The future of phones just got slightly more expensive…again. Samsung is raising the prices of its foldable and flippable phones with the release of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6. The devices will now cost $1,900 and $1,100, respectively, making them $100 more than their predecessors. Samsung debuted the handsets Wednesday during its Unpacked event, along with other gadgets like the Galaxy Ring and Galaxy Buds 3.
The Galaxy Z Fold and Flip 6 incorporate Galaxy AI, the phone maker’s suite of AI-powered software features. The features are designed to simplify various tasks, like translating conversations and editing photos. The latest Galaxy Z phones also come equipped with the Google Gemini app, offering an AI-powered assistant to help with writing, planning or to answer your questions more thoroughly. Users can also take advantage of Circle to Search for quicker results on a webpage, social media post or photo.
The phones also feature upgraded hardware. Samsung says this is the “slimmest and lightest Galaxy Z series ever,” and is also more durable. The inner folding screens are improved, with “enhanced layers on the main screen help to improve the crease while maintaining strength,” the company added in a press release.
This host of new features, to Samsung, seems to justify a higher price tag. But that $100 hike adds to an already prohibitive cost for a lot of consumers. The uptick also aligns with price increases on other recent devices from phone makers like Samsung and Apple. The Galaxy S24 Ultra, for instance, costs $100 more than last year’s Galaxy S23 Ultra, and Apple’s iPhone 15 Pro Max also starts at $100 more than the 14 Pro Max, since the company eliminated the lower-priced 128GB storage option. And with the entry price for many flagship phones looming around $1,000, any increase can feel like a major one.
Stay tuned for CNET’s first takes and reviews of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 to see how our experts feel about the host of new features and updates coming to the series. In the meantime, the Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 are available to preorder now, and will hit shelves (and mailboxes) July 24.
