Samsung was a pioneer of the folding phone, and the Galaxy Z Fold series constantly ranks among the best foldable phones on the market. So we’re excited to see what could be next for the line – and rumored to be on the horizon is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, and possibly a Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra.
It's the Ultra model that's caught our eye here. The now a lot more competition in the folding phone market, notably in the shape of the OnePlus Open and the Google Pixel Fold. So there's some logic to Samsung potentially looking to stand out from the pack it arguably helped create with a premium version of the Fold.
If legitimate, a Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra would effectively take the Fold 6 as the baseline and integrate in features found in the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra; say a built-in S Pen and 200-megapixel camera.
But it's early days for such foldable phone rumors and leaks, so read on for what we know so far about the so-called Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra and what we'd like to see from the phone.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? A rumored new ultra-premium foldable from Samsung
- When is it out? Possibly July 10
- How much will it cost? Likely more than $1,799 / £1,749 / AU$2,599
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra: potential release date and price
If Samsung does unveil a Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra, it'll likely take place at the next Galaxy Unpacked event, and this major Samsung event is currently tipped for July 10 in Paris. The Z Fold 6 Ultra will probably be launched alongside the rumored Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6, as well as the Galaxy Ring.
However, a model number for a South Korean version of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra has been spotted, and the source claims there's no sign of models for other regions, so it might not be widely available.
As a Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra would be a more premium version of Samsung’s already expensive folding flagship, we’d expect to cost a fair bit more than the Galaxy Z Fold 5’s starting price of $1,799.99 / £1,749 / AU$2,599.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra: potential design
Rumors website Smartprix partnered with @OnLeaks to produce detailed, 5K renders of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra. They also provide a 360-degree video and possible specs, which give us some idea of what we might be able to expect from an Ultra variant of Samsung’s next Fold.
If the renders are to be believed, Samsung will shake-up its design for the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra – and presumably for the ‘standard’ Galaxy Z Fold 6 – moving away from the gentle curves used in the Galaxy S series and the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and adopting the more angular design seen on the Galaxy S24 Ultra and Galaxy S23 Ultra.
The renders point to the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra being slightly shorter but wider than the Fold 5, measuring 153.5 x 132.5 x 6.1mm compared to 154.9 x 129.9 x 6.1mm of its predecessor.
The renders also match the look of a prototype Galaxy Z Fold 6 design that leaker IceUniverse posted last year. If both are accurate then the design for the next-generation Fold phones may draw from the aesthetics of the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra: what we want to see
Improved display and toughness
There are a few things we’d like to see in a Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra, but topping our list is something we’d like to see less of: the crease in the center of the main screen. Samsung has tended to make this less noticeable and distracting with each iteration of the Galaxy Z Fold – so could the Galaxy Z Fold 6, and a potential Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra, be the first phones on which Samsung manages to make it disappear completely?
Such a move would likely require the use of improved ultra-thin glass, but Samsung's display arm continues to produce impressive foldable and rollable AMOLED screens, so there's certainly scope to further reduce a Fold's crease or get rid of it completely.
Going by the rumors so far, the cover screen would likely keep the narrow 6.2-inch size seen on the Galaxy Z Fold 5, rather than a larger 6.4-inch panel other rumors have mentioned. If that’s the case it could be a wasted opportunity on Samsung’s part, as a wider cover display can make for a more usable foldable phone when it's closed.
We hope that Samsung would make use of the Corning Gorilla Glass Armor to protect the cover display, as that's being used in the Galaxy S24 Ultra, so sees like a good feature for an phone bearing the Ultra suffix.
And an IP52 rating dust and water resistance rating, as seen in the Motorola Razr Plus, would be appreciated too. That's because while the Galaxy Z Fold 5 had an IPX8 water resistance rating it lacked dust protection, which we feel is important due the the complex moving parts in folding phones that run the risk of being gunked up with dust or grime.
Proper Ultra-grade cameras
The Galaxy Z Fold 5's camera system was rather good, but it was unchanged from the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s 50MP, f/1.8 wide, 10MP, f/2.4, telephoto, and 12MP, f/2.2 ultra-wide combo.
We’re hoping that Samsung updates this with something closer to the Galaxy S24 Ultra‘s more impressive camera setup, which features a 200MP, f/1.7 main camera, 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide, 50MP, f/3.4, periscope telephoto with 5x optical zoom, and a 10MP, f/2.4, telephoto offering 3x optical zoom. However, if the specifications in Smartprix's renders are for the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra and not a standard Z Fold 6 then fans could be very disappointed, as they lack camera specs with an Ultra flavor.
