Report: Samsung’s cheaper Galaxy Z Fold 6 could cost around $800 with lesser chip

Ben Schoon | Mar 18 2024 - 8:25 am PT

Foldables aren’t cheap, but it seems the tide is turning, with Samsung now rumored to debut a Galaxy Z Fold 6 variant later this year that could have a price tag well under $1,000.

According to a report from Korean outlet SisaJournal-e, Samsung is aiming for a price of around 1.05 million won for its cheaper Galaxy Z Fold 6, which would translate to roughly $800 in US dollars.

It’s a borderline unbelievable idea given that is less than half of the existing $1,799 price and even less than the Galaxy Z Flip series which sits at $999. But, apparently, Samsung will be making some additional cuts to hit that price.

The report mentions, as we’ve heard before, that this device will lack S Pen support. Beyond that, it’d also have a lesser display, smaller battery, and a different chipset compared to the “Ultra” Galaxy Z Fold 6. The camera, while still “flagship-level,” would apparently be “similar to the existing model,” referring to the Fold 5. That’d point to a triple-camera array, though at one point the report also hints that a dual-camera system is possible.

The most interesting potential cut here is to the cheaper Galaxy Z Fold 6’s chip. The “Ultra” model will almost surely run on the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 as the Galaxy S23 series, but cutting down the cheaper model could open the door to big savings. Samsung could go for one of its own Exynos chips, or it could opt for a cheaper Qualcomm offering. Just today, Qualcomm announced the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, a slightly less powerful chipset designed for more affordable high-end phones.

We’ll likely hear more about the pricing on Samsung’s upcoming foldables in the months to come, as the announcement is expected to land in early July.