Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series had been stuck in a cycle of incremental updates, falling behind the competition from Chinese foldables. But with the announcement of the Galaxy Z Fold6 Special Edition in South Korea, Samsung addresses many of the concerns with the regular Z Fold6, offering bigger screens, a slimmer design, and an impressive 200MP main camera.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 Special Edition: Bigger Screens, Slimmer Build, and a 200MP Camera
So, what makes the new Z Fold6 Special Edition stand out?
Bigger Displays
The cover screen is now 6.5 inches, up from the previous 6.3 inches on the regular Z Fold6, with a 21:9 aspect ratio that makes it feel more like a traditional smartphone display. The main screen has also grown to 8 inches, with a 10:9 aspect ratio, offering more screen real estate. Both screens feature a 120Hz refresh rate, with the cover display protected by Gorilla Glass Victus 2. While the rumored switch to Ultra Flexible Glass (UFG) didn’t materialize, the updated glass on the cover is still a notable upgrade.
Slimmer and Lighter Design
The Z Fold6 Special Edition is noticeably slimmer, measuring just 4.9mm when unfolded and 10.6mm when folded. Weighing in at 236g, it’s 3g lighter than the standard Z Fold6. However, to achieve this slim profile, Samsung has removed S Pen support, which might be a dealbreaker for some users.
Major Camera Upgrades
One of the biggest improvements is in the camera department. The Z Fold6 Special Edition boasts a 200MP main sensor with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), a significant upgrade from the 50MP camera on the regular Z Fold6. The 12MP ultrawide lens now features autofocus, while the 10MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom remains unchanged. The dual selfie cameras also stay the same, with a 10MP camera on the cover display and a 4MP under-display camera on the main screen.
Performance and Features
Under the hood, the Z Fold6 Special Edition runs on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, paired with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. It also supports Wi-Fi 7, an upgrade that’s not yet available on the regular Z Fold6. The phone comes with One UI 6.1.1, based on Android 14, and Samsung promises 7 years of software support.
The battery remains the same 4,400mAh cell as the regular Fold6, supporting 25W wired and 15W wireless charging.
Price and Availability
Samsung is offering the Z Fold6 Special Edition in a single Black Shadow color. In South Korea, it’s priced at KRW 2,789,600 (around $2,028/€1,868). Unfortunately, the Special Edition is currently exclusive to South Korea, and there are rumors it might only make its way to China (potentially under the name Galaxy W25), with no plans to release it outside of these two markets.
In summary, the Galaxy Z Fold6 Special Edition is what the original Z Fold6 should have been: a more polished and refined device that addresses many of the previous model’s shortcomings. However, its limited availability may frustrate international buyers eager to get their hands on it.
