Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 breaks cover with updated design and clever AI tricks ...but UK price could shock you

The overall formula of the Galaxy Z Fold hasn't changed: there's still an edge-to-edge screen on the outside to quickly reply to texts, make calls, follow turn-by-turn directions, queue up a podcast, and anything else you want to do with your Android phone.

If you've got a little more time, you can unfurl the Galaxy Z Fold 6 like a paperback to use the vast foldable screen inside, which isn't far off the screen real estate you'll find on an iPad Mini.

The biggest shake-up to the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is the new aspect ratio, which Samsung says is something fans requested.

There's no difference in screen size — the foldable 7.6-inch display inside the Galaxy Z Fold 6 remains the same as last year. However, the new model is 2.7mm wider and 1.4mm shorter than the Fold 5. The industrial design has been switched to a boxier design with sharper angles.

As such, the expansive tablet-like screen is better suited to playing mobile games, browsing photographs, and will have smaller black bars above and below your favourite blockbusters. During our brief time using the Galaxy Z Fold 6 at the launch event, this seemingly small tweak made a dramatic difference, with the handset feeling symmetrical and balanced in the hand.

It also results in a foldable phone that's 24g lighter than the Galaxy Z Fold 4, which launched two years ago.

Samsung has also increased the brightness of the screen up to a maximum of 2,600nits, which should keep everything on-screen easily visible — even outdoors on the sunniest summer day.

Outside, the Cover Screen has expanded slightly to 6.3 inches, an uptick of 0.1-inch, compared to last year's Galaxy Z Fold 5. The exterior is shielded with the latest toughened glass from Corning, known as Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which should make this model more durable than previous iterations.

Powering the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is a new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chipset which, as the name suggests, is a tweaked version of the standard Qualcomm silicon found in other flagship Android phones. Samsung says the processor has been optimised for AI processing and packs enhanced graphics for gaming on-the-move alongside an overall performance boost.

In raw numbers, the upgrade represents a 14% speed increase for the CPU, 25% for the GPU, and 41% NPU boost compared to the Fold 5.

Coupled with that beefy new chipset, Samsung has equipped its Galaxy Z Fold 6 with a 1.6x larger vapour chamber to improve cooling during sustained performance so you can play graphics-intensive games for longer. All of this means you'll be able to enjoy Ray Tracing — a lighting technique usually reserved for the latest generation of consoles — in gameplay on the 7.6-inch foldable screen.

James Kitto, Vice President and Head of MX at Samsung UK, said: "Samsung is driven by a relentless focus on innovation. It’s embedded in our DNA, and this launch is a testament to that, bringing to our customers the next generation of foldables — our slimmest, lightest and most durable yet.

"This is the next frontier of Galaxy AI, supercharging this unique form factor with enhancements across features such as Circle to Search with Google — optimised for the ultimate user experience. Another great example of this is Galaxy AI’s Interpreter feature, which uses the dual screen of our foldables to show translation for a real-time conversation. Underpinning all of this is also our commitment to bring the best to our customers, so we’re pleased to also provide seven generations of OS upgrades and seven years of security updates."

Just like the Galaxy S24 line-up released at the beginning of the year, AI plays a huge role in the Galaxy Z Fold 6.

Circle to Search, which lets you draw a circle around anything on-screen to kickstart a Google search. It works on items of clothing and eyewear in social media posts as well as cityscapes in the background of YouTube videos, for example. Circle to Search can also translate text from the viewfinder, a photograph, or a webpage in a foreign language.

Since the Galaxy Z Fold 6 supports an S Pen stylus, you're able to use your fingertip or the lightweight digital pen, which slots into a recessed holster in a dedicated protective case.

Another new addition — tailor-made for the S Pen (so you won't find this on the Galaxy Z Flip 6) — is Sketch To Image, which uses generative AI to transform your doodles into slick artwork. For example, you can draw a rudimentary boat on a photograph of a river and Samsung's AI will present a variety of options in different styles, from watercolour to line-drawing, to superimpose into the image. This new trick is built into the Gallery and Notes app.

Samsung has taken advantage of the unusual form factor of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 to debut its new Interpreter mode. Folding the handset halfway, like you're playing a game of Battleships, the foldable can translate conversations in real-time across the internal and exterior screens, so you and the person you're speaking with can read a transcript in their chosen language.

Using AI, Live Translate can also translate incoming and outgoing calls directly on your device in real-time. For the first time, this feature will work in third-party apps, like WhatsApp and Zoom.

Another AI trick — dubbed Note Assist — built into Samsung Notes will intelligently suggest summaries of longer handwritten and typed notes. Samsung will also automatically format notes as you write them, so you won't need to worry about a messy handwritten scrawl if you were in a hurry.

Voice recordings within the Samsung Notes app can be transcribed, translated, and summarised into easy-to-read bullet points with AI too.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 is available in a choice of Silver Shadow, Pink, and Navy. A new Crafted Black and White colour will be exclusive to the Samsung store.

• View Deal | Preorder Galaxy Z Fold 6 ahead of July 24 launch — save £100

Preorders start today, with the first Galaxy Z Fold 6 phones shipping on July 24, 2024. Prices start from £1,799 for the entry-level model with 256GB of built-in storage, rising to £1,899 for 512GB, and topping out at £2,099 for 1TB of storage.

That's an increase from the £1,749 starting price of the flagship foldable phone released last summer.

You'll be able to unlock a guaranteed discount of £100 when trade-in any smartphone in any condition during checkout. That increases to £640 off when you're willing to part with a newer, more valuable smartphone.