The Galaxy Z Fold 6 has finally been announced, giving us Samsung's latest entry into the book-style foldable market. Although the Galaxy Z Fold line was once considered the best, that's no longer the case as the competition continues to impress. Leaving us wondering what could be in store for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.
Part of this is evidenced by the Galaxy Z Fold 6, which saw very little in the way of any meaningful upgrades. Even still, one could argue that Samsung stands above the rest in terms of the software experience you'll find on the Fold.
With that being said, there are a few things that we hope to see Samsung change with its next flagship foldable phone.
We're long overdue for better cameras
It's 2024, and Samsung's most expensive phone, the Galaxy Z Fold 6, largely relies on the same camera system found on the Fold 4 from 2022. The only difference that the Fold 6 offers over its last two predecessors is an upgraded ultrawide camera. This sensor retains the same 12MP resolution, but Samsung claims it offers better low-light quality and can record video in 4K at 60fps.
Meanwhile, the 50MP main wide-angle lens and 10MP telephoto camera remain unchanged. It's particularly disheartening when you see what Samsung's cameras are capable of, such as the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Tack on the exorbitant price tag, and it makes little sense for Samsung to continue using the same camera array.
We can only assume the reason why substantial changes have yet to arrive is due to the size of the sensors that Samsung relies on. There's only a finite amount of space beneath the frame of the phone, which also has to account for the multiple layers being used for the inner display. Which leads quite nicely into our next wishlist item.
Get on Moto's level
It feels as though Samsung is paying closer attention to its Flip lineup than the Fold. One reason for this train of thought is due to the less noticeable crease. However, both devices still fall short of Motorola and OnePlus, as those display creases are barely even noticeable.
For someone with experience using foldable phones, my brain has practically removed the crease the majority of the time. There is an exception to this, as the Galaxy Z Fold's crease rears its ugly head whenever I jot down some notes with the S Pen.
Although it's been almost three years since Samsung added S Pen support, there's still a feeling of unease when dragging the stylus across the middle of the screen. Plus, the crease always ends up getting in the way, ultimately resulting in using the S Pen less.
PWM-friendly displays
Keeping with the Galaxy Z Fold 7's display, we really want Samsung to get better when it comes to the PWM flicker rates. The company is arguably the worst offender, and while the Z Fold 6 is a bit better than the Fold 5, it's still nowhere near usable for those affected by PWM.
Making matters worse is that Samsung won't even talk about its display dimming, potentially providing some type of explanation. Meanwhile, other companies like Honor have started using PWM flicker rates as selling points. It's just a shame when you consider that Samsung does make some of the best-looking displays.
Galaxy Z Fold 7 FE
Perhaps one of the reasons why Samsung seems to be focusing more on the Galaxy Z Flip line is simply because of higher sales numbers. Although Huawei overtook Samsung in terms of "Global Foldable Smartphone Shipments" in Q1 2024, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is largely keeping Samsung from dropping lower.
There's a good chance of this being attributed to the more attractive price tag, as the Flip 5 retailed for $999, compared to the $1,799 of the Fold 5. Even with a price increase of $100 for both the Flip 6 and Fold 6, we're still expecting the Flip 6 to vastly outsell the Fold 6.
It's a bit of a contradiction, given the price hike of this year's Galaxy foldable phones, but perhaps it's time to see what a Galaxy Z Fold FE lineup would look like. Samsung could even just rebrand the Z Fold 6 as the Z Fold 7 FE, knock a decent chunk off the price, and it could just be enough to entice people away from slab phones.
It could be something that Samsung is already considering. In January 2024, a third Samsung foldable phone appeared in databases, codenamed "Q6A." The Galaxy Z Fold 6 that was just released featured a codename of "Q6," leading to speculation of the potential of an A-series Galaxy Z Fold. Unfortunately, Galaxy Unpacked came and went with no sign or mention of such a device.
Bring on MagSafe (and Qi2)
More than a year and a half after its introduction, we still have yet to see Qi2 implemented in Android devices. There was hope this would change with the Galaxy S24 series, to no avail. Six months later, Samsung's flagship foldables are still sporting the old Qi standard.
While Qi2 accessories aren't as plentiful, Apple already beat Samsung to the punch with the iPhone 15 series. We really aren't sure what the potential hold-up is with the lack of Qi2 adoption. However, we're also hopeful that will change with Android released towards the end of 2024 and into 2025.
