Or perhaps you’ll decide not to buy one of Samsung’s pristine foldable phones because of the skyrocketing prices. I say this wholeheartedly, $1,799 for the Galaxy Z Wrinkle 5 was already a dime a dozen, but $1,899 for the Galaxy Z Wrinkle 6 feels like we’re going in the wrong direction if the aim is to make this segment more mainstream .
“The price increase is a bold move by Samsung,” says Nabila Popal, senior analysis director at IDC. “To me, this makes a strong statement that says Samsung believes the upgrades offered in the device are worth it.”
Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Turn 6 starts at $1,099, which could be $100 more than the Galaxy Z Turn 5. This is when Motorola’s ancient Razr Plus 2024 still costs the same $999 as the 2023 model, and that’s with a larger defended display and upgraded chipset in the ancient form.
Sure, there are some sexy Galaxy Z Fold 6 preorder offers and Z Turn 6 offers that can send prices skyrocketing like I’m sick of. What’s happening here though and what are you getting with your leftover money? And what does Samsung have to say about it? Let’s get this, I’m sick.
Galaxy Z Fold 6 price: What do you get for $1,899?
As you’ll see in my hands-on review of the Galaxy Z Fold 6, this foldable phone collects a number of enhancements along with strong pristine AI features.
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is both lighter and thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 5, measuring 0.5 inches less when closed and coming in at 8.4 ounces. This is a significant addition in contrast to the 0.53-inch profile and 8.9-ounce weight on the Z Curve 5. In fact, the original weight is equivalent to the daily value of the iPhone 14 Professional Max I (8.47 ounces). So we’re aiming for a goal where there won’t be a major penalty for wearing a big-screen foldable.
“There are a lot of things that help justify a $100 price increase — at least for me,” Pople says. “Our research shows that ‘thinness’ and ‘lightness’ are important attributes for consumers when choosing a foldable device, so these upgrades will boost Samsung’s sales and regain some of its lost foldable market share.”
The optional welcome upgrade to the Pixel 6 comes with a significantly wider and larger 6.3-inch Shield display, which makes it less cramped for typing. And Samsung says they’ve made the software more difficult to crack due to pristine clothing and an advanced twin rail hinge with a reinforced folding edge for the defense show. The main cover is also brighter at 2,600 nits, which is more than the 1,750 nits peak brightness on the Pixel 5.
The ancient Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor should improve efficiency, especially when it comes to AI tasks. And ZWrinkle 6 can do a dozen things, including auto-summaries and transcriptions of your conferences and the ability to create compelling artwork with the Comic Strip to Symbol feature. In fact, I’ve been inspired by this right throughout my life, even if you have to pay a lot for the S Pen for it.
Add in some fun photograph options like AI-generated portraits and assistance with composing emails, plus Google Gemini on board, and the Jade Pixel 6 is an AI powerhouse. However is its value worth $100 more than the Z Wrinkle 5?
“The biggest culprit for a $100 price increase is probably just inflation,” says Avi Greengart, top analyst at Techsponential. “But Samsung has upgraded the processor, made the hinge and display more durable, and updated the cameras.”
Galaxy Z Turn 6 fee: What do you get for $1,099?
The Galaxy Z Turn 6 seems like a more flimsy foldable to me, partly due to the 3.4-inch Shield Display compared to the Motorola Razr Plus’s massive 4-inch outer cover. Samsung still doesn’t allow you to run entire apps on the Shield without the use of a separate app. In turn, you are limited to flex window widgets.
Is this foldable utility worth $1,099 while Motorola has the regular Motorola Razr 2024 that sells for just $699?
Greengart says, “In the fold-smaller segment, Motorola’s new Razr offers an option for people who want an exciting foldable for under $700, and I expect the model to sell well. “On the other hand, it It’s worth keeping in mind that smartphones are heavily sponsored in the US, so the end customer doesn’t always pay the retail cost.”
There are some notable upgrades with the Galaxy Z Flip 6. You get the same enhanced durability as the Z Fold 6 and there’s a new 50MP main wide camera with 2x optical zoom capability. Thanks to Galaxy AI, you can reply to texts with suggested answers on an external display. And there’s a new Auto Zoom feature to automatically frame shots of you and your friends in FlexCam mode.
The Z Flip 6 is clearly an attention-grabbing phone. The AI extends to wallpapers with a new Photo Ambient mode that can change in real time depending on the time of day and even weather conditions.
The biggest upgrade on the Z Flip 6 may be the battery, as it’s a 4,000 mAh one. This is a notable jump from the 3,700 mAh cell on the Z Flip 5. Combine this with the more efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip in the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and this foldable should have serious staying power.
What does Samsung say about the price hike?
To dig a little deeper, I asked Drew Blackard, vice president of mobile product marketing at Samsung, for his opinion on the price increase for the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6.
“Our management priority is always to deliver a great product experience,” Blackard said via email. “The Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Fold 6 bring us a classic form of mobile innovation and is our best foldable line but enhanced with the classic Galaxy AI features.”
Blackard also highlights the fact that Samsung has not increased the price of its foldable phones for the last few generations. As for the Fold 6, Samsung claims it is their “lightest, thinnest and strongest Galaxy Fold yet with exciting Galaxy AI features.”
With the Flip 6, Samsung is focused on building parity with the Galaxy S24, including a more powerful processor and better camera performance. However you don’t get a triple camera setup on the S24; The Flip 6 has only two rear cameras.
Bottom Line: Look for carriers and trade-in deals
The price hike for the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 is very disappointing. Our full reviews will determine whether these are worth it or not. But in the meantime, should you pre-order these foldables or wait?
The good news is that Samsung and wireless carriers are offering deep discounts on the Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 to get you to upgrade. For example, Samsung is offering up to $1,500 off with a trade-in and a free storage upgrade.
Verizon and AT&T are also offering trade-in deals with free storage upgrades. So you can get the 512GB option at the same price as the 256GB model. Amazon and Best Buy are offering similar deals. As Greengart said earlier, these types of subsidized deals will keep you from paying full price for your new Samsung phone.
But even aside from monthly payments, chances are you’re going to pay more for Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 than the Fold 5 and Flip 5. And that doesn’t mean we want to flip.
Additional information from Tom
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