Samsung's cheap Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE tipped to launch in September to fight iPhone 16

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 half folded on bench
(Image credit: Future)

Rumor is that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 will be launching a little earlier this year, but it seems that the entry-level Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE may not be joining them. According to The Elec (via @Tech_Reve), the long-awaited cheap galaxy foldable may not arrive until September or October.

Interestingly the iPhone 16 is set to launch at some point in September, and it can’t be a coincidence that Samsung might have chosen this particular launch window. 

Apple is one of Samsung’s biggest rivals in the smartphone business, and gets a lot of attention every time a new iPhone model is announced.

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE is currently rumored to cost $800, the same as an iPhone 15, and is the first “budget” foldable Samsung has released. So it’s possible this launch window was picked deliberately, to try and distract some users from the next iPhone. 

Whether that would work or not is another matter entirely. But it does make sense that Samsung would launch an entry-level model a few months after the flagship. That’s how things are done with other FE phones, like the Galaxy S23 FE. No doubt because a cheaper model would push people away from the better and more expensive flagship.

What we know about the Z Fold 6 FE

The Elec also claims that the Z Fold 6 FE is expected to be even thinner than the flagship Galaxy Z Fold 6 — which is itself supposedly thinner than the Z Fold 5. However the FE model isn’t expected to come with S Pen support, and the loss of those necessary parts (and potentially others) may have allowed Samsung to shave a few millimeters off the phone.

There’s still a lot we don’t know about the Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE, but one recent report claimed that the phone would have a “similar” camera to the current generation of Samsung foldables — and mentioned a “dual camera” module, suggesting that the phone will skip the telephoto lens present on the flagship Z Fold series.

The report also claimed that the FE foldable may also have a less impressive chipset, display and battery — though specific details weren’t mentioned. But it probably means we can expect to see older or less powerful chips, like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 or the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3, alongside a lower resolution screen and a smaller battery pack.

Beyond that, we’ll just have to wait for more leaks and rumors that fill in the blanks — ahead of the official launch. In the meantime be sure to keep tabs on the latest news and updates in our official Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE hubs.

More from Tom's Guide

Category
Arrow
Arrow
Back to Mobile Cell Phones
Brand
Arrow
Storage Size
Arrow
Colour
Arrow
Condition
Arrow
Price
Arrow
Any Price
Showing 10 of 156 deals
Filters
Arrow
Our Review
1
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max 256GB
Verizon
(256GB 12GB RAM)
Our Review
2
SAMSUNG Galaxy S24 Ultra Dual...
Amazon
Our Review
4
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 512...
Samsung
Our Review
5
Google - Pixel 8 Pro 128GB...
Best Buy
Our Review
6
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max 512GB
Visible
(256GB Blue)
Our Review
8
iPhone 15 Pro Max 256GB (with...
Straight Talk
(Blue)
Our Review
9
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max 256GB...
Total Wireless
Our Review
10
Google Pixel 8 Pro - 128 GB
AT&T Mobility
Show more
Tom Pritchard
UK Phones Editor

Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.

Read more
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 features on outer cover display
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip FE may arrive 'months' after the Z Flip 7 — here's why
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 review.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip FE teased by Samsung — and the leaked specs sound promising
iPhone flip potential render
iPhone Flip: Has Apple already missed its moment to make a foldable phone?
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 review.
Galaxy Z Flip FE rumor — Samsung's first cheap foldable just tipped for a great display
Leaked CAD renders of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 foldable phone
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 first images leak — here's what they reveal about the new flagship foldable
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 in blue
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 rumors — everything we know so far
Latest in Samsung Phones
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge next to Galaxy S25 Plus
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge vs. Galaxy S25 Plus: Everything we know so far
Showing the front of a Galaxy S25 Ultra held in hand
One UI 7 will arrive late for US Samsung users — here’s when it’ll launch for you
samsung galaxy s25 edge mockup at galaxy unpacked
Galaxy S25 Edge is overhyped — I want Samsung to make this phone thinner instead
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra
Older Samsung phones are finally getting One UI 7 — here's all the devices
The iPhone 16 Pro Max (L) and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra rear cameras
I took 200 macro photos with Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. iPhone 16 Pro — here's the winner
Try Galaxy home screen on iPhone 16 Pro Max
You can now try Samsung's latest One UI 7 software on your iPhone — here's how
Latest in News
Rendered images of rumored foldable iPhone.
Foldable iPhone report just revealed key details — here's what we know
NYTimes Connections
NYT Connections today hints and answers — Saturday, March 23 (#651)
NYT Strands on a cellphone
NYT Strands today — hints, spangram and answers for game #385 (Sunday, March 23 2025)
Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2 rumored specs — here’s what we know so far
iPhone 17 Pro render
iPhone 17 Pro — 7 biggest rumored upgrades
CAD renderings of the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL
Pixel 10 leak could be good news for all Android phones