One of the things I’ve learned after years of covering Samsung’s Galaxy flagships is that the price of each exciting new phone leaks well ahead of launch. Usually, news outlets from Korea divulge the purported local prices for a new Galaxy S or the latest foldable.
That’s why, when talking about the cheaper Galaxy Z Fold 6 model that Samsung is reportedly making this year, I was anticipating such a leak to drop before the Unpacked launch event that should take place in early July. It’s only mid-March, and we already have a price leak for the more affordable Fold-type foldable.
It turns out that Samsung might be ready to offer buyers an incredible deal on a new Fold 6 device. But that means certain compromises are in order, of course.
A report suggested recently that Samsung might keep the current price of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 in place for the cheaper Fold 6, and launch a more expensive Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra alongside it. I said at the time that I wasn’t a fan of the idea. That wouldn’t be the way to make Samsung foldable more affordable and take the fight back to Chinese vendors.
Companies like Huawei and Honor are putting pressure on Samsung to innovate in the foldable department. But also to cut prices so its devices are more competitive with offerings from China that are now available in international markets.
Then, a report hinted that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 would be cheaper but didn’t offer any further details. It didn’t take long for the price to leak, with Korean outlet Sisa Journal offering an actual figure. Samsung’s Fold 6 might target a price of around $800 (1.05 million won). That’s the price before preorder deals, trade-ins, and other carrier savings.
I have to say that, if real, it’s a tremendous price point. Anything under $1,000 for a Fold-type foldable device could be a huge win for Samsung and the industry.
As a reminder, the regular price of a Galaxy Z Fold flagship is around $1,799 before savings. Vendors from China and Google price their Fold-type devices similarly. A $800 starting price for the cheap Galaxy Z Fold 6 would be amazing.
It’s clear what such a price cut would mean. The cheaper Galaxy Z Fold 6 would not be a flagship device. That’s something the report mentions. According to sources in the industry, Samsung will go for a cheaper processor, display, and battery for this Fold 6 version. But it won’t downgrade the main camera.
As it is, the Fold 5 doesn’t have a camera that’s on par with the same-year Galaxy S Ultra. Samsung can’t fit the same module of a Galaxy S Ultra flagship inside a Fold flagship where internal space is at a premium. Or it can’t do it cheaply.
Still, not downgrading the camera experience might be a good idea for the cheaper Galaxy Z Fold 6. As for the other specs, mid-rangers like the Galaxy A55, Nothing Phone 2a, and the upcoming Pixel 8a will be great devices featuring good enough specs for those price points.
Also, remember that Qualcomm just launched the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip that will soon power not-quite-flagship phones. Samsung wasn’t on the initial list of potential customers, but who knows what might happen down the road.
Samsung could always repurpose Fold 5 parts for the Fold 6 to cut the manufacturing cost. But I’m just speculating. The point is that Samsung has space to maneuver. And I must say I’m interested to see what an affordable Fold-type device will have to offer, especially with an $800 price tag.
