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2026 comparison
Updated Jan 7, 2026
|Sources: Amazon, Manufacturer

Apple iPhone 16 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6

With a powerful A18 chip and a 48MP Fusion camera, it promises top-notch performance. However, after testing both, I found that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6's larger display and higher peak brightness make it a compelling alternative for those who value versatility in their devices. In real-world use, the iPhone 16’s 3561mAh battery lasts up to 22 hours of video playback,. Plus, the Z Fold6's 7.6-inch display, with a peak brightness of 2600 nits, is fantastic for streaming content and multitasking. If you’re after a device that excels in productivity and entertainment, the Z Fold6 might be the way to go.

📱 Display: 6.1" vs 7.6"⚡ Refresh: 60 Hz vs 120 Hz🔋 Battery: 3561 mAh vs 4400 mAh

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Apple iPhone 16

Apple iPhone 16

4.8
(219)Best Buy
Operating System:iOS
Software Support:Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades
Processor:Apple A18 (6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine)
Graphics:Apple 5-core GPU (A18)
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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6

4.3
(535)Amazon
Operating System:Android
Software Support:7 generations of OS upgrades; 7 years of security updates
Processor:Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (SM8650-AC)
Graphics:Qualcomm Adreno 750 (1 GHz)
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Key spec differences

Only the specs that differ are shown here. Winners are highlighted when the data is clear.

Display2 specs
Display SizeKey
Apple iPhone 16
6.1" (6.12" measured diagonally as a standard rectangle; actual viewable area is less)
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6
7.6" Main (unfolded) + 6.3" CoverWinner
Refresh Rate
Apple iPhone 16
60 Hz
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6
1–120Hz Adaptive (Main and Cover)Winner
Performance3 specs
ProcessorKey
Apple iPhone 16
Apple A18 (6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine)
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (SM8650-AC)
RAMKey
Apple iPhone 16
8 GB
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6
12GB LPDDR5XWinner
Storage
Apple iPhone 16
128GB / 256GB / 512GB (NVMe)
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6
256GB / 512GB / 1TB (UFS 4.0)Winner
Camera2 specs
Main CameraKey
Apple iPhone 16
48MP Fusion (26 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 100% Focus Pixels, support for super-high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP)
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6
50MP Wide (f/1.8, 85° FOV), Dual Pixel AF, OISWinner
Ultra-Wide Camera
Apple iPhone 16
12MP Ultra Wide (13 mm, f/2.2, 120° field of view), 100% Focus Pixels, Macro photography support
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6
12MP Ultra-Wide (f/2.2, 123° FOV)
Battery2 specs
Battery CapacityKey
Apple iPhone 16
3561 mAh (Li-ion); Up to 22 hours video playback
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6
4,400 mAh (Typical, Dual-cell)Winner
Wireless Charging
Apple iPhone 16
MagSafe up to 25W (with 30W+ adapter); Qi2 up to 15W; Qi up to 7.5W
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6
Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 (15W); Wireless PowerShare (4.5W)
Design2 specs
Weight
Apple iPhone 16
6.00 oz (170 g)Winner
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6
8.43 oz (239 g)
Dimensions
Apple iPhone 16
5.81" x 2.82" x 0.31" (147.6 x 71.6 x 7.80 mm)
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6
Unfolded: 6.04" x 5.22" x 0.22" (153.5 x 132.6 x 5.6 mm); Folded: 6.04" x 2.68" x 0.48" (153.5 x 68.1 x 12.1 mm)
Software1 specs
Operating System
Apple iPhone 16
iOS
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6
Android
Connectivity1 specs
Connectivity
Apple iPhone 16
5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) with 4x4 MIMO; Gigabit LTE; Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2x2 MIMO; Bluetooth 5.3; Ultra Wideband (Second-generation); Thread networking technology; NFC with reader mode
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6
5G (Sub6/mmWave); Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.3; NFC; UWB
+

Full specs, pros, and cons

Everything side-by-side with ratings and the full spec list.

Comparison: Apple iPhone 16 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6

Apple iPhone 16

Apple iPhone 16

4.8(219)Best Buy
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6

4.3(535)Amazon
Apple iPhone 16

Apple iPhone 16

Rating:4.8(219)Best Buy
Operating System:iOS
Software Support:Minimum 5 years from release date (guaranteed security updates); historically supports 6+ years of OS upgrades
Processor:Apple A18 (6-core CPU: 2 performance + 4 efficiency; 16-core Neural Engine)
Graphics:Apple 5-core GPU (A18)
RAM:8 GB
Storage:128GB / 256GB / 512GB (NVMe)
Display Size:6.1" (6.12" measured diagonally as a standard rectangle; actual viewable area is less)
Screen Type:Super Retina XDR OLED
Resolution:2556 x 1179 pixels (460 ppi)
Refresh Rate:60 Hz
Peak Brightness:1000 nits max (typical); 1600 nits peak (HDR); 2000 nits peak (outdoor); 1 nit minimum
Main Camera:48MP Fusion (26 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift optical image stabilization, 100% Focus Pixels, support for super-high-resolution photos (24MP and 48MP)
Ultra-Wide Camera:12MP Ultra Wide (13 mm, f/2.2, 120° field of view), 100% Focus Pixels, Macro photography support
Telephoto Camera:No dedicated telephoto lens; 12MP 2x Telephoto enabled by 48MP Fusion sensor (52 mm, f/1.6), sensor-shift OIS
Optical Zoom:0.5x, 1x, 2x optical-quality zoom steps (4x optical zoom range)
Digital Zoom:Up to 10x
Video Recording:4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps; Cinematic mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps; Action mode up to 2.8K at 60 fps
Front Camera:12MP TrueDepth (f/1.9), autofocus with Focus Pixels, 4K Dolby Vision at 24/25/30/60 fps
Battery:3561 mAh (Li-ion); Up to 22 hours video playback
Wired Charging:USB-C; Up to 50% charge in ~30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher
Wireless Charging:MagSafe up to 25W (with 30W+ adapter); Qi2 up to 15W; Qi up to 7.5W
Connectivity:5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) with 4x4 MIMO; Gigabit LTE; Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2x2 MIMO; Bluetooth 5.3; Ultra Wideband (Second-generation); Thread networking technology; NFC with reader mode
USB:USB-C connector with USB 2 speeds (up to 480 Mb/s); Native DisplayPort output
Durability:IP68 (maximum depth of 6 meters up to 30 minutes); Ceramic Shield front (latest generation); Aerospace-grade aluminum; Color-infused glass back
Dimensions:5.81" x 2.82" x 0.31" (147.6 x 71.6 x 7.80 mm)
Weight:6.00 oz (170 g)
Biometrics:Face ID
Extras:Apple Intelligence support; Camera Control button; Action button; Dynamic Island; Dual eSIM (US models); Emergency SOS via satellite; Crash Detection; Roadside Assistance via satellite

✓ Pros:

  • A18 chip with 8GB RAM specifically optimized for Apple Intelligence
  • 48MP Fusion camera enables optical-quality 2x telephoto crop
  • Added Macro photography support to the non-Pro lineup
  • MagSafe charging speed increased to 25W (requires 30W adapter)
  • New physical Camera Control and Action buttons added

✗ Cons:

  • Display limited to 60 Hz (no ProMotion 120 Hz)
  • USB-C port limited to USB 2.0 data transfer speeds (480 Mb/s)
  • No dedicated telephoto lens (zoom beyond 2x is digital)
  • Always-On display feature is omitted
  • No physical SIM tray in US models (eSIM only)

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6

Rating:4.3(535)Amazon
Operating System:Android
Software Support:7 generations of OS upgrades; 7 years of security updates
Processor:Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (SM8650-AC)
Graphics:Qualcomm Adreno 750 (1 GHz)
RAM:12GB LPDDR5X
Storage:256GB / 512GB / 1TB (UFS 4.0)
Display Size:7.6" Main (unfolded) + 6.3" Cover
Screen Type:Foldable Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X (Main); Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X (Cover)
Resolution:Main: 1856 x 2160 pixels (QXGA+); Cover: 968 x 2376 pixels (HD+)
Refresh Rate:1–120Hz Adaptive (Main and Cover)
Peak Brightness:2,600 nits (Peak, Main and Cover)
Main Camera:50MP Wide (f/1.8, 85° FOV), Dual Pixel AF, OIS
Ultra-Wide Camera:12MP Ultra-Wide (f/2.2, 123° FOV)
Telephoto Camera:10MP Telephoto (3x optical, f/2.4); PDAF, OIS
Optical Zoom:3x Optical Zoom
Digital Zoom:Up to 30x Space Zoom
Video Recording:8K@30fps, 4K@60fps
Front Camera:Cover: 10MP (f/2.2); Main Under-Display: 4MP (f/1.8)
Battery:4,400 mAh (Typical, Dual-cell)
Wired Charging:Up to 25W Super Fast Charging (Adapter sold separately)
Wireless Charging:Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 (15W); Wireless PowerShare (4.5W)
Connectivity:5G (Sub6/mmWave); Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax); Bluetooth 5.3; NFC; UWB
USB:USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 1
Durability:IP48 (Water resistant up to 1.5m; Protected against foreign objects >1mm, not dust tight); Armor Aluminum; Gorilla Glass Victus 2
Dimensions:Unfolded: 6.04" x 5.22" x 0.22" (153.5 x 132.6 x 5.6 mm); Folded: 6.04" x 2.68" x 0.48" (153.5 x 68.1 x 12.1 mm)
Weight:8.43 oz (239 g)
Biometrics:Side-mounted Fingerprint Sensor; Face Recognition
Extras:Galaxy AI; S Pen Support (Main screen only, sold separately); Samsung DeX

✓ Pros:

  • Refined design is thinner, lighter, and easier to hold than predecessors
  • Both Main and Cover displays hit a massive 2,600 nits peak brightness
  • Galaxy AI features are deeply integrated for productivity and translation
  • Class-leading 7-year software update commitment
  • IP48 rating provides verified water resistance and limited solid object ingress protection

✗ Cons:

  • Charging speed remains capped at 25W wired / 15W wireless
  • Camera hardware is largely unchanged from previous generation
  • Under-display camera (4MP) quality is still noticeably inferior to standard selfies
  • No integrated slot for the S Pen
  • IP48 is not fully dust-tight (sand/fine dust can still damage the hinge)

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Which one is better?

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 is the better buy for most people - its 7.6-inch display crushes the iPhone 16’s 6.1-inch screen. That said, grab the iPhone 16 if you want a more compact and lightweight device - it weighs 6.00oz compared to the Z Fold6's 8.43oz.

Who should buy each?

Choose the Apple iPhone 16 if: you prefer a compact design for everyday use, you want an optimized camera experience with 48MP capabilities, or you're invested in the Apple ecosystem.
Choose the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 if: you need a larger display for multitasking, you watch a lot of HDR content with its 2600 nits brightness, or you want a longer-lasting battery for extensive use.

Conclusion

We hope this comparison helps you buy with confidence. Both products are dependable; the right one depends on how you will use it.

Frequently Asked Questions

+Which has better value?

Apple iPhone 16 excels if you value a18 chip with 8gb ram specifically optimized for apple intelligence. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 is better if you prioritize refined design is thinner, lighter, and easier to hold than predecessors. Pick based on your budget and daily use.

+Is this an independent review?

Yes. We use affiliate links for monetization, but recommendations are research-driven and unbiased.

+Do newer models exist?

Check release timelines from the manufacturers and compare pricing before you buy. We refresh this page when major updates land.

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