Galaxy Z Flip 6: All the Biggest Rumors About Samsung's Next Flip Phone - CNET

Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 5 was a major step over its predecessor thanks to its significantly larger cover screen, which makes it possible to use apps without opening the device. Now, I'm curious about how Samsung will push its next flip phone even further this year with the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 6.

If rumors and reports are to be believed, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 will be a minor update to the 2023 model. It'll likely get a fresh processor and perhaps an improved camera, but will probably retain the same overall appearance as the Galaxy Z Flip 5.

Read more: Best Samsung Phone for 2024

Samsung was one of the first companies to release a foldable phone, and it's maintained a solid lead in the market. Samsung accounted for about 66% of foldable phone shipments in 2023, according to TrendForce. But it faces more competition than ever after companies such as Motorola, Google and OnePlus each released new bendable devices in 2023.

As I've written in the past, I hope to see new software features, a better camera and longer software support on the Z Flip 6. Here's a closer look at what we're expecting to see.

Read more: Considering a Foldable Phone? How to Decide If One Is Right for You

Watch this: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 Review: Flip Phones Are Cool Again

Possible release date

A photo from Samsung's Unpacked Event in July 2023, where the company introduced the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5. 

Samsung usually launches new foldables in August, but it debuted the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5 earlier than expected in July last year. Now, a report from SamMobile suggests that could once again be the case this year. 

The tech blog reports that Samsung will introduce the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6 on July 10 in Paris. If true, it would be an earlier launch than last year, considering the Galaxy Z Flip 5 was announced on July 26 and was released in early August. 

A very similar design

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 has a gapless hinge. 

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is expected to look a lot like the Galaxy Z Flip 5. According to reportedly leaked renderings of the phone, published by gadget blog SmartPrix in collaboration with serial leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer, the new flip phone will be nearly identical to last year's device, with just minor changes in physical dimensions. The leak also suggests the device could come in mint and lavender color options. 

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 was a leap forward in design over its predecessor, expanding its outer display to nearly the full top half of the back of the device, excepting a cutout for the cameras. The Motorola Razr Plus, released around the same time, had an outer display just as large. Given rumors don't indicate any dramatic changes to the Z Flip 6's design, we'll wait to see if competing clamshell foldables offer anything more than Samsung's upcoming device.

Maybe a new processor and a bigger battery

Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor is expected to power the Galaxy Z Flip 6. 

Samsung usually upgrades its foldable phones with new processors that match the ones in its latest flagship Galaxy S phones. We're expecting that to be the case again this year, meaning the Galaxy Z Flip 6 will likely run on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip. 

However, one leak indicates surprisingly that may not be the case. According to SamMobile, two different variants of the Galaxy Z Flip 6 have been spotted in Geekbench's database: One with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, and another powered by the older Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor. Geekbench is a benchmarking platform for testing device performance, the results of which are logged in a database. 

We won't know for sure until Samsung announces its next Galaxy Z Flip device. But if Samsung is testing a version with last year's chip, perhaps it's looking into the possibility of launching a cheaper version of the Z Flip 6. This is just speculation at this point, but as my colleague David Lumb points out, putting last year's chip in a new Z Flip could help Samsung keep the price down.

Battery life could also see an increase, with the blog Galaxy Club reporting that the new phone could have a 4,000-mAh battery. That's slightly higher than the Galaxy Z Flip 5's 3,700-mAh battery, which could translate to longer battery life or support for battery-draining features like location tracking or on-device generative AI.

A camera upgrade

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 (not pictured) is expected to get a camera upgrade. 

Camera quality is one area in which the Galaxy Z Flip typically lags behind Samsung's flagships. But according to Galaxy Club, Samsung might take a step towards changing that with the Galaxy Z Flip 6. Samsung's next flip phone will reportedly have a 50-megapixel camera, the report says, which would make it the same resolution as the main camera sensor on the Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus. 

Galaxy AI seems likely

Generative Edit, which is one of Samsung's Galaxy AI features, being shown on the Galaxy S24 Ultra. 

Samsung launched Galaxy AI -- its umbrella term for a variety of AI-powered software features -- on the Galaxy S24 series in January. It's since expanded compatibility to other Galaxy devices, including the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5. With that in mind, it wouldn't be surprising to see Galaxy AI on the Galaxy Z Flip 6 at launch.

Galaxy AI features include Generative Edit, which lets you manipulate and move objects in photos, Live Translate for translating calls between two languages in real time and Chat Assist for rewriting text messages in a different tone, translating them into another language or checking for spelling and grammar errors. 

Read more: AI Showdown: How Samsung's Galaxy S24 AI Tools Compare to Google, Apple

But what I'm really hoping to see are new software features that make special use of the Galaxy Z Flip's bendable display and cover screen. 

We'll know more when Samsung announces the Galaxy Z Flip 6. But based on the rumors so far, it sounds like it'll be a modest improvement over the Z Flip 5 rather than a big leap forward.