Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs Flip 5: All the differences explained!
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Intro
Flip phone lovers, gather 'round the campfire: this is the most exciting moment of the year as Samsung has just released its new Galaxy Flip!
Last year was a watershed moment for Samsung's flip phones: the Flip 5 introduced a big Cover Screen for the first time in the series, and the new Flip 6 builds on that foundation.
Among the new features are an improved main camera and a bigger battery size, and you also get a new and faster processor and more RAM. However, if you were hoping for big changes in the design or overall, well... you won't find them on the Flip 6.
We should also mention that Samsung is hiking the price on this new model, so the base Flip 6 model now costs $1,100, $100 more than last year's Flip 5.
Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs Flip 5 differences:
| Galaxy Z Flip 6 | Galaxy Z Flip 5 |
|---|---|
| Mostly same physical size, same screen size | 6.9mm thickness when unfolded, 14.9mm thick when folded |
| Added some dust protection, but only from large dust particles (IP48) | No explicit dust protection (IPX8) |
| Similar dual camera, but now with new 50MP main cam | Dual 12MP camera (main and ultra-wide) |
| Bigger, 4000mAh battery | 3,700mAh battery |
| Newer Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip |
| Only a few new AI features | Some older AI features |
| More RAM, 12GB | 8GB RAM |
| Vapor chamber for better cooling | No vapor chamber |
| Same 256GB/512GB storage options | 256GB or 512GB storage options |
| $1,100 starting price ($100 price increase) | $1,000 price |
| Seven years of software updates | Four years of software updates |
Table of Contents:
Also read:
- Galaxy Z Flip 6 review: new main camera, bigger battery
Design and Size
Not much has changed
Flip 6 on the left, notice the brighter screen (Image by PhoneArena)
With nearly identical size and weight, the Flip 6 design looks very similar to the Flip 5 from afar, as the size is the same and even the irregular shape of the front screen is identical.
There are some less noticeable changes, however, that are worth knowing. The Flip 6 is the first Samsung flip phone certified for dust protection... kind of. The Flip 6 is officially rated IP48 (vs IPX8 previously), where the number 4 stands for protection against particles sized over 1mm, so larger than most dust partciles, and the number 8 stands for it being able to survive a drop in water of up to 1.5m deep. Samsung gives the usual warning that the phone is not recommended for beach and pool use, and warns that water protection will diminish over time as the device ages (true for all phones).
The matte finish on the Flip 6 (on top) looks cleaner and more stylish (Image by PhoneArena)
The company is known for solid build quality of its foldables and it has once again improved the hinge on the Flip 6. It is a slight improvement, but enough to feel more reassuring and phone can stay at an angle without wobbling, and is better in that regard than many rivals.
It also comes in more vibrant colors and now the rings around the two cameras are painted the same color as the phone, so here are your Flip 6 color options:
- Blue
- Mint
- Silver shadow
- Yellow
- *White - online exclusive
- *Crafted black - online exclusive
- *Peach - online exclusive
Display Differences
Samsung has practically eliminated the crease on the Flip 6!
The crease is less visible and the main screen is much brighter (Image by PhoneArena)
The 3.4-inch cover screen of the Flip 5 was a welcome change last year (especially compared to the tiny screen on the Flip 4), but this year we have no changes to the screen sizes on the Flip 6, so it's still a 3.4-inch outer screen and it only runs at 60Hz. Unfolded, you have a 6.7-inch inner display.
Also read: Galaxy Z Flip 6: Size Comparison
The one big change we were all hoping for is for Samsung to get rid of the crease in the middle of the screen, and it is almost gone! Thanks to using new thicker and more resistant to scratches glass on the main display, the crease is less noticeable. But it is not gone entirely, unfortunately.
Some sources say Samsung is working on an even newer and better type of hinge for the next Flip 7, though, so you have to keep that in mind as well.
In our lab display measurements, one big change we really appreciate is how much brighter the screen gets and this makes a big difference in outdoor use. The minimum brightness has also improved, dropping lower which means the screen is easier on the eyes if you use it in bed.
As for biometrics, nothing new: Flip 6 users have the traditional fingerprint reader embedded in the power key on the side, just like before.
Performance and Software
Faster chip, more RAM, better cooling
Big improvement for gaming performance (Image by PhoneArena)
Under the hood, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 benefits from the newest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, a nice upgrade from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 on the Flip 5.
Here is what that means in terms of numbers.
The Flip 6 scores nearly 15% better in single-core CPU tests, while for multi-core performance the improvement is nearly 40%.
And for gaming the change is even bigger. The Flip 6 is the first in the series to get vapor chamber cooling, which helps with throttling and just look at the 3D Mark numbers! The "low" number that is the result after 20 minutes of gaming is 60% higher than on the Flip 5. This is massive improvement for gamers!
We know that all the new AI features are particularly sensitive to RAM and the Flip 5 already had a decent amount at 8GB RAM. The Flip 6, however, makes the jump to 12GB of RAM, a welcome upgrade that will future-proof it for AI.
Speaking of the devil, here is a summary of the new AI features:
Suggested replies — analyzes your latest texts to suggest a response
Photo Ambient - wallpaper changes based on the time of day and weather
Auto Zoom for camera - automatically finds best framing for your shot and adjusts the zoom level, all hands-free
That seems to be it! Of course, you have support for all the previously announced Galaxy AI trickery, but considering all the hype around AI, this is a bit of a shorter list than we hoped for.
One new software feature is an improved translate feature where translations appear on the outer screen, which should make communication when traveling a bit easier.
The rest is all AI features that you get on other Android phones like Google Gemini and Circle to Search.
The Flip 6 arrives with the latest Android 14 version, spiced up with Samsung's One UI software in its latest One UI 6.1.1 version.
What is impressive is that the Flip 6 will get seven years of software updates, just as long as the recent Galaxy S24 series. For context, the Flip 5 arrived with only four years of updates.
Camera
New main camera and AI tricks
Camera quality on Flip 6 (on the bottom) has improved, especially when zooming (Image by PhoneArena)
Samsung's Flip phones never had the best cameras and that was mostly because of the limited space in this form factor. Compared to the Galaxy S series, for example, you lack a telephoto camera on the Flip models.
The Flip 6 might have just two cameras, like before, but they are improved in a really meaningful way.
Main Camera
Samsung bumps up the specs for the main camera to 50-megapixels. In reality, you get pixel-binned images of around 12MP in size, but with cleaner detail in low light. You can also shoot full-res 50MP photos as an option, if you choose so.
Notice the more realistic colors and better rendition of detail in the Flip 6 images.
In low-light, Samsung has worked on improving the white balance to more realistic tones.
Zoom Quality
With this bigger sensor, Samsung now does the sensor cropping and it is a surprisingly big change. The zoom photos from the Flip 6 look clean and the quality can even be compared to a dedicatez telephoto lens. Nice job, Samsung!
Another new camera features is support for 2X Portrait mode, or around 50mm, a focal length that is very common for professional photography. This makes a big difference and most of the portraits we took on the Flip 6 were in this mode.
Ultra-wide Camera
Despite no big changes to the ultra-wide camera, you can see less vignetting, more detail and overall improved photo quality out of the ultra-wide shooter of the Flip 6.
Selfies
No big changes to images captured with the selfie camera, though. Anyway, it would be a better idea to use the main camera instead.
Samsung is obviously pushing AI features heavily, so you also have the Generative Edit features you know from the S24 series here on the Flip 6 as well.
We see similar improvements in video quality as well.
Battery Life and Charging
A welcome improvement in battery life
Some welcome changes to battery life (Image by PhoneArena)
Battery life was never great on the Galaxy Z Flip 5, but the new Flip 6 finally improves that thanks to a nearly 10% increase in battery size.
The Flip 6 comes with a 4,000mAh battery, up from 3,700mAh on the Flip 5. The battery technology itself remains the same, with two smaller battery cells in each half of the phone. And the good news is that despite this battery bump, the Flip 6 does not weigh more!
We run a number of battery tests in-house here at PhoneArena, so here is what we have found.
For web browsing, the Flip 6 delivers a welcome improvement: it scores above 16 hours, more than the average which is around that number, while the previous Flip 5 only got around 12 hours.
On our second battery test we play back the same YouTube video playlist, and the Flip 6 lasted for over 9 hours, compared to just over 7 hours on the previous generation, also big improvement.
And in 3D gaming, possibly because of the more efficient cooling the battery life was nearly double that of the previous generation. These improvement go beyond the 10% battery size increase and are great to see.
As for charging, no changes: Samsung sticks with 25-watt charging speeds via a wire.
Last year, we measured that it took about one hour and a half to fully charge the Flip 5, and this year we are getting about the same results and even somewhat faster when looking at the top up level after 15 minutes and after 30 minutes of charging.
Both the Flip 6 and Flip 5 have wireless charging support at around 15 watts, and both also support reverse wireless charging.
Specs Comparison
And below you can find an overview of the Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs Flip 5 specs differences:
| Galaxy Z Flip 6 | Flip 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Size, weight | Unfolded: 165.1 x 71.9 x 6.9mm Folded: 85.1 x 71.9 x 14.9mm 187g weight | Unfolded: 165.1 x 71.9 x 6.9 mm Folded: 85.1 x 71.9 x 15.1 mm 187g weight |
| Screen | 3.4" OLED Cover Screen 6.7" OLED Main Screen | 3.4" OLED Cover Screen 6.7" OLED Main Screen |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 12GB RAM | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 8GB RAM |
| RAM, Storage | 12/256GB 12/512GB | 8/256GB 8/512GB |
| Cameras | 50MP main 12MP ultra-wide 10MP selfie cam | 12MP main 12MP ultra-wide 10MP selfie came |
| Battery | 4000 mAh | 3700 mAh |
| Charging | USB-C 25W wired charge 15W wireless | USB-C 25W wired charge 15W wireless |
Summary
The Flip 6 (on the left) is clearly better all around, but it also costs $100 more (Image by PhoneArena)
So, there you have it: the Flip 6 has longer battery life, an improved camera, a few AI features here and there, and a few small but important changes to durability. And Samsung has further worked on making the crease less of an issue. But unfortunately, all of that comes at a $100 higher price.
Is it worth upgrading if you already own the Flip 5?
For most people, the answer would be 'no', as the fundamental characteristics have not changed all that much, and we don't really see any particular feature that would really convince you to upgrade.
Of course, if you see a good trade-in deal and would appreciate that slight improvement in battery life, speed and camera, there is no doubt that the Flip 6 is a better phone, so you might as well upgrade.
But what do you think: do you see any particular new feature that you think makes it worth upgrading? Let us know your thoughts about the new Flip 6 in the comments section below!
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