what you should Know
- Samsung is reportedly working on a foldable Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim that could debut later this year.
- The company will unveil its flagship foldable devices, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6, at a Samsung Unpacked event on July 10.
- The eventual Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim is rumored to offer several notable advantages over Samsung’s regular foldable phone, including a larger 8-inch display.
All eyes are on Samsung as the company is set to unveil its next-generation foldable devices at the Galaxy Unpacked event on July 10. This includes the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Galaxy Z Fold 6, which are set to offer several upgrades over their predecessors. We expect to see other great things like new Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Ring models. However, Samsung’s most exciting foldable of the year may not be released at this summer’s Galaxy Unpacked event.
It’s looking increasingly likely that Samsung will introduce a third foldable phone at some point this year. The leakers have dubbed it the “Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim” and it’s rumored to be a more premium version of the Galaxy Z Fold 6. That could mean a lot of things — the rumored foldable could have more premium features and a higher price tag label. Of course, the nickname “slim” implies that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim is thinner than the standard model.
According to previous reports, this ultra-thin version of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will be released in the fourth quarter. A report suggests that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim could launch in October, right around the time we usually see the debut of new Pixels. Now that Google has moved its event to an August date, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim could be the only Android flagship released this month.
It feels like Samsung has been resting on its laurels as king of the foldable space for a while. The company has been undisputed in the U.S. foldable market for a while, but the Galaxy Z Fold 5’s lack of significant improvements has opened the door for the OnePlus Open to win the title of best foldable, at least in terms of specs. Likewise, the company’s foldable devices aren’t even close to the devices coming out of China these days. All these factors contributed to Samsung losing the title of global leader in foldable phone shipments, with Huawei taking the top spot from Samsung in Q1 2024.
That’s why it’s exciting to see rumors that a Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim is in development that could really rival cutting-edge foldables, especially those from Asia. However, the supposed release schedule of this device certainly complicates things for prospective buyers. If the rumored October release window is accurate, it’s right in the middle of Samsung’s typical Galaxy Unpacked event. This could make potential Galaxy Z Fold 6 buyers wait a few months to make their purchase, or make potential Galaxy S25 customers buy the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim sooner instead.
Why the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim could be worth the wait
The latest information about the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim comes from The Elec, a South Korean publication with a reliable history of reporting on Samsung’s future plans. The site says that this new foldable phone will feature the largest display we’ve ever seen from Samsung on a foldable phone. It will be eight inches diagonally, according to the report, which is significantly more screen area than the 7.6-inch display on current phones.
This will mean that the roof screen will also be larger, measuring 6.5 inches diagonally. Samsung is set to make the screen cover on the standard Galaxy Z Fold 6 a bit wider, following the trend set by the Pixel Fold and OnePlus Open. However, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim will reportedly be even bigger.
The slimmer design is meant to keep Samsung competitive with other Asian phone makers such as Huawei and Honor. They feature ultra-thin foldable devices that are slightly larger than a traditional smartphone. Therefore, Samsung may limit sales to certain countries or regions, such as Asia. The company may only make 500,000 units according to recent reports, and it is unknown if the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim will be available in the US
There are some trade-offs that come with the more compact design. For example, Samsung is expected to remove S Pen support for the slim version of the Galaxy Z Fold 6. It’s not known how much it will cost or where it will be available, so there’s a risk of waiting for a foldable that may be out of your price range. essential features are missing or simply not available in your country or region.
With all that said, it might still be worth waiting to see what comes from the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim before buying a standard Galaxy Z Fold 6. Foldable phones are too expensive to buy, and one might be better off -new model just a few months later.
