As of 2024, Samsung has near enough mastered the foldable phone, so much so that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, despite being very similar to its predecessor, achieved a 4.5-star score in our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 review. So, it’s likely the next model in the series – the Galaxy Z Fold 6 – will also be a very good phone.
We do, however, hope to see bigger changes on the next Fold, and if you jump to the second half of this article, you’ll find a list of exactly what we want to see.
First, though, we’ve collected all the leaks and rumors about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 so far, and you’ll find those below. These include information on the possible release date and price, as well as some rumored specs and features.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? The next flagship Samsung foldable
- When is it out? Possibly July 10
- How much will it cost? Will likely start at $1,799.99 / £1,749 / AU$2,599
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: Release date and price
A Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 release date rumor states that it will land in July, and another leak has echoed that, saying to expect the Z Fold 6 in late July. That makes sense, as Samsung launches these phones on a yearly cadence, with the last model also being unveiled in July of its launch year.
However, we've since heard a claim that the next Samsung Galaxy Unpacked will happen on July 10, and we'd expect the Galaxy Z Fold 6 to be announced there, so it might land in early July rather than late July.
In any case, all three of the previous models went on sale in August of their respective release years, so you might not be able to actually buy the Z Fold 6 until August.
Two of them were also announced in August, so it’s possible the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will be announced in August too rather than July, but we’d expect one or the other; with it probably going on sale before the end of August.
Certainly, it should launch before too long, as batteries for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 have been spotted in a Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) database. This is an official database, so their presence means the phone is definitely in the works and probably not too far off being ready to land.
We don't know the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 price, but for reference, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 starts at $1,799.99 / £1,749 / AU$2,599, so it’s likely that the Z Fold 6 will cost at least that much. Having said that though, there is a chance that the Z Fold 6 could get cheaper, as Samsung is reportedly considering using a cheaper method for creating the bezels on its foldable screen.
There's also talk of a cheaper Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE model, and a model number for this has even now been spotted.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: design and display
Some design and screen tweaks are expected for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 but they aren't likely to be dramatic changes. Samsung has previously told us that the design team stuck with the relatively narrow form factor of its predecessors because they believed it offered the best "usability and grip and portability."
In contrast, some tipstets have touted bigger changes such as a new aspect ratio for the cover display, in addition to a larger cover screen. But then leaked Galaxy Z Fold 6 renders from @OnLeaks (a leaker with a great track record) show a similar design to the Galaxy Z Fold 5, but with a slightly more boxy look. It's certainly not a drastic design change anyway. According to the tipster, the Z Fold 6 has dimensions of 153.5 x 132.5 x 6.1mm when unfolded, which would make it marginally shorter and wider than the Z Fold 5.
That might allow for the rumored different aspect ratio, but @OnLeaks claims the cover screen will once again be 6.2 inches, rather than it being bigger as was previously tipped. The thickness is also set to be the same, so don't count on a slimmer phone this year. Oh, and the same tipster claims that the main display is once again a 7.6-inch 120Hz one, albeit with a higher 2,600-nit peak brightness.
The cover screen might at least be more durable this year though, as it reportedly uses Corning Gorilla Armor, like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Elsewhere, we've heard that the Galaxy Z Fold 6's cover screen might incorporate anti-reflective tech.
Beyond all that, Samsung itself has said it’s working on dust-proofing its foldable phones. So that’s a feature that might make it to the Galaxy Z Fold 6, though the company hasn’t committed to that.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: colors
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 colors could include Navy, Silver Shadow, Light Pink, Crafted Black, and White, according to Ross Young, who additionally suggests that the Galaxy Z Fold 6's Crafted Black and White shades might be exclusive to Samsung.com.
For reference, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 launched in Icy Blue, Phantom Black, and Cream last year, with Gray and Blue additionally available exclusively on Samsung's store.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: cameras and battery
According to the rumors, all the cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will be the same as those on the Z Fold 5. That's a claim we've now heard from multiple sources, where they say that the rear cameras, front camera, and under-display camera on the Z Fold 6 will all be the same as 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, as well as a 10MP camera on the cover screen and a 4MP under-display camera on the foldable screen. So some or all of those might remain the same on the Z Fold 6.
However, another source has claimed that Samsung is considering using the same camera for the Z Fold 6 as for the Galaxy S24 Ultra. They don't say which of the S24 UItra's cameras they mean, but they're likely talking about the 200MP sensor.
Given the above though we'd take this with a pinch of salt, and if this does happen it may come instead of a larger battery according to the source.
Elsewhere we've also heard that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 could have an improved under-display camera. On the battery front, the same source points to a 4,600mAh battery (up from 4,400mAh in the Z Fold 5), though another source contradicts that, claiming that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will once again have a 4,400mAh battery and 25W charging.
A second source has now echoed those claims of 25W charging and a 4,400mAh battery for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, so that seems most likely.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: specs and features
As far the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 specs go, we've heard from multiple sources that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 will have a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. This is no surprise though, as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 is also used by the Galaxy S24 line, and it's the successor to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset used by the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5.
That would make it extremely powerful though, and we'd expect it will be joined by at least 12GB of RAM, as that's how much the Z Fold 5 has. In fact, one leak points to a maximum of 16GB of RAM for the Galaxy Z Fold 6, paired once again with up to 1TB of storage. We've heard those same Galaxy Z Fold 6 specs from another source now too.
Another source has also specifically said that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 will come in 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB configurations, just like its predecessor.
On the software front, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 will probably support seamless Android updates, as Samsung now offers this feature in a recent phone.
There's also been talk of a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE, with multiple sources suggesting this cheaper Z Fold 6 is in the works. Though one leak claims the Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE will achieve a lower price in part by not supporting the S Pen stylus.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: what we want to see
As good as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is, it’s also quite a conservative upgrade, so we’d like to see the following 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, so you have access to a smartphone-sized screen when the foldable display is shut. But this is a much narrower screen than you’d find on a typical smartphone, which makes it more awkward to use and not able to display apps as elegantly.
As such, for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 we want a wider cover screen. This shouldn’t be too tricky, given that other foldable phones such as the Google Pixel Fold have achieved this. It may well happen too, as it’s rumored that the aspect ratio of the cover screen will be changing.
2. The 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 as even back when the Z Fold 4 launched, those weren’t the best cameras on a Samsung phone.
What we’d really like – especially given 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 going by past form is likely to be the best camera phone Samsung will offer in 2024.
For reference, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra has a 200MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide, a 10MP telephoto offering 3x optical zoom, and a 10MP periscope offering 10x optical zoom. So we want basically that, with whatever changes or upgrades the S24 Ultra adds to the mix.
3. An S Pen included
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 supports Samsung’s S Pen stylus, but it doesn’t come with one. Instead, you have to buy an S Pen separately.
That’s a shame given how expensive the Z Fold 5 is, and especially since Samsung does chuck a stylus in with the Galaxy S23 Ultra and the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 line. So we’d like to see Samsung include this with the Galaxy Z Fold 6.
4. Dust resistance
Samsung’s best foldable phones offer water resistance, but no dust resistance, which means 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-foldable handsets, so we’d really like it to be a standard feature on foldables too, though it’s understandably harder to achieve on them, given all the moving parts.
Still, Motorola has managed with the Motorola Razr 2023 and Motorola Razr Plus (also known as the Razr 40 Ultra outside of the US), and it’s something Samsung has said it’s working on, so there’s a chance we’ll get this with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6.
5. No more crease
One issue that all foldable phones face to varying degrees is a crease in the screen, that 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 either significantly shrink it or get rid of it altogether for the Galaxy Z Fold 6 if at all possible.
