2024-08-05 20:14:45
Updated profile
Perhaps the biggest difference between the Fold 6 is that the new model is slightly smaller and “slimmer”. If the dimensions of the folded “Fold 5” were 154.9 x 67.1 x 13.4 mm, then the “Fold 6” – 153.5 x 68.1 x 12.1 mm. It would seem – what does that millimeter here or there mean, but just by looking at it, the first thought arises – “Wow, weren’t these folding ones bigger”?
A big part of this impression was probably the “fittings” of the “Fold 5” – a bright, eye-catching and lighter frame than the body and the outer part of the hinges. The Fold 6 no longer has this (the frame is thin and the same color), so it visually looks less bulky. By the way, the phone is even lighter – 239 g (14 g lighter than its predecessor). And despite being double, it weighs just a little (9g) more than Samsung’s other flagship, the S24 Ultra.
But what is interesting – the dimensions of the newcomer are smaller, but its screen is larger: this was achieved by reducing the edges to the body. The diagonal of the screen now reaches 6.3 inches (16 cm) – instead of 6.2 inches (15.75 cm).
Numbers
As for other specs, the phone runs the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip (like the S24 Ultra), which is said to have 42 percent a more efficient processor for neural network calculations (NPU), 20 percent. more efficient graphics processor (GPU) and 17 percent more efficient main processor (CPU). It is also announced that the “vapor chamber” – the cooling system – has been increased by 1.6 times.
The memory options are 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage, 12GB RAM and 512GB internal storage, and 12GB RAM and 1TB internal storage. The phone is powered by a 1GHz Adreno 750 video subsystem.
The phone has a built-in 4400 mAh battery, which does not differ from the previous model in its capacity or charging speed.
Camera set – 12 Mpix F 2.2 123 degrees / 12mm focal length (ultra wide angle), 50 Mpix F 1.8 23mm focal length (wide angle) and 10 Mpix F 2.4 66 mm focal length telecamera with 3x optical zoom. Selfie cameras – 10 Mpix F 2.2 24 mm focus (wide angle) and 4 Mpix F1.8 26 mm focus “behind the screen” camera for face recognition and video calls. The ultra-wide-angle camera is said to use an upgraded sensor for better low-light photos – but I didn’t have the Fold 5 on hand at the time of testing, so there’s no way to compare.
The phone has slightly improved dust resistance, now meeting an IP48 rating.
The hinges are guaranteed as in the previous Fold and Flip models – up to 20,000 times. It is announced that Samsung will provide software updates for the Fold 6 model for seven years.
Artificial intelligence
Back with the S24 series, Samsung chose its new marketing direction to try to attract buyers: artificial intelligence. The S24 was advertised as being able to greatly enhance photos (which is actually partially true), recognize audio and translate it into text or translate in near real-time, all without the internet.
All these abilities of the Galaxy AI have been inherited by the Fold, but there are also some new ones that are better suited to the big screen concept: generating images from a sketch (eng. doodle) both from scratch and in an existing photo.
How much is needed? Well, it’s fun to play for the first few days, but I can’t think of much meaning and value in it. As with turning a portrait into a comic, three-dimensional, watercolor or line drawing. Yes, it’s fun, funny, (narcissistically?) nice, but to whom and for how long are you going to show those versions of yourself? Yes, we might see a small wave of Disney-esque profile pictures on social media when this feature arrives on the S24 generation, but it shouldn’t last long.
It is much more interesting to play with the generation of images in a real photo from a sketch. You tap your finger like a two-year-old on a photo – and sometimes you get a completely realistic, but not real, image. True, there is a lot of randomness here – in the photo of one editorial colleague, we wanted to generate a crown on his head, but Galaxy AI somehow hooked a fish. So again, it’s interesting to explore, wonder and laugh at how modern technology works, but I can’t think of much applicability.
A third area of application – the Fold 6 itself suggests that Galaxy AI may perform well in translations. In fact: you turn on the translator app, turn the phone at an angle of 90 degrees, turn one screen (large, bent) towards you, and the other, “back” – towards the interlocutor. And you talk in different languages, and both you and the interlocutor see translation subtitles.
The idea is very good indeed. Unfortunately, the result was not so good. My son and I tried to speak German-English – and yes, maybe I don’t have a perfect German accent – but the Germans somehow understand without much trouble, and the Galaxy AI, not so much. Out of five attempts to ask what time it is (Excuse me, what time is it?), translated into English all five times chaotic combinations of words about some kind of pipes, springs and, I guess, some kind of German town. But with the Anglo-Germans, it was a little better: out of five tests, four worked perfectly. But the fact that too much trust in the translation of Galaxy AI should not be yet.
So, the final evaluation of the current Galaxy AI is that it is fun to play, but there are not many benefits yet (especially for Lithuanian speakers), and you should not trust the accuracy too much. You can also read more about Galaxy AI’s testing adventures here.
Feeling in hands and eyes
One of the first things people do when I let them touch foldable phones is to flip them over and see if they can see the fold line. Yes, it is visible – at least in all the models of all manufacturers that I have tested myself, for all six years of using this technology. Fold 6 is no exception. It’s visible – but at least in my opinion, it doesn’t do much harm.
Folded “Fold 6” in the hands does not differ much from a regular smartphone – mostly due to the reduced height of the case. It is true that it is still a bit elongated, it is perhaps somewhat reminiscent of Sony products. Fits perfectly in your pocket.
A large screen (already folded) is always good. It is convenient to watch YouTube, Netflix or other videos, it is also convenient to play (I tried it with Diablo Immortal). It’s true, it’s not very brave to play – it’s somehow scary to break the screen or damage it in some other way. But the brightness of the screen is really good enough even for a sunny day.
One somewhat annoying shortcoming is the need for a special Fold 6 pencil. I really like and use electronic pencils, but e.g. the pencil from the S24 Ultra doesn’t work here (I have a strong suspicion that it won’t work from the old Note either). And tracing, sketching, and finally defining yourself with your finger is far from as convenient as with a pencil. But if you want convenience – for another 100 euros, buy a case (which you might not even want), with which you will also get a pencil.
Conclusions
Samsung Galaxy Fold 6 is a really comfortable phone. Slightly smaller dimensions, but a bigger screen, bright screen, excellent battery life (well, at least for the first two weeks). But the main disadvantages are three. First, it is expensive. 2000 euros – although the manager of Samsung Electronic Baltics in Lithuania, Simon Skupas, mentioned during the presentation that there will be a promotion that if you buy a Fold 6 and give a Fold 5, you will get a discount of 1000 euros. But it would probably be difficult to expect such an offer to be valid indefinitely.
Second, the camera system is really not bad, but not the best it could be. I’ll never understand Samsung, who makes the coolest phone but doesn’t put the coolest cameras they have? Why?
Third, the differences from the Fold 5 are still too few. Yes, a new processor (but not that the old one was bad?). Yes, there is dust resistance (but only now???). Yes, an updated design – but will all this really be enough to tempt the consumer to upgrade to a new model? Of course, if it’s an update from an older model than the Fold 5, then it’s a completely different story: the difference will be obvious and the images and sensations will really please. Not because Fold 4 was bad, but because compared to that generation, the progress is already significant. Well, if you think of it as the very first smartphone of this type, you probably won’t be disappointed either (unless maybe a little because of the cameras, if you’ve already had to deal with more powerful ones).
So, to sum it all up, the Samsung Galaxy Fold 6 is definitely not for every user. But as far as we can tell from two weeks of testing, this is a quality device, and it copes with its tasks without any complaints.
2024-08-05 20:14:45