On the surface, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 doesn’t seem particularly different than last year’s Z Flip 5, and the upgrades that the foldable flip phone brings feel…well, minor. However, while the improvements may not sound great individually, they do collectively make for a meaningfully better user experience.

Take the larger battery capacity of the Galaxy Z Flip 6. Mediocre battery life was my biggest qualm with the Flip 5, so I was thrilled when I learned that the Flip 6 has a more generous 4,000mAh battery. Sure, a 300mAh upgrade may not sound like much, but it makes all the difference.

Typically, I can get between five to six hours of screen on time with the Z Flip 6, which is about an hour more than what I got with the Z Flip 5. The fact that I managed to achieve this level of battery life even with a number of gaming sessions thrown throughout the day is really quite impressive.

Another thing of note is the flagship-tier performance level of the Flip 6. After all, it’s powered by the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. Whether I’m multitasking and juggling between different apps or playing mobile games like Zenless Zone Zero – which can get quite intense – the phone can do it all without fuss.

Beyond battery life and performance, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 also features an improved camera system. Yes, I’m still not thrilled at the absence of a telephoto sensor, but I’m happy that the dual camera setup made up of a 50MP main shooter and a 12MP ultra-wide lens can take some great-looking shots now.

Regardless of lighting situation, the Z Flip 6’s dual camera system continues to deliver with a responsive camera interface. Detail preservation is great, dynamic range is good, and while the 12MP ultra-wide camera does struggle a tad under more challenging lighting, it can still capture some good-looking shots.

Last but not least is Galaxy AI on the Z Flip 6, one of the most touted features of the foldable phone. Compared to the Galaxy S24 series, the Flip 6 – and the Galaxy Z Fold 6, of course – gets a more elaborate version of Galaxy AI. Some new features include Composer to generate text based on simple prompts; a new conversation mode in the Interpreter app; and Sketch to Image, which can generate AI images from…well, sketches.

Of those features, the one that I use the most is Sketch to Image, which is actually really fun to experiment with. Sure, the results are a bit hit-and-miss – I don’t love the fact that it changed the physical appearance of my cats – but there’s no denying that I had fun with the generative AI feature.

While we’re on the topic of software experience, it’s worth noting that the Z Flip 6 gets seven years worth of software and security updates. This has been Samsung’s policy for its flagship smartphones since the introduction of the Galaxy S24 series, and it shows the Korean company’s commitment in software support, ensuring that its flagship devices remain relevant for quite some time.

Looking at the smartphone industry as a whole, software support is where Samsung’s competition are lagging far behind. The only other phone maker that offers a similar promise is Google itself for its range of Pixel devices. Of course, whether or not Samsung (or Google, even) can make good on its commitment is a different matter altogether, but at least the promise is there.

Robust software support, Galaxy AI, improved camera system, long battery life, and flagship-level performance all make the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 a pretty darn complete foldable flip phone. Sure, it is not notably different from its predecessor, but there’s no denying that it is one of the most polished phones in the segment now. If you’d like to learn more about the Z Flip 6, read my full review here.