design, there isn’t a lot that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 provides that ought to provide the proverbial FOMO. The AI options may look all jazzy and fancy, however take into consideration whether or not you’ll use them every day and in significant methods.

In any other case, it’s only a bunch of gimmicks that ought to by no means sway an individual to half with $1,900 — the Galaxy Z Fold 6’s beginning worth — or extra. On a private notice, I’ve acquired a Galaxy Fold 4 in my drawer, and I discover little benefit to justify an improve, although the Galaxy Z Fold 6 in silver appears to be like extra tempting than a cup of candy Vietnamese espresso.