Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: All the rumors so far
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 rumors are heating up as we get closer to what could be a sooner launch than in previous years. And while we're not expecting a huge leap for Samsung's flagship foldable, there's a number of rumored upgrades that could put this device at the top of our best foldable phones list.
The new Galaxy Z Fold 6 is tipped to feature a wider yet thinner design, as well as a new "Ironfllex" display panel that should be more durable. You can also expect the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, which should bring better performance and longer battery life, and all the same Galaxy AI features on the Galaxy S24 series.
Here's all the Galaxy Z Fold 6 rumors so far.
SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FOLD 6: LATEST NEWS (UPDATE APRIL 1)
- A recent leak has stated that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will be slimmer than ever before
- A new leak points to a specific model number for a possible Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra.
- Samsung’s first foldable to embrace titanium could arrive later this year.
- The Galaxy Z Fold 6 launch could come sooner this year due to the Olympics, possibly in July going by alleged production schedules.
- You might be able to buy the Galaxy Z Fold 6 in light pink, dark blue or silver
- 360-degree video of Z Fold 6 leaks showing off its size unfolded.
SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FOLD 6: PRICE AND RELEASE DATE
While the Galaxy Z Fold series has come down in price a little since the original $1,980 model, we wouldn't expect anything too dramatic this year.
The technology is still expensive, even with cheaper production methods, and rival tablet-style foldables like Google’s Pixel Fold don’t seem to be in a rush to drive MSRPs down either. Something in the $1,699 to $1,799 range seems likely.
That said, there has been consistent talk of a cheaper version in the works in the same vein as Samsung's "fan edition" smartphones like the Galaxy S23 FE. A theoretical Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE with cut-back specs and no S Pen support might cut the price further We’ll have to wait and see.
The release date can be discussed with a bit more confidence. The past three Galaxy Z Fold devices have all been released in August, though they may be announced a little earlier. The Galaxy Unpacked revealing the Z Fold 5 was in late July for an August 11 release. However, there's a rumor alluding to an earlier launch to beat out the summer Olympic games — possibly July 10. And since Samsung's allegedly starting production of the Galaxy Z Fold 6's parts early, this is looking more likely.
SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FOLD 6: DESIGN
Last April, before the Z Fold 5 was even official, the leaker Revegnus claimed that there would be a “major form factor change starting with the Fold 6.”
Now, renders created by XLeaks7 for Pigtou reveal what that might mean in practice. Essentially, the Z Fold 6 looks set to get a far thinner design than its predecessor, while embracing a wider aspect ratio on its cover screen (backed up by later leaks).
While Samsung is clearly working on patents to have a dockable S Pen, like that found on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, renders of the phone don’t show it, so that may have to wait for a future generation.
However, one thing the Galaxy Z Fold 6 may have in common with the Galaxy S24 Ultra is titanium sides. This would make the new Z Fold look more premium as well as decrease the weight slightly and increase durability, but it could mean the Galaxy Z Fold 6 costs more as a result.
Overall though, the design looks mostly similar to previous Galaxy Z Fold models. Unlike the rumored triple-folding phone that Samsung may also release this year.
A recent leak has given us several high-definition renders, as well as a 360-degree video, of the Galaxy Z Fold 6. It appears that it will be smaller than the prior Galaxy Z Fold 5, but will have a wider screen overall. Otherwise, it appears that the next generation of the Galaxy Z Fold will look very similar to Samsung's other products.
For colors, we could see light pink, dark blue and silver as the three main options for the Galaxy Z Fold 6. These sound quite a bit more fun than previous Z Folds, which have tended to have more subtle colors to choose from.
A recent post from IceUniverse has revealed the apparent weight and size of the Galaxy Z Fold 6. The phone should have an unfolded thickness of 5.6mm and a folded thickness of 12.1mm. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 was 6.1mm and 13.4mm in its folded and unfolded state, which means we are getting a slimmer phone this year.
SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FOLD 6: DISPLAY
That said, we might have a more robust foldable. Samsung appears to have trademarked the term “Ironflex,” which refers to a “foldable OLED display panel.” What this means in practice remains to be seen, and it’s possibly just a branding exercise, but making foldables less vulnerable to the bumps and dings of everyday life would certainly be welcome.
It's tipped that the Z Fold 6 is in store for a major redesign, one that could change how it's held by adopting a squarish aspect ratio similar to the OnePlus Open with its inner screen. As a result, the narrow cover screen of past Z Folds will be stretched out a bit more.
If that wasn’t all, a new leak suggests that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will be getting a bit of a design refresh. According to Ice Universe on Twitter/X, the phone will offer a wider design and more pointed edges — closer to a true 90-degree angle. The outer display may also be increasing from 6.2 inches on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 to 6.4 inches.
SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FOLD 6: CAMERAS
As for the cameras, all signs point to no significant changes — at least in the hardware. Back in October, Revegnus posted on X that Samsung will continue to use the GN3 sensor for the Fold 6 with a switch coming in the 2025 handset.
Meanwhile, Ice Universe added that the camera “is the same as Fold4 and Fold5, that’s for sure.”
SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FOLD 6: PERFORMANCE
A new generation of foldables means a new generation of processors. And it would be astonishing if that didn’t mean the Z Fold 6 adopting the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy as used on the S24 range. One source has claimed this will be the case, though as with the S24, there's a small change this could be replaced with the Exynos 2400 chip in regions outside of North America. This didn't happen with previous Z Fold models however.
The Z Fold 5 currently has 12GB RAM and ships with either 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of internal storage. Given the S24 Ultra didn’t advance on either of these, it’s unlikely that the Z Fold 6 will either.
But with the Samsung Galaxy S24 embracing AI and the Galaxy Z Fold 6 set to pack the same processor, it would be very surprising if the foldable didn't have the same tricks up its sleeve. That means the ability to translate phone calls on the fly, summarize documents and edit pictures with ease, amongst other things.
SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FOLD 6: ULTRA MODEL
Samsung could also be working on one other foldable, a more premium version that's reportedly a Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra. Tipster Max Jambor posted on X three model designations relating to the Z series: "Q6" referring to the Z Fold 6, "B6" as the Z Flip 6, and a "Q6a" model.
The latter could be an Ultra model of the foldable, which would be an interesting addition give how Samsung could borrow some of the Galaxy S24 Ultra's unique features — like a titanium frame, S Pen, and perhaps a larger 200MP camera. Details about this Ultra model are still scarce, but we imagine that pricing concerns would be a major factor as to whether or not it comes to fruition.
A separate Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra leak points to a specific model number for this new model, but it could be a limited release.
SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FOLD 6: OUTLOOK
It's early days for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, but what we've heard so far sounds like a set of solid, if iterative, updates.
Whether that's enough to get people to buy one over the soon-to-be reduced previous generation is another matter. A lot depends on how significant the AI tricks turn out to be in everyday use, and whether Samsung has some big upgrade that we’re yet to hear about. A lot can change in six months, after all.
