This year, Samsung was rumored to bring three Galaxy Z Fold6 devices. Apart from the standard Galaxy Z Fold6, there were rumors of the Galaxy Z Fold6 Ultra, which would enjoy high-end specs similar to the Ultra variant in the Galaxy-S series. Besides this, there was also a rumor that Samsung could also be working on an affordable foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold6 FE.
The alleged Galaxy Z Fold6 FE was in the works to increase the South Korean technology giant"s foothold in regions such as China. However, a recent report by The Elec doesn"t sound good for those who were waiting for the affordable Galaxy Z Fold6 FE.
Reportedly, Samsung has "entered a full review" of the Galaxy Z Fold 6FE launch. Moreover, the report also claims that Samsung may go ahead with its standard plan of launching the Galaxy Z Flip6 and the Galaxy Z Fold6 at the July Unpacked event in Paris. Both foldables are rumored to launch in multiple color options. Since there is no mention of the Galaxy Z Fold6 Ultra, Samsung may ditch its launch as well.
Notably, the report suggests that Samsung has already entered mass production of both the Galaxy Z Flip6 and the Galaxy Z Fold6 phones this month. According to The Elec, Samsung"s plans to launch the Galaxy Z Fold6 FE could be canceled for lack of product differentiation and market uncertainty.
It adds that despite removing the S-Pen-compatible components from the device, Samsung wasn"t able to reduce the thickness of the Galaxy Z Fol6 FE. Allegedly, Samsung conducted folding tests on the affordable Galaxy Z Fold6 FE to test its durability and also added dust and water. However, the company found that the phone couldn"t match the thinness of its Chinese rivals.
Samsung had plans to launch the much thinner Galaxy Z Fold6 FE this year to compete with its rival Huawei Mate X3"s thickness. For comparison, the Huawei Mate X3 measures 11.8mm when folded whereas last year"s Galaxy Z Fold5"s thickness is 13.4mm when folded, which is 1.6x thicker than Huawei"s foldable.
The report further claims that although Samsung may not launch the affordable Galaxy Z Fold6 FE this year, it plans to add the model to next year"s lineup.