The Mix Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Fold6 are the leading foldable smartphones on the market, each with its unique strengths and weaknesses. I’ve been using both extensively and here’s a detailed breakdown of my thoughts.

Design and Build

The Mix Fold 4 takes the lead in terms of portability, measuring 159.4 x 143.3 x 4.6 mm unfolded and 159.4 x 73.1 x 9.5mm folded. This makes it lighter (226g or 228g) and slightly slimmer than the Z Fold6 (153.5 x 132.6 x 5.6 mm unfolded, 153.5 x 68.1 x 12.1 mm folded, 239g). However, the Z Fold6 feels sturdier with its Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection on both the front and back, along with an enhanced armor aluminum frame. The Mix Fold 4 features a glass front (folded), plastic front (unfolded), and aluminum frame.

Both phones boast impressive water resistance, with the Mix Fold 4 boasting an IPX8 rating (up to 1.5m for 30 min) and the Z Fold6 going a step further with an IP48 rating for dust resistance as well. Additionally, the Z Fold6 supports stylus input, a feature missing in the Mix Fold 4.

Display

The Mix Fold 4 boasts a larger 7.98-inch foldable LTPO AMOLED display with a resolution of 2224 x 2488 pixels. This gives it a slight advantage over the Z Fold6’s 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a resolution of 1856 x 2160 pixels. However, the Z Fold6’s display gets incredibly bright at 2600 nits peak brightness, compared to the Mix Fold 4’s 1700 nits (HBM). Both displays offer vibrant colors, deep blacks, and a 120Hz refresh rate for smooth scrolling and gaming.

The cover displays also differ, with the Mix Fold 4 featuring a 6.56-inch LTPO AMOLED panel with 1080 x 2520 pixels and a 21:9 ratio. The Z Fold6’s cover display is a 6.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X with 968 x 2376 pixels. Both are protected by durable glass, but the Z Fold6 uses Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for added scratch resistance.

Performance

Both the Mix Fold 4 and Z Fold6 are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, ensuring blazing-fast performance for any task. The Mix Fold 4 runs on Android 14 with Xiaomi’s HyperOS on top, while the Z Fold6 runs on Android 14 with Samsung’s One UI 6.1.1. Both software experiences are polished and intuitive, with their own unique features and customizations.

Camera

The Mix Fold 4 outshines the Z Fold6 in the camera department, featuring a Leica-engineered quad-camera setup with a 50MP primary sensor, a 50MP telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom, a 10MP periscope telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide lens. The Z Fold6, on the other hand, has a triple camera system with a 50MP primary sensor, a 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide lens.

The Mix Fold 4 consistently delivers slightly better image quality, especially in low-light conditions, thanks to its Leica lenses and advanced image processing algorithms. However, the Z Fold6 does have a unique trick up its sleeve with its 4MP under-display selfie camera, although its image quality doesn’t match the Mix Fold 4’s 16MP front-facing camera. The Z Fold6 also has a 10MP cover camera, while the Mix Fold 4 sticks with a 16MP cover camera.

Battery Life and Charging

The Mix Fold 4 takes the win in battery life, sporting a larger 5100mAh battery compared to the Z Fold6’s 4400mAh battery. In my experience, the Mix Fold 4 comfortably lasts a full day with moderate to heavy use, while the Z Fold6 requires more frequent charging.

However, the Z Fold6 offers faster charging speeds, with 25W wired charging compared to the Mix Fold 4’s 67W wired charging. Additionally, the Z Fold6 supports reverse wireless charging, allowing you to charge other compatible devices wirelessly.

Conclusion

Both the Mix Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Fold6 are top-tier foldable smartphones, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. The Mix Fold 4 excels in display size, camera performance, and battery life, while the Z Fold6 offers a more premium build, dust resistance, stylus support, and a unique under-display selfie camera.

Ultimately, the best choice for you will depend on your individual needs and preferences. If you prioritize a larger display, superior camera performance, and longer battery life, the Mix Fold 4 is the way to go. If you value a premium build, dust resistance, stylus support, and unique features like reverse wireless charging and an under-display selfie camera, the Galaxy Z Fold6 is an excellent option.