From iPhone to Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: my experience in full

During my recent trip to Japan, the opportunity to buy a foldable phone was too good to pass up, given the low yen currency rate and the ability to purchase it tax-free. So after years of being locked into the Apple ecosystem, I made the not-so-light decision to switch from my iPhone 14 Pro Max to a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6.

In this article, I’d like to share the pros and cons I've encountered during this switch as a proud user of both the Google and Apple ecosystems.

First of all: why I decided to switch

When the iPhone 15 was announced last year, I wasn’t particularly impressed by the new features — mainly the titanium material, the Action button, and a few other tweaks — so I decided not to upgrade.

When the iPhone 16 was presented, however, I felt genuinely disappointed. Apple Intelligence (and its very delayed release) didn’t really feel like something Apple would do, and I disliked that it was only available for the iPhone 15 and newer models. It's not like I bought my phone a decade ago!

Additionally, while I found the slightly smaller bezel on the Pro Max and the new Camera button nice to have, they still didn’t amount to real innovation in my view. That's why, once again, I convinced myself not to upgrade.

This would all have been fine if it weren’t for the fact that Samsung, meanwhile, had been perfecting their foldable lineup over the years, introduced the sleek Galaxy S24 Ultra (which has received glowing reviews online) and have significantly expanded their presence in London, where I live. All this exposure got me curious, and that's how I began developing an interest in their latest phones.

At first, it was simply curiosity. But after updating my iPhone to iOS 18 — an update that, for me, offered little value apart from noticeable slowdowns and reduced battery life — I found myself at Yodobashi Camera in Tokyo, eager to test the Fold 6 firsthand.

I was immediately captivated, and after a few days of intense research, I decided to go for it. I purchased the device along with the Galaxy Watch 7 and a pair of Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds.

The initial impact

I must admit, my first impressions weren’t the best. By switching to Android, I immediately lost access to a few key tools I frequently relied on:

• Some of my most-used apps, like HiCoffee and Bear;
• Several widgets I’d grown accustomed to — surprisingly, since Android was the first platform to introduce them;
• Airdrop between my phone and my Macbook Pro.

Fortunately, for the few minor apps I used, I always found a valid (and often cross-platform) Android alternative: I replaced HiCoffee with CaffeInMe (it doesn't look as nice but is basically the same thing) and Bear with Obsidian (I'll miss you, my sweet Bear!). So this obstacle was easily overcome.

With regards to Airdrop, I discovered an amazing, cross-platform alternative called Localsend, which works absolutely fine and I am super happy with. Another blocker out of the way.

Other than that, I can say that although the transition process has been greatly simplified in recent versions, switching to Android still wasn't the smoothest experience, mainly due to the platform’s openness, which allows for a higher degree of customisation. This flexibility can feel a bit overwhelming at first, especially when you find the same feature implemented in multiple ways by different providers (e.g. the choice between using Samsung's native Gallery app, which syncs to a Microsoft account, and Google Photos), but it has since then turned out to be extremely rewarding (see below to understand what I mean).

All in all, it took me about a week to perfect my setup and get fully comfortable with my new device. I’m glad I persisted through the initial adjustment period, though, as that’s when things started to get interesting.

Unlimited customisation possibilities

The more I used my new Samsung phone, the more I discovered new customisation options. And by "customisation," I don’t just mean changing themes or fonts. I’m talking about building a user experience that truly suits the user's preferences up to the last detail.

Do you prefer a navigation bar with buttons or a more iPhone-like swipe interface? Which performance mode do you want, and when would you like it to trigger to squeeze the best out of battery life? How would you like the app switcher to look? What launcher suits your needs best? And what keyboard? This level of customisation was something I had almost forgotten about after years with the iPhone.

Of course, I know that iPhones flawlessly do their job, but the best they could recently offer in terms of personalisation was that basic icon recolouring thing. It took Apple 18 major updates to get there and frankly, it doesn’t look good at all!

Foldable screens and typing experience

The ability to unfold the screen and transform the phone into something akin to a tablet is undoubtedly the main selling point of the Galaxy Z Fold 6. It works brilliantly, enabling a level of multitasking I had never experienced with any other device of this size. And no, it’s not one of those features people brag about but rarely use (which had been my experience with a few previous Samsung phones).

I genuinely found myself using the foldable screen in everyday tasks, from filling in my calorie tracking app while asking ChatGPT for an estimate of my meal, to chatting with Vodafone customer support while having my account page open in the browser. These are real-world applications I’ve been able to enjoy with this phone, and I find it nothing short of fascinating.

These features alone make, in my opinion, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 phone worth the buy.

When it comes to the typing experience, however, I’ll be honest: the unique screen resolutions present a bit of a challenge. As you might imagine, the cover screen feels too narrow, while the internal screen is too wide. If you come from an iPhone like me, adjusting to this setup will be particularly tricky, especially if you use your phone to write long-form content. In fact, while with my previous phone I could comfortably write entire articles, with the Samsung I now prefer to jot down key points and expand them later on my computer.

This is a fantastic phone, but it’s not the ideal choice for extended writing sessions. Short messages are absolutely fine, so if you primarily use your phone for regular texting and emails, you’ll be okay — unless, of course, you have particularly large hands, which might make the narrow cover screen a bit challenging to navigate.

In any case, one thing worth mentioning is that my typing experience has somewhat improved after switching from Samsung's default keyboard to GBoard, which you can find on the Play Store.

Battery Duration

I've always been of the opinion that if I’m buying a phone this expensive, I should be able to get the best out of it without having to rely on battery-saving tricks, like manually reducing brightness, keeping dark mode on constantly, enabling battery-saving mode, or lowering the screen refresh rate. I never had to do any of these with my iPhone, and I treat this Samsung the same way, with the exception of activating the Light Performance profile when I’m away from home. I’ve set this up with an automation, because this mode hardly affects performance while delivering better battery efficiency.

With this approach, I’ve been experiencing a daily Screen on Time (SoT) between 4 to 6 hours. To be fair, this has been gradually increasing over the past couple of weeks, which suggests that the phone indeed did “learn” my usage patterns to improve efficiency.

I find this quite satisfying for a device of this calibre, especially given the demands of a foldable phone, where the battery is under constant strain due to the constant changes in resolution. Overall, I feel it’s comparable to what I used to get on my iPhone, but I can't attest to the performance against the iPhone 16 Pro Max battery, as I've never owned it.

That said, it’s clear that Samsung (or perhaps Android) still has some ground to cover in achieving Apple’s level of efficiency, particularly concerning battery consumption when the screen is off.

There are also instances where I find the battery drains more quickly that it should, and I’ve noticed two main culprits for this. Firstly, the phone tends to heat up fairly quickly when using GPS. Secondly, the auto-brightness setting isn’t as optimised as it is on the iPhone, as the screen immediately ramps up to maximum brightness in sunlight (which also in turns causes it to heat up).

Realistically, since I wake up very early and disconnect my phone from the charger between 5:00 and 5:30 AM, switching phones hasn’t made much difference for me in terms of battery life. From time to time, I had to recharge my iPhone during the day, and I find myself doing the same with the Samsung.

However, if I had a more “common” usage pattern, I’m confident I could make it through to the end of the day without issues.

Aesthetics and accessories

This is another major selling point for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. After years of iPhones looking almost identical to their predecessors, I find Samsung’s commitment to refining the design of each new model refreshing.

Comparing this Galaxy Z Fold 6 with previous versions, it’s clear that Samsung has consistently worked to enhance the phone’s look and feel. From optimising the crease at the centre of the internal screen to make it less visible, to squaring off the corners, reducing the bezel, and making the phone thinner and flatter when closed — this Samsung model has truly reached a stunning form. It looks and feels amazing, and I couldn’t be happier with it. I wish Apple were as bold in exploring designs like this!

If I had to point out a drawback, it would be the lack of an official MagSafe-like technology. The Samsung can be charged wirelessly, but it doesn’t magnetically attach to its charger. Instead, to use MagSafe-compatible accessories, you’ll need to opt for specific cases like those from Pitaka (affiliate link) or Thinborne. I went for the Pitaka (which, unfortunately, comes only as a back cover, but you still get used to it as it's really thin), and overall, I’m quite happy with it.

I also bought the official Samsung Kindsuit case, and although it’s very pricey, I can vouch for its quality. Don’t let the website reviews discourage you; people are generally more inclined to leave reviews when dissatisfied rather than when happy with a product.

Conclusions

After an initial few days of hesitancy and uncertainty, I can confidently say that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is an outstanding phone, and I genuinely see this switch as an upgrade from several perspectives.

I hadn’t used Android devices for a few years — my last was the Samsung Galaxy Note20, which I honestly found beautiful but plagued by serious battery issues — and I’m simply amazed by how far they’ve come.

From me, it’s a definite yes.

That said, in this article I was only able to cover part of my experience. The Samsung presents advantages and disadvantages when compared to an iPhone, so I’ll summarise the pros and cons of each below.

Where the foldable Samsung wins

• Aesthetics
• Multitasking
• Gaming
• Video consumption
• Customisation capabilities and themes
• AI Features

Where the iPhone wins

• Intuitiveness of contactless payments
• Long-form typing experience
• Ease of use and software stability
• Battery efficiency, particularly when not in use
• Security, precision and speed of Face ID

I hope this was useful, particularly if you are in the process of choosing your new phone!