Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 6 is now available with a more durable design, a more powerful main camera, and a wide range of Galaxy AI features that utilize artificial intelligence It is also the most expensive folding flip phone from Samsung since the Galaxy Z Flip 3

Samsung wants you to pay attention to the Galaxy AI part: the usual host of Galaxy AI features like Circle to Search, generative photo editing, Instant Slow-Mo, notes and transcript assist, and more are all on board together but Samsung is introducing several new AI-powered features, some of which are designed specifically for the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and its unique design

However, to get the privilege of owning the Galaxy Z Flip 6, you have to pay for it Samsung, which has offered foldable flip phones starting at $999, has raised the price of this new phone to $1,099/£1,049 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage are available, as is a 512GB version of the Galaxy Z Flip 6

Pre-orders for the Galaxy Z Flip 6 are currently underway, and Samsung is offering up to $1,000 cash back on qualifying trade-ins; pre-orders at Samsungcom also get a year of Samsung Care Plus and the ability to double your storage at no additional cost - a great deal for those who are looking to get a new phone That means you get the 512-gigabyte Galaxy Z Flip 6 for the cost of the 128-gigabyte model The phone will go on sale July 24

Should the Galaxy Z Flip 6 be your next phone? Our hands-on with the Galaxy Z Flip 6 has some initial impressions while we work on our full review But for now, here's what Samsung has announced about its latest flip phone

On the surface, it doesn't look too different from the Galaxy Z Flip 6 Despite rumors that Samsung would increase the size of the 34-inch cover display, the dimensions of the new phone when opened are unchanged from the Galaxy Z Flip 5, and the screen size is the same as before

However, there are notable changes to the phone's design, particularly in its durability According to Samsung, the folding edges of the phone have been strengthened to better disperse external impacts When closed, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is slightly thinner than the previous model

More importantly, Samsung uses Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 as a more durable glass while using reinforced armor aluminum for the Galaxy Z Flip 6's frame While the internal and external displays may not have increased in size, Samsung has made the 69-inch main screen brighter than before

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 comes in Silver Shadow, Yellow, Blue, and Mint color options If you order from Samsung, you can also choose from black, white, or peach

Perhaps the biggest change to the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is the addition to the camera setup Since the original Galaxy Z Flip, Samsung has used a pair of 12MP sensors for the main and ultra-wide cameras, but the Galaxy Z Flip 6 uses a 50MP sensor for the main lens This camera is capable of 2x optical zoom, allowing for sharper zoom shots without the need for a dedicated telephoto lens

When shooting video on the Galaxy Z Flip 6, folding the device to a 90-degree angle activates a new camcorder mode that turns the top half of the screen into a viewfinder Samsung also added video HDR support to the night mode, which should result in brighter video even in dim lighting

Aside from the camera and upgraded system-on-chip, the hardware changes to the Galaxy Z Flip 6 are fairly modest That said, the focus is on the Galaxy's AI capabilities, and Samsung is betting you'll like what you see

New Suggested Replies feature optimized for the Galaxy Z Flip 6's cover display This is a variation of the Chat Assist feature introduced earlier this year on the Galaxy S24 series, in which AI provides possible responses to incoming texts In the case of the proposed reply, this feature is streamlined for the 34-inch panel on the outside of the phone

Interpreter mode has also been tweaked for the Galaxy Z Flip 6 to take advantage of both screens when the phone is in the flex position This mode allows the user to utilize both screens when the phone is in the flex position This allows you to carry on a conversation with someone in another language and the translated voice will appear on the outer and inner displays

Other AI features include Photo Ambient, which adjusts the phone's wallpaper in real time based on factors such as time of day and weather The Photo Assist feature in the Gallery app turns photos into sketches and cartoons

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 runs on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, the same silicon Samsung uses in the other Galaxy S24 models released in North America as well as the Galaxy S24 Ultra worldwide This is the highest-performing Android system on a chip, even surpassing Apple's best silicon in some tests To keep things cool, Samsung has added a vapor chamber to the Galaxy Z Flip for the first time

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 also excels in power management, so the Galaxy Z Flip 6 should improve on the battery life of the previous model The larger battery (4,000 mAh in the new model compared to 3,700 mAh in the Galaxy Z Flip 5) should also help in this regard Charging speeds remain unchanged at 25W wired and 15W wireless

With seven years of software and security updates guaranteed, Samsung is looking to increase the long-term value of the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and take some of the sting out of the phone's high price The upgraded camera performance and the utility of the Galaxy AI feature will also go a long way in determining whether the high price tag is worth it