The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 looks like offering only iterative upgrades over the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 when it launches – but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
The next flagship foldable phone from Samsung is almost certain to be revealed at Galaxy Unpacked on July 10, and if so we’re expecting to see a device that’s not hugely different from its predecessor.
However, given that we awarded the 2023 model 4.5 stars in our Galaxy Z Fold review, and considering that Samsung has arguably nailed the design language of the book-like folding phone, it arguably didn’t need big changes.
That said, the Z Fold 5 doesn’t currently make it into our list of the best foldable phones, so there are clearly improvements the Z Fold 6 can make. Here’s how we expect the Galaxy Z Fold 5 vs Z Fold 5 head-to-head to play out, based on the rumors so far.
Doubling-down on design
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Externally, we’re expecting the Fold 6 to have roughly the same dimensions as the Fold 5, in that it’ll probably use a 6.2-inch AMOLED display for the cover screen and could sport a 7.6-inch for its internal foldable screen. Some tweaks to the phone’s hinge and chassis may be on the cards, with some hope that Samsung opts for a titanium frame as it did with the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
In terms of Galaxy Z Fold 6 colors, the phone is tipped to come in a light gray or silver, dark navy, and a light pink. For comparison, the Fold 5 is available in Icy Blue, Phantom Black, Cream, Gray, and Blue.
Some renders of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 do suggest a more boxy design, which could yield a wider, and thus more usable, cover display. But the jury is out on this rumor.
Nor does it look like the Fold 6 will get upgraded camera hardware; based on the rumors we expect it to have the same suite of snappers as the Fold 5, namely a 50MP main camera, a 3x optical zoom, 10MP telephoto, and a 12MP ultra-wide. It could also have a 10MP camera on the cover screen and a 4MP under-display camera on the foldable screen.
If true, that would be disappointing; we’ve been hoping that it would gain a 200MP main camera in order to keep up with its non-folding sibling the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. The flipside is that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 should get improvements on the software side such as Generative Edit, in addition to Galaxy AI features. These could help it claim a spot on our best camera phones list and would mark an improvement over the Fold 5.
Folding in more
Speaking of AI, we can expect the Galaxy Z Fold 6 to feature the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip with improved AI workload processing over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 of the Fold 5. That chip should also bring improved overall performance – just don’t expect a night-and-day level of difference – and better energy efficiency.
And on the topic of power, multiple rumors point to the Z Fold 6 having a 4,600mAh battery, which would be a small boost over the 4,400mAh cell in the Z Fold 5. That’ll not likely yield a hugely different battery life, but every little helps.
All things considered, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 looks like it’ll be a fairly minor upgrade over the Galaxy Z Fold 5. Of course, there’s room for surprises here and we’re basing this article on rumors and leaks at this stage, rather than facts.
However, we’re already reasonably confident that those of you who own the Fold 5 won’t feel the need to upgrade to the 6. That may even be true for owners of the Galaxy Z Fold 4, too.
For anyone who isn’t already using a foldable, though, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 could give you a compelling reason to try the form factor. Well, assuming you have deep pockets: its starting price is likely to follow that of its predecessor, which means the Fold 6 could cost $1,799.99 / £1,749 / AU$2,599.
Price aside, the combination of some nice-to-have upgrades and new AI features should give the new phone the edge in the Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Z Fold 6 battle. Whether it’s the right foldable for you will likely come down to whether you already own the previous generation.
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marc.mclaren@futurenet.com (Marc McLaren)
