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Samsung is dissecting a rival foldable for Galaxy Z Fold 6 inspiration
- Samsung is reportedly “reverse engineering” a HUAWEI foldable.
- This is to understand how to make its foldable phones thinner with larger batteries.
- The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is rumored to feature design changes.
Samsung remains the global leader in the foldable phone race, but it’s reportedly looking to a rival to fine-tune its next device. Per The Elec, Samsung is “reverse engineering” the HUAWEI Mate X5 to better understand how to slim down its next foldable’s body while upping its battery capacity.
If the Galaxy Z Fold 5 has one practical flaw, it’s its thickness. It remains one of the chubbiest models on the market, measuring 13.4mm thick when shut. It compares unfavorably to the Mate X5, which measures 11.1mm, and other devices, like the Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 at 10.9mm. Even the newly-launched OnePlus Open comes in at 11.7mm.
Crucially, these three Chinese foldables also boast larger batteries — the HUAWEI and Xiaomi feature 4,800mAh cells, with the OnePlus coming in at 4,805mAh. Even with a thicker body, Samsung’s power plant tips the scales at just 4,400mAh.
Despite its strong market position, Samsung is playing catch up on a technical front. It makes sense for the Korean firm to consider its nearest rivals for novel solutions to its shortcomings. In reality, other device makers are likely doing the same, even beyond the foldable phone space.
Nevertheless, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is expected to bring improvements. Early rumors hint at a trimmer body, a thinner hinge, and a possible change to the screen aspect ratio.