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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is the foldable device with the most mainstream appeal, with plenty of power for productivity tasks. It has stylus support, all-day battery life, and is the foldable to pick up if you’re in the market today.
Pros- Powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chipset
- Brighter screen with 2,600 nits peak
- S Pen support on the main screen
Cons- Only one minor upgrade to the cameras
- $100 increase on a device that was already expensive
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Google Pixel Fold
$1676 $1799 Save $123
The Google Pixel Fold has one thing that no other foldable can claim: a great set of cameras. It’s also pretty sleek looking, but is held back by the Tensor G2 chipset which runs warm. leading to performance issues.
Pros- Superior camera system to the Z Fold 6
- Easier to use when folded as wider cover screen
- Close to stock Android experience
Cons- Tensor G2 chipset runs hot
- Heavier than the Z Fold 6
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 was released at the company’s semi-annual Unpacked event this July. While the foldable is more of an evolution of the form factor than anything revolutionary, it’s still one of the best foldable phones available. Once thought of as a niche device, foldable phones are now mature enough not to need gimmicks to sell well, and the worries over the longevity of the foldable OLED panels are a thing of the past. While Samsung is in its sixth iteration, not every manufacturer has a long history of foldables. Google’s Pixel range only has a single foldable model, the Pixel Fold, which came out last year, bringing Pixel’s great cameras to the form factor. Is the mainstream appeal of the Z Fold 6 going to win over the best cameras on a foldable from Google? Let’s dig in.
Pricing, availability, and specs
Foldables are never cheap, so prepare your wallet accordingly
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 was unveiled on July 10. Pre-orders are currently live, and retail availability is expected on July 24. This year, the foldable will cost $100 more, starting from $1,900 for the 256GB storage option. You can choose pink, navy blue, or silver; if you purchase directly from Samsung, you can also pick black or white. Depending on which retailer or carrier you buy from, there may be a mix of preorder bonuses, like up to $1,200 trade-in for your old device, up to a $300 gift card, or free upgrades to the 512GB storage tier. It’s worth mentioning that the Z Fold 6 will be available at virtually every retailer that sells cell phones worldwide.
The Pixel Fold was released on June 28, 2023. Google’s first attempt at a foldable device started at $1,800 for 256GB of storage. It can often be found on sale with deep discounts, and you can get it in Obsidian (black) or Porcelain (off-white). Unlike the Z Fold 6, the Pixel Fold is limited in where it is sold, with the U.S., the U.K., Japan, and Germany being the only places Google is selling it. Major retailers and carriers in those countries all have it in stock.
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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Google Pixel Fold SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon Gen 3 for Galaxy Tensor G2 with Titan M2 co-processor Display 7.6-inch AMOLED main display, 6.3-inch AMOLED front display, both with 120Hz dynamic refresh rate Front: 5.8-inch 2092x1080p OLED @120Hz Internal: 7.6-inch 2208x1840p OLED @120Hz RAM 12GB 12GB LPDDR5 Storage 256GB, 512GB, 1TB 256GB, 512GB UFS 3.1 Rear camera 10MP 3x optical zoom, f/2.4, 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.2, 50MP main camera with autofocus, f/1.8 48MP f/1.7 primary Quad PD with OIS+CLAF, 10.8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide with 121.1-degree FoV, 10.8MP f/3.05 5x telephoto with dual PDAF and Super Res Zoom up to 20x Front camera 10MP cover camera, 4MP under-display main screen camera 9.5MP f/2.2 outer dual PD selfie camera with fixed focus, 8MP f/2.0 inner selfie camera with fixed focus Battery 4,400 mAh 4,821mAh Charge speed 25W wired, 15W wireless, Wireless PowerShare 30W wired fast charging, Qi wireless charging Ports USB-C USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 Connectivity 5G, 4G LTE, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax 2.4GHz+5GHz+6GHz Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC, UWB 5G (mmWave+sub 6), Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, UWB Dimensions 153.5 x 68.1 x 12.1mm (folded); 153.5 x 132.6 x 5.6mm (unfolded) Folded: 5.5×3.1×0.5in (139.7×79.5×12.1mm), Unfolded: 5.5×6.2×0.2in (139.7×158.8×5.8mm) Weight 239g 10oz (283g) IP Rating IP48 IPX8 Colors Navy Blue, Silver, Pink, Black, White Obsidian, Porcelain Operating System Android 14 / One UI 6.1.1 Android 14
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Design and display
Two similar foldables with a different approach
While both foldable phones have a book-style form factor with the fold down the inner seam, the manufacturers’ approach differs. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is taller and narrower when folded, only turning into a large-screen productivity monster when unfolded. The Pixel Fold is more notebook-shaped, both when folded and unfolded, for more screen real estate. It’s a shame the Pixel Fold doesn’t have a stylus comparable to the S Pen that the Z Fold 6 supports, as it has perfect proportions for handwriting notes.
If you like the idea of using your foldable one-handed when folded, the Z Fold 6 is the better choice. It also plays nicer with apps when unfolded, thanks to Samsung’s efforts to make it more usable. The Pixel Fold can be more comfortable to type on thanks to the wider screen, especially if you have larger hands.
While the outer dimensions of these two foldables are very different, they both have a 7.6-inch inner display when unfolded. The AMOLED screens on the Z Fold 6 are substantially better than the Pixel Fold’s, especially when used outside, as the 2,600 nits maximum brightness comes to the fore. The Pixel Fold can only manage 1,450 nits of brightness, which is still bright enough for use in most conditions. The hinge is also better on the Z Fold 6, as it does a better job holding at any angle and has a satisfying snap when fully closed or opened.
Winner: Galaxy Z Fold 6
Hardware and performance
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is overall the best foldable you can get
The Z Fold 6 has the latest Qualcomm chipset, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, while the Pixel Fold runs on the Tensor G2. The Z Fold 6 has the more powerful chipset here, and is also the most efficient as the Tensor G2 often thermal throttles. Google custom-designed its chipset for handling Google’s machine learning, so benchmark scores might not tell the whole story here. Samsung is also pushing Galaxy AI features on the Z Fold 6, so it’s clear the Snapdragon is up to the task.
The Pixel Fold has an IPX8 rating, with only water protection tested. The Z Fold 6 now has some level of dust protection, with an IP48 rating. While it’s unclear if earlier Fold devices could have passed testing, Samsung is now confident enough in its hinge and screen to submit to stringent testing. Both phones have a triple camera system, stereo speakers, and great haptic feedback.
The cameras on the Z Fold 6 are (mostly) the same as those on the Z Fold 5, which perform well thanks to large sensors that can take in more light than the Pixel Fold’s cameras. The Z Fold 6’s 12MP ultra-wide has been improved this year, with better low-light performance. The Pixel Fold leans heavily on Google’s computational photography chops, which makes for comparable images even though the hardware on the Pixel Fold is slightly weaker than on the Z Fold 6. Overall, the Z Fold 6 is a more complete package.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
Battery life
Both are all-day performers, but one is a little bit better
While we haven’t had enough time with the Z Fold 6 to say how it fares for battery life, we have used the Z Fold 5 over the last year, and any improvements will likely be minor. That’s because the battery is the same size at 4,400mAh, so any changes will come from the slightly more efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chipset. The Pixel Fold has a 10% larger battery than the Fold 6, which should outlast it. As a point of reference, the Pixel Fold’s battery life is more consistent than the Z Fold 5, so, assuming minor changes, it will likely outperform the Z Fold 6. That means the Pixel Fold is the one to look at for overall battery performance, as it can last for a 12-13 hour day filled with taking photos, videos, and editing the finished product, though the verdict is still out.
Winner: Pixel Fold (likely)
Overall winner: Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 runs away with the category
Most users will gel better with the Galaxy Z Fold 6, which has more performance, better multitasking, and good enough cameras. It also has better displays and software in One UI and is far easier to get your hands on. That’s partly because the Pixel Fold is only available in four countries, making it hard for the non-U.S. crowd to get. Plus, many Pixel-only features like Circle to Search are now available on Galaxy devices, thanks to the partnership between the two manufacturers.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is the foldable device with the most mainstream appeal, with plenty of power for productivity tasks. It has stylus support, all-day battery life, and is the foldable to pick up if you’re in the market today.
If you want the best camera setup on any foldable, the Pixel Fold is the one to look at. The Pixel range is never far from our best phones list, as the camera outshines almost every other device. That’s a big deal for foldables, where the camera is often the first thing to be downgraded to fit into thinner devices. It’s wider and more rounded than the Z Fold 6, so it’ll be slightly nicer when folded, but it is among the heaviest foldable devices. The different screen ratio makes it feel more like a notebook when opened, which might appeal more to some users.
Google Pixel Fold
$1399 $1799 Save $400
The Google Pixel Fold has one thing that no other foldable can claim: a great set of cameras. It’s also pretty sleek looking, but is held back by the Tensor G2 chipset which runs warm. leading to performance issues.