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I’ve followed the foldable phone scene since the very first one hit the market. It wasn’t made by Samsung, believe it or not, but many would argue that Samsung was the brand that made the technology popular.
While I agree with that statement, it’s become harder and harder for me to suggest that the Galaxy Fold line is the best in the business. With new competitors joining the fray last year, and a rather uninspiring successor in the Galaxy Z Fold 5, I ended up giving the foldable crown to the OnePlus Open. Even between the Z Fold 5 and Google Pixel Fold, the latter won by a simple, unassuming spec: display aspect ratio.
Also: The 6 best foldable phones to buy right now
That’s to say, Samsung has some catching up to do, and based on a recent leak by @UniverseIce, the upcoming Galaxy foldable may finally be on the right track in terms of design and form factor. In a post on X, the China-based analyst suggests that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will feature an unfolded thickness of 5.6mm, a folded thickness of 12.1mm, and a weight of 239 grams.
For reference, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 weighed 253 grams, and the latest Samsung’s S24 Ultra clocks in at 232 grams. The new dimensions make the Z Fold 6 the thinnest and lightness big-screen foldable from Samsung yet, a trend that’s always nice to see with such devices.
The displays on the Z Fold 6 are rumored to get “upgrades” too, with a new 6.3-inch external screen that now follows a 22:9 aspect ratio (wider than last year’s 23.1:9) and a 7.6-inch internal screen. I’d argue that this change is just as significant as the drop in size because it affects the ergonomics and hand feel of the phone.
Also: I wore Motorola’s bendable smartphone-watch hybrid, and it left me all kinds of confused
Since the first Galaxy Fold, Samsung has stuck with a taller, remote-control-like form factor when the device is closed shut. While this makes it easier to reach from one side of the phone to the other, tapping on the top and bottom corners became a real struggle.
With a wider aspect ratio, the Z Fold 6 should feel much more familiar to traditional phone users looking to make the switch this year — which I expect there to be more of should Samsung lower the price of entry. What’s certain is that while Google and OnePlus outdid Samsung with more normalized foldable phone designs last year, the outcome may not be the same in 2024.