Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. Galaxy Z Fold 3: Should you upgrade?

Samsung has just released its latest lineup of foldables, which include the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6. These new folding phones are packed with impressive specs, like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy processor, 12GB RAM, 50-megapixel main cameras, and more.

But you may have an older device, like the Galaxy Z Fold 3, and are wondering to yourself: “Is it worth upgrading?”

Let’s do the breakdown and find out.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Galaxy Z Fold 3: specs

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Galaxy Z Fold 3: design and displays

Samsung has made some big changes to the overall design and build of the Galaxy Z Fold series since the Z Fold 3, and that’s very evident when you compare it with the Z Fold 6.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 has a much more tall and narrow “candy bar” form factor when closed, which some people may not like. The dimensions are 158.2mm by 128.1mm by 6.4mm when open, and 158.2mm by 67.1mm by 14.4mm to 16mm when closed. It weighs 271 grams (9.56 ounces), which is a bit hefty.

There were some durability improvements over its predecessor, like IPX8 water resistance, but dust could still get into the hinge. However, Samsung put some “sweeper” bristles inside the hinge so that any dust that gets in can be forced out. The frame is made from aluminum.

The cover display on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 is a 6.2-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with 832 x 2268 pixel resolution at a 25:9 aspect ratio. It also has a 120Hz refresh rate. On the inside, you have a 7.6-inch Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with 1768 x 2208 resolution at 374 pixels per inch (ppi) density. It has a 120Hz refresh rate and can get up to 1,200 nits peak brightness. The glass front and back use Corning Gorilla Glass Victus. The crease is quite prominent on the inner display, as this was still quite an early entry in terms of folding devices.

For the Galaxy Z Fold 6, Samsung made big strides in terms of design and build quality. One of the biggest changes is found in the cover display, as Samsung made it slightly wider, with a more natural aspect ratio. This has improved the usability by quite a bit, so those who may not have liked the Galaxy Z Fold before may change their mind this time around.

With the Galaxy Z Fold 6, it is 153.5mm by 132.6mm by 5.6mm when open, and 153.5mm by 68.1mm by 12.1mm when closed. It weighs just 239 grams (8.43 ounces), so it’s definitely more lightweight and easier to carry than the Z Fold 3.

Since three years have passed since the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Samsung has made significant improvements to the hinge design over that time. Up until the Z Fold 4, there’s been a small gap from the hinge when the device is closed, causing it to be more like a wedge shape. Since the Galaxy Z Fold 5, there is no longer a gap due to the better hinge design, and that carries over to the Galaxy Z Fold 6.

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 has a 6.3-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X cover display with 968 x 2376 resolution at 410 ppi, a 120Hz refresh rate, and 2,600 nits peak brightness. The inner dislay is a 7.6-inch Foldable Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X display with 1856 x 2160 resolution at 374 ppi, a 120Hz refresh rate, and also 2,600 nits brightness. Both the glass front and back use Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for improved durability. There is also an IP48 rating for better dust and water resistance. The crease on the inner display is less noticeable than on the Z Fold 3, but it’s still there.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Galaxy Z Fold 3: performance and software

So how do these phones stack up in terms of performance? Let’s take a closer look.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 came out in 2021. It used Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 processor, which was the flagship chip at the time. It also has 12GB RAM, and you can choose between 256GB or 512GB storage. There’s no expandable memory, unfortunately.

On the Galaxy Z Fold 6, you have Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chip. This is a customized version of the chip optimized specifically for Samsung Galaxy devices, so you’re getting top-tier levels of performance. It also has 12GB RAM, and a new 1TB storage option in addition to 256GB and 512GB.

When the Galaxy Z Fold 3 first came out, it shipped with Android 11. Samsung promised at least four years of OS upgrades for the Z Fold 3, so it should last through Android 15. In short, when Android 15 drops this fall, it will be the last software upgrade for the Z Fold 3. It will get one more year of security updates, but that’s pretty much it.

On the other hand, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 ships with Android 14 out of the box with Samsung’s One UI 6.1.1 layered on top. Samsung has also upped the ante in terms of software updates by guaranteeing seven years of OS upgrades and security patches, which means the Z Fold 6 will last through at least Android 21.

Plus, Samsung revealed a whole slate of AI-powered tools with its Galaxy AI suite. Some of these include Circle to Search, Live Translate, Interpreter, AI summarizations, Magic Compose, AI photo editing tools, and more. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 comes with all of the Galaxy AI tools, as it has enough processing power to handle everything.

That isn’t to say that the Z Fold 3 is getting left in the dust, though. It can get some Galaxy AI features, but only two: Circle to Search and Chat Assist. So while it’s better than nothing, it’s still very limited compared to newer phones.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is approaching its end of life soon, while the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will last well into the next several years.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Galaxy Z Fold 3: cameras

Among the best things about foldables are the creative new ways you can take photos and video. So having a good camera system on the device is important.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 has a triple lens camera system, but it’s pretty outdated at this point. It features a 12MP main shooter, 12MP ultrawide lens, and a 12MP telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom. The cover display selfie camera is 10MP, while the inner camera is 4MP. This may have sufficed several years ago, but now it’s quite dated, as most phones have at least 48MP.

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 really improved the cameras in three years. The rear triple camera system has a 50MP main camera, a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide lens. Unfortunately, the selfie cameras didn’t get that much of an improvement, as they’re still 10MP on the cover and 4MP on the inner display.

Still, if taking photos is of any importance to you, then you’ll definitely want the better cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 6. It’s just a little disappointing that Samsung didn’t make much of an improvement to the selfie cameras, but you’re likely to use the rear cameras for that anyway.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Galaxy Z Fold 3: battery and charging

Surprisingly, the battery capacity hasn’t changed much in three years. Both the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Fold 6 have a 4,400mAh battery inside.

However, at this point, it wouldn’t be surprising if the battery on your Galaxy Z Fold 3 wasn’t as good as when you first got it. Since this is a phone that’s three years old, there’s bound to be some battery degradation at this point.

Regardless, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 should also be a bit more power efficient with the new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chip. Ever since that launched with the Galaxy S24 series, we’ve gotten reliable endurance from the batteries.

Both the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Fold 6 are capped at 25-watt wired charging speeds, unfortunately. You’d think that Samsung could at least make the Z Fold 6 match the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra’s 45W charging speeds for the price, but nope. So that’s another disappointing bit.

There is wireless charging on both phones too, though the Z Fold 3 is a bit slower at 11W versus the 15W speed for the Z Fold 6. Reverse wireless also remains the same for both at 4.5W.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Galaxy Z Fold 3: verdict

If you are still holding on to a Galaxy Z Fold 3, then it looks like it’s a good time to upgrade to the Galaxy Z Fold 6. Why? There are a few reasons.

The Z Fold 3 is quickly approaching the end of its lifespan. Since its last OS upgrade will be to Android 15, which comes out in a couple more months, it will no longer be getting any more big Android updates. You’ll also only get about another year of security patches. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 will definitely last you a much longer time at this point, with seven years of OS upgrades to come. And with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and 12GB RAM, along with up to 1TB storage, this is a phone that should last a while.

The super tall and narrow form factor has been improved with the Z Fold 6, and even the displays are better, making it much more usable. And the Z Fold 3 has a wedge-shaped gap when closed, which makes it vulnerable to dust and debris each time you put it in your pocket. That’s not an issue with the Z Fold 6 since there is no longer a gap. And the crease is also much less prominent.

And then there’s the cameras. Most phones these days have at least 48MP on the main shooter, including Apple’s iPhone 15, so a 12MP camera just doesn’t cut it now. Though Samsung didn’t change the selfie cameras, the 50MP main shooter on the Z Fold 6 is definitely a big upgrade.