After a series of leaks, Samsung today launched the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition (SE). It is arguably the best foldable smartphone the company has made yet. It is slimmer, lighter, and bigger than the Galaxy Z Fold 6 launched in July. The new model also offers better cameras. Let’s break down the key details and see how the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition foldable differs from the Fold 6.
How does the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition differ from the Galaxy Z Fold 6?
The Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition is the thinnest and lightest Fold Samsung has ever made. It is just 10.6mm thick when folded and 4.9mm when unfolded. In comparison, the Fold 6 is 12.1mm and 5.6mm thick. The SE’s dimensions are 157.9 x 72.8 x 10.6mm (folded) and 157.9 x 142.6 x 4.9mm (unfolded). The latter has dimensions of 153.5 x 68.1 x 12.1mm and 153.5 x 132.6 x 5.6mm. They weigh 239 grams and 236 grams, respectively.
If you look carefully, the SE is substantially taller and wider, allowing for much bigger screens. The device has an 8-inch foldable display compared to the Fold 6’s 7.6-inch panel. The former offers an aspect ratio of 20:18 instead of 4:3 (20:15). This squarish design makes the 6.5-inch cover screen notably wider with a 21:9 aspect ratio, offering a regular smartphone experience. The Fold 6’s 6.3-inch cover screen has a 22.9 aspect ratio.
The display specs remain unchanged (Dynamic AMOLED 2X panels for the internal and external screens), and so does the build quality, including the IP48 dust and water resistance and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protection on the front and back. Samsung doesn’t make it clear if the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition supports S Pen input. There have been rumors about it lacking the stylus pen support duo to a missing digitizer for a slimmer profile.
However, some industry insiders claimed Samsung has reinvented the S Pen to make it work without a digitizer. We shall get a confirmation soon. Elsewhere, the SE comes with 16GB of RAM as standard compared to 12GB RAM on the Fold 6. The Special Edition is only available with 512GB of storage, whereas the regular model offers options of 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. It also supports Wi-Fi 7, while the Fold 6 tops out at Wi-Fi 6E.
A big camera upgrade
The Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition also boasts an upgraded camera system. It features a 200MP primary camera, a significant improvement over the 50MP camera on the Galaxy Z Fold 6. The other cameras, from the telephoto to the 4MP under-display selfie camera, remain the same. However, the revamped primary shooter makes it the best camera setup on a Samsung foldable ever. It closes the gap to the S series flagships like the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
The rest of the specs are largely unchanged. You get the same processor, Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 For Galaxy. Both models run Android 14-based One UI 6.1.1 out of the box, offering a host of AI features. They are eligible for seven years of updates, including seven major Android OS updates. The upgrades increase the SE’s price by about $300, though Samsung doesn’t plan to sell it in the US. The device is currently scheduled to only arrive in China and South Korea. Sales begin later this week.
