This question arises every year when Samsung announces its latest foldable phones.
From the conception of this category in 2018 till now, only a niche group of users and consumers on the bleeding edge of technology have been trying out these foldable phones. But the latest Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 announced Wednesday may start to change that.
The reliability and performance of these phones are reaching the level of today's premium flagship smartphones, making it worthwhile for consumers to take a closer look.
There are many use cases and reasons to buy a foldable phone. They differ based on whether it's the large screen tablet-style foldable like the Galaxy Z Fold series or the classic flip-phone-style version like the Galaxy Z Flip series.
The tablet-style foldable combines the portability and convenience of regular phones with the large screens of tablets. This works for those whose primary computing device is a smartphone.
When folded, the phone's outside display can be used for routine things like calling, texting, taking pictures, checking notifications, messages and emails. When unfolded, the larger display is perfect for web browsing, watching videos, gaming, reading books and magazines, reading and writing long emails, editing pictures and videos, and and other activities that require a larger display. Creators might even use the larger screen with a stylus as an instant canvas or a drawing board.
The flip-phone-style foldable offers the same experience as a standard smartphone with half the size.
The biggest issue so far with foldables has been they were still experimental and reportedly unreliable. The folding display and hinge technologies were also still evolving. The displays didn't last long. Early devices were thick and heavy. Folding was imperfect, with an ugly, visible gap around the hinge. And their performance, especially camera and battery life, was inferior to that of flagship smartphones.
Additionally, they were priced much higher than the premium phones. As I described in my review of Z Fold 4, the target audience was productivity users and tech enthusiasts.
That is starting to change. The foldable display and hinge technologies have been perfected through the last five generations and are ready for prime time.
The hinge is much thinner and robust now. New materials make the phones stronger. The foldable displays are guaranteed for 200,000 folds, lasting more than 10 years (for an average of 50 folds per day). Both phones are IP48 grade water and dust-resistant, critical for the folding mechanism. And the thickness is significantly reduced. Z Fold6 is only 1.6 times thicker than the equivalent Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus, and the Z Flip6 is 1.9 times thicker.
They are also lighter – the Z Fold6 weighs 239 grams (just over 8 ounces), and the Z Flip6 187 grams (about 6 1/2 ounces), compared to 196 grams (just under 7 ounces) of the Galaxy S24 Plus. Above all, they use the same camera system and SoCs used for Galaxy S24 and other flagship phones. When you buy a foldable today, you buy the best-performing and best-looking phone without any compromises.
Almost every major smartphone original equipment manufacturer besides Apple offers foldable smartphones. That includes Samsung and Motorola in the USA and many Chinese vendors such as Huawei, Honor, Oppo, Vivo, and others sold globally. Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 have the best specifications and performance.
Z Fold6 has bright and expansive, 7.6-inch foldable and 6.3-inch outside displays, uses market-leading Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC, and has a high-quality 3-camera system. The Z Flip6 received a significant upgrade this year. It has a bigger battery and many personalization options – widgets and wallpapers for the outer display, decorated cases, and other accessories.
Both foldables support Galaxy AI, which has many useful features. Those include Circle to Search, which allows easy search by just circling images on the screen; Note Assist, which offers transcription, translation, summarization, and voice recording of notes; Sketch to Image, which creates high-quality images using simple sketches and drawings; and many more. The dual display setup will make artificial intelligence features like the Interpreter and Live Translate even more useful on foldables.
The biggest hurdle for anybody buying foldables is the price. Z Fold6 starts at $1,899.99, which is pretty steep, making it suitable only if one can increase productivity and have specific use cases in mind. Also, consider that it can replace your phone and tablet and even reduce laptop usage. On the other hand, Z Flip6 is more affordable, starting at $1,099.99. It is only slightly more expensive than the Galaxy S24 Plus.
Additionally, Samsung and service carriers have many offers to sweeten the purchase. Preorders spark offers that are even more generous.
Prakash Sangam is founder and principal of Tantra Analyst. The views and opinions expressed in this column are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of USA TODAY.
Follow him on X @MyTechMusings.
