Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Galaxy Z Fold 5: Which foldable could be better?

Samsung’s upcoming Z Fold 6 could offer key upgrades that could make it a worthy successor to the Z Fold 5. We’ve put the expected changes of the Z Fold 6 vs the Z Fold 5 for you to decide if it’s worth the wait.

Samsung made foldable smartphones popular with the original Galaxy Z Fold, and it still leads the way with its newer foldables. The latest Galaxy Z Fold 5 dominates the market with its durable design and powerful performance. It tops our best foldable phone list, beating the likes of the OnePlus Open and the Pixel Fold.

But, the Z Fold 5 isn’t without issues. The outer display on the foldable is too narrow for comfortable use and the cameras aren’t very impressive. Samsung is reportedly ready to address these issues with the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 6.

If you are deciding between the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and the upcoming Z Fold 6, here is a guide to help you pick between the two and whether or not the latter will be worth the upgrade. We’ll be using Galaxy Z Fold 6’s leaked specs for comparison since the phone is not official yet. So, just take these specs with a pinch of salt until Samsung announces something official.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Z Fold 5: Expected price comparison

• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5— $1800
• Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6— $1800

Samsung’s foldable phones don’t come cheap, with the Z Fold 5 kicking off at $1800. That price has stuck around for the last three generations, and it’s likely to stay put for the upcoming Z Fold 6 too. Expect the Z Fold 6 to start at the same $1800 mark as its predecessor. However, Samsung may introduce a cheaper foldable this year, starting at around $800, according to one rumor.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Z Fold 5: Design and display

Display Specs	Galaxy Z Fold 6 (rumored)	Galaxy Z Fold 5
Unfolded Dimensions	153.5 x 132.5 x 6.1 mm	154.9 x 129.9 x 6.1 mm
Inner Display Size	7.6 inches	7.6 inches
Inner Display Aspect Ratio	7:6	7:6
Cover Screen Size	6.3 inches	6.2 inches
Cover Screen Aspect Ratio	22:9	23.1:9
Thickness (Folded)	12.1 mm	13.4 mm
Thickness (Unfolded)	5.6 mm	6.1 mm
Weight	239g	253g

The Galaxy Z Fold 6’s design is expected to be the same as Z Fold 5. However, both devices will be different in terms of dimensions. Leaker @UniverseIce claimed in a post on X that the Z Fold 6 will have a 7.6-inch foldable display with a 7:6 aspect ratio and a 6.3-inch cover screen with a 22:9 aspect ratio. By comparison, the Z Fold 5’s cover screen has an aspect ratio of 23.1:9. The Z Fold 6’s cover display may even see an increase in size from 6.2 inches to 6.3 inches.

UniverseIce also says that the Z Fold 6’s outer and inner displays will be upgraded to higher resolutions, but they haven’t said exactly what the resolutions will be. The Z Fold 5 has a foldable screen with a resolution of 1812 x 2176 and a cover screen resolution of 904 x 2316. 

Elsewhere, UniverseIce claims the Z Fold 6 will be slightly thinner and lighter than the Z Fold 5. It will be 0.47 inches (12.1mm) thick when folded shut, 0.22 (5.6mm) inches thick when unfolded, and weigh 8.4 ounces (239g). The Z Fold 5 measures 0.53 inches (13.4mm) and 0.24 (6.1mm) inches thick when folded and unfolded, and weighs 9 ounces (253g).

UniverseIce is a reliable tipster with a decent track record. If his predictions come true, you can expect the Z Fold 6’s cover display to be more usable like the OnePlus Open or Pixel Fold. The reduced thickness and weight might also let you hold the phone easily.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Z Fold 5: Cameras

Samsung

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is reported to feature the same cameras as the Z Fold 5. “The camera configuration of Galaxy Z Fold6 is exactly the same as that of Fold5. Whether it’s the rear camera or the front camera or UDC,” claims reliable tipster UniverseIce in an X post.

Expect to see a 50MP main sensor, a 12MP ultrawide lens, and a 10MP telephoto shooter on the Z Fold 6. However, thanks to software changes and a new processor, the Z Fold 6 might outperform the Z Fold 5 in the camera department, albeit not by a huge margin.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Z Fold 5: Specs

	Galaxy Z Fold 6 (rumored)	Galaxy Z Fold 5
Processor	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
RAM	12GB LPDDR5 (max)	8GB LPDDR5 (max)
Battery	4400 mAh	4400 mAh
Charging	25W wired, 15W wireless	25W, 15W wireless
Price	Starting at $1,800	Starting at $1,800

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 might feature a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip under the hood, similar to the Galaxy S24 Ultra. The Z Fold 5, on the other hand, utilizes the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip. Both of these phones use a “for Galaxy” version of the chips with an increased primary clock speed. 

For instance, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip on the OnePlus 12 has a clock speed of 3.3GHz, while the same chip inside the Galaxy S24 Ultra operates at a 3.39Hz clock speed. There isn’t a noticeable performance difference between the two, though, according to XDA Developers.

Both the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Fold 6 may have the same 12GB RAM and up to 1TB storage. Their battery may also remain the same at 4400mAh, according to @UniverseIce.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Z Fold 5: Software and updates

Samsung

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 may surpass the Fold 5 in terms of software features. Samsung introduced a variety of AI features with the Galaxy S24 Ultra that weren’t available on other Samsung phones. We would expect the Galaxy Fold 6 to receive a similar treatment. While both phones could share features like Circle to Search, text message suggestions, and generative photo edits, Samsung may reserve some exclusives for the Z Fold 6’s hardware.

The Z Fold 6 could come with Android 14 out of the box. While the Z Fold 5 debuted with Android 13, it now runs Android 14. It remains unclear if Samsung will offer seven years of software support to the upcoming foldable like the S24 series or stick to the existing 5-year update policy.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Z Fold 5: Which phone could be better?

There are several months before Z Fold 6 could go official, so it’s tough to say which one will come out on top. From the leaked specs, it looks like the Z Fold 6 might have a slight edge, but won’t have many drastic changes. You might want to wait and see what the Z Fold 6 has in store before buying your next foldable.