There’s no doubting the fact that Samsung makes some of the best book-style folding phones around.
The latest Galaxy Z Fold 5 is its best effort yet, but there are still some key shortcomings – including that high price tag.
Its improvements compared to the Z Fold 4 were minor, so can we expect more wholesale changes on the upcoming Z Fold 6? Early rumours suggest that won’t be the case, but the device does look to be in line for a few upgrades.
When will the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 be released?
There are no concrete rumours regarding the Z Fold 6 release date at this stage. However, the timing of previous launches gives us a good idea what to expect:
Assuming Samsung sticks to the same rough schedule, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is likely to arrive in July or August 2024.
However, that’s only speculation and guesswork at this stage.
How much will the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 cost?
Pricing is often one of the last things to be revealed about a new product. So it should come as no surprise that there are no leaks or rumours about it yet.
However, the starting prices of previous generations serve as a useful guide:
As you can see, while pricing has remained consistent in the US, there’s been plenty of fluctuation in the UK.
It’d be a surprise to see it become even more expensive, but that might happen if significant upgrades are introduced.
What specs and features will the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 have?
Design & displays
Before the launch of the Z Fold 5, leaker Revegnus indicated that there’d be a change to the aspect ratio of the Z Fold 6’s cover display:
But no further details have been provided, so it’s unclear how this might change. We could see Samsung move away from its tall and narrow cover display to something more natural, perhaps mirroring what we’ve seen on the Google Pixel Fold or OnePlus Open.
However, there probably won’t be any big changes to the size of both displays. A 6.2-inch outer panel that opens to reveal a 7.6-inch internal screen makes sense, as does them both being 120Hz OLEDs.
The Z Fold 5 is IPX8 rated, meaning it can survive submersion in water but isn’t protected against dust. In July 2023, Samsung mobile head said (via BizWatch) that “due to the nature of foldables, there are many moving parts, so dust proofing is difficult”. But he went on to say “wait a little longer”, suggesting it might be ready in time for the release of the Galaxy Z Fold 6.
Performance
Given all previous Galaxy Z Fold’s used the latest and greatest Qualcomm chip at the time of launch, the Z Fold 6 is likely to be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
But could Samsung’s own Exynos chips be used in some markets? As Korean tech site The Elec first reported (via SamMobile), Qualcomm’s CEO has confirmed that the upcoming Galaxy S24 phones will be split between Snapdragon and Exynos. It’s possible the same could apply to the Z Fold 6.
All Z Fold 5 models have 12GB of RAM, and this is unlikely to increase. It’d also be a surprise to see any changes to the current storage options – 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB – or the introduction of microSD expansion.
Cameras
In another tweet, Revegnus suggested Samsung will persist with the Isocell GN3 main sensor from the Z Fold 5:
It also looks like the other sensors will be unchanged, if a tweet from IceUniverse is anything to go by:
Therefore, you can expect the same five lenses as the Z Fold 5: 50Mp main, 10Mp 3x telephoto, 12Mp ultrawide, 4Mp under-display inner screen selfie and 10mp cover selfie.
Battery & charging
The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2’s power efficiency benefitted battery life on the Z Fold 5, despite it remaining at the same 4400mAh as its predecessor.
It’s not yet clear if the capacity will be increased on the Z Fold 6, but the rumoured inclusion of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 should improve battery life further.
You can already get a full day of regular use on a single charge, but it’d be great if it could also last until the end of demanding days with lots of GPS, high brightness and mobile data.
The 25W wired charging could also be improved – the Z Fold 5 only charges to 28% in 15 minutes and 56% in 30 minutes.
Software
In terms of software, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will probably run on Android 14 with the Samsung’s One UI 6 overlay. The exclusive features that were specific to the Z Fold 5 are also expected to be available on the Galaxy Z Fold 6, and there may also be some new additions.
This is all the information we have at the moment, but please stay tuned as we will continue to update this article with more details. In the meantime, be sure to check out our guides to the best foldables and best Samsung Galaxy phones, plus news on the upcoming Z Flip 6.