Samsung unveils Galaxy Z Fold 6, Flip 6

[Courtesy of Samsung Electronics Co.]

Samsung Electronics Co. unveiled its flagship Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6, the company‘s first foldable smartphones with artificial intelligence (AI), at the annual Galaxy Unpacked event in Paris on Wednesday (local time).

Hosting the event in the basement of the Louvre Museum while operating a Galaxy AI experience center and placing outdoor advertisements across the city, Samsung Electronics aimed to maximize the impact of the new product launch ahead of the upcoming Paris Olympics. The vibrant atmosphere at the event was filled with global media representatives eager to explore the new products.

Samsung introduced seven new products at the event: the Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 smartphones, the Galaxy Ring, the Galaxy Watch 7 and Ultra watch, and the Galaxy Buds 3 and Pro earbuds.

The Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 come with several AI features optimized for foldable phones. The most notable of these is the advanced real-time interpretation and translation feature, which was further developed from the Galaxy S24. When an English-language TED Talks video was played on the Z Fold 6 with interpretation enabled, the screen instantly displayed Korean subtitles along with the English subtitles, which is expected to be a useful feature for attendees at international forums or lectures. Real-time interpretation of colloquial conversations was also available by folding the phone halfway into “flex mode.”

Communication was even more intuitive when the phone was paired with the Galaxy Buds 3. Demonstrations included phone calls between parties speaking different languages via non-Samsung messaging apps such as KakaoTalk or WhatsApp. By activating the interpretation app and enabling listening mode, foreign languages were instantly switched to Korean via the Buds 3 and vice versa.

The evolution of work tools was also highlighted. The PDF Overlay translation feature translated English academic PDF documents into Korean without altering the format. The voice recording-to-text conversion feature will be useful for meetings, as it converts voice directly into scripts within the Samsung Notes app.

The generative photo editing feature was also showcased, whereby even a rough sketch done with a S Pen by the user can be refined by AI.

The Z Flip 6’s camera capabilities were impressive. In a half-folded state, the outer camera’s auto zoom feature automatically framed the subject optimally. The main camera, upgraded to 50 million pixels from 12 million, produced significantly clearer photos and facilitated remote photography when paired with the Galaxy Ring. Wearing the Galaxy Ring on the index finger and tapping the thumb and index finger together twice, for example, was all it took to take a photo.

Another advantage of the Z Flip 6 was its ability to write replies quickly without using the keyboard. The AI analyzed conversation content and suggested three appropriate responses, allowing users to select one without typing.

“Galaxy AI will be incorporated into 200 million Galaxy devices this year. It can operate in 16 languages without an internet connection,” according to Roh Tae-moon, who heads the company’s Mobile Experience Division.