The long-awaited official announcement of Samsung's most “special” foldable device yet is fast approaching. After countless rumors that mostly focused on branding and differences from the existing Galaxy Z Fold 6, a new report finally gives us an idea of what the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition will likely look like.
Unsurprisingly, the very first product render leaked by the otherwise reliable folks at Android Headlines shows an extremely similar design to that of the aforementioned Z Fold 6. That's because Samsung can't just suddenly reinvent the wheel and produce a foldable book like no foldable book has ever been before. But there are also a few interesting differences that we'll discuss in the following lines.
More than just a thinner profile
Of course, the phone's main selling point won't be changed or revamped in any way, and if you look closely at the image leaked today, you'll probably notice that the waist looks significantly slimmer than the “regular” Galaxy Z Fold 6.
The Z Fold Special Edition looks undeniably sleek and elegant in its first (blurry) rendering.
According to the latest insider information dug up by the ever-trustworthy Evan Blass, the Z Fold Special Edition is 4.9mm thick when unfolded and 10.6mm when folded, making it significantly thinner compared to the Z Fold 6's 5.6mm and 12.1mm thicknesses. This should significantly improve the maneuverability of Samsung's flagship foldable, although these improvements will obviously not be enough to match the industry-leading dimensions of the Honor Magic V3.
But the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition will also bring a few other changes, including a sleek new rear finish and possibly a more noticeable camera module on the back. Although it doesn't look like it at first glance, we don't expect the back of the phone to be made of real metal, but rather just resemble the material to stand out from the shiny Z Fold 6.
The camera system, meanwhile, could increase in weight and thickness to accommodate the presence of a 200MP primary sensor, which is accompanied by the 50MP main camera on the back of the Galaxy Z Fold 6.
What about the screens?
Well, it's hard to tell from a single image (especially this kind of image), but all credible signs point to the Z Fold Special Edition having a generous 8-inch folding display and a roughly 6.5-inch cover screen. Both figures are well above the 7.6- and 6.3-inch screen sizes of the Z Fold 6, and even dwarf the aforementioned Honor Magic V3, as well as devices like the OnePlus Open and Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold (at least as far as the secondary display is concerned).
There is no information yet on further upgrades over the Z Fold 6, but even though the rest of the specifications remain completely unchanged, the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition definitely looks premium, stylish, large and powerful enough to compete for the crown of the best foldable device in the world this holiday season.
The Z Fold 6 already offers a LOT of screen space. | Image credit – PhoneArena
The cutting-edge 200MP camera from the Galaxy S24 Ultra alone could be the deciding factor for many Android power users in many key global markets, but unfortunately the Z Fold Special Edition is expected to be released exclusively in China and South Korea soon.
The retail price will obviously match the ultra-high-end specs and ultra-attractive design discussed today, at over $2,000, which could ultimately make this device a purely experimental model for a very small group of users.
