This might be the first question you ask the Google Gemini AI. Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 Right out of the box, I was like, “Why is it $100 more?”
Or maybe I’ll just decide not to buy the new Samus G game. Flip Phone The price has gone up. At $1,799 it was already a lot. Galaxy Z Fold 5But if the goal is to make the category more mainstream, the Galaxy Z Fold 6’s $1,899 price tag feels like a step in the wrong direction.
“This price increase is a bold move by Samsung,” said Nabila Popal, senior research director at IDC. “To me, it sends a strong message that Samsung thinks there’s value in the upgrades it offers to its devices.”
Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 starts at $1,099, also Galaxy Z Flip 5This is Motorola’s new Lazar Plus 2024 The price remains the same as the 2023 version at $999, but the new model gets a larger cover display and an upgraded chipset.
Yes, there are some fascinating ones too. Galaxy Z Fold 6 pre-order bonuses And a Z Flip 6 deal could bring the price down considerably. But what’s going on here, and what do you get for the extra money? And what is Samsung saying about it? Let’s take a closer look.
Galaxy Z Fold 6 price: What do you get for $1,899?
my Galaxy Z Fold 6 Hands-on ReviewThe foldable phone comes with a host of improvements along with powerful new AI features.
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is lighter and thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 5, measuring less than half an inch when closed and weighing 8.4 ounces. That’s a noticeable difference compared to the Z Fold 5’s 0.53-inch profile and 8.9 ounces. In fact, the new weight is iPhone 14 Pro Max I use it daily (8.47 ounces), which means I’m at the stage where there’s no major drawback to carrying a large-screen foldable around.
“There are plenty of reasons to justify a $100 price increase, at least to me,” Popal said. “Our research found that thinness and lightness were key features when consumers chose a Fold device, so these upgrades should boost Samsung’s sales and help it regain some of its lost share in the foldable market.”
Other welcome upgrades on the Fold 6 include a slightly wider and larger 6.3-inch cover display, which makes typing feel less cramped, and Samsung says the use of new materials for the cover display and an improved dual-rail hinge with stronger folding edges should make the device more durable overall. The main screen is also brighter, with peak brightness now at 2,600 nits, up from 1,750 nits on the Fold 5.
The new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor should bring improved performance, especially when it comes to AI tasks, and the Z Fold 6 packs a ton of features, including automatic meeting summarization and transcription, and the ability to create compelling art with a sketch-to-image feature. Even though you’ll have to pay more for the S Pen to get this functionality, I was genuinely impressed when I used it.
With fun photography features like AI-generated portraits and email composing assistance, plus Google Gemini on board, the Z Fold 6 is an AI powerhouse. But is it worth the $100 premium over the Z Fold 5?
“The biggest factor in the $100 price increase is probably inflation,” said Avi Greengart, principal analyst at Techponential, “but Samsung has upgraded the processor, made the hinge and display more durable, and updated the camera.”
Galaxy Z Flip 6 price: What do you get for $1,099?
The Galaxy Z Flip 6 seems like a disappointing foldable to me, in part because the cover display remains at 3.4 inches compared to the Motorola Razr Plus’s gigantic 4-inch external screen. Samsung still doesn’t allow you to run full apps on the cover screen without using another app; instead, you’re limited to Flex Window widgets.
Is this flip phone worth $1,099 when Motorola sells regular flip phones? Motorola Lazar 2024 What’s on sale for just $699?
“In the smaller-than-foldable segment, Motorola’s new Razr offers an option for those looking for a compelling foldable at $700, and we expect this model to sell well,” Greengart said, “but we must remember that smartphones are heavily subsidized in the U.S., so end consumers often don’t pay retail prices.”
The Galaxy Z Flip 6 has some notable upgrades. It’s built to be more durable like the Z Fold 6, and it has a new 50MP main wide camera with 2x optical zoom. Thanks to Galaxy AI, you can reply to texts with suggested replies right on the outer display, and in FlexCam mode there’s a new auto-zoom feature that automatically frames photos of you and your friends.
The Z Flip 6 is clearly a phone that will grab your attention: the AI extends to wallpapers too, with a new Photo Ambient mode that changes in real time depending on the time of day and weather.
The Z Flip 6’s biggest upgrade may be its battery: 4,000 mAh, a big increase from the 3,700 mAh cell in the Z Flip 5. Combine that with the Galaxy Z Flip 6’s more efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, and this foldable smartphone should pack some serious punch.
What Samsung is saying about the price hike
To find out more, I asked Drew Blackard, Samsung’s vice president of mobile product marketing, for his thoughts on the price increases for the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6.
“Our top priority has always been to deliver amazing product experiences,” Blackard said in an email. “The Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 set a new bar for mobile innovation for us, and are our best foldables ever, enhanced by new Galaxy AI capabilities.”
Blackard also highlighted the fact that Samsung hasn’t increased the price of its foldable phones over the past few generations. With the Fold 6, Samsung is touting it as the “lightest, slimmest, and most powerful Galaxy Fold ever, with exciting new Galaxy AI capabilities.”
With the Flip 6, Samsung is focusing on bringing features on par with the Galaxy S24, including a more powerful processor and better cameras, which the S24 lacks, while the Flip 6 only has two rear cameras.
Conclusion: Look for carrier and trade-in deals
It’s a shame there’s a price increase on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6. Our full review will tell you if it’s justified, but in the meantime, should you pre-order these foldable smartphones or wait?
The good news is that Samsung and carriers are offering big discounts to encourage people to upgrade to the Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6. For example: Samsung offers up to $1,500 off Includes trade-in and free storage upgrade.
Verizon and AT&T They also offer a trade-in plan with a free storage upgrade, so you can get the 512GB option for the same price as the 256GB model. Amazon and Best Buy They’re offering similar deals, and as Greengart mentioned earlier, these subsidized deals should help you avoid buying a new Samsung phone at full price.
But even split into monthly payments, you’ll likely end up paying more for Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 than you would for the Fold 5 and Flip 5. And that doesn’t make us want to flip.
