Previous hopes of a possibly cheaper ‘Galaxy Z Fold FE’ have been thrown into question following recently leaked pics of what is apparently a Galaxy Z Fold 6. With the Z Fold 5 being even more costly than the Galaxy S24 Ultra, it previously felt unlikely that we’d ever hear ‘Galaxy Z Fold’ and ‘Affordable’ in the same sentence, but reports from TechRadar and The Elec had some fans claiming that there would be a cheaper and more accessible Samsung foldable hitting the market this year. However, now that we’ve seen that the Z Fold 6 is getting a redesign, it looks like it could get even more expensive rather than cheaper.
Leaked Galaxy Z Fold 6 pics
Leaked Galaxy Z Fold 6 renders posted by David Kowalski on X (via Pigtou) show a complete redesign that could possibly see the Z Fold get a thinner and wider profile. With a bigger screen and slimmer body, it’s only natural to consider that an upgrade of these sorts might come with a higher price tag attached to it. Well, this might not be the case, as it seems a reduction in production costs could be on the cards – but to the benefit of who?
Galaxy Z Fold 6 – cheaper or not?
Clearly, there’s a bit of a market gap to be addressed when it comes to affordable folding phones, and looking to maintain the spotlight as a champion of foldables, it’s no surprise that Samsung might be trying to remove the one barrier holding back its devices from coming to the broader market: their steep price tag. According to a report from the Elec, there’s a possibility Samsung might be switching up its current bezel making process on its foldable panels from ‘micro dry process decoration’ (MDD) to instead using inkjet printing.
The inkjet method will make a film that’s initially a lot longer than MDD, which theoretically could be used to make more folding bezels. However, if the new process allows Samsung to make more display material, perhaps they’re not making more displays out of it, but just displays that are bigger, in line with what we’ve seen from Pigtou. Naturally, it’s hoped that the savings made from this method would be passed down to consumers in the form of a cheaper price tag for the Fold and Flip series phones, but profit is usually a bigger consideration than affordability.
Despite calls for more affordable folding phones, it looks like we might be waiting a little longer while Samsung focuses on giving its flagship Galaxy Fold a makeover. While it could still be the case that Samsung is taking a step forward in making its foldables more accessible, we’ll have to take any rumors with a pinch of salt for now, until around July or August when the devices might be announced – at least according to the company’s usual release schedule.
