The recently unveiled Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 measures 5.6mm when unfolded and 12.1mm when folded, making it appear bulkier compared to some Chinese competitors. However, Samsung's next foldable smartphone could be much slimmer. According to KED Global, TM Roh, the President and Head of Samsung's MX team, has directed the team to develop an "extra slim foldable smartphone."
Industry sources reveal that Roh has asked Samsung's engineers to create a foldable device that matches the thickness of the Galaxy S24 when folded. The Galaxy S24 is 7.6mm thick, while the S24+ and S24 Ultra are 7.7mm and 8.6mm thick, respectively.
Even if Samsung manages to match the S24 Ultra's thickness, its next foldable would be 3.5mm slimmer than the Fold6 when folded, making it 1.3mm thinner than last year's Fold5. The source also claims that the MX team is working to reduce the weight of the next foldable to under 239g, the current weight of the Fold6.
Additionally, Samsung is expected to unveil a 10mm thick Galaxy Z Fold6 Slim by the end of 2024, with subsequent models becoming even thinner. This device will feature an 8" folding screen, larger than the Fold6's 7.6" display.
Beyond developing a slimmer foldable smartphone, Samsung is reportedly working on creating foldable-specific content and is collaborating with Google and other Android app developers to create foldable-specific applications.