Why I won’t be upgrading to the Galaxy Z Fold 6

Samsung’s new foldable phones, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6, are packed with numerous improvements over their predecessors, namely enhancements to their chipsets and camera. They also sport various hardware changes that improve the user experience and, thanks to improved ingress protection, make them fare better in more diverse conditions.

However, the new Galaxy Z Fold 6 isn’t as big of an upgrade as I initially thought, and it looks like I’ll be holding on to my Galaxy Z Fold 4. The upgrades done to the new foldable are decent, and while I appreciate the small quality-of-life improvements, it looks like Samsung is holding back — this was the time to wow the world with major improvements, not push a small, iterative upgrade.

1 The crease is less visible, but still there

Other OEMs managed to nearly eliminate the crease, so why can’t Samsung?

The crease is something that never bothered me, not even when I was using the Galaxy Z Fold 3, which had a prominent crease that could be felt and seen when the phone was open. The Fold 4’s crease isn’t as bad, and the Fold 5 made it even better. Based on first impressions of the Fold 6, it looks like Samsung made some improvements, but the crease is still there.

I may be spoiled by other devices that didn’t have a prominent crease, but I think it’s only fair to expect the best from a series of devices that continue to go up in price — at least in the UK. While the US had a taste of a price increase this year, Samsung increased the price of its Fold devices by over £150 (~$190) in the UK in the last two years. OEMs have sufficiently dealt with it, which makes you wonder why Samsung can’t do the same.

2 Same camera hardware for two years in a row

Same old, same old

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 features a 50MP f/1.8 primary, a 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide, and a 10MP f/2.4 telephoto with 3x optical zoom. Based on the numbers alone, that’s the same exact setup as my Galaxy Z Fold 4. While many claim the ultrawide camera is new on the Fold 6, it still has the same resolution and aperture, and even the same field of view.

Now, it’s worth mentioning that the new Fold 6 sports an improved ISP (Image Signal Processor), which should yield significantly better results, but that doesn’t change the fact that Samsung’s latest foldable still doesn’t live up to expectations — at least on paper.

I’m very aware that it’s a tight space inside the phone, and fitting the camera module of the Galaxy S24 Ultra inside is extremely difficult, perhaps impossible at this point. I expected a bigger improvement this time around, but I’ll withhold judgment until we see more of what the camera can do.

3 You still can’t store the S Pen in the phone

It’s time we got a dedicated slot for the stylus

However, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is often shown as a utility that can be used for work, play, and everything in-between, with the S Pen highlighted in promotional materials as one of the most prominent features of the Galaxy Z Fold lineup. This spotlight makes the fact that you’re still required to store the stylus outside the phone a little discouraging.

If you’ve ever seen the inside of a smartphone, specifically the Ultra or a Note-series device, you know how much room is dedicated to storing and charging the stylus. Why can’t the same be done today?

If Samsung really wanted to improve the situation, it could’ve made the phone wider to more closely resemble a traditional smartphone — a big win for those who want a larger cover screen — and added a much-requested feature we’ve wanted for years.

4 No real battery improvements

It’s the same capacity and battery technology for three years running

Samsung has used a 4,400 mAh battery since the Galaxy Z Fold 3 in 2021. There are more advanced battery solutions out there now that provide higher capacities in extremely thin form factors with the same excellent endurance, reliability, and support for fast charging.

The fact that Samsung continues to rely on old battery technology doesn’t look good, especially when you see other OEMs using more advanced technologies that are much slimmer, have a better shelf life, and have far more capabilities.

5 Still no true fast charging

The Fold 6 is stuck with 25W wired charging

While we’re on the topic of batteries, it’s worth mentioning that the charging situation hasn’t improved, either. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 still supports the aging 25W wired charging technology, while other competitors moved on to 60W and faster charging solutions.

Those competing devices can fully charge with much larger batteries in under an hour, while Samsung is stuck with charging to half capacity in 30 minutes. A full charge still takes over an hour, making it hard to be competitive on the global front. It also makes the Galaxy Z Fold 6 even harder to justify, especially when you’ve been using a two-year-old phone that has the same features.

There are a limited number of viable foldable alternatives

As a Galaxy Z Fold 4 user who was keen on upgrading in 2024, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is a letdown. It has great improvements all around, but the enhancements are simply too minor to justify the price. As it stands, the only option people like me have is to wait for either a price drop or another device.

Fortunately, Google’s Pixel Fold 2 is right around the corner, and it’s expected to be announced in mid-August. Meanwhile, the OnePlus Open 2 is rumored to be unveiled in October, and Honor has already revealed the Magic V3 in China. While it won’t come to the US, it could be a viable alternative in other key regions, such as the UK and Europe. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 will have plenty of competition to keep it busy.