The 6th-generation of Samsung’s iconic Fold phones is now finally on sale, and there are still special offers and deals available from various vendors to tempt you into upgrading to the world’s most powerful AI smartphone.
Although Google offers the “purest” Android experience, the most advanced Android experience in the world unquestionably comes from Samsung. It’s OneUI experience builds upon regular Android with a raft of additional features, not least of which is a panoply of AI features that Google isn’t yet offering, and which Apple has only started delivering in incomplete beta iOS 18.1 developer form, which is nowhere near ready for prime time, and which won’t be available when the next iPhones launch in sometime in September.
Samsung is describing its 2nd generation of AI features as “the next chapter of Galaxy AI”, and they are available on Samsung’s Fold6, its smartphone which folds out into a tablet, and also separately its Flip6 smartphone. .
The video below contains my impressions of the Flip6, Fold6 and new Samsung Watch Ultra, so please take a look, after which is a look at the features the Fold6 offers, as well as local Australia pricing. I was recording on a 4K camera, but after a false start, I didn’t press the record button again on my Camtasia 2024 software, and this is the Zoom backup recording. For some reason Zoom recorded it in only 640 x 320, so I tried some upscaling software, but it’s still fuzzy. Even so… you can still hear and see my presentation, so please enjoy nevertheless!
Note, this video starts from the Fold6 section, but if you want to rewind back to the beginning which starts with the Flip6, you can easily do so:
The Samsung Galaxy Fold6 is an evolution of all the previous Fold models before it, stylish unfolding in half, without a gap where the screen actually folds, with a squared off design, better cameras, longer battery life, a stronger case, and with an even bigger vapour chamber than in the Fold5 to keep the phone as cool as possible, even while it is operating at maximum capacity when playing games.
The Fold6 unfolds so smoothly, it is a delight to open, and a massive improvement over the first generation Fold from six years ago, with that unfolding action having evolved smoothly since that time.
Naturally Android 14 is installed, but aside from the design improvements, the start of the show is the AI features, which are so far unmatched in the industry, and available now. Android 15 will be available later this year, and there are seven years of OS and security updates as well, so if you don’t upgrade your Fold6 for a few years, you’ll still be covered, and new AI features are sure to come, too.
Here’s how Samsung describes its AI features: “When it comes to communication, easily understand someone in another language whether just by listening or having a conversation with Interpreter, making the most of the unique dual screen form factor. Reply while on the move with Suggested replies, which recommends tailored responses to messages without even needing to open the device.
“Stay productive with Composer, which generates emails and social posts based on just a few simple keywords, and Note Assist, which offers a new PDF overlay translation feature, as well as transcription of audio files. Creativity is boosted with Photo Assist, a suite of AI-powered editing tools to create professional-grade content effortlessly. Plus, FlexCam, now supported by Auto Zoom, automatically frames up the perfect selfie all hands-free.”
When folded, you have the 6.3-inch Super AMOLED outer display, and what you have is the traditional smartphone experience you’re familiar with. It is not as wide as the Galaxy S24 Ultra, but if you’ve used any smartphone, you’ll be right at home, and the phone certainly feels very holdable – it’s much easier to hold than a phone with a wider display.
When unfolded, you get a tablet with a 7.6-inch display, which is glorious. Of course, there IS still a crease, but it’s the shallowest crease seen thus far. Of course I wish it could be completely flat, but it’s not an issue you’ll be worried about. You’ll be amazed every time you fold and unfold the phone, it is just such a delight to do.
At 239 grams it is lighter than ever, and it is over 1mm slimmer than last year’s model, now down to 5.6mm thin.
There are more convenient AI features to discover on the outside screen, whether it is answering a call on speakerphone, accessing Samsung Health updates and notifications, select the next track you want to listen to on your music widget, or interacting with multiple Widgets simultaneously. It’s definitely cool and fun to play with.
That AI-powered Photo Ambient feature is wallpaper can change in real-time based on the time and weather. You can also easily create a unified look and feel with suggested screen layout options by analysing your wallpaper — such as moving the clock and changing the frame colour to ensure the background image stands.
Then you also get the AutoZoom feature mentioned above, which is part of a newly even more versatile camera experience, where the FlexCam feature automatically finds the best framing for your shot by detecting the subject and zooming in and out before making any necessary adjustments– and it’s all hands-free. Content creators will love it!
The three cameras on the back are a new 50MP Wide, 12MP Ultra-wide and 10MP sensors that provide an upgraded camera experience – something you expect every time you get a new phone – with clear and crisp details in pictures. The inner camera is a 4 megapixel under display camera.
There’s an Optical Zoom at 3x, an Optical quality Zoom 2x (Enabled by Adaptive Pixel sensor) with Digital Zoom up to 30x. Not as good as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra – hopefully one day there will be parity on that front – but nothing to be sneezed at whichever way you look at it.
Nightography is one of Samsung’s special features, enhanced with video HDR, so you can capture more brilliant videos too, not just photos — even in dim lighting — and goes further by partnering with popular social apps as well. The night capturing feature is now available in-app on Instagram, so you can take amazing photos in low light and message or share them directly from within the app.
The range of Fold6 accessories has never been wider – details here.
Of course you get better battery life too, which is made possible by hardware and software optimisation.
The Fold6 is equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform for Galaxy, the most advanced Snapdragon mobile processor yet, combining a CPU, GPU, and NPU for the best Android smartphone chip experience. The processor is optimised for AI processing and offers enhanced graphics along with improved overall performance. The upgraded cooling system maximises performance with a larger vapour chamber on Galaxy Z Fold6 to keep even cooler while under pressure delivering AI, gaming, or anything else.
Samsung’s smartphones are also secured by Samsung Knox, which Samsung Galaxy’s multi-layer security platform. In the era of AI, Samsung notes its “commitment to empowering you with choice over your device settings allows you to control your data to enhance AI experiences through Galaxy AI settings” – and what this also means is that you can choose for your AI experiences to be powered solely on-device, or you can choose to use cloud-powered AI too – it’s up to you in the settings.
There’s also “Enhanced Data Protection” as an added layer of protection, for “end-to-end encryption when you backup, sync or restore your data with Samsung Cloud.”
The security and privacy features include Knox Vault, Security & Privacy Dashboard, Auto Blocker, passkeys, Secure Wi-Fi, and Private sharing in Quick Share.
Pricing for the Galaxy Z Fold6 in Australian dollars starts at $2,749 for the 12GB + 256 GB model, $2,959 for the 512GB model, while the 1TB model is $3,399.
Depending on the electronics retailer or phone store, the available colours are Silver Shadow, Pink and Navy, while the Samsung Store exclusive colours of Crafted Black, and also White.
If you’re looking to upgrade from an older Android, be it Samsung or not, or even an iPhone – and want both a smartphone AND a tablet – check it out in stores and online – here is Samsung’s Fold6 site with all the extra info.
TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics said: “Samsung’s long history of innovation has allowed us to lead in the mobile space, creating the foldable form factor and ushering in the mobile AI era. Now, we are excited to bring these two complementary technologies together and unlock new possibilities for users around the world.
“Our foldables meet the unique needs of every user and now enhanced by the power of Galaxy AI, Samsung is delivering an experience like never before.”
Eric Chou, the Head of Mobile eXperience at Samsung Electronics Australia said: “Since launching Galaxy AI on the Galaxy S24 series earlier this year, we’ve confirmed that Australians are eager for a new generation of AI – powered mobile phones that unlock new experiences. We’re thrilled to now be leading the next phase of mobile innova tion, incorporating Galaxy AI into our latest range of foldables and taking it one step further by expanding the power of Galaxy AI to our wearables range. Samsung is redefining the potential of mobile by offering unparalleled Galaxy AI experiences on more devices.
“At Samsung we’re pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with AI- driven features in smartphones and wearables, offering our users enhanced functionality, improved durability, and cutting- edge design. Our newest range of Galaxy AI powered foldable and we arable devices reflect our commitment to creating an integrated and intelligent ecosystem for our users.
“With Galaxy AI and Samsung Health driving next- gen benefits, we’re confident our 2024 wearables range will continue to change the game for Australian customers. Our latest range of wearables with Galaxy AI provides more comprehensive, intelligent and pers onalised health insights, along with motivational encouragement to help improve daily wellness.”
Here’s my video interview with Eric:
