Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra now looks legit — here’s why

News
By
published

Model number seems to line up with rumored high-end version, but there’s a catch

Galaxy Z Fold 6 render
(Image credit: Smartprix)

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra was recently presumed dead, but that may not be the case after all. 

To back up a little, rumors about an Ultra version of the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 6 began to surface after WinFuture’s Max Jambor revealed a third model designation for this year’s Galaxy Z family of foldables. While Q6 refers to the Z Fold 6 and B6 relates to the Z Flip 6, Q6a was left unclaimed.

Now Galaxy Club has dug a little deeper, discovering a model number called SM-F958. This might seem like a meaningless string of numbers and letters until you note some of the site’s other data points:

The number ‘8’ at the end of a model has, in recent years, designated an Ultra version of Samsung Galaxy phones. So while the SM-F95 part of the mystery phone indicates a Galaxy Z Fold 6 handset, the 8 at the end points to an Ultra twist.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra: Limited release?

However, Galaxy Club has some bad news both for its Dutch readers and potential US buyers. For now, the site has only been able to find a version for Samsung’s home market of South Korea: the SM-F958N.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that a Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra won’t ever launch outside of Korea, but it suggests that it’ll be at least a few months behind if it does.

As for what might make this handset "Ultra," we’re in speculation territory. The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra builds on its siblings with a larger screen, a heftier battery, a 200MP lead camera and a bundled S Pen, which could be the blueprint of what Samsung intends to offer with an Ultra foldable. Perhaps the Ultra model will offer a more powerful zoom, too.

That said, a built-in S Pen, like that found on the S24 Ultra, would be a huge challenge, given the phone has to unfold. On the Galaxy Z Fold 5, each side is just 6.1mm thick, which doesn’t leave much space for a dock.

We should find out this what Samsung plans this summer — and earlier than you might think. Thanks to the company’s sponsorship of the Paris Olympics, it’s rumored that the next Samsung Unpacked event will take place during the second week of July. Alongside the new foldables, we’re also expecting to see the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and the long-awaited Galaxy Ring.

More from Tom's Guide

See more Phones News
TOPICS
Alan Martin
Alan Martin

Freelance contributor Alan has been writing about tech for over a decade, covering phones, drones and everything in between. Previously Deputy Editor of tech site Alphr, his words are found all over the web and in the occasional magazine too. When not weighing up the pros and cons of the latest smartwatch, you'll probably find him tackling his ever-growing games backlog. Or, more likely, playing Spelunky for the millionth time.