Yes, ladies and gents, it appears that we've entered that time of the year again. No, we're not talking about the time when we prepare to welcome Apple's next-gen iPhones to the market (although that's obviously also true) or the time everyone runs around furiously shopping for the fast-approaching back-to-school season (including for cheap mobile devices and other gadgets).
Instead, today marks the (un) official start of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 rumor games. Yes, that's the Z Fold 6 and not the Z Fold 5, and given that Samsung's latest foldable phones have barely been unveiled less than a couple of weeks ago ahead of an actual release on August 11, we can only assume that their successors are roughly a year away.
In other words, we're probably looking at many months of gossip and speculation here, although if Ice Universe's newest prediction proves accurate, one key Z Fold 6 area may not be subject to a lot of discussion going forward.
No camera revolution... or evolution?
What could we possibly have to discuss for the next year or so when one of the most prolific and trustworthy Samsung insiders on Twitter X claims that the "rear camera of Fold6 is the same as Fold5 and Fold 4"? That leaves very little room for interpretation or doubt, and it almost certainly means that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is currently planned to pack the following rear-facing shooters:
50MP primary sensor with f/1.8 aperture and OIS;
10MP secondary telephoto lens with f/2.4 aperture, OIS, and 3x optical zoom;
12MP ultra-wide-angle with f/2.2 aperture.
While we all know that megapixel counts are not everything when it comes to the real-life photography skills of a mobile phone in this day and age (just think of the 48 + 12 + 12MP camera-packing iPhone 14 Pro Max), the chances that this rumored Galaxy Z Fold 6 imaging setup will keep up with the performance of the existing S23 Ultra and upcoming S24 Ultra are... nonexistent.
Yes, those are two different phones with two "different" camera systems.
That's because the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Fold 4 are already nowhere near as capable in that department as their non-foldable cousins, which makes perfect sense when you consider that the Galaxy S23 Ultra, for instance, comes with a 200MP main camera in tow, as well as two 10MP snappers and a fourth 12MP lens on its back.
All things considered, the Z Fold 5 is by no means a poor cameraphone, and if Samsung continues to optimize its software and benefit from further Qualcomm processing improvements, the same will likely be true for the Galaxy Z Fold 6 as well. But while we can totally understand that the best foldables around present some unique engineering challenges making it hard to adopt the latest and greatest camera equipment, repeating the exact same imaging arrangement two years in a row simply seems inexcusable on Samsung's part.
So what big Galaxy Z Fold 6 upgrades can we expect?
Unfortunately, it's far too early to even attempt to answer that question with anything resembling a minimal level of confidence, but what we can do is list some hopes and desires. For instance, we hope that Samsung will manage to pull off the tricky dust resistance it has already confirmed to be actively exploring and working on.
We also hope that the device's overall durability will continue to be improved, having reached a very reliable stage on the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Fold 5 already while always leaving room for further progress.
The Z Fold 5 (pictured here) is already pretty great, but there's always room for improvement.
Higher charging speeds than the very modest 25W would definitely be nice, and the same goes for a battery life upgrade... which will however prove incredibly challenging given the cell size limitations of such a flexible and easy-to-maneuver phone.
Said limitations could actually become greater if Samsung finally manages to put an S Pen slot on a foldable, which feels extremely likely, and if the display crease goes away entirely, which really should have happened this year.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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