The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra impressed when it hit the market earlier this year. But can it win a showdown between the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy S24 Ultra when foldable phones appear later this summer?
After all, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will be entering a more competitive market for foldable phones, so the pressure will be on Samsung to deliver a compelling upgrade. With a slimmer design apparently in the works and the likelihood of new Galaxy AI features coming to the Fold, there’s a very good chance we could see this next phone replace the Galaxy S24 Ultra as the best Samsung phone.
We can only guess what the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will bring, as nothing has been officially announced regarding the upcoming foldable. But the rumors give us an idea of what a comparison between the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy S24 Ultra might look like once both phones become available.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra: price
The Galaxy S24 Ultra saw a price hike this year, launching at $1,299 for the base 256GB model. It’s one of the most expensive flagships you can buy, at least when it’s on sale. This is a model that does not fold.
But if you want to talk about expensive phones, Samsung’s foldables are usually at the top of the list. The current Galaxy Z Fold 5 starts at $1,799, and there is little indication that Samsung is considering a price cut. It’s early, though, and pricing rumors don’t really pick up until we get closer to a phone’s release date.
There has been talk that Samsung could introduce a cheaper version of the Fold – a Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE, if you will – that would reduce some features at a reduced price. Since we’re focusing on Samsung’s best phones, we’re only going to see how the full Galaxy Z Fold 6 will compare to the S24 Ultra in this showdown.
As for the release date, Samsung usually launches its foldable phones in the second half of the year, after releasing the Galaxy S models earlier. The Galaxy S24 Ultra debuted in January 2024 – an unusually early appearance for Samsung flagships – and the Galaxy Z Fold 6 could have its own early arrival, as Samsung looks to launch its foldable before the start of the Olympics of Paris which begin on July 26.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra: design and display
Samsung has updated the design of the Galaxy S24 Ultra quite a bit, moving from aluminum to a more durable titanium. It’s also ditched the Galaxy S’s classic curved screen for a completely flat 6.8-inch screen in an apparent bid to allow the included S Pen to work better on that massive display.
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 could also see some design changes. Like the Galaxy S24 Ultra, it could upgrade to a titanium frame, potentially reducing its weight. This is essential because foldable phones can be difficult to transport.
The biggest change might be a thinner design for the Galaxy Z Fold 6, with the new phone measuring 12.1mm thick when folded. (The Galaxy Z Fold 5 measured 13.4mm.) Unfolded, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 could be 5.6mm thick – the Galaxy S24 Ultra is 8.6mm thick.
In addition to its slimmer size, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 could have a different exterior display, with Samsung moving to a wider aspect ratio. The 7.6-inch inner panel would remain unchanged, giving you significantly more screen real estate than the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Early renders of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 do not indicate that Samsung is adding a slot on the phone to house the S Pen. This would give the Galaxy S24 Ultra an advantage, as it comes with a built-in slot for the included stylus.
Currently, the S24 Ultra is available in seven colors: green, blue, orange, purple, yellow, black and gray. Color rumors suggest that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will include light pink, dark blue, and silver options. It’s unclear if this is in addition to black, cream, gray and two shades of blue for the Galaxy Z Fold 5.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Galaxy S24 Ultra: cameras
The Galaxy S24 Ultra’s biggest camera change was to its telephoto lenses, as one of the 10MP sensors from previous models gave way to a 50MP sensor. This change came at the expense of zoom length, as the S24 Ultra is equipped with telephoto lenses offering 3x and 5x optical zooms, not the 3x and 10x of the previous model.
Even so, the S24 Ultra remains one of the best camera phones on the market, thanks to a 200 MP main camera augmented by larger pixels.
Foldable phones aren’t necessarily known for their cameras, although Samsung has worked on recent Galaxy Z Fold models to improve the optics of its main foldable. However, rumors suggest that you’re unlikely to see many changes with the Galaxy Z Fold 6, as the upcoming model is expected to retain the same 50 MP primary, 12 MP ultra-wide, and 10 MP telephoto lenses as found outside of its predecessor. Even the much-maligned camera under the Z Fold’s screen isn’t slated for an upgrade.
If the Galaxy Z Fold 6’s lack of camera improvements proves true, the Galaxy S24 Ultra should remain the top choice for photo-focused smartphone buyers.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs Galaxy S24 Ultra: performance
The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, designed for AI. Our benchmark tests on the Galaxy S24 Ultra found that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 delivers a significant power boost, even beating Apple silicon in some tests; the new Qualcomm chip also proves better at power management, helping the S24 Ultra last longer on a charge.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 ran on Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, the same silicon found in the Galaxy S23 line. Therefore, it stands to reason that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will also upgrade to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. However, Samsung could opt for the recently released Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, a slightly less powerful and also cheaper chipset than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 standard.
Regardless of which system-on-a-chip Samsung turns to, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 should have tons of RAM. The leaks hint at the foldable having 12GB or 16GB of memory, compared to 12GB in the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra: Battery life
Battery life has struggled for foldable phones, although the Galaxy Z Fold 5 made some progress in this regard, improving its time in our battery test by an hour. Still, the Galaxy S24 Ultra has one of the best phone battery lives of any major flagship, lasting 16 hours and 45 minutes in our test. That’s almost 6 hours longer than the Z Fold 5’s time.
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 will therefore have its work cut out for it, if it wants to match the battery life of the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Frankly, we’d be happy to see the foldable advantage of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3’s power management features to improve on its predecessor’s result.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra: Software
The Galaxy S24 lineup, including the Ultra, introduced us to Galaxy AI features like Circle to Search, live translations, and AI-based photo editing tools. These capabilities later appeared on other recent Galaxy flagships – including the Galaxy Z Fold 5 – thanks to the OneUI 6.1 update.
That’s why it’s a safe bet to assume that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will match the AI capabilities of the S24 Ultra. The question is whether Samsung will add more Galaxy AI tools to the mix and whether they will be tailored to the Galaxy Z Fold’s foldable form and multitasking features.
Another question for the Galaxy Z Fold 6: will it follow the lead of the Galaxy S24 line and benefit from seven years of software and security updates? The Galaxy Z Fold 5 gets four years of software support plus an additional year of security updates.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra: Outlook
We’ve got a few months left before the Galaxy Z Fold 6 appears in the wild, which means you’ll have to decide whether to wait for this phone or buy a Galaxy S24 Ultra now if you want a high-end Samsung device. . The answer to this question depends on how much you like a foldable display and the multitasking features it supports.
If you prioritize cameras as the main feature of your smartphone, the Galaxy S24 Ultra seems to be the better choice, considering the lack of changes in the camera setup of the Z Fold 6. On the other hand, don’t feel like you have to get the Galaxy S24 Ultra to benefit from the Galaxy AI features, as Samsung has been quite generous in bringing these capabilities to other phones – which we assume will include the Galaxy Z Fold 6.