Samsung has more or less mastered the foldable phone at this point, so much so that despite looking very similar to its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 still earned a score of 4.5 stars in our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 review . So it's likely that the next model – the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 – will also be a very good phone.
We hope to see bigger changes at the next Fold, though, and if you jump to the second half of this article you'll find a list of exactly what we want to see.
But first, we've rounded up all the leaks and rumors about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 so far, and you'll find them below. These include information about the possible release date and price, as well as some rumors about specifications and features.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? Samsung's next flagship is foldable
- When is it out? Probably July or August 2024
- How much is it? Likely to start at $1,799.99 / £1,749 / AU$2,599
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: release date and price
There are no rumors yet about the release date of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, but Samsung launches these phones annually, with the last three models all going on sale in August of their respective release years.
Two of these were also announced in August, but the most recent – the Z Fold 5 – was unveiled in late July. So it's hard to say whether the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will be announced in July or August 2024, but we would still expect one or the other; and it will likely go on sale before the end of August.
For reference, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 starts at $1,799.99 / £1,749 / AU$2,599, so it's likely the Z Fold 6 will cost at least that much.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: news and leaks
We first heard of a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 leak back in April, long before the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 had even launched. This came from a leak @Tech_Revewhich has a decent track record, claiming that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will see a “major form factor change.”
They later got more specific and said that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 will change the aspect ratio of the cover screen. They didn't say what kind of change, but the Z Fold line has so far had a very narrow cover screen compared to big names like the Oppo Find N2 and Google Pixel Fold, so it would make sense to widen it.
This would produce something that looks more like a normal phone screen, and a second source has now said something similar. That doesn't mean it's been confirmed yet, but it seems more likely.
It's actually a change that Samsung confirmed to Ny Breaking was directly in trial during the development of the Galaxy Z Fold 5, but during our time with the design team in South Korea for the 2023 Fold's launch the company told us that the design team stuck with the relatively narrow form factor of its predecessors because they believed it offered the best “usability, grip and portability”.
That said, the same post suggesting a revised aspect ratio for the Fold 6 claims that the phone will use the same image sensor as the Z Fold 5. However, it's not clear if they're just talking about one camera here (in which case probably the most important) or all of them.
The disappointing aspect of the Fold 6 is that it uses the same image sensor as the Fold 5. The main update to the Fold 6 is the change in the aspect ratio of the external display. https://t.co/RVp454lNbwJune 20, 2023
We have since heard more specifically from another source that all cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will be the same as those on the Z Fold 5.
For reference, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 has a 50MP main camera, a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom and a 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera, as well as a 10MP camera on the cover screen and a 4MP under-display camera on the foldable screen. screen. So some or all of these may remain the same on the Z Fold 6.
We've also heard that, in addition to a new aspect ratio for the cover screen, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 may have a larger cover screen than its predecessor. We don't know how much bigger, but for reference, the Z Fold 5 is 6.2 inches.
Finally, Samsung itself has said that it is working on making its foldable phones dustproof. So that's a feature that may end up in the Galaxy Z Fold 6, although the company hasn't committed to it.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: what we want to see
As good as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is, it's also a pretty conservative upgrade, so we'd like to see the next bigger changes with the Galaxy Z Fold 6.
1. A wider cover screen
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 has a 6.2-inch cover display, giving you access to a screen the size of a smartphone when the foldable display is closed. But this is a much narrower screen than you'd find on a typical smartphone, making it harder to use and not displaying apps as elegantly.
That is why we want a wider cover screen for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. This shouldn't be too difficult, as other foldable phones like the Google Pixel Fold have achieved this. It could also happen, as the cover screen aspect ratio is rumored to change.
2. Same cameras as the S24 Ultra
The Z Fold 5 has the same camera hardware as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, which is disappointing, especially since even when the Z Fold 4 launched, those weren't the best cameras on a Samsung phone.
What we'd really like – especially considering how expensive the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is sure to be – is for it to have the same rear camera setup as the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, which in its former form will likely be the best camera. phone that Samsung will offer in 2024.
For reference, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a 200MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide angle, a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom and a 10MP periscope with 10x optical zoom. So we kind of want that, with whatever changes or upgrades the S24 Ultra brings to the mix.
3. Includes an S Pen
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 supports Samsung's S Pen stylus, but it is not included. Instead, you have to buy an S Pen separately.
That's a shame considering how expensive the Z Fold 5 is, and especially because Samsung throws in a stylus with the Galaxy S23 Ultra and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 line. So we'd like to see Samsung add this to the Galaxy Z Fold 6.
4. Dust resistance
Samsung's best foldable phones are water-resistant, but not dust-resistant, meaning there's a risk of dust and other small particles interfering with the phone's intricate hinge mechanism.
Dust resistance is a standard feature on high-end non-folding handsets, so we'd really like to see this become a standard feature on foldable phones too, although it's understandably harder to achieve given all the moving parts.
Still, Motorola has managed it with the Motorola Razr 2023 and Motorola Razr Plus (also known as the Razr 40 Ultra outside the US), and it's something Samsung says it's working on, so there's a chance we'll see this with the Samsung will get Galaxy Z Fold 6.
5. No more folds
One problem that all foldable phones experience to varying degrees is a crease in the screen, which you can both see and feel.
This is a seemingly inevitable side effect of having a screen that folds in half, but we'd like to see Samsung reduce it significantly or get rid of it altogether for the Galaxy Z Fold 6, if that's at all possible.