An absolute and undeniable marvel of modern mobile tech engineering, last year's Galaxy Z Fold 5 is... obviously not perfect. That's both because no company has managed to achieve smartphone design perfection (yet) and because Samsung's latest book-style foldable looks a little too similar to the 2022-released Z Fold 4... and even 2021's Z Fold 3.
Are you hoping that this year's Galaxy Z Fold 6 will be different... somehow? Although it's probably too early for us to crush all your dreams regarding substantial upgrades in the camera and display performance departments, it sure sounds like one key Z Fold 5 area will not be revised in any (meaningful) way.
Unchanged battery size AND charging speeds?!
Yes, ladies and gents, we're afraid that one of the most prolific and reliable Samsung leakers on social media has it on good authority that the Z Fold 6 will pack a 4,400mAh battery supporting 25W charging technology.
You know what other device comes with those exact same numbers? That's right, the Z Fold 5. And the Z Fold 4. And the Z Fold 3. The Z Fold 2, meanwhile, came with an ever-so-slightly larger 4,500mAh cell under its hood and identical 25W charging capabilities back in 2020.
The Z Fold 6 (prematurely rendered here by a trusted source) is likely to greatly resemble the Z Fold 5.
You know how many (good) budget phones are equipped with better or much better-than-25W charging tech today? Lots, and that's no longer true just for Asian and European markets. The Moto G Power 5G (2024), for instance, recently made its US debut at a recommended price of $300 with 30W charging support.
Then you have affordable powerhouses like the OnePlus 12R, which can go all the way up to 100-watt speeds, and Samsung's own 45W-capable Galaxy S24 Plus, which is not a very cheap device but it's certainly a lot cheaper than the Z Fold 6 will be.
As far as battery size goes, 4,400mAh falls short of what all the aforementioned phones offer in the same department. Of course, it may not be entirely fair to compare a foldable with a bunch of non-foldables from that standpoint, but the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is also unlikely to keep up with its direct rivals in terms of battery life.
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That's because the Pixel Fold and OnePlus Open already pack comparatively hefty juicers of around 4,800mAh, a number that we fully expect to go further up on the two's sequels before long. Then you have something like the state-of-the-art Vivo X Fold 3 Pro, which carries an absolutely bonkers 5,700mAh battery while also supporting 100W charging. Fortunately for Samsung, you can't buy that beast outside of China... yet.
Is there hope for the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra?
Although the very existence of an Ultra Samsung foldable remains unclear, we can't help but feel there has to be more on the horizon than this extremely boring-sounding Galaxy Z Fold 6.
For his part, Ice Universe did "confirm" the Z Fold 6 Ultra is real shortly after revealing the expected thickness and weight of the "regular" upcoming variant yesterday. But the well-known X rumormonger has no "detailed parameters" to share on that possible top-of-the-line model at this moment, which leaves us dreaming with our eyes open of a next-gen Samsung foldable with a built-in S Pen, state-of-the-art cameras, and higher-than-4,400mAh battery capacity.
If real, the Z Fold 6 Ultra could come with a built-in stylus... for a change.
That's little more than wishful thinking and optimistic conjecture, mind you, with the only thing multiple tipsters in recent weeks have been able to testify to is that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra is... in the works.
All this mystery and uncertainty suggests that the base Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 will be unveiled in July, with any Ultra or FE spin-offs coming further down the line. Unfortunately, that's also nothing but idle speculation on our part.
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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