Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6: A story of what could have been

There's a new foldable phone on the block, and it surprisingly comes from Samsung. No, it's not a new version of the Fold 6, but instead, is the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition. On paper, there are a lot of similarities between these two foldable behemoths, but Samsung implemented a few surprising changes with its latest device.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6: Design and Displays

For the past three iterations, Samsung has largely left the design of the Galaxy Z Fold series unchanged. The Galaxy Z Fold 4, 5, and 6 all look pretty similar at a glance, with the biggest exception being that Samsung has been putting its book-style foldable on a bit of a proverbial diet.

The biggest change came with the Fold 6, as Samsung made some subtle tweaks, bringing it more in line with the design of the Galaxy S24 series. This means the phone is a bit boxier, while also being easier to hold in the hand, and is something that was adopted by the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition. 

We still have a combination of glass and aluminum across both the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition and Z Fold 6. However, that's about where the similarities end. 

Without burying the lede, the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition now features both a larger cover screen and foldable display. The cover screen is now 6.5-inches compared to the 6.3-inches from the Fold 6, while the foldable display is bumped up to 8-inches, from 7.6-inches.

Although both screens are now larger, the Special Edition and Fold 6 are both 5.6mm when unfolded. This still falls a bit short of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which is just 5.1mm when unfolded. However, the Z Fold Special Edition is now thinner when folded, measuring in at 10.6mm, down from 12.1mm, and there's just a 0.1mm difference between the SE and the 9 Pro Fold.

Many of the other bells and whistles are onboard with the Special Edition, such as offering a dynamic 120Hz refresh rate. Additionally, both displays match the Z Fold 6 in terms of peak brightness, managing to reach up to 2,600 nits.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6: Hardware and specs

Seeing as Qualcomm didn't announce the Snapdragon 8 Elite until after the Z Fold Special Edition was introduced, we still have the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 at the helm. However, Samsung has bumped up the amount of RAM, as it comes with 16GB, compared to the 12GB from the Fold 6. This isn't likely to be anything that you'll notice now, but as the number of AI features continues to grow, the additional RAM will definitely help.

In terms of storage, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is available with 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB, giving you a few different options. However, that's not the case with the Z Fold Special Edition, as there's only a single 512GB configuration to choose from. It's not all that surprising given that this is a limited release, but still something to keep in mind.

In terms of what's under the hood, the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition brings support for Wi-Fi 7, where as the Fold 6 is capped at Wi-Fi 6E. This means that the battery size and charging speeds remain unchanged, which is kind of disappointing given that both phones only support up to 25W wired charging speeds.

As it turns out, there is one more surprising difference between the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6. The former does not support Samsung's S Pen, which could be one of those "make or break" factors for those interested in the Special Edition. We can only surmise this has to do with the type of display that Samsung implemented, but it's easily the biggest disappointment here.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6: Cameras

Along with introducing larger displays, Samsung also made one massive change to the cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition. The 50MP main wide-angle lens is gone, being replaced by the same 200MP primary sensor found in the Galaxy S24 Ultra.

This has been one of the biggest complaints about the Galaxy Z Fold line, as Samsung has continued to use the same 50MP for the last three generations. That's not to say you can't get some great pictures out of the Fold 6, but there's a reason why the Galaxy S24 Ultra's 200MP lens is considered one of the best in a smartphone.

Samsung didn't make any other changes to the camera hardware on the Z Fold Special Edition. So the main rear camera is joined by a 12MP ultrawide lens, and a 10MP telephoto sensor with a 3x optical zoom. These are joined by the 10MP camera on the cover screen, and the 4MP under-display lens on the foldable screen.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6: Software

There's not too much to really write home about when it comes to the software features and capabilities. It's essentially the same experience across the board, including the heavy dose of AI features. 

With that, Google's Circle to Seach is available on day one, along with Samsung's Note Assist, Photo Assist, and more. While the features are shared across both foldable phones, one could assume that the Z Fold Special Edition is better equipped for new features thanks to the additional RAM.

Samsung promises 7 years of OS and security updates for many of its best phones, but we don't know what Android and One UI will look like in seven years. Plus, we know that more AI features will be implemented in the coming years, and the extra 4GB of RAM gives the Z Fold Special Edition a bit of extra wiggle room. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6: Which should you buy?

This one's easy. Unless you live in Korea or China, you don't have to actually pick between the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition and Galaxy Z Fold 6. Even then, the Fold SE is sold out in the regions where it is available. Samsung's latest foldable won't be arriving in additional markets, leaving you with just the Galaxy Z Fold 6 to choose from.

On the one hand, it's great to see Samsung actually implement changes that fans of foldable phones have wanted to see. Especially as the competition heats up with the likes of the OnePlus Open and Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

However, we are rather disappointed to see that these changes were implemented, only for the phone to see a very limited release. From here, we can only hope that the Z Fold Special Edition is a glimpse into what might be in the works for the Galaxy Z Fold 7.