Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority
Before the Samsung Galaxy Fold 6 ever became official, rumors were suggesting the company would launch a larger model called the Galaxy Fold 6 Ultra. While this model didn’t appear at Samsung Unpacked, the rumor mill claims another Fold variant is on its way. Let’s jump right in and discuss everything we know about the alleged Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim.
Keyword: At a glance
- When is it expected to come out? The Fold 6 Slim will likely arrive in October, though only for South Korea and China. Some rumors suggest it could be early 2025 instead, however.
- What new features could there be? The Slim will have a slightly thinner profile and slightly increased display sizes. Not much else is known, though it's expected to be quite similar to the main Fold 6.
- How much might it cost? Given the Fold 6 is priced at $1,899.99, it's very likely the Fold 6 Slim will retail for the equivalent of $2,000 or more.
Will there be a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra/Slim?
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is already here, alongside the new Z Flip 6. That should have been enough to squash the idea of an Ultra model, but apparently not. Initially, there were reports the Fold 6 Ultra had been canceled, but since then we’ve seen several new rumors claiming Samsung still has another Fold model in store.
Technically, the earlier claims that the Ultra isn’t happening might not be completely wrong. Previously the name Fold 6 Ultra was thrown around, but more recent rumors suggest the phone will launch under the name Galaxy Z Fold Slim. It might seem like a small distinction, but the implications are bigger than you might think at first brush.
We’ll get more specifically into the rumors in the later sections of this post, but given the frequency in which rumors are still flying, we think it’s pretty safe to say the Fold 6 Slim is happening. Why did Samsung elect to wait? From what we can gather, it’s because the Galaxy Fold 6 Slim won’t be widely available and so the company probably didn’t want to give it any real focus at the time.
What is the most likely Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim release date?
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim (aka Fold 6 Ultra in some circles) didn’t arrive alongside the standard Fold 6 and it’s the first member of the Z series with a unique variant, so historical release dates don’t help us much here. Even the rumor mill seems to be in conflict.
According to German tech news site Allround PC, the Fold 6 Slim will see a limited launch in South Korea and China this October. More recently, a leak from Ice Universe claims the Galaxy Fold 6 Slim will launch in October alongside the Tab S10 series and the Samsung W25 (believed to be the Chinese version of the Z Fold 6 Slim). In contrast, GalaxyClub agrees the phone will only see a release in China and South Korea, though it claims this won’t happen until 2025.
Given that more rumors are pointing to October, we think there’s a solid chance the phone could arrive this year despite the conflicting reports. Regardless, a winter release seems pretty likely. It’s unlikely the device would launch after the Galaxy S25 as this would mean Samsung would be competing with itself.
What rumored specs and features could the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim have?
Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority
From left to right: Galaxy Z Fold 4, Z Fold 5, Z Fold 6.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra was originally teased as a powerful upgrade to the Fold 6 with a slim design and presumed improvements that would warrant the Ultra moniker. The reality is shaping up to be something much less ambitious.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim is rumored to pack the same core specs as the standard Fold 6. This means you can likely expect a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy SoC, probably backed by the same 12GB of RAM. Storage variants might be a bit different since this is a special model, but something in the 256GB to 1TB range makes sense. So what’s really new? The only major changes we’ve heard about have to do with the display and the device’s thickness when folded.
The Z Fold 6 Slim will reportedly be around 11mm when folded, which is a bit smaller than the 12.1mm thickness of the Fold 6 when folded. Unfortunately, it’s not nearly as impressive as you’d find with China-based foldables, including the Xiaomi Mix Fold 4 and HONOR Magic V3, which are ~9.5mm and ~9.3mm thick, respectively. It’s also worth noting that the slightly thinner design comes with a sacrifice. The Slim ditches the 0.3mm thick digitizer needed for S Pen support, so you won’t be able to use Samsung’s signature stylus on the device.
Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority
Note the crease, which is especially visible on light backgrounds.
Samsung’s hesitation for slimmer designs likely stems from concerns around durability, at least according to a recent report. New materials and components can improve durability, but these also can increase costs and there’s always the possibility of unforeseen new issues as well. On the bright side, Samsung will reportedly increase the display sizes with the external screen increasing from 6.3-inches to 6.5-inches, and the internal display will reportedly increase from 7.6-inches to 8-inches.
What might the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim price be?
The Samsung Galaxy Fold 6 is already quite expensive at $1,899.99, but how much might the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim cost? With no rumors around pricing we’re left guessing at this stage. The lack of S Pen support may be seen as a big omission to some, though the phone’s thinner profile and slightly larger display means it’s likely this model will at least be slightly more expensive. If we had to take a guess we’d say the Fold 6 Slim price could end up just a little above or below the $2,000 mark, or at least the equivalent, considering this phone isn’t expected to be available in the US at all.
Should you wait for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim?
Lanh Nguyen / Android Authority
Considering the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim may only arrive in limited quantities for the Chinese and South Korean markets, there’s zero reason to wait if you have your heart set on a Samsung foldable. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is a great phone and doesn’t appear to be much different from the Slim.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
Large display • Multitasking • High performance
Thinner, lighter, and more powerful than ever.
With a focus on refinement over previous generation Fold phones, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 rocks a 6.3-inch cover screen, a 7.6-inch, 20.9:18, 120Hz AMOLED folding display, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform for Galaxy chipset, a 50MP camera, 12GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of internal storage.
Not impressed by the Fold? We’d wait for the upcoming Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold if you want an easily available alternative. If you don’t mind importing and dealing with possible carrier compatibility woes, you can also opt for a China-based foldable if you feel all the globally available options are just too thick.
English (US) ·