Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim rumors: Everything we know so far and what we want to see

Before the Samsung Galaxy Fold 6 ever became official, rumors were suggesting the company would launch a larger model called the Galaxy Fold 6 Ultra. While this model didn’t appear at Samsung Unpacked, the rumor mill claims another Fold variant is on its way. Let’s jump right in and discuss everything we know about the alleged Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim or Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition.

Will there be a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra/Slim?

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is already here, alongside the new Z Flip 6. That should have been enough to squash the idea of an Ultra model, but apparently not. Initially, there were reports that the Fold 6 Ultra had been canceled, but since then, we’ve seen several new rumors claiming Samsung still has another Fold model in store.

Technically, the earlier claims that the Ultra isn’t happening might not be completely wrong. Previously, the name Fold 6 Ultra was thrown around, but later rumors suggest the phone will launch under the name Galaxy Z Fold Slim.

More recently, renowned leaker Evan Blass recently took to X/Twitter to hint that this rumored new Z Fold 6 variant could be officially named the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Special Edition. It’s unclear whether it’ll be called precisely that or shortened to the Z Fold 6 SE. We’ve also seen the name Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition popping up too, eschewing the number “6.”

We’ll get more specifically into the rumors in the later sections of this post, but given the frequency in which rumors are still flying, we think it’s pretty safe to say that a new Fold 6 edition is happening. Why did Samsung elect to wait? From what we can gather, it’s because the Galaxy Fold 6 Slim won’t be widely available, and the company probably didn’t want to give it any real focus at the time.

What is the most likely Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim release date?

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 SE/Slim/Ultra didn’t arrive alongside the standard Fold 6, and it’s the first member of the Z series with a unique variant, so historical release dates don’t help us much here. Even the rumor mill seems to be in conflict.

According to German tech news site Allround PC, the Fold 6 Slim will see a limited launch in South Korea and China this October. More recently, a leak from Ice Universe claims the Galaxy Fold 6 Slim will launch in October alongside the Tab S10 series and the Samsung W25 (believed to be the Chinese version of the Z Fold 6 Slim). In contrast, GalaxyClub agrees the phone will only see a release in China and South Korea, though it claims this won’t happen until 2025.

A recent report by The Chosun Daily suggests that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim will be available in South Korea starting September 25. The report goes on to suggest that the phone will be offered in a black color and carry a price tag of approximately $2,100.

Given all the rumors so far, we think there’s a solid chance the phone could arrive this year despite the conflicting reports. Regardless, a winter release seems pretty likely. It’s unlikely the device would launch after the Galaxy S25 as this would mean Samsung would be competing with itself.

What rumored specs and features could the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim have?

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra was originally teased as a powerful upgrade to the Fold 6 with a slim design and presumed improvements that would warrant the Ultra moniker. However, the reality is shaping up to be much less ambitious.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim/SE is rumored to pack the same core specs as the standard Fold 6. This means you can likely expect a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy SoC, probably backed by the same 12GB of RAM. Storage variants might be a bit different since this is a special model, but something in the 256GB to 1TB range makes sense. So what’s really new? The only major changes we’ve heard about have to do with the display and the device’s thickness when folded.

Along with hinting at the official SE moniker, Evan Blass also shared images that seem to reveal the phone’s dimensions: an 8-inch main display, a 6.5-inch cover display, and a thickness of 10.6mm folded and 4.9mm unfolded. If accurate, these measurements would mean the Special Edition’s displays are bigger than the Galaxy Z Fold 6’s, but the new phone could be noticeably slimmer when folded (10.6mm vs. 12.1mm).

Unfortunately, even with the improved slimness, it’s not nearly as impressive as you’d find with China-based foldables, including the Xiaomi Mix Fold 4 and HONOR Magic V3, which are ~9.5mm and ~9.3mm thick, respectively.

It’s also worth noting that the slightly thinner design comes with a sacrifice. The Z Fold 6 SE will reportedly ditch the 0.3mm thick digitizer needed for S Pen support, so you won’t be able to use Samsung’s signature stylus on the device. In saying so, tipster Ice Universe later claimed that S Pen support was still on the cards.

Blass also claims the new foldable is “superior in nearly every category” to the Z Fold 6. However, it’s wise to be cautious about this particular claim until we have more concrete information.

Samsung’s hesitation for slimmer designs likely stems from concerns around durability, at least according to a recent report. New materials and components can improve durability, but these also can increase costs and there’s always the possibility of unforeseen new issues as well.

A new report from Galaxy Club suggests that the Z Fold 6 SE will share some camera specs with the standard Z Fold 6. This includes a 10-megapixel front-facing camera and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera. However, Samsung might finally upgrade the Under Display Camera (UDC) to 5 MP from the 4 MP one used on the Z Fold 6.

Blass claimed in August that the slimmer Galaxy Z Fold model would actually have a 200MP main camera. That would be a major resolution upgrade over the Galaxy Z Fold 6, suggesting better short-range camera zoom via image cropping.

We also got our first apparent look at the device in early September as Android Headlines posted an image (seen above). The picture shows a phone that looks slimmer than the Galaxy Z Fold 6 while also featuring a bigger camera bump.

What might the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim price be?

The Samsung Galaxy Fold 6 is already quite expensive at $1,899.99, but how much might the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim cost? The only report we have about the pricing so far points toward a price tag upwards of the equivalent of $2,000. While it’s a whole other debate whether that’s even a reasonable amount to pay for a phone, it’s worth noting that this phone isn’t expected to be available in the US at all.

Should you wait for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim?

Considering the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim may only arrive in limited quantities for the Chinese and South Korean markets, there’s zero reason to wait if you have your heart set on a Samsung foldable. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is a great phone and doesn’t appear to be much different from the Slim.

Not impressed by the Fold? The only other book-style foldable coming to the US this year is the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold. If you don’t mind importing and dealing with possible carrier compatibility woes, you can also opt for a China-based foldable if you feel all the globally available options are just too thick.