Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs. Z Flip 5: A Worthy Upgrade?

Price and Storage

Regardless of configuration, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 costs $100 more than the Z Flip 5. It starts at $1,099.99, and the Z Flip 5 starts at just $999.99. Both base models feature 256GB of internal storage. Doubling the storage to 512GB brings the Z Fold 6 up to $1,219.99 and the Z Fold 5 up to $1,119.99.

If it's just about dollars and cents, the Z Flip 5 is the better deal.

Winner: Z Flip 5

Design

The Z Flip 5 and 6 look nearly identical, with few external differences. The Z Flip 6 color matches the rings around the main cameras to the back panel, while the Z Flip 5 does not. The Z Flip 6 has a matte finish on its back panel, hinge, frame, and inner screen bezel, while the Z Flip 5 has a shiny look.

The two devices come in a variety of colors. The Z Flip 6 is available in seven options: Blue, Mint, Silver Shadow, or Yellow are widely available, while Crafted Black, Peach, or White are available only via Samsung's website. The Flip 5 comes in Cream, Graphite, Lavender, or Mint; the Samsung-exclusive color is Yellow.

Winner: Z Flip 6

Size

As for size, both phones are nearly identical. They both weigh 6.60 ounces and have the same dimensions when unfolded at 6.50 by 2.83 by 0.27 inches (HWD). When folded, they have the same height and width of 3.35 by 2.83 inches. However, the Flip 6 is thinner than the Z Flip 5 by 0.008 inches (or 2mm).

The build quality of both devices is excellent. The Flips use Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the cover screen and back panel for protection. However, the Z Flip 6 features an enhanced version of Samsung's Armor Aluminum. The company doesn't state exactly how much more durable this makes the Flip 6, however.

There is an important change to the Flip 6: dust resistance. The Flip 6 is IP48-rated, which is better than the Flip 5's IPX8 rating. The Flip 6 can officially withstand dust ingress of particles larger than 1mm, while the Flip 5 is not rated for dust protection at all. Both devices can be immersed in water for up to 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes

Winner: Z Flip 6

Displays

The outer displays of the Flip 5 and 6 are identical at 3.4 inches, a resolution of 720 by 748 pixels, a 60Hz refresh rate, and a peak brightness of 1,600 nits.

The inner displays of both phones are similar. They measure 6.7 inches at a resolution of 2,640 by 1,080 pixels and have an adaptive refresh rate of 1 to 120Hz. The Flip 6's inner screen has a max brightness of 2,600 nits, outshining the Fold 5's 1,750-nit peak.

A key difference may be the crease of the inner screen. When opened, the Z Flip 6 appears to have a less visible crease. This may be a trick of the eye due to brightness.

Otherwise, there is not a lot to differentiate the displays. If screen visibility is key, the Z Flip 6 edges out the Z Flip 5.

Winner: Z Flip 6

Performance and Connectivity

The Z Flip 6 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy processor, the same SoC found in the Z Fold 6 and the S24 line. The 2023 Z Flip 5 uses 2023's flagship SoC, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy, also found in the S23 series.

Beyond the SoC, Samsung adds a vapor chamber to the Z Flip 6; this is the first Flip device to get such a feature. This should help keep things cool while the phone gets to work. The Z Flip 6 comes with 12GB of RAM versus the 8GB found in the Flip 5. We have yet to benchmark the Z Flip 6 but expect it to perform similarly to the Galaxy S24+.

Connectivity is the same for both devices as they support 5G (sub-6GHz, including C-Band and mmWave), Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3.

Winner: Z Flip 6

Battery Life

We test battery life by streaming a 1080p video over Wi-Fi with the display set to full brightness. The Galaxy Z Flip 5's 3,700mAh battery lasted 10 hours and 5 minutes in this test. The Flip 6 gets a larger battery at 4,000mAh, though we have yet to see how it fares in testing.

Both devices support 25W fast wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging.

Winner: Too Early to tell

Cameras

Let's focus on one of the biggest changes: a new camera on the Flip 6. It features a 50MP main camera at an aperture of f/1.8 with dual-pixel autofocus, optical image stabilization (OIS), and an 85-degree field of view.

The Flip 5 features a 12MP main camera at f/1.8 with dual-pixel autofocus and OIS, but a slightly smaller field of view at 83 degrees.

Otherwise, the Flip 5 and Flip 6 have identical ultra-wide and selfie cameras, spec for spec. Each has a 12MP ultra-wide camera and a 10MP selfie camera.

Generally, we found the Flip 5 picture quality to be good, with slightly oversaturated colors and excellent detail. Samsung says the Flip 6 will use software tricks to enhance details. If the 50MP main shooter operates like other 50MP cameras in Samsung phones, we expect the Flip 6 to be an improvement on the Flip 5.

Winner: Z Flip 6

Software Support and Galaxy AI

Android 14 is at the heart of the Flip 6, while the Flip 5 originally shipped with Android 13. Samsung devices get periodic updates to add features, tweak settings, and keep everything secure.

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 gets Samsung's longest support window. That's seven years of OS updates and seven years of security fixes. The Flip 5 gets four years of OS updates and five years of security patches. Neither is a short amount of time, but the Flip 6 wins here, thanks to its longer guarantee.

Galaxy AI, Samsung's suite of AI tools, is available on both the Z Flip 5 and the Z Flip 6. They help you translate languages, summarize webpages, organize notes, and perform other AI-assisted tasks. There is no major difference in the AI feature set of the Z Flips as of now, but that could change in the future.

If having the latest software for the longest time is important to you, the Z Flip 6 is the better choice.

Winner: Z Flip 6

Galaxy Z Flip 6 vs. Z Flip 5: Which Is Right For You?

If you own a Z Flip 5 and are happy with how it works, then there is no immediate reason to get the Flip 6. Of course, Galaxy Z Flip 5 owners can find a good reason to move to the Flip 6 if they look hard enough. There's the new camera, new processor, more RAM, and longer support than the Flip 5. And if you don't already own a Flip, the Flip 6 is the obvious place to start.

If you aren't sold on either Flip, meanwhile, make sure to check out our favorite Android phones overall.