The Galaxy Z Flip 6 defeats its biggest rival in this camera test

Samsung’s newest folding smartphones are principally the identical because the final fashions, proper? Nicely, within the case of the Galaxy Z Flip 6, there are some attention-grabbing digital camera modifications if you compare it directly with the Galaxy Z Flip 5, however how a lot have they improved the images you’re taking with the telephone?

We’ve given the Galaxy Z Flip 6 an opportunity to show itself in a digital camera check towards the Z Flip 5 to as soon as and for all affirm whether or not it actually is a worthy successor.

Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Z Flip 5 digital camera specs

Earlier than we go into the comparability itself, we’ve to ascertain precisely what has modified with the Galaxy Z Flip 6 this 12 months. The Z Flip 6’s cameras now match the Galaxy S24 Plus, giving it a 50-megapixel essential digital camera and a 12MP wide-angle digital camera — a step up from the twin 12MP cameras on the Galaxy Z Flip 5. There’s optical picture stabilization and an “optical high quality” 2x zoom, too, however apparently, Samsung has not offered a 2x shortcut within the digital camera app. The entrance cameras each have 10MP, fastened focus, and an f/2.2 aperture, so no modifications there.

Exterior of the digital camera {hardware}, there are different modifications that will make a higher distinction. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 has the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and Samsung’s ProVisual Engine working behind the scenes to optimize images, whereas the Galaxy Z Flip 5 has Qualcomm’s final prime chip inside, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. There are numerous Galaxy AI modes for the digital camera on the Z Flip 6, however we’re not going to enter these on this check.

Each flip telephones can use FlexCam mode with the Cowl display screen, so you possibly can take hands-free selfies with the rear digital camera, and each help gesture management too. It’s value noting that the Galaxy Z Flip 6’s cowl display screen is equivalent to the one on the Galaxy Z Flip 5 — together with the decision, refresh price, and brightness. The stark distinction in how the 2 cowl screens look within the photograph above is probably going because of the distinction in the primary digital camera sensors.

All the next images had been taken over a sequence of days with the digital camera in auto. The images have been examined on a monitor and resized for quicker viewing on-line.

Most important digital camera

The principle digital camera on the Galaxy Z Flip 6 could also be completely different from the one on the Galaxy Z Flip 5, however don’t anticipate dramatic variations within the images. In lots of situations, the 2 cameras take extraordinarily comparable images, however the extra you look, the extra you’ll see the place Samsung has made enhancements.

Within the first photograph of the road taken within the daylight, it’s important to zoom in to see the extra element within the Z Flip 6’s photograph round the home’s chimney and fewer blurring across the hedges and timber, however the distinction within the sky’s colour is extra noticeable. The photograph is usually higher balanced with extra correct distinction and publicity.

The second photograph of the cafe inside exhibits how a lot much less noise the Z Flip 6’s digital camera generates and, once more, how rather more element it packs in. Zoom in on the books and tags within the background, and the textual content is extra readable and fewer blurred within the Z Flip 6’s photograph. The additional element and stability of the picture are additionally apparent within the wicker chairs, the place the fabric is sharp and outlined within the Z Flip 6’s picture in comparison with the hazier, blurrier Z Flip 5 photograph.

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 additionally improves on focus, as you possibly can see within the third photograph, the place the Z Flip 5 can’t determine the place to focus and finally ends up making a multitude of the picture. The Z Flip 6 intelligently made positive the objects within the foreground had been in focus, leading to a extra engaging photograph. The colours and distinction are extra pure within the Z Flip 6’s photograph too.

Lastly, in a photograph taken in fading daylight, you possibly can see how the Galaxy Z Flip 6 has coped higher with the setting, eradicating lots of the noise generated by the Z Flip 5’s digital camera from the bodywork on each automobiles. Nevertheless, this has come on the expense of noise within the sky and in sure components of the background, so it doesn’t all the time go the brand new telephone’s means. That mentioned, the Z Flip 6’s essential digital camera persistently exhibits enhancements over the Z Flip 5’s essential digital camera, and that’s what we had been eager to see.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6

Huge-angle digital camera

Observing apparent enhancements within the Z Flip 6’s essential digital camera efficiency was simple in comparison with the wide-angle digital camera, which does take completely different images in comparison with the Z Flip 5, however they aren’t all the time higher. The identical enhancements in distinction and colour dynamics are there in wide-angle images, as you possibly can see from the sky and grass within the first photograph of the church.

The Z Flip 6’s photograph does present extra element, however each images embrace the identical stage of noise and distortion across the edges. Nevertheless, because the Z Flip 5 has brightened the shaded areas greater than the Z Flip 6, some folks might desire that look. The completely different therapy of the scene can be noticeable within the second set of images, because the brighter, barely extra colourful Z Flip 5 photograph pops greater than the muted Z Flip 6’s photograph.

It’s a kind of conditions the place I’d like a mixture of the 2 images. The Z Flip 5’s photograph has extra noise and isn’t as sharp because the Z Flip 6’s wide-angle shot, however the distinction and colours are extra visually pleasing. The variations by no means make the Z Flip 6’s wide-angle digital camera persistently higher than the Z Flip 5’s digital camera, so this might be a draw.

Winner: Draw

2x zoom

Neither telephone has an optical telephoto digital camera, and solely the Galaxy Z Flip 6 mentions an “optical high quality” zoom mode, so does it make any distinction? Samsung claims a 2x zoom that returns optical high quality photographs on the Z Flip 6, and positive sufficient, the element is significantly larger than the identical zoom stage on the Galaxy Z Flip 5.

There’s much less noise within the Z Flip 6’s zoomed-in photograph and fewer aggressive sharpening, too. This implies the tiles on the spire have a pure look, and the brickwork is much less pixelated. The sky is a deeper blue, and the clouds are a extra pure white colour. A 2x zoom might not supply a lot versatility, however should you’re going to make use of one, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is the one to check out.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6

Evening mode

Evening mode is one other onerous to evaluate class, because the Z Flip 5 holds up very well, and the Z Flip 6 stumbles the place I feel it shouldn’t. The primary photograph demonstrates this, because the floor of the hen desk is much less blurred than within the Z Flip 6’s photograph, whereas the background is rather more secure. This exhibits that the newer telephone struggled with figuring out the topic at the hours of darkness. The Z Flip 5 additionally nails the colour of the wooden.

The second photograph exhibits how shut the 2 carry out in lowlight, with every returning a barely completely different interpretation of the scene relating to colour and texture, however neither outperforming the opposite intimately. Nevertheless, there are occasions when the Z Flip 6 improves over the Z Flip 5, comparable to with the ultimate photograph of the alloy rim and tire.

There’s extra depth of element, extra correct blacks, and fewer smudging within the Z Flip 6’s photograph, and it appears to be like prefer it was taken in much more favorable situations than it actually was. The pair traded locations all through all of the lowlight images I took, with neither persistently beating the opposite. The Z Flip 6 can take nice images with out a lot mild, however so can the Z Flip 5.

Winner: Draw

Selfie digital camera

I’ve all the time favored the Galaxy Z Flip 5’s selfie digital camera, and the Galaxy Z Flip 6 takes all that I discover interesting — sharp focus, nice pores and skin tones, glorious portrait impact — and reduces the noise a bit of additional whereas giving the colours a lift. I’ve no drawback with both selfie, and it’s, once more, very onerous to choose a winner. I do just like the noise discount within the Z Flip 6’s photograph, even whether it is minimal, however I discover the distinction within the Z Flip 5’s selfie to be preferable.

Winner: Draw

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 wins

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 has overwhelmed the Galaxy Z Flip 5 in our digital camera comparability, taking a win in the primary digital camera and the 2x zoom classes after which tying with the Z Flip 5 within the the rest. Even within the classes it didn’t win, there have been clear enhancements, simply not sufficient to persistently beat the older telephone. Crucially, at no level did it actually carry out any worse than the Z Flip 5.

All of it provides as much as the Galaxy Z Flip 6’s digital camera being an enchancment over the Z Flip 5, with noise discount standing out as being one thing seen in virtually all situations. Beating the Z Flip 5 in a digital camera check was crucial, as because of it being in any other case so near the older telephone in spec and magnificence, it wanted to indicate it does embrace some enhancements. Its largest rival was, subsequently, all the time going to return from inside, and it has proven that newer is best for the digital camera. But it surely’s nonetheless most likely not sufficient to make you improve, particularly because it’s a costlier telephone this 12 months.