Galaxy Z Fold 6: My Day in Paris With Samsung's New Phone

Samsung says the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is more portable, more powerful and generally better at tasks related to work, creativity and language translation than its predecessor. So what better way to put it to the test than to rely on it during my time working in Paris? This is a city I've never been to, where I don't speak the language and feel inclined to snap photos of the bustling bistros and picturesque plazas at every turn. 

I've only had a day with the $1,900 Galaxy Z Fold 6, which Samsung announced during its Unpacked event on July 10. In that short time, I can already tell Samsung's new foldable phone feels more polished and slick than last year's device, while boasting some fun new AI tricks of course. I've enjoyed using the Z Fold 6's larger 7.6-inch screen to view maps while navigating the city and to browse through my photos from the day compared to a regular bar-shaped phone.

That said, there's nothing overwhelmingly new about the Z Fold 6 that will convince non-foldable phone believers to convert. And at $1,900, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is essentially the price of two premium phones, which will surely make it an even tougher sell.

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 reminds me of the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Even though it's over the top and more than most people need, there are certain aspects that make it enjoyable to use.

Here's a closer look at my first day with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 in Paris.

Read more: Samsung Breaks Down How Bixby Will Evolve Alongside Galaxy AI

Watch this: Galaxy Z Fold 6: My Day in Paris With Samsung's New Phone

06:22

The Galaxy Z Fold 6's design upgrades are nice

The first thing I noticed about the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is also my favorite so far. Samsung changed the Z Fold 6's design in a way that more closely matches that of the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The corners are sharper and flatter, and the cover screen is more symmetrical, making it feel more like a regular phone when closed. The Z Fold 6 is also lighter than the Z Fold 5 (239 grams versus 253 grams), meaning it doesn't put as much of a burden on my pocket or purse. 

Now that I have the Z Fold 6, I had a chance to take a closer look at it alongside the Z Fold 5. The differences are immediately noticeable compared to the Z Fold 5's slightly smaller screen (6.2 inches versus the Z Fold 6's 6.3 inches), softer shape and heavier build. The Z Fold 5 also has a thicker bezel along the top of its cover screen compared to the sides, which doesn't feel as clean as the Z Fold 6's symmetrical borders. 

Samsung also made some improvements to the internal display by adding an additional layer and improving the hinge, which should make the phone more durable and reduce the crease. You can still see the crease, but it doesn't feel as pronounced when swiping across the display, which is a welcome improvement. 

Read more: I Visited Samsung's Home Turf to See if Foldable Phones Are Really the Future

Taking the Galaxy Z Fold 6's cameras around Paris

The Galaxy Z Fold 6's cameras are nearly the same as those on the Galaxy Z Fold 5. There's a 50-megapixel main camera, a 10-megapixel telephoto camera and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera. But that ultrawide camera has been upgraded with a new sensor that should perform better in dim lighting, according to Samsung. 

I'll need more time to know exactly how these cameras stack up to competing foldable devices and bar-shaped phones, and whether that new ultrawide camera lives up to its claims. But so far, photos taken on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 are detailed and colorful, although I did take a low-light photo of a dish taken in a restaurant that's come out blurry. 

I also had fun propping up the Z Fold 6 halfway to tak hands-free photos like the one below, which was shot on the Pont de l'Alma bridge over the River Seine with a great view of the Eiffel Tower. The photo may be crooked, due to the angle, but I can imagine how propping up your phone anywhere could be useful in more ideal shooting scenarios. I only wish the Z Fold 6 had Samsung's new auto zoom feature for framing selfies when the device is in Flex mode. Sadly, that feature is only available on the Galaxy Z Flip 6.

AI generated art and other features

Samsung's phones have two new art-related features: portrait studio and sketch to image. The former recasts a portrait in a new style, like watercolor or comic, while the latter turns rough sketches into actual pictures, much like the new feature coming to iPhones and iPads as part of Apple Intelligence. 

I had a lot of fun playing around with portrait studio, mostly because I was curious to see the AI's interpretation of me. As I wrote in my initial story about the Z Fold 6, these concoctions weren't always accurate, particularly the Pixar-esque cartoon style. 

But I was pleased to find that my Z Fold 6 did a better job at getting certain features right, like my hair color, compared to the devices in Samsung's demo room. The watercolor style in particular, pictured below, felt the most accurate and flattering.

 I was also impressed by the sketch to image feature's ability to turn my crude, basic sketches into actual images. All it took was the tap of a button to turn a few curved lines into a colorful image of the Eiffel Tower.

The problem is that it's hard for me to imagine everyday scenarios in which these features would be truly useful beyond just having a bit of fun, or perhaps cheating when playing Jackbox party games with friends that require sketching prompts on your phone. 

Even though Samsung hasn't said anything about bringing these features to other handsets, it's hard to imagine why they wouldn't come to the Galaxy S24 and other Samsung devices too. In other words, even though the Z Fold 6's larger screen lends itself well to photo editing and drawing, you don't necessarily need a foldable phone for features like these in theory. 

Read more: Why Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 6 Doesn't Come With an S Pen

Google's Gemini assistant is also available on the Z Fold 6, and the digital helper has been optimized to work in split screen mode. Samsung says you'll be able to open the Gemini overlay -- i.e. the little pop-up that comes up when summoning Gemini -- in a separate window on the Z Fold 6's expansive screen. The idea is to make it easier to interact with the assistant while continuing to use other apps and services on the Z Fold 6's display. Unfortunately, that feature isn't available yet, so I wasn't able to try it out. 

But I did use Gemini to translate French menus and get recommendations for nearby points of interest, two tasks that are more enjoyable on a bigger screen. I snapped a photo of the Arc de Triomphe and verbally asked Google: "What are some other things to do nearby?" The results were mixed. It recommended the Champs Élysées, the famous shopping avenue, which was an ideal suggestion since it's a 20-minute walk or a 6-minute drive according to Google Maps. But other recommendations, such as the Palais Garnier or Jardin des Tuileries, weren't very close. 

First thoughts on the Z Fold 6

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 has a lot of the elements I've been wanting from Samsung's book style foldable, such as an improved front screen and a lighter build. But I'm still waiting for software features that feel truly different and make use of the fact that the Z Fold 6 has two screens rather than just one. 

Samsung is on the right track with the Z Fold 6's conversation mode in the Interpreter app, which displays text in one language on the front screen and the other language on the inner screen when the phone is opened halfway. But Google has already done this, and this feature is only useful on a regular basis in very specific circumstances, such as for those who travel often or just moved to a different country where they don't speak the language. 

There's no doubt that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is evolving into a better phone-tablet hybrid. Now, I'm just waiting to see what more Samsung can do to convince consumers that foldables are worth the high price. I'll have more to say about the Galaxy Z Fold 6 in my full review after I've spent more time testing it.