Samsung Electronics is set to launch the Galaxy Z Fold 6 “Slim” smartphone in South Korea as early as Sept. 25, marking its first release of a slim version in its foldable lineup.
Industry sources reported on Aug. 20 that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim will be Samsung’s thinnest foldable phone yet, reducing the thickness to just over 10mm, compared to the 12.1mm thickness of the standard model. Despite the slimmer profile, the device will feature larger displays—6.5 inches externally and 8 inches internally—up from the 6.3-inch and 7.6-inch screens on the regular model. The phone will be available in black, with a price expected around 2.8 million won (approximately $2,100).
To achieve this thinner design, Samsung reportedly removed support for the S Pen, cutting the 0.3mm film required for its functionality. The company is also collaborating with Samsung Display and Samsung Electro-Mechanics to reduce the size and thickness of components like the display panel and camera module. “Samsung is doing everything they can to make it even 0.1 millimeters thinner,” said an industry official.
Samsung plans to continue reducing the thickness of its foldable Z series and standard S series smartphones. This move reflects a broader industry shift from focusing on larger screens to competing on thinness, in response to consumer demand for lightweight, easy-to-handle devices. By launching the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim ahead of competitors like Apple and Chinese brands, Samsung aims to dominate the emerging slim phone market.
Launching a new product in September, outside of Samsung’s typical release windows, underscores the company’s strategy to lead in this market. Apple, Samsung’s key competitor, is reportedly developing a slim model for its iPhone 17 series next year. Bloomberg recently reported that Apple is working on a smartphone with a thickness of around 5mm, about 3mm thinner than last year’s iPhone 15 Pro Max.
“Just as Samsung led the competition with the world’s first on-device AI phone, the Galaxy S24, released earlier this year, it now aims to lead in the slim phone race,” an industry official said. “The global smartphone market is shifting its focus to how thin the next product can be.”
Samsung’s push into the slim phone market is also aimed at competing with rapidly advancing Chinese brands. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim is expected to be released in China under the name “W25,” where it will go head-to-head with Huawei’s Mate X6, set to launch in November. Other Chinese brands are also in the race; Honor recently unveiled the Magic V3, a 9.2mm foldable, while Xiaomi introduced the Mix Fold 4, measuring 9.47mm in thickness.
