Recent rumors suggested Samsung will launch a cheaper version of its book-style foldable smartphone that may be known as a “Fan Edition” entry, where it will break cover alongside the Galaxy Z Fold 6 or Fold 6 Ultra model later this year. While it was first thought it would be slightly cheaper than the premium foldable option, fresh news indicated the price gap could be larger than initially believed.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE price
At the moment, Samsung’s foldable smartphones arrive in two form factors, consisting clamshell and a book-style folding mechanisms. The latter, like the Galaxy Z Fold 5 (review), provides you with more screen estate, but it also costs remarkably higher than the smaller counterpart. However, it was speculated the company will offer its fans a more affordable option.
Originating from South Korea, publication Sisa Journal-e mentioned Samsung has plans to price it at around KRW 1.05 million, which translates to $785 after conversion. While pricing for different markets could vary after including taxes, the listed value is still almost half of the current retail price of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 that sells for $1,600, and is also lower than the Galaxy Z Flip 5 at $999.
A cheaper price with downgraded specifications
As usual, the cheaper price would also mean Samsung has to cut corners to bring down the cost of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE to the said level. According to the source, the foldable will miss out on S Pen support and will use a different display type, battery capacity, and chipset.
For the latter, it is safe to assume Samsung’s in-house Exynos or a less capable Qualcomm chipset, such as the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, should find its way to the device.
What’s most likely guaranteed is the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra will take advantage of the fully-loaded Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy chipset. In addition, it should also be equipped with a larger battery cell and possibly more high-end displays for its cover and inner sections. Based on leaks, it could debut with Corning Gorilla Armor protection similar to the Galaxy S24 Ultra (review).
Apart from these differences, the Fan Edition foldable might still share some hardware components with the premium model like a 50 MP primary shooter, although we remain unsure whether both 10 MP telephoto and 12 MP modules will be retained.
Based on recent reports, the next Unpacked event will most probably be held in the second week of July. The timing would place it a couple of weeks earlier than last year’s announcement. With a few months to go, we could receive more updates nearer to launch.
Do you believe that Samsung will really position the Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE at this price point? We want to hear your thoughts.
