As we get deeper into 2024, it’s only a matter of time before Samsung unveils its next round of foldables. This should include the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and clamshell Galaxy Z Flip 6.
But what does Samsung have in store for the Galaxy Z Fold 6, specifically? From the rumored prices, specs, design, and more, here’s everything we know.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: release date
Going by the history of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold releases, we should expect the next generation of Samsung foldables sometime in the summer.
For example, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 was released on August 27, 2021. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 was released on August 25, 2022, and the latest Galaxy Z Fold 5 launched on August 11, 2023.
That said, it looks like we may see the Galaxy Z Fold 6 a little earlier than August this year. Samsung is expected to hold its next Galaxy Unpacked event sometime in the first two weeks of July. The likely date is July 10, according to recent reports.
The reason for an earlier-than-usual release date is that Samsung is looking to take advantage of marketing around the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris starting on July 26. The Galaxy Unpacked event could also be happening in Paris this year as well. The Galaxy Unpacked event will reveal the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6, along with the next generation of Galaxy Watch 7, Galaxy Watch Ultra, and Galaxy Ring.
It’s also been reported by SamMobile that Samsung customers in India are getting emails regarding a reservation date this week — June 26. This is a marketing tactic that Samsung often uses, and it’s like a preorder for a preorder, ensuring that those who are interested are in the queue for a device. These emails typically include some kind of perk to gauge your interest before even knowing what it is. No money down is required, and it’s easy to back out. We are not sure if this is a worldwide date, however, as it seems only India customers are getting it. But this would also corroborate with the announcement on July 10, as it would be two weeks from June 26.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: price
Foldables have never been very affordable, with prices that are typically around the $1,800 range. The Galaxy Z Fold 5, for example, starts at $1,800 for the base model (12GB/256GB) and goes up from there, with 512GB costing $1,920 and the 1TB version being an eye-watering $2,160.
However, this year may be different, as two different Galaxy Z Fold 6 models appear to be possible. Rumors have suggested that we may see a more expensive Galaxy Z Fold 6 “Ultra,” making the Galaxy Z Fold 6 a “cheaper” base model. Originally, it was believed the base Fold 6 model would be released without S Pen support, but now it’s likely it won’t come at all.
SmartPrix reported that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 may actually see a price increase of $100. That would mean that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 would be $1,899 for the 256GB model, $2,099 for the 512GB, and $2,259 for the 1TB. If that’s the case, and there is still an “Ultra” model coming, that would cost even more.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: design
A recent leak from Thinborne, a U.S.-based case manufacturer, reveals that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 could end up looking more similar to the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The CAD render shows a more angular design with sharper edges and a wider cover screen, essentially corresponding to previous leaks. The render also showed the traditional triple camera setup, along with thinner sides.
9to5Google received some Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 dummy unit photos from Sonny Dickson, which confirm what we’ve seen in earlier renders. These dummy units show off the sharper, boxier design as well as the camera changes. It’s very akin to what we already have with the S24 Ultra.
A leak from June seems to have spoiled most of the specs for the Galaxy Z Fold 6, including the screen sizes. With the Galaxy Z Fold 6, we’ll likely see a 7.6-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X inner display with 2160 x 1856 pixel resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. The outer display will feature a 6.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen with 2376 x 968 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. While previous rumors were indicating that the outer display would be a bit wider and less narrow than the previous models, this looks like it may no longer be the case. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 will have a 23:9 aspect ratio.
On February 28, leaker @OnLeaks teamed up with SmartPrix to share some design renders of the Galaxy Z Fold 6. From these particular renders, however, it looks like it still has a 6.3-inch cover display, a 7.6-inch inner display, and product dimensions of 153.5 mm by 132.5 mm by 6.1 mm when unfolded. This would make it slightly shorter and wider than the Galaxy Z Fold 5. Still, the OnLeaks render also contains one more interesting tidbit: the phone’s overall frame. It looks like the Galaxy Z Fold 6 series will have a frame with flat edges and sharper corners, similar to that of the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Leaker Chun Bhai also corroborates that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 may be wider but also thinner and lighter — just 11mm when folded.
However, with the report that there may be an “Ultra” version coming too, perhaps that one will have a larger external display.
One rumor about the Z Fold 6 Ultra came from Android Headlines, revealing that a Samsung phone with SM-F958N as its model number was spotted. For those unfamiliar, the number “8” at the end of the model typically indicates an Ultra edition of a Samsung phone. That’s the case with the S24 Ultra, which goes by model number SM-S928B.
Unfortunately, at this point, we don’t have any additional details about the Z Fold 6 Ultra, aside from the fact that it’ll be the first time Samsung has introduced an Ultra model to its folding phone lineup.
According to the original report by analyst Ross Young, the Z Fold 6 should launch with Dark Blue, Light Pink, and Silver color options. A more recent update from Young suggests that Dark Blue is now called Navy, and Silver will be called Silver Shadow. Finally, the phone will also get Crafted Black and White colorways. That will give buyers a total of five color options for the Z Fold 6 and seven for the Z Flip 6.
It’s also likely that there won’t be an S Pen slot, but with the possibility of a more expensive Ultra version, that could also change.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: specs
Samsung released the S24 lineup — which includes the S24, S24 Plus, and S24 Ultra — at the end of January. These phones come with the latest chip from Qualcomm, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
It’s a good assumption that we will see Samsung implement the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip into the Galaxy Z Fold 6 series as well. The Galaxy Z Fold tends to get an annual chip upgrade, and with the S24 series already using the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, that’s probably what the Z Fold and Z Flip will get, too.
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip is the latest and greatest for Android phones, and Qualcomm has once again partnered up with Samsung for these chips that are optimized for Galaxy devices. That means they’re slightly overclocked for optimal performance and power efficiency.
SmartPrix’s June report also told us the storage and RAM options for the Galaxy Z Fold 6. Along with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, we can expect to see the Galaxy Z Fold 6 come with 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options with 12GB RAM. A Geekbench score has already been spotted, with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 beating out the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
There is one surprising leak for the Z Fold 6 and that’s to do with Wi-Fi. When the Fold 6 received FCC approval in the U.S., SamMobile discovered Wi-Fi 7 certification was missing from the phone’s document. It was also omitted from the Z Flip 6. It’s not confirmed, but this may mean that neither device will have Wi-Fi 7, which would be a shame since it offers faster data speeds and lower latency for streaming, gaming, and AR/VR. That said, Wi-Fi 7 routers aren’t very widespread yet, so you likely won’t miss the omission too much unless you just upgraded.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: cameras
As far as cameras go, there is some contradictory information.
It’s very likely that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will have the same triple-camera setup that is on the current Z Fold 5. This means a 50MP main camera, 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical and 30x digital zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide camera. The lenses will have autofocus and optical image stabilization (OIS). For the selfie cameras, the inner display will have a 4MP lens and the cover display will be 10MP.
Originally, Revegnus claimed in his tweet regarding aspect ratio that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 would use the same image sensor as the Z Fold 5. But a more recent leak he posted claims that Samsung could be using the same camera sensor that is found in the S24 Ultra. That could mean an upgrade to a 200MP main camera.
Again, these leaks are contradictory, but they could also be true if Samsung is going with a Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra. The Ultra variant could get a 200MP camera, while the base version gets the same cameras as the Z Fold 5.
Exclusive: This is the camera detail design of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6. pic.twitter.com/CqisaLNBAa
— ICE UNIVERSE (@UniverseIce) May 21, 2024
A new leak from Ice Universe has shown the first real close-up image of what’s supposedly the rear camera of the Galaxy Z Fold 6. The camera seems to be significantly different from the Z Fold 5 camera array, suggesting that the previous leaks about a camera change — likely to the aforementioned 200MP primary sensor — were true.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: battery life
There aren’t a lot of leaks regarding the battery that will be in the Galaxy Z Fold 6, but we do have a little bit of information. Currently, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 has a 4,400mAh battery with 25W wired, 15W wireless, and 4.5W reverse wireless charging speeds.
It looks like the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will have a slightly larger battery at 4,600mAh. And when combined with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip’s power efficiency, which is evident with the S24 series, it should look pretty good for battery life. There are no specifications on the charging speeds, however, but we can probably assume it’s similar to its predecessor.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: software and updates
It’s safe to assume that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will come with Android 14, with at least One UI 6.1 layered on top. Since Samsung also launched its Galaxy AI suite of AI-powered tools with the S24, there’s a good chance that those features will be available on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 as well.
Starting with the S24 series, Samsung promises seven years of Android updates for its phones. That means if the Z Fold 6 ships with Android 14, there’s a very good chance it will be upgradable to Android 21. Of course, since this is a foldable, the durability levels aren’t quite the same as a slab phone like the S24 line. Still, long-term software support should be a pretty safe bet.
