If you’re torn between Samsung’s latest foldable flip phones and wondering which one captures better photos, you’re not alone. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Z Flip 6 might look nearly identical on paper, but there are some surprising differences when you actually put their cameras to the test.
Here’s what you need to know about how these two flip phones perform in real-world photography scenarios, based on extensive testing across different shooting conditions.
Same Hardware, Different Results
Before diving into the photo comparisons, here’s something that might surprise you: both phones have identical camera hardware. We’re talking about the same 50MP main camera, 12MP ultrawide lens, and 10MP selfie camera. Even the apertures are identical across both devices.
So why do the photos look different? It all comes down to image processing. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 benefits from Samsung’s updated ProVisual Engine, which essentially acts like a smarter brain behind the camera, making decisions about how to process and enhance your shots.
Camera Specs at a Glance
- Main Camera: 50MP with f/1.8 aperture (both phones)
- Ultrawide: 12MP with f/2.2 aperture (both phones)
- Selfie Camera: 10MP with f/2.2 aperture (both phones)
- Video Recording: Up to 4K at 60fps (both phones)
Daytime Photography: The Z Flip 7 Shows Its Strength
When shooting in bright daylight conditions, both phones capture excellent detail and sharpness. License plates, pavement textures, and street signs all come through clearly on both devices.
However, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 demonstrates its improved processing in subtle but meaningful ways. The newer phone does a better job of bringing out details in shadowy areas, particularly in tree backgrounds and darker sections of outdoor scenes. While the Z Flip 6 leaves these areas looking underexposed, the Z Flip 7 brightens them just enough to reveal more texture and detail.
This improvement might seem minor, but it makes a real difference when you’re taking photos of outdoor scenes with mixed lighting conditions.
Ultrawide and Color Performance: Mostly Even
Ultrawide Shots
When switching to the ultrawide cameras, both phones perform nearly identically. The field of view, detail capture, and overall image quality are so close that most people would struggle to tell the difference. The only minor variation comes down to color temperature, with both phones producing slightly warm tones that look pleasing.
Color Accuracy
Testing color reproduction with vibrant yellow flowers revealed interesting differences. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 tends to boost saturation slightly more than its successor, making colors pop a bit more dramatically. However, the Z Flip 7 produces more true-to-life tones that better represent what you actually see with your eyes.
If you prefer more vibrant, Instagram-ready colors straight out of the camera, you might lean toward the Z Flip 6. But for more natural-looking photos, the Z Flip 7 takes the lead.
Selfie Quality: An Unexpected Winner
Here’s where things get interesting, and not in the way you might expect. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 actually produces sharper, more detailed selfies than the newer Z Flip 7.
The reason has nothing to do with camera quality and everything to do with design choices. Samsung applies a screen protector to both phones, but there’s a crucial difference: the Z Flip 7’s screen protector covers the selfie camera, while the Z Flip 6’s protector cuts around it.
This means the Z Flip 6’s selfie camera has a clearer view, resulting in sharper self-portraits with better detail around facial features. It’s a small but noticeable difference that might matter if selfies are important to your phone usage.
Portrait Mode: Where Processing Makes a Difference
Portrait mode showcases the Galaxy Z Flip 7’s improved image processing algorithms most clearly. Both phones apply background blur effects, but they handle it very differently.
The Z Flip 6 applies blur in a more linear, uniform way – it detects the subject and blurs everything else equally. While this works, it doesn’t look entirely natural.
The Z Flip 7 takes a more sophisticated approach, applying variable blur that mimics how real camera lenses work. Areas like camera straps or shoulders get slightly less blur than distant backgrounds, creating a more realistic depth-of-field effect that looks more professional.
Zoom Performance: Clear Improvements
Neither phone includes a dedicated telephoto lens, but both can produce decent zoomed shots using digital processing.
2x Zoom
At 2x magnification, both phones maintain good detail in foreground subjects. However, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 does noticeably better with background elements, keeping them sharp and clear while the Z Flip 6 sometimes renders them soft or blurry.
10x Zoom
Push to the maximum 10x zoom level, and the differences become more pronounced. The Z Flip 7 produces text that’s more legible, chain-link fences that look crisper, and concrete textures that appear sharper. While neither phone excels at extreme zoom levels, the Z Flip 7 clearly handles the processing challenge better.
Low Light: The Biggest Improvement
Low-light photography shows the most dramatic difference between these two flip phones. Both devices perform impressively well in dark conditions – much better than you might expect from foldable phones.
However, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 significantly outperforms its predecessor in several key areas:
- Detail preservation: Tree branches, leaves, and building textures remain sharper and more defined
- Exposure balance: Better handling of mixed lighting situations with both bright and dark areas
- Noise reduction: Cleaner images with less grain in shadow areas
If you frequently take photos in restaurants, bars, or outdoor evening settings, this improvement alone might justify choosing the Z Flip 7.
The Bottom Line: Should You Upgrade?
The Galaxy Z Flip 7 wins this camera comparison, but the victory comes with important context. The improvements are primarily software-based and relatively subtle. While the newer phone consistently produces better results, the differences aren’t dramatic enough to revolutionize your photography experience.
Choose the Galaxy Z Flip 7 if:
- You want the latest image processing improvements
- Low-light photography is important to you
- You appreciate more natural color reproduction
- The larger external display appeals to you for selfies and vlogs
Stick with the Galaxy Z Flip 6 if:
- You’re happy with your current camera performance
- The improvements don’t justify the upgrade cost
- You prefer slightly more saturated colors
- You take lots of selfies (due to the clearer camera design)
The camera improvements in the Galaxy Z Flip 7 are real and measurable, but they’re evolutionary rather than revolutionary. For most users currently using a Z Flip 6, waiting for the next generation might make more financial sense unless other new features strongly appeal to you.