Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 - No More Pain Points

You know what? I'm thoroughly sick and tired of hearing about AI. How about you?

As a tech reviewer, it's everywhere I look. If it's not baked into the NPU of a phone, it's part of a computer's operating system. TVs are using it to adjust the brightness. Earbuds are listening to the noise around me and deciding which sounds are the ones I actually need to hear.

Great.

Fantastic.

The future is now.

Big whoop.

Can we talk about something else for a minute?

Admittedly when you look up the Galaxy Z Flip6 on the Samsung website, the first thing they tell you is, "Galaxy AI is here." And yes, the Z Flip6 can do pretty much all of the clever AI tricks the Z Fold6 I reviewed a couple of weeks ago can. Yes, it'll do live translation in 16 languages on both internal and external screens, as well as spoken translations in real time. Yes, you can "Circle to search" and yes, you can use Galaxy AI to compose messages and emails in a number of different styles. And yes, you can put real sunglasses and a silly hat on a picture of your dog, just by doodling them on the screen with your finger. Cool.

Cool.

So cool.

Now we've got the AI stuff well and truly out of the way, I want to talk about some features that are more specific to the Z Flip6, namely some issues I've had with previous generations and whether or not Samsung has done anything to address them on the 2024 version.

Let's start with the physical design of the thing. It's great. As I mentioned with the Fold, when these new, bendy phones first popped up a few years back it's hard to deny there was a certain janky-ness to them; they didn't fold together completely flat, the frames and bezels were clumsily thick and you essentially felt like you'd better treat these devices with kid gloves or they'd break into several pieces if you weren't careful.

We're well past that now.

There's a solid durability to the feel of the Z Fold6 in your hand. Closed, open or in Flex Mode, it looks stylish, premium and built-to-last. Once again, Samsung has upgraded its hinge design and it's now at the point where you don't even really think about it that much when handling the device. Very secure. Unfortunately, there's still a mysterious groove around the edge of the internal display between the mandatory screen cover and the slightly-raised and rubbery bezel that keeps everything sealed tight when the phone is closed. I've found this becomes a bit of a trap for dust and other debris if you're not careful - in fact, somehow I seem to have got what looks like chocolate stuck in one corner. Goodness knows how that got there.

However, although the Z Fold6 may not be chocolate-proof, with an IP48 rating it is more water-resistant than ever. This is not the pool-proof IP68 level of protection the Galaxy S-Series phones carry but it's an encouraging improvement and means this handset should survive rainy walks and the odd splash or two.

It's also touted as being more compact than ever and it certainly feels just like any other phone when unfolded (unflipped?) and slides easily into any of my pockets when snugly closed up.

Another issue many people (including me) have had with Flips of the past is battery life. Given this is a device aimed at vloggers, streamers, sharers and influencers, you'd expect pretty high screen time and camera usage numbers. For people like that, only-average battery life becomes a problem by the end of the day. Again, Samsung has attempted to right this wrong with a bigger battery and a more efficient chip. In my real-life usage I can't say I've been blown away by significant power savings. Compared to other flagship phones I've reviewed lately, the Z Flip6 is definitely well below 50% by the time a get it on the charger at night. I will concede though, this is an improvement on previous Flips - some of which required mid-afternoon top-ups to see me through.

The external or preview screen has been another niggle for me. Not just its weird shape either; I mean, what exactly are you gaining with that extra little bit beside the camera lenses? I'm talking about its limited functionality. I know it's small but I'd still like the option of trying to use it as a fully functioning display. Instead, you only get notifications and a choice of smartwatch-style widgets to scroll through. Yet again, I have to admit, improvements have been made. There are more widgets (and more useful ones) now and you can set up quick replies for certain messaging apps. That's a good start but I still want more. And how come the display doesn't rotate? It's basically square, so it shouldn't matter which way I hold it up, surely.

Okay, of course it does that other thing... the really cool thing... It gives you a preview of the primary camera so you can take selfie pics and vids with the main camera.

And that has suddenly become even more of a feature than ever before because Samsung has well and truly sorted out the biggest Z Flip shortfall of the past; camera quality. The 12MP Ultra-wide has been updated but the big news is the main Wide-angle camera has gone from 12MP to 50MP. This means a real coming-of-age for this handset; super-clear, hi-res, vibrant shots - even from distance - thanks to the new 2x optical zoom. And although I wasn't going to mention it again, when it comes to the camera, it's hard to avoid AI - especially when it comes to assisting with auto-zoom, night shots and video HDR.

Finally the Flip has the camera it's users have been demanding. As an example, check out this tricky shot with problematic bright backlighting...

Now zoomed in...

These are photos that just wouldn't have been possible on previous Flips.

So...

I guess you could indeed argue Samsung has made most of my pain go away. But at what price? Answer; about 220 bucks. Yup, the Z Flip5 is NZ$1,879.00 while the Z Flip6 breaks the 2K barrier at NZ$2,099.00. Ouch. And yet...

Better design. Better cover display. Better battery. New chip. More RAM. And unquestionably improved camera performance. Maybe this is a two-thousand dollar+ phone after all.

    

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6.

motorola edge 50 pro - Bringing Sexy Back

At the start of the year if you'd told me one of my favourite phones of 2024 would be a Motorola, I probably would have laughed and asked for another round of whatever you were drinking.

That may sound harsh but although Motorola has been doing mobile phones longer than just about anyone, I haven't seen too many flagships with all the bells and whistles lately.

Enter, a flagship with all the bells and whistles... and I do mean ALL...

The motorola edge 50 pro (they seem to market it in lower-case, so I'll follow suit) is a thing of beauty. For a while there, all the flagship phones had curved-edge displays like this and I was a massive fan. In fact, I'm a fan of curves in general. Who wants sharp edges and pointy corners when you can have the comfort of a curve in your hand? It just seems more streamlined - more stylish somehow.

Not only is the edge 50 pro curved at the sides, the back panel also sweeps up to the rear camera module in a delightfully seamless way. While there are pearl-like, smooth-backed options in other colours available in overseas markets, here we're only getting Black Beauty, in a matte, vegan leather finish - and I couldn't be happier about it.

There are two main problems with a phone as slim and curvy as this. Firstly, if it has a shiny glass back it may be pretty but it'll also be slippery. This vegan leather variant keeps the handset firmly gripped in your hand - and also prevents unsightly smears and fingerprints.

The second edge-centric drawback is the "accidental touch issue" and I'll admit, that is still a tiny niggle with the edge 50 pro.

If you've used a curved display like this 6.7-inch, super-HD screen before, you've probably found yourself stabbing away at an icon or virtual button wondering why nothing's happening - only to realise because you're holding the edge of the screen as well, the phone thinks you're touching it in several places at once. This really isn't a massive hassle - especially once you know it's a possibility - and it's only happened a few times since I've been using it.

My real problem with the edge 50 pro is trying to find something wrong with it.

At NZ$1,099.00, it's right in the zone where other phones usually leave something important off to keep the price down. Not this time. IP68 water and dust resistance? Check. Triple-lens rear camera array with 3 X optical zoom? Check. 4K video capture? Check. Support for NFC and eSIM? Check. Case included in the box? Check. Wireless charging? Check.

What's more, it charges fast, thanks to the powerful 125W charger that also comes in the box. Battery life is up there with the best performing handsets I've tried as well.

This is probably partly due to the efficiency of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 chip running the show. In the video below, I rather unfairly refer to the 7 Gen 3 as "last year's chip," which is not really accurate - it's more like this year's 8 Gen 3's smaller sibling; ever so slightly slower, especially when it comes to operations like down and uploading.

However, unless you were to compare two phones with these two chips side-by-side, I really don't think you'll be disappointed with the performance here. I know I haven't been.

For example, the camera app opens straight away and works without any lag or stutter, no matter which mode or setting you choose. I've been very happy with my pics to date, be they ultra-wide landscapes like this...

Or making use of the 10MP telephoto lens for shots like this...

Not only does the edge 50 pro come with all the features I want in a phone, right now it also comes with a free pair of moto buds+ true-wireless earbuds.

Like the handset, the moto buds+ are premium performers, again ticking most - if not all - of my ear-wear requirements. Top notch battery life, from both the case and the buds themselves. You can charge the case wirelessly. The buds are water resistant and thanks to the selection of ear tips and the stem design they're great for exercising with.

The moto buds+ are tuned by Bose and the default sound is very clean, leaning towards a little dry - although you can adjust the EQ via app or let AI manage it for you, depending on what's playing. You also have the options of either Hi-Res mode for discerning listeners or Gaming mode for less latency.

My one major criticism is the on-board touch controls. These are customisable to a degree but there's no single tap - only double and triple taps or a long press. Although this obviously eliminates accidental play/pause presses when inserting or removing the buds, it's weird not to be able to resume listening with a single tap. And you can't assign the volume controls to the long-press function either - which also seems less than natural. Maybe it's just a personal preference.

On the "Plus" side, the bass response is impressive - especially for earbuds - and I've also been blown away by how strong and reliable the connection is. I can leave my phone on my desk and keep listening all over the house.

Remember, you get the moto buds+ for free when you buy the edge 50 pro, which I already considered fantastic value for money.

Unlike other 2024 flagships, Motorola doesn't seem to be making much noise about AI, although something called "moto ai" seems to be responsible for a lot of the edge 50 pro's photographic and cinematic tricks. I'm a fan of this more low-key approach - it's only August and I've already had more than my fill of AI hype for one year. At least with this phone, Motorola seems content to let AI do its best work mostly unseen, in a more integrated, under-the-hood way.

I could spend all day singing this phone's praises but let's just say my usual approach when reviewing a device hasn't quite worked this time. I usually ask myself, "What's wrong with this phone? Where does it come up short? What more could it do?" When the answers to those questions are, "Nothing," "Nowhere" and "Not much," then there's not a lot more to say.

    

    

Click here for more information and pricing on the motorola edge 50 pro.

Click here for more information and pricing on the moto buds+.