Design and practicality
The Galaxy Z Flip 6 builds on the design of its predecessors, but with a few subtle tweaks, such as sharp camera contours that add contrast and a matte back. Regarding the latter, it is worth noting that this improvement adds practicality to the device – the matte finish perfectly hides fingerprints, giving the phone a “cleaner” look.
The clear, unrounded edges of the phone give the device a sense of seriousness and solidity. It is strengthened by a reinforced aluminum body frame and resistant Gorilla Glass Victus 2 glass. Due to the sharp shapes, the phone lies comfortably in the hand and does not try to slip out both when unfolded and when folded.
It’s also convenient that the Flip is like a phone with a stand in one. And it helps – for example, if the phone is not fully folded and placed, you can watch YouTube when both hands are occupied (for example, eating or cooking). True, the small screen is not called small for nothing – if you place the phone a little further away, you will not be able to clearly see what is being displayed.
And of course, perhaps the most unique feature of the Flip 6 is the size of the folded phone. When folded, the Flip 6 resembles a folding pocket mirror and is extremely compact (the dimensions of the folded phone are 85 x 72 x 15 mm).
When unfolded, the Flip 6 looks like a regular smartphone (admittedly a bit big, at 165 x 72 x 7mm) – although a faint bend line visible from certain angles gives away that the phone is foldable.
As for the bend line, it’s important to mention that it’s not only blurry on the Flip 6, it’s practically imperceptible – judging by the reviews of previous models, Samsung really stretched it here.
Camera, shooting capabilities and DI photo editing
Where Samsung has improved is the camera – the Flip 5’s camera was 12 MP, while the new model already has 50 MP.
This is felt in the quality of the photos – they are detailed and sharp even when zoomed in 10 times (thanks to the fairly effective digital zoom). digital zoom) and AI, which can enhance photos by adjusting camera settings based on the environment).
The quality is also very noticeable when taking selfies – because you can not only use the front 10MP camera, but also the rear one, seeing yourself on the small screen.
In addition, folding the phone allows you to stand it up and take a hands-free photo with the timer.
When it comes to AI features that improve the shooting experience, the Auto Zoom feature is worth mentioning, which simplifies the framing process by automatically adjusting the zoom when it detects people in the frame.
Other AI features provide a fun photo editing experience. For example, the “Sketch to Image” function allows you to turn simple sketches into realistic details in photos without specialized software.
I tested this feature by drawing a teddy bear at the back of the room, a steak with side dishes on an empty plate, and a separate piece of cake. The bear and the steak with side dishes, in my opinion, turned out really well, and this piece of cake is a little toy (especially the candle with the fire).
It was interesting to try Galaxy AI’s portrait generation from a photo into 3D, comic, watercolor and sketch images. While there isn’t much benefit here in terms of applicability, it’s fun to see how AI transforms you and your friends – and to discuss the similarities you see and where you’ve been asked.
Another editing feature that Galaxy AI offers is removing an object from the frame. A useful feature, but not always useful in reality. After removing an object from some photos (for example, a lantern from the bushes), the photo looks fine – as if it was not edited, but in some cases there are still signs that some object was in the photo after all (for example, a shadow or a background filled with a different color).
More AI features
In addition to photo editing, Galaxy AI offers other interesting and useful AI features. One of them is automatic voice translation. This is where the small screen comes in handy. Looking at the big screen, you can see both your translation request and the translation, while the person standing in front of you can read only the translation of the request on the small screen.
It is true that the words must be pronounced slowly and clearly, because sometimes the AI does not “listen” to some words at all, but here is the translation of the question from English to French, where is the nearest store, successfully. The sad news is that the app only works with a limited number of languages - and Lithuanian is not among them.
The audio-to-text transcription function works in a similar way – if the speaker is speaking clearly, the text transcriptions are quite successful, but if any word is spoken faster or more indistinctly, the AI has problems.
Going back to the less useful but fun features, it’s worth mentioning the generation of images from a sketch. This feature turns a simple drawing into a prettier and more artistic version of a sketch.
In addition, there is also a function to generate DI screensavers. It’s quite limited, as the wallpaper requests can only be selected from already existing ones – but it allows you to personalize your device more.
Small screen functionality
The small screen allows you to quickly check messages, view the calendar, check the weather, control music and, as I mentioned, take selfies – but it still lacks functionality: the number of small-screen-friendly apps is quite disappointing, adding widgets (eng. widgets), but their selection is not wide.
However, the small screen has a fun and unique (albeit not very practical) touch – interactive cover screens. If you choose to decorate the small screen with an interactive background with animated figures, they react to the user’s actions – for example, if you turn the phone, they fall to one side. Although this does not compensate for the shortcomings in the field of functionality, it adds to the pleasure of using the device.
The rest of the Flip 6 specs
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 has a battery increased to 4000 mAh (the battery of the previous model was 3700 mAh), installed Vapor Chamber cooling system, third generation Snapdragon 8 chip (instead of the second generation). The large screen is illuminated from 1750 to 2600 nits, and the IP48 resistance standard has also been achieved. The device weighs 187 grams. Internal memory – 256 or 512 GB, RAM – 12 GB. Manufacturers declare that the device can withstand up to 200,000 bends.
The price of the device in Lithuania is about 1,200 euros for the version with 256 GB of internal memory and about 1,300 euros for the 512 GB version.
Summary
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 is most distinguished from its predecessors with a less noticeable and noticeable bend line, improved camera capabilities and interesting artificial intelligence functions. Fun AI features like generating portraits and images from sketches and adding objects to the frame add fun to the device, but the more practical AI features could definitely use some improvement. There is room for improvement when it comes to small screen functionality.
The overall experience of using the Flip 6 is really good – the phone is comfortable, and the foldable form offers advantages for those who want a compact device that can fit practically anywhere. However, before buying, you have to consider the considerable price of the device.
2024-09-08 09:43:28