Galaxy Z Flip 6: I Spent My First Day AI-ing My Way Through Paris With It [CNET]
The $1,100 Galaxy Z Flip 6 is one of a pair of new Samsung foldables that debuted at the company’s July Galaxy Unpacked event, along with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and other products, like the Galaxy Ring. The event was in Paris. And when my boss asked me to go, I was excited, nervous and wondered how traveling and working internationally would all… well, work.
Aside from a new hinge, new screen and new camera, one of the Galaxy Z Flip 6’s biggest features (or at least the one that Samsung hyped the most) is Galaxy AI. And at a time when nearly every phone maker touts ways AI will improve our lives, I wanted to see if such assertions were true. What better way to spend my first day with the Galaxy Z Flip 6, right? So I charged up my review sample and headed out to explore Paris and test Samsung’s Galaxy AI.
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Watch this: I Spent 24 Hours Testing the Galaxy Z Flip 6 in Paris
Galaxy Z Flip 6 Interpreter got the job done — mostly
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A picture is worth a thousand words. But what if those words are wrong?
Andrew Lanxon/CNETMy first stop was the coffee shop Fringe, which, if you’re into specialty coffee, should be on your list of places to visit when in Paris. I don’t speak French, but I really wanted to try a cortado and learn about the beans they use. So I fired up the Z Flip 6’s AI-powered Interpreter tool to place my order and talk with the barista.
There’s a nifty mode within the tool that used the cover screen to show the barista a French translation of what I’d said in English. And on the main screen, I saw, in English, what they’d said in French. I was able to order; learn about small batch European coffee roasters; and have a cortado that was simply outstanding. Unlike my beverage, however, the Interpreter tool wasn’t great.
I noticed during my conversation with the cashier that several of the words and phrases she said in French didn’t translate to English in the way she’d intended, or they had a different meaning. She thought it might be her accent that threw off the Z Flip 6. I thought it might be the Galaxy AI. We weren’t sure. Whatever the reason, it was clear the AI translation made her feel self-conscious about her accent, a horrible situation.
Interestingly, the cashier was fascinated by the phone — not because it could translate on the fly, but because she’d never seen a foldable before. After playing with the Z Flip 6 for a minute or so, she asked me if there was an iPhone version.
Parisian croissant vs. AI croissant
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The Z Flip 6 has new wide and ultrawide cameras.
Andrew Lanxon/CNETAfter recording some videos of skateboarders doing tricks in the Place de la Republique, I walked down the Canal Saint-Martin to take some photos. I wanted to put the Z Flip 6’s new 50-megapixel main camera through its paces, but I also needed a few photos to test out a new AI feature that lets you draw new things into an image.
![A photo from the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/283af56b3376519491aefed91e06b288be7f89d5/hub/2024/07/12/700d5b18-a2f8-4ed9-8171-47cdfb62e5a3/20240711-132838.jpg?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1)
Here’s my original photo of the Canal Saint-Martin. I took it with the Galaxy Z Flip 6 at full resolution (50 megapixels).
Patrick Holland/CNETUsing one of my canal photos, I opened the Gallery app and tapped the sparkle AI icon under the photo to bring up the Sketch to Image tool. Then I drew two curved lines to replicate the silhouette of a bird flying over the canal — I did my inner 5-year-old proud.
![A screenshot from the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/520c62408c09490fbc506c4337b98bf4f69e4e01/hub/2024/07/12/ee0f1ae2-efa4-406e-8037-3053095ba282/screenshot-20240712-215519-photo-editor.jpg?resize=800%2C533&ssl=1)
Here’s a screenshot I took of the “seagull” I drew on the original photo.
Patrick Holland/CNETThen, I let AI do its thing.
![A photo from the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/71edc09341510c762ba1526f8dbb713961072a74/hub/2024/07/12/d10587fb-840d-4636-b111-6857712e62ec/20240711-142659.jpg?resize=800%2C600&ssl=1)
And here’s the final image, complete with an AI-created seagull.
Patrick Holland and Galaxy AI/CNETThe result was a bird that looked pretty realistic. I’m really impressed by this tool, but I’m not sure when I’d use it. Even as I write this, I wonder why the tool exists. I could see how this might be fun for kids, or even how it could take the old “drawing a mustache on someone’s face” gag to the next level… though I tried that several times and, sadly, nothing happened.
But what if there weren’t any photos involved? What if I wanted to take a crude sketch I’d done and make it a painting? Well, the same Sketch to Image AI tool can do that, too. And when I was at restaurant Oma, I wanted to see who made a better croissant: Galaxy AI or a Parisian bakery?
To turn a doodle into art, I opened the side navigation bar and used the built-in sketch pad. Next, I drew a very crude outline of a croissant and added a few riblike accent lines across the top. Then I pressed the Generate button, and the tool created a handful of watercolored paintings of croissants. And what do you know? They all looked like croissants (although some definitely skewed more toward a shrimp than a croissant).
![sketch-to-image-20240711-1415001](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/1f9412f55138317992b4c83b4a0e3c81cf1d346b/hub/2024/07/12/6dcc33ca-bf48-4c95-bf0a-09155596a321/sketch-to-image-20240711-1415001.jpg?resize=800%2C400&ssl=1)
Two of the croissant artworks that Galaxy AI made from my doodle.
Patrick Holland and Galaxy AI/CNETIt’s pretty incredible that a foldable phone can take a very crude doodle, figure out what you drew, and then make a watercolor painting of it. I could see this as a way to generate your own clip art, if you’re into that sort of thing. But otherwise, I don’t think I’ll ever use the feature again.
The Z Flip 6 turned my pal into Chance the Rapper
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On the left is a portrait-mode photo of CNET’s Jide Akinrinade, which I took with the Galaxy Z Flip 6. On the right is AI-generated artwork based on my photo.
Patrick Holland and Galaxy AI/CNETAs I was running around Paris, I was also putting together a video for CNET, and that meant I had our talented video producer Jide Akinrinade with me filming all day. I took a few portrait-mode photos of him with the Z Flip 6 that came out great, and I decided to try one last AI feature.
While I was able to turn a sketch I made into a photo-realistic seagull, I could also turn an actual photo of someone into artwork. The tool is called Portrait Studio, and you can choose from a handful of art styles: comic, 3D cartoon, watercolor and sketch.
When I put Jide’s photo through the process, it created bold comic book–like illustrations. However, there was one problem: They looked nothing like Jide — which he confirmed with a “that’s a no.” Like the other gen AI tools, it can miss the mark; one of the options made Jide look like Chance the Rapper.
Later in the day, I ran into some other reviewers with the new Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6, and they’d had similar results. I mean, I’ve got to hand it to Samsung: Portrait Studio was great for a few laughs, but if I’m paying $1,100 for a phone, I want something that can turn out results that look a little more like me.
Galaxy Z Flip 6 final thoughts for now
![The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6](https://i0.wp.com/www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/2642188d40c3fe2888aaa99dce2e5376003be82e/hub/2024/07/12/fa83a3a3-bb45-409b-84e0-8d8aabc0cee2/samsung-foldables-unpacked-0366.jpg?resize=800%2C449&ssl=1)
Throughout my first day with the Z Flip 6, I kept track of the battery life. I started my day at 100% and ended it at 46%, which I found very impressive, especially considering how hot and humid Paris was and how many photos and videos I took, as well as how heavily I used various AI features.
I learned, too, that I easily sunburn under the Paris sun in July.
I also found out that Galaxy AI is impressive, like when it created a photo-realistic seagull from two lines I drew. It’s useful, like when it helped me have a conversation in French and order coffee. And it’s ridiculous, like when it made Jide into Chance the Rapper. AI also has a lot of other flaws, which might put some people off.
I still have so much more testing to do with the Galaxy Z Flip 6, so keep an eye out for my full in-depth review, coming soon.
Samsung Made a Special Galaxy Z Flip 6 Just for Olympic Athletes
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 specs vs. Galaxy Z Flip 5, Galaxy Z Flip 4
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 | Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 | Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 5G | |
Cover display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate | 3.4-inch AMOLED; 720×748 pixels; 60Hz refresh rate | 3.4-inch AMOLED; 728×720 pixels; 60Hz refresh rate | Cover: 1.9-inch AMOLED; 512×260 pixels; 60Hz refresh rate |
Internal display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate | 6.7-inch AMOLED; 2,640×1,080 pixels; 1-120Hz refresh rate | 6.7-inch AMOLED; 2,640×1,080 pixels; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate | 6.7-inch AMOLED; 2,640×1,080 pixels; 120Hz refresh rate |
Pixel density | Cover: 306 ppi; Internal: 425 ppi | Cover: 306 ppi; Internal: 425 ppi | Cover: 302 ppi; Internal: 425 ppi |
Dimensions (inches) | Open: 6.5×2.83×0.27 inches; Closed: 3.35×2.83×0.59 inches | Open: 6.5×2.83×0.27 inches; Closed: 3.35×2.83×0.59 inches | Open: 2.83×3.3×0.67 inches; Closed: 2.83×6.5×0.27 inches; Hinge: 0.59 inches (sagging) |
Dimensions (millimeters) | Open: 165.1×71.9×6.9mm; Closed: 85.1×71.9×14.9mm | Open: 165.1×71.88×6.89mm; Closed: 85.09×71.88×14.99mm | Open: 71.9×165.2×6.9mm; Closed: 71.9×84.9×17.1mm; Hinge: 15.9mm (sagging); |
Weight (grams, ounces) | 187 g (6.6 oz) | 187 g (6.6 oz) | 187 g (6.59 oz) |
Mobile software | Android 14 | Android 13 | Android 12 |
Camera | 50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide) | 12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide) | 12-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide) |
Front-facing camera | 10-megapixel | 10-megapixel | 10-megapixel |
Video capture | TBD | TBD | 4K |
Processor | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 |
RAM/storage | 12GB + 256GB, 512GB | 8GB + 256GB, 512GB | 8GB + 128GB, 256GB, 512GB |
Expandable storage | None | None | None |
Battery | 4,000 mAh | 3,700 mAh (dual-battery) | 3,700 mAh |
Fingerprint sensor | Side | Side | Side |
Connector | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C |
Headphone jack | None | None | None |
Special features | IP48 rating, 25W wired charging, wireless charging + powershare, 3x optical zoom (up to 10x digital and 30x Space Zoom with AI Super Resolution tech) | 5G-enabled, IPX8 water resistance, 25W wired charging, wireless charging, wireless power share, dual SIM | IPX8, 5G enabled, foldable display, wireless charging, 25W fast charging |
US price starts at | $1,100 (256GB) | $1,000 (256GB) | $999 (128GB) |
UK price starts at | TBD | £1,049 (256GB) | £999 (128GB) |
Australia price starts at | TBD | AU$1,649 (256GB) | AU$1,499 (128GB) |