Samsung will reportedly launch the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 next month. It could be just in time to promote the new foldables during the Summer Olympic Games in Paris. The increasing frequency and variety of leaks seem to support those rumors. Most of Samsung’s secrets for a new generation of Galaxy flagships leak well before the Unpacked press release.
The newest Galaxy Z Fold 6 leak concerns the foldable’s price, and it’s not good news. Apparently, the handset might be more expensive than last year. That’s certainly an unusual development, considering that Samsung has to face better competition from Chinese smartphone vendors. A higher price point will make the Galaxy Z Fold 6 even less appealing.
The upside is that Samsung might introduce a cheaper Galaxy Fold 6 variant later this year, though it’s unclear how much that model would cost.
Information obtained by SmartPrix and @OnLeaks indicates that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 might start at $1,899.99 in the US for the 256GB version. That’s $100 more than last year’s cheapest Fold 5.
In turn, the 512GB and 1TB variants of the Fold 6 will cost $100 more than their predecessors. This isn’t great news for buyers eying the new Fold 6 models, even though Samsung will probably offer great discounts during preorders.
If Samsung raises US prices, other markets should see similar price hikes.
The sky-high price of foldable phones is the main reason sales haven’t been performing as well as Samsung might have wanted since introducing its first Fold model. Apple is the other reason. Samsung’s biggest rival is yet to make a foldable iPhone, which would signal buyers the new form factor has truly gone mainstream.
Price didn’t seem to be a concern for Samsung in previous years when its Fold and Flip devices were the only foldable phones available in most markets. But Chinese vendors are putting up a much stronger fight. Foldable phones are more affordable in their home markets and sell better than Samsung. That’s why Samsung has been losing market share in recent quarters to competitors.
You’d think Samsung would want to drop the price of the flagship Fold 6 foldable while also releasing a cheaper model. But Samsung might be going in a different direction.
If this leak is accurate, the Fold 6 flagship will cost more than its predecessor. The existence of a cheaper Fold 6 gives Samsung the option to increase the price of the high-end version. Samsung might want to increase revenue without necessarily increasing overall sales of the Fold 6 model.
That’s all speculation, and the price of the cheaper Fold 6 has yet to leak. Some reports said Samsung might not launch this variant until September, which would give it a chance to maximize sales of the more expensive Fold 6 version.
It’s unclear what would warrant the price hike. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is rumored to get a few big upgrades. It should be thinner and lighter than before, and Samsung might introduce a new hinge and Ultra Thin Glass cover technology to reduce the crease.
That’s all great news. But despite presenting itself as the leader of the pack, Samsung is playing catch-up in the foldable space. Chinese vendors have already made slimmer, lighter foldable phones in previous years, and their devices might be cheaper, too.
Therefore, a $100 price hike seems unwarranted.
It’s unclear whether the Flip 6 will see a similar price hike. The blog makes no mention of it. But I’m certain prices for the Flip 6 will leak ahead of the upcoming Unpacked event.
