Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim may only be fractionally slimmer

The rumoured ‘Slim’ version of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 could trim only a fraction from the standard edition phone, according to a new report.

According to sources speaking to South Korea’s The Elec, Samsung has scaled back its ambitions to create a phone much more pocket friendly.

The report (via 9to5Google) says that concerns over reliability have convinced Samsung to opt for an 11.6mm thinness when the device is folded over.

Considering the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is 12.1mm thick, the juice may may not be worth the squeeze for Samsung. It would only be a 5% reduction in the thickness overall.

That would make the trade-offs for buyers, which is likely to see the S Pen stylus dropped from the proposition, a tougher sell also. One of the reasons the S Pen would be cut is the digitisers necessary to power the stylus would be removed in order trim the footprint.

The report from The Elec said Samsung had struggled with product reliability when trying to make the phone a little thinner.

The report features a quote from an unnamed Samsung executive, saying: “even if Samsung wanted to release the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim model, it will be difficult to do so into the 10mm range due to the reliability issues.”

The Galaxy Z Fold 6, at 12.1mm is already much thinner than the previous generation when folded. The Galaxy Z Fold 56 had a 13.4mm footprint, so it’s not clear there’s a massive market for an additional device in the range, unless it was accompanied by a more agreeable price point.

Samsung is rumoured to be pushing for an October release for the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim, having skipped a launch during this month’s Unpacked event.

The verdict is in on the new Galaxy Z Fold 6 is in here at Trusted Reviews, with our team suggesting Samsung has focused on the wrong improvements on this sixth-generation device. The battery life doesn’t always last a full day, the cameras are dated and the foldable screen crease is still very noticable, our reviewer bemoaned.