Key Takeaways:
Samsung unveiled the latest iterations of its Z-series foldable smartphones – Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 – at the recent Galaxy Unpacked event in Paris.
Both the phones sport a thinner and lighter design, screens with less visible creases, a faster and more powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor, and longer battery life.
Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip Does Not Support Seamless Update
However, it seems that Samsung is not bringing Google’s ‘Seamless Update’ feature to its ultra-premium smartphones.
When reviewers looked at the developer options on both devices, it was found that they do not support seamless updates.
The feature was introduced by Google for Android and Pixel phones over a decade ago. Phones that support seamless updates have two boot partitions. While the device installed new software, you could continue to use your phone on the other partition without interruptions.
For regular phones, the installation process requires users to reboot their phones and wait for the update to be completed. During this time, they will be locked out from using the phone for any purpose for a few minutes.
With seamless updates, the new firmware can be installed in the background without interrupting the user. Once the new software is applied, users only need to reboot their phones once, and won’t have to wait until the lengthy loading process is over.
Samsung introduced the decade-old feature only this year, and that too on one device – the Galaxy A55. The mid-range smartphone remains the only Samsung phone that takes advantage of seamless updates.
Samsung Cites Larger Firmware Size On Premium Phones As Reason For Not Adding The Feature
Initial testing shows that the Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 do not support seamless updates. The only way to know if the feature does exist is when the new foldables get their first software update.
On the Galaxy A55, a split progress bar is shown when an update is being downloaded and installed. Phones that do not support seamless updates have a single progress bar.
Since the Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 don’t support the feature out of the box, it is not expected to get it later. This method of installing software updates requires two system partitions, and adding it to a phone that does not already support it requires repartitioning the existing system partition, which is a risky affair Samsung would not want to deal with.
One reason why Samsung would not have included the feature in its latest flagships may be because the One UI software that runs on the high-end Galaxy smartphones and tablets takes up double the space compared to its mid-range and budget counterparts.
For comparison, a full-sized firmware update on the Galaxy A55 is around 8 GB in size, while the same update on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and S24 Ultra are roughly 14 GB and 16 GB respectively.
Nevertheless, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 are still eligible for seven years of software and security updates. But it is a little disappointing that the flagship smartphones will continue to install software upgrades the old-fashioned way.
Samsung’s latest foldable ship with One UI 6.1.1, based on Android 14, along with a slew of improved Galaxy AI features that were introduced with the S24 series that came out six months ago.
Galaxy Z Fold 6 And Z Flip 6 Specifications
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 are equipped with Samsung’s Super AMOLED display with up to 120Hz of variable refresh rate and HDR10+ for a unique content viewing and scrolling experience.
The devices are powered by Qualcomm’s snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor specifically designed for the Galaxy series, which has up to 12 GB of memory, and 256 GB or 128 GB of internal storage. The Z Fold 6 also comes in a 1TB variant.
Both phones have a 50-megapixel main sensor a 12MP ultrawide in the rear, and a 10MP selfie camera. The Z Fold 6 has an additional 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom and a 4MP under-display sensor.
The Z Flip 6 has a 4,000mAh battery, while the Z Fold 6 gets a bigger 4,400mAh battery. Both foldables support 25W fast charging, 15W fast wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging.
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 will go on sale on July 24th. They start from $1,899 and $1,099 respectively.
Latest news: Samsung Launches Galaxy A55 And Galaxy A35 With 5G And Support For Samsung Wallet
