Xiaomi MIX Flip Clash with Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: Challenge from the Underdog to the Crown Holder of Folding Phones

Xiaomi MIX Flip Clash with Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: Challenge from the Underdog to the Crown Holder of Folding Phones

In the unfolding revolution of foldable smartphones, Xiaomi has entered the fray with its latest offering, the MIX Flip. This device now faces off against a seasoned adversary, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6, now in its sixth-generation iteration. We've conducted an in-depth comparison of key factors to help consumers make an informed decision.

Our team of tech experts and house testers scrutinized product specs and performances to provide an unbiased analysis. Published on our site, here's a breakdown of the clash between the Xiaomi MIX Flip and Samsung's reigning flip-style champion, the Galaxy Z Flip6.

Design: A Tale of Finesse and Charm

The Xiaomi MIX Flip boasts a seductive design, characterized by pleasing lines and faultless craftsmanship. Its exterior screen, with animations that make it stand apart from competitors, lends a unique visual identity. Despite this stylish appeal, it falls slightly behind the Galaxy Z Flip6 in terms of compactness and comfort.

Samsung relies on proven aesthetics in the form of an elegant matte finish, clearly defined edges, and seamless camera integration. Its hinge is better integrated and maintains intermediate opening angles effectively. The crease remains discreet in both designs.

In terms of design, Samsung appears more refined than the Xiaomi MIX Flip, thanks to a better hinge and more compact feel (Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 wins in this category).

Connectivity: Quirks Abound

The Xiaomi MIX Flip supports 5G and Wi-Fi 7, though without the 6 GHz band. It lacks eSIM functionality and is limited to USB 2.0. Samsung, on the other hand, offers eSIM compatibility, fast USB 3.2 connectivity, Wi-Fi 6E (with the 6 GHz band), and Bluetooth 5.3—all slightly older than the MIX Flip's Bluetooth 5.4 but supporting Bluetooth LE Audio (with the LC3 codec and Auracast compatibility).

In the realm of connectivity, Samsung once again emerges as the more expansive option, offering eSIM and Wi-Fi 6E, complete with the 6 GHz band (Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 wins in this category).

Display: Screens to Savor

The Xiaomi MIX Flip features an internal AMOLED screen of 6.86 inches (1224 x 2912 pixels), equipped with LTPO technology for adaptive refresh rates between 1 and 120Hz. The 4-inch external display, though refreshed at 120Hz, lacks LTPO. The screens showcase excellent brightness, with measurements revealing a maximum around 1600 cd/m2.

With similar test protocols, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 came in with a DeltaE of 2.53 on the internal screen and 1.89 on the external part—though smaller and less defined than its competitor (720 x 748 pixels for 3.4 inches). This display doesn't prevent it from being very bright, with peaks measured at 1434 cd/m2 and 1614 cd/m2 for the internal panel.

Though display quality is commendable for both devices, the MIX Flip scores with a larger and, consequently, more defined external screen (Xiaomi MIX Flip wins in this category).

Performance: A Battle of Brawn and Artificial Intelligence

Both smartphones leverage the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, coupled with 12GB of RAM. The performance landscape is evenly matched, with the Galaxy Z Flip6 favoring integrated intelligent functions such as facilitating responses to messages, creating avatars, and advanced photo editing. Results on Geekbench 6 are closely matched, with scores of 2176 (single-core) and 6484 (multi-core) for the Xiaomi MIX Flip, and 2217 and 6575 for the Galaxy Z Flip6.

Regarding raw power and AI capabilities, the two devices appear virtually indistinguishable (no clear winner in this category).

Photography: Specialties Revealed

The photographic landscape is mixed for both manufacturers. The MIX Flip integrates a 50MP wide-angle lens and a 2x telephoto lens, fit for portraits but less suitable for long-distance shots. The 50MP wide-angle lens captures decent photos in optimal lighting conditions, with good detail and relatively honest color rendering. However, details suffer in low light, with smoothness and a tendency for images to lean orange. The "telephoto" is best utilized for portraits rather than distance shots, as the zoom lacks sufficient power for long-distance captures. Photos remain of good quality, but with excess texture smoothing, especially in low light.

The duo of sensors within the Z Flip6 makes the difference, with the wide-angle 50MP lens producing stunning photos in ideal conditions, complete with great detail and decent sharpness. Samsung's wide-angle tends to exhibit oversaturated colors, but a revised colorimetry ensures truer representations (Samsung wins in this category).

Battery Life: A Notable Feat

Battery life is a frequently cited weakness among foldable clamshell smartphones, but the Xiaomi MIX Flip breaks the mold. With a 4780 mAh battery, it clocks in at 28 hours and 41 minutes in a 4K video playback test. Charging is swift (67W), hitting 100% charge in just 52 minutes. The Galaxy Z Flip6, despite its 4000 mAh battery, only lasts 19 hours and 1 minute on the same video test and suffers from more extended charging times (25W, 1 hour and 23 minutes for a full charge).

The MIX Flip decisively emerges as the battery life champion (Xiaomi MIX Flip wins in this category).

Repairability: A Mixed Bag

The MIX Flip scores a 7.5 on the repairability index. Diving deeper into its repairability scorecard, it fares well with the provision of list 2 parts, scoring a perfect 10. The dismantling of these components also shows promise, with an 8.3 score for ease of disassembly. However, it lacks any water resistance certification.

The Galaxy Z Flip6 boasts a higher overall repairability score of 8, though it falters on the most crucial criteria. The availability of list 2 parts is rated at 9, but these parts are difficult to disassemble, according to a score of 1.7. Samsung excels in terms of list 1 part availability, ensuring consistent functionality of key components. Moreover, the foldable device boasts an IP48 certification, offering protection from dust penetration and immersion in fresh water for up to 30 minutes (Samsung wins in this category).

Quality-Price Ratio: A Hard Hit

Investing in the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 comes with a current price tag of €799 for a configuration boasting 12GB RAM and 512GB storage. This competitive price-to-quality ratio contrasts significantly with the Xiaomi MIX Flip, at €1303 for the same configuration. Although the MIX Flip excels with superior battery life, its 500+ euro pricing disparity fails to justify the expense.

With a more compact design, better display, and superior repairability, coupled with a significantly lower price (Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 wins in this category and overall). Samsung’s flip phone reigns supreme due to its price advantage, sleek design, richer connectivity, superior durability, and advanced AI integration. The Xiaomi MIX Flip remains a formidable choice thanks to its excellent battery life, fast charging, and larger external screen, though it struggles to justify its high price point.

1. In the foldable smartphone market, Xiaomi and Samsung are rivals with the Xiaomi MIX Flip and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6, respectively.
2. The Xiaomi MIX Flip has a distinctive design, featuring an exterior screen with unique animations, yet it falls behind in compactness compared to the Galaxy Z Flip6.
3. Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip6, on the other hand, offers an elegant matte finish, defined edges, and seamless camera integration, with a superior hinge and more compact feel.
4. In terms of connectivity, Samsung offers eSIM compatibility, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3, while Xiaomi supports 5G, Wi-Fi 7 (without the 6 GHz band), and Bluetooth 5.4.
5. Both smartphones feature AMOLED screens, but the MIX Flip has a larger and more defined external screen, whereas the Galaxy Z Flip6's internal panel offers better color accuracy.
6. Both devices are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 with 12GB of RAM, resulting in virtually identical performance landscapes.
7. The photographic capabilities of the Galaxy Z Flip6 surpass the MIX Flip, as its 50MP wide-angle lens captures more detailed and truer-to-life images.
8. Battery life is a notable strength of the Xiaomi MIX Flip, lasting up to 28 hours and 41 minutes in a 4K video playback test, compared to the Galaxy Z Flip6's 19 hours and 1 minute.
9. Repairability is mixed for both devices, with the Galaxy Z Flip6 scoring higher due to better water resistance and easier disassembly of certain components.
10. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 boasts a better quality-to-price ratio, costing €799 compared to the Xiaomi MIX Flip's €1303 for the same configuration.
11. In addition to its competition in the smartphone market, both devices also impact the broader tech landscape, including automotive, retail, and lifestyle sectors.
12. The overall winner between the two devices, in terms of design, connectivity, display, performance, photography, battery life, repairability, and quality-to-price ratio, is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6.
13. Despite Samsung's triumph overall, the Xiaomi MIX Flip remains an impressive device, particularly in terms of battery life, fast charging, and larger external screen, even though it struggles to justify its higher price point.

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