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
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 weird shape of the 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. However, that only means protection against larger dust particles, so you still should not feel too comfortable having the phone out in dusty environments. The Flip 6 is officially rated IP48 (vs IPX8 previously), where the number 4 stands for some protection against dust particles sized over 1mm, and the number 8 stands for it being able to survive a drop in water of up to 1.5m deep. Samsung, however, explicitly says 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).
Samsung is known for its solid build quality 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 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 a 6.7-inch inner display.
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 finally happened! The crease is practically no longer an issue on the Flip 6.
Samsung is said to have used thicker cover glass material (50nm on the Flip 6 vs 30nm on the Flip 5) to achieve this.
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.
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
Under the hood, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 benefits from the newest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, a nice - even if slight - upgrade from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 on the Flip 5.
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! We will be testing these in more detail in the coming days, and of course, you have support for all the previously announced Galaxy AI trickery, but considering all the hype around AI, this is a surprisingly short list.
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
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.
Unfortunately, that is not changing in the Galaxy Z Flip 6, which has two cameras like before, a main and an ultra-wide one.
However, those two cameras do get better. 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.
With this bigger sensor, Samsung now does the 2X sensor crop zoom on the Flip 6, so zoom quality is improved slightly as well.
Samsung is obviously pushing AI features heavily, so you have the Generative Edit features you know from the S24 series here on the Flip 6 as well.
Expect actual comparison sample photos and videos here very soon, so you can see the effect of these upgrades in real life.
Battery Life and Charging
A welcome improvement in battery life
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 will be testing battery life in detail and give you more specific numbers very soon, so stay tuned for that.
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. Considering the same charging speeds and the slightly bigger battery on the Flip 6, this will probably take a few minutes longer, but not much.
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
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 now practically eliminated the crease. 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, 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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