Head to head

iPhone 16 vs Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 leads 9 to 3 on the 12 rankable specs, but iPhone 16 costs $300 less.

Catalog as of September 1, 2026

Why, in numbers

Weight: iPhone 16 lists 170 g (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02); Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 lists 187 g (6.6 oz) (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02).
Size: iPhone 16 lists 6.1 inches (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02); Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 lists 6.7 inches inner / 3.4 inches cover (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02).
Chipset: iPhone 16 lists Apple A18 (3 nm) (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02); Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 lists Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (4 nm) (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02).
RAM: iPhone 16 lists 8 GB (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02); Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 lists 12GB (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02).
Max optical zoom: iPhone 16 lists 2x optical quality crop (10x digital) (Apple sheet, 2026-09-02); Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 lists 2x in-sensor zoom (10x digital) (Samsung sheet, 2026-09-02).

Manufacturer list price, not a live offer. Confirm current pricing before you buy.

Buying for

Every rankable spec counts once. Pick a lens to score only what matters for your phone.

Your devices

Select your ecosystem to flag non-functional features or platform lock-in.

Straight answer

Overall: 3 to 9

Buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6.

Leads 9 of 12 rankable overall specs; iPhone 16 takes 3.
Size: 6.7 inches inner / 3.4 inches cover vs 6.1 inches
RAM: 12GB vs 8 GB
iPhone 16 is $300 cheaper. Pay the difference only if size matters to you.

Check first: the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 is not IP68. Tick them under deal-breakers if that rules it out.

3 iPhone 1612 rankable of 48 specsSamsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 9

Deal-breakers

tick what would make you walk away

No stylusrow
No pen input for handwritten notes or markup.
Trips:iPhone 16 · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 · No
No headphone jackrow
Wired headphones need a USB-C dongle.
Trips:iPhone 16 · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 · No
No charger in the boxrow
Budget another $20 to $40 for a fast charger.
Trips:iPhone 16 · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 · No
60 Hz screenrow
Scrolling looks noticeably less smooth than a 120 Hz rival.
Trips:iPhone 16 · 60 HzClear:Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 · 120 Hz inner
Not IP68row
Less dust and water protection than an IP68 rival.
Clear:iPhone 16 · IP68 (6 m / 30 min)Trips:Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 · IP48 water & particle resistant
No microSD slotrow
Storage is fixed at what you buy.
Trips:iPhone 16 · NoTrips:Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 · No

At a glance

The handful of numbers that decide most purchases in this category.

6 of 6 differ

Weight

Apple

170 g

Samsung

187 g (6.6 oz)

Size

Apple

6.1 inches

Samsung

6.7 inches inner / 3.4 inches cover

Chipset≠

Apple

Apple A18 (3 nm)

Samsung

Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (4 nm)

RAM

Apple

8 GB

Samsung

12GB

Max optical zoom≠

Apple

2x optical quality crop (10x digital)

Samsung

2x in-sensor zoom (10x digital)

Capacity

Apple

3,561 mAh

Samsung

4,000 mAh

True 3-Year Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Upfront price + 3 years of consumables, fees & essential add-ons

iPhone 16

Upfront list price$799

Essential add-ons (20W USB-C charging brick (no charger in box))+$29

3-Year Estimated Total$828

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6

Upfront list price$1,099

3-Year Estimated Total$1,099

Pocket, Palm & Desk Usability Check

One-handed reachability, pocket weight, and table wobble when typing without a case.

Ergonomic & Spatial Check

One-Handed Palm Reach

Widths under 72mm allow thumb access to opposite screen edges without shifting grip.

Apple

6.1" display with 71.6mm width (easy one-handed thumb reach)

Samsung

Standard smartphone width

Desk Typing Table Wobble

Horizontal visor cameras sit flat on desks without annoying rocking while typing.

Apple

Vertical pill camera bump causes minor tilt on flat surfaces

Samsung

Corner camera bump causes minor wobble

Pocket Weight & Heft

Apple

170g (featherweight in pocket)

Samsung

Standard phone weight

The 90-Day Owner Regret Check

Documented ergonomic quirks, hardware annoyances, and maintenance realities reported by real owners.

Post-Purchase Truths

Apple: What to watch for

Hidden Cost
No wall charging adapter included in the retail box.
Packaging contains only a Type-C cable; high-speed wall charging bricks must be purchased separately if you do not already own one.

Samsung: What to watch for

Hidden Cost
No wall charging adapter included in the retail box.
Packaging contains only a Type-C cable; high-speed wall charging bricks must be purchased separately if you do not already own one.

iPhone 16$7993 wins

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6$1,0999 wins

Body Display Platform Memory Rear camera Front camera Battery & charging Audio Connectivity Features

43 of 48 attributes differ. Identical rows are dimmed.

Body

leads 1-0

Body specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6.
Dimensions	147.6 × 71.6 × 7.8 mm	Unfolded: 165.1 × 71.9 × 6.9 mm / Folded: 85.1 × 71.9 × 14.9 mm
Weight	170 g (wins this row: lower)	187 g (6.6 oz)
Build	Ceramic Shield front, color-infused glass back, aluminum frame	Armor Aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus 2, plastic inner screen
Water / dust rating	IP68 (6 m / 30 min)	IP48 water & particle resistant
Colors	Black, White, Pink, Teal, Ultramarine	Silver Shadow, Yellow, Blue, Mint, Crafted Black
Stylus	No	No

Display

leads 5-1

Display specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6.
Type	Super Retina XDR OLED	Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X inner / Super AMOLED cover
Size	6.1 inches	6.7 inches inner / 3.4 inches cover (wins this row: higher)
Resolution	1179 × 2556	2640 × 1080 inner / 720 × 748 cover (wins this row: higher)
Pixel density	~460 ppi (wins this row: higher)	426 ppi inner / 306 ppi cover
Refresh rate	60 Hz	120 Hz inner (1–120Hz) / 60 Hz cover (wins this row: higher)
Peak brightness	2,000 nits outdoor / 1,000 nits typical	2,600 nits inner / 1,600 nits cover (wins this row: higher)
HDR	Dolby Vision, HDR10, HLG	HDR10+
Protection	Latest-generation Ceramic Shield	Gorilla Glass Victus 2 (outer) / UTG (inner)
Always-on display	No	Yes (wins this row: has it)

Platform

5 differences

Platform specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6.
Operating system	iOS 18	Android 14 (One UI 6.1.1)
Software support	Typically 6+ years of major iOS versions	7 years of OS and security upgrades
Chipset	Apple A18 (3 nm)	Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy (4 nm)
CPU	6-core (2 performance + 4 efficiency)	8-core (1× 3.39GHz Cortex-X4 + 5× Cortex-A720 + 2× Cortex-A520)
GPU	5-core Apple GPU	Adreno 750 (1 GHz)

Memory

leads 2-0

Memory specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6.
RAM	8 GB	12GB (wins this row: higher)
Storage	128 GB NVMe	256 GB (wins this row: higher)
Storage options	128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB	256 GB / 512 GB
microSD	No	No

Rear camera

leads 1-0

Rear camera specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6.
Main	48 MP Fusion, f/1.6, 26 mm, sensor-shift OIS, 2x in-sensor zoom	50 MP, f/1.8, 23 mm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS (wins this row: higher)
Ultrawide	12 MP with Macro photography, f/2.2, 13 mm, 120°	12 MP, f/2.2, 123° FOV
Telephoto	None (2x optical-quality crop from main sensor)	No dedicated telephoto (2x in-sensor crop)
Max optical zoom	2x optical quality crop (10x digital)	2x in-sensor zoom (10x digital)
Stabilization	Sensor-shift OIS on main camera	Yes (OIS on main camera)
Video	4K 24/25/30/60 fps Dolby Vision, Spatial video capture	4K 30/60 fps, 1080p 60/120/240 fps, HDR10+

Front camera

leads 1-0

Front camera specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6.
Selfie camera	12 MP TrueDepth with autofocus, f/1.9 (wins this row: higher)	10 MP inner selfie, f/2.2, 23 mm
Selfie video	4K 60 fps Dolby Vision	4K 30/60 fps

Battery & charging

leads 1-0

Battery & charging specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6.
Capacity	3,561 mAh	4,000 mAh (wins this row: higher)
Wired chargingNot on the official sheet	~20–25 W USB-C	25 W wired fast charging
Wireless charging	MagSafe up to 25 W, Qi2	15 W Fast Wireless Charging 2.0
Reverse wireless	No	4.5 W Wireless PowerShare
Charger in box	No	No

Audio

1 differences

Audio specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6.
Speakers	Stereo speakers	Stereo speakers tuned by AKG
Headphone jack	No	No

Connectivity

5 differences

Connectivity specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6.
Cellular	5G (sub-6 + mmWave)	5G (sub-6 + mmWave, region-dependent)
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 7	Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.3
NFC	Yes (Apple Pay)	Yes (Samsung Pay / Google Wallet)
USB	USB-C 2.0 (480 Mbps)	USB-C 3.2 Gen 1
SIM	eSIM (US) / nano-SIM + eSIM	Nano-SIM and eSIM

Features

3 differences

Features specifications. Middle column is iPhone 16, right column is Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6.
Biometrics	Face ID	Side-mounted fingerprint scanner, 2D face recognition
Extra controls	Action Button, Camera Control	FlexMode half-fold camera & app controls
Standout features	Dynamic Island, Apple Intelligence, Spatial audio and video capture	Galaxy AI (Live Translate, Interpreter, Photo Assist, Circle to Search), FlexWindow widgets

Most rows are from the official spec sheet. Marked rows are other published figures or our summary, not lab tests we ran.

iPhone 16 source Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 source

Which one should you buy

Pick this one if

iPhone 16

Standard flagship featuring A18 chip, Camera Control button, Action button, and 48MP Fusion camera.

Powerful Apple A18 processor built for Apple Intelligence
Camera Control button and Action button included on standard tier
Vibrant saturated color-infused back glass designs

What you give up

Display still restricted to 60Hz refresh rate
No dedicated optical telephoto camera lens

Full iPhone 16 specs →

Pick this one if

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6

Pocketable clamshell foldable phone with 3.4-inch outer screen, 50MP camera, and Galaxy AI.

Compact folding design with useful 3.4-inch FlexWindow outer display
Upgraded 50MP main sensor and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy
7 years of Android OS and security upgrades

What you give up

Display crease is visible and felt along the fold
No dedicated telephoto lens (2x crop zoom only)

Full Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 specs →

Best for each use

Photos

Camera first: zoom reach, sensors, stabilisation and video

Tied on photos. iPhone 16 is cheaper.

The 2 rankable photos specs split 1 to 1.
Saves $300 at list price.

Battery & updates

All-day battery, fast top-ups and years of software support

Too close to call on battery & updates from the spec sheets. Only capacity is rankable here.

Wired charging: ~20–25 W USB-C vs 25 W wired fast charging
Wireless charging: MagSafe up to 25 W, Qi2 vs 15 W Fast Wireless Charging 2.0

Games & video

Games and streaming: chip, refresh rate, brightness, speakers

For games & video, buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6.

Leads 4 of 4 rankable games & video specs.
RAM: 12GB vs 8 GB
Size: 6.7 inches inner / 3.4 inches cover vs 6.1 inches
iPhone 16 is $300 cheaper. Pay the difference only if ram matters to you.

Every answer above is scored from published figures. A lens uses only the rows that matter for that use, including marked rows that are not on the official sheet. Switch lenses interactively in the panel above.

Done deciding?

Open the full standalone spec sheet for either device.

iPhone 16 spec sheet Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 spec sheet

Manufacturer pages: iPhone 16 ↗ · Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 ↗

Common questions

Which is cheaper, the iPhone 16 or the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6?

iPhone 16 costs $300 less at list price.

What is the biggest catch with the iPhone 16 or Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6?

Both has this deal-breaker: no stylus. No pen input for handwritten notes or markup.

Which is better for photos, the iPhone 16 or the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6?

Tied on photos. iPhone 16 is cheaper. The 2 rankable photos specs split 1 to 1. Saves $300 at list price.

What cannot be compared from spec sheets?

Of the 48 specs tracked here, 36 are descriptive and cannot be ranked on numbers alone. Spec sheets also cannot measure subjective factors like build quality, real-world performance, or comfort.

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