Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 PhoneArena camera score: Good, but could be better
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There's not much different about the Galaxy Z Fold 6 camera than there was last year.
That's a classy way of saying the Galaxy Z Fold 6 delivers mostly the same camera experience as the Galaxy Z Fold 5. We have almost the same hardware, albeit looking slightly different from before thanks to some design tweaks and a new image sensor for the ultra-wide camera. Does this translate to significantly better ultra-wide image quality, though?
The main camera upgrades that the Z Fold 6 brings along are all thanks to, of course, Galaxy AI and all the features powered by it. Most of these were introduced early this year with the Galaxy S24 series, so nothing too extraordinary.
What are some of the AI features that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 camera uses? Firstly, we have the ProVisual Engine, a suite of AI tools that enhance image quality. It mostly has to do with the post-processing part that plays a major role in phone cameras. It helps make the image clearer and sharper, and also helps with color science.
The ProVisual Engine also helps with the so-called Quad Tele System, which aims to deliver a good-looking image at 2x, 3x, 5x and 10x zoom. Other AI camera features also include removing unwanted objects from photos and correcting the perspective. Samsung has added something called Portrait Studio, which creates different portrait styles, such as 3D cartoon or watercolor for more creative possibilities.
| Specs | Galaxy Z Fold 6 | Galaxy Z Fold 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Main camera | 50MP, Dual Pixel AF, OIS, F1.8, Pixel size: 1.0μm, FOV: 85˚ | 50MP, Dual Pixel AF, OIS, F1.8, Pixel size: 1.0μm, FOV: 85˚ |
| Telephoto camera | 10MP, F2.4, 3X optical zoom | 10MP, F2.4, 3X optical zoom |
| Ultra-wide camera | 12MP, F2.2 | 12MP, F2.2 |
| Front-facing camera | 10MP, F2.2, Pixel size: 1.22μm, FOV: 85˚ | 10MP, F2.2, Pixel size: 1.22μm, FOV: 85˚ |
| Internal selfie camera | 4MP Under Display Camera, F1.8, Pixel size: 2.0μm, FOV: 85˚ | 4MP Under Display Camera, F1.8, Pixel size: 2.0μm, FOV: 85˚ |
Overall, no major changes in the hardware. Spoiler alert, there are seemingly some updates and improvements to the image processing, as the new foldable delivers better results with the same hardware. Let's explore!
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 compares to its rivals
| Phone | PhoneArena Camera Score | Photo Score | Video Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 | 141.6 | 146.9 | 136.3 |
| Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 | 139.6 | 144.3 | 135 |
| OnePlus Open | 144.2 | 150.1 | 138.4 |
| Google Pixel Fold | 136.8 | 147.1 | 126.6 |
Overall, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 scores a slight camera improvement over its predecessor. As evident in the table above, the brunt of improvements tends to be in the photography section, where the Galaxy Z Fold 6 has scored the biggest bump. Aside from besting the Z Fold 5, the new foldable also beats Google's Pixel Fold.
However, the OnePlus Open is ahead in overall camera performance, achieving better photo and video quality than its rival
Main camera
The main camera does a fantastic job at capturing true-to-life colors, which seemingly nothing to do with the excessively vivid and oversharpened style that previous Samsung devices were notorious for. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 main camera captures great dynamics and tons of detail with little to no oversharpening artifacts. Portrait mode is devoid of any issues as well, with just minuscule subject separation artifacts here and there.
Zoom Quality
When it comes to zooming, the Galaxy Z Fold 6's native 3X telephoto zoom performs admirably. You get perfect details with lovely colors and dynamics.
Zooming further to 5X hybrid zoom, which uses a combination of optical and digital zoom, still delivering excellent detail and a very true-to-life image. We definitely like seeing that!
Finally, at 10X, which is the last stop at which you can get a usable image, the phone starts struggling with the sharpness. Finer details appear hazy and soft, which isn't something you'd want.
Ultra-wide Camera
The ultra-wide camera of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 does an okay job. Colors are slightly overprocessed here, shying away from the pleasantly natural look of the main camera. At the same time, details are slightly lacking here, especially in the corners of the frame, where the softness is clearly visible.
Front Camera
The external front camera on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 does a splendid job at capturing a lovely selfie you'll simply want to share across your social media channels!
Aside from just the right amount of facial details, we also get lovely colors out of the front camera. If that's not enough, you can always just unfold the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and use the main camera to capture a selfie with an even higher quality that will hardly disappoint.
As far as the internal under-display camera goes, we'd advise you to only use it in emergencies––it's that bad.
Main Camera - Video
In video recording, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 does a comparable job to its predecessor, so you get a decent amount of details and the same natural colors that you also get in photography mode.
Zoom Quality - Video
When shooting video, we advise you to stick to the 3X optical zoom, as anything above that will greatly degrade the quality. At 3X, however, you get a very usable footage with just minor oversharpening.
Ultra-wide Camera - Video
The ultra-wide video on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is okay, but don't expect to be blown out of the water. There's a general lack of fine detail and softness in the corners of the frame which Samsung has tried to hide with some oversharpening; the dynamics are also okay at best, with lots of information lost in the shadows.
Front Camera - Video
The external selfie camera on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 does a decent job at capturing a 4K video, with natural colors and good detail. The dynamics are okay, too. However, you'd probably want to record a video with the main camera, which is straightforward with a device like the Galaxy Z Fold 6.
Conclusion
Overall, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 delivers minimal upgrades to the camera package.
Relying on mostly the same hardware, the software improvements to the camera are generally welcome, but not that impressive. Still, we should remember that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is definitely not a device you'd get for the camera performance alone. With that perspective, it's easier to get satisfied with its overall performance.
And yes, it does more than a good job at covering the basics: despite that it doesn't have the most advanced hardware or the most sophisticated zoom, it can still take awesome shots, especially if you plan it carefully and abstain from simply pointing and snapping a picture.
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