Rumors suggest Samsung will unveil the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 in about a month. It’d be right in time for the Summer Olympic Games, of which Samsung is a major sponsor. That’s probably why we’ve already seen so many rumors detailing the two devices. But the best leaks always seem to come directly from Samsung. To that point, the company appears to have accidentally revealed the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 designs weeks early.
I suppose accidents happen. But it’s not the first time Samsung’s websites have inadvertently published marketing materials earlier than they were supposed to.
What is interesting is that Samsung has also shared more details about its Galaxy AI suite of features, with a focus on privacy and on-device processing. The company also teased Galaxy AI features coming to its foldables without actually naming the Fold 6 and Flip 6.
It’s starting to look like a coordinated marketing attack ahead of the most anticipated AI event of the year, Apple’s WWDC 2024.
The leak and the teaser
A Redditor found the following image on Samsung’s Kazakhstan website. It shows the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 and teases Galaxy AI features coming to the two devices.
The designs look familiar, as we saw the phones appear in unofficial renders. Moreover, other leakers recently detailed design details for the Galaxy Z Fold 6, including the rectangular corners, bezel size, and rear camera design. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 design also feels familiar.
Separately, Samsung penned a post on Thursday that praises the company’s approach to Galaxy AI focuses on a so-called Hybrid AI approach for mobile devices. That refers to processing AI features on-device and in the cloud.
To be fair, there aren’t that many Galaxy AI features that are processed locally. Live Translate is the most important one, and that’s what Samsung focuses on. The company teased that Live Translate will work with third-party apps soon to support voice calls. That’s a great feature to have, of course. And, yes, you’d want it to be privately handled. That’s why Live Translate works on-device rather than in the cloud.
At the end of the post, Samsung teases the arrival of its 2024 foldable handsets. They’ll also support Galaxy AI features:
The introduction of Galaxy AI on the Galaxy S24 series was only the start. To deliver a completely new and unique AI experience, we will further optimize the Galaxy AI experience for the upcoming foldable devices. Our foldables are the most versatile and flexible form factor in Samsung Galaxy and when combined with Galaxy AI, these two complementary technologies will together unlock all new possibilities.
What’s the deal with all this Galaxy AI talk?
Apple will take the stage at WWDC on Monday to unveil iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS 15, watchOS 11, visionOS 2, and all the other software innovations it’s been developing in the past year. Artificial intelligence will be the focal point of the event, with rumors saying that Apple will deliver its own take on AI.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple’s AI features for the iPhone will dwarf what Samsung can do.
For starters, Apple will deploy all of these AI features to hundreds of millions of devices at once via iOS 18. Meanwhile, Samsung took a staggered approach, bringing Galaxy AI to the Galaxy S24 series first before expanding it to other devices.
Secondly, privacy will be an important aspect of AI in iOS 18. Reports say the iPhone will process many genAI features locally. The ones that need more powerful cloud-based processing will get brand new protections that Apple devised specifically for the age of AI. I expect Apple’s AI to significantly outperform Samsung’s “hybrid AI” when it comes to protecting user data.
As for Live Translate on the Galaxy S24 and other devices, it’s very likely Apple will match it with its own AI-powered translation services.
What Apple won’t have this year is a foldable iPhone. That’s still a big advantage for Samsung. And we don’t expect any new hardware at this year’s WWDC.
