Fold-flation — I asked Samsung about the price increases of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6

It might be the first question you ask Google’s Gemini AI when you take the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 out of the box: “Why would you cost $100 more?”

Or maybe you’ll decide not to buy one of Samsung’s new foldable phones because of the price hike. I mean, $1,799 was already a lot of money for the Galaxy Z Fold 5, but $1,899 for the Galaxy Z Fold 6 feels like we’re going in the wrong direction if the goal is to make this category more mainstream.

“The price increase is a bold move by Samsung,” said Nabila Popal, senior research director at IDC. “To me, it clearly shows that Samsung believes the improvements it is offering in the devices are worth the cost.”

Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 starts at $1,099, which is $100 more than the Galaxy Z Flip 5. This comes at a time when Motorola’s new 2024 Razr Plus still costs the same $999 as the 2023 version, and that comes with a larger cover display and an upgraded chipset on the new model.

Yes, there are some great Galaxy Z Fold 6 pre-order deals and Z Flip 6 deals that can bring the price down significantly. But what’s going on here and what do you get for your extra bucks? And what does Samsung have to say about it? Let’s break it down.

Galaxy Z Fold 6 price: What do you get for $1,899?

As you’ll see in my hands-on Galaxy Z Fold 6 review, this foldable phone packs a lot of improvements as well as powerful new AI features.

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is both lighter and thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 5, measuring less than 0.5 inches when closed and weighing 240 grams. That’s a noticeable difference from the Z Fold 5’s 0.53-inch profile and 240 grams. In fact, the new weight is the same as the iPhone 14 Pro Max I use daily (240 grams). So we’re getting to the point where carrying around a large-screen foldable doesn’t come with a significant penalty.

“There are a lot of reasons to justify the $100 price increase, at least for me,” Popal said. “Our research shows that ‘thinness’ and ‘lightness’ are important features for consumers when choosing the Fold, so these improvements will boost sales for Samsung and help it regain some of its lost share in the foldable market.”

Other welcome improvements for the Fold 6 include a slightly wider and taller 6.3-inch Cover Display, making it less cramped for typing. And Samsung says it’s made the device more durable overall, thanks to new materials for the Cover Display and an improved dual-rail hinge with a reinforced folding edge. The main display is also brighter, at 2,600 nits, up from 1,750 nits of peak brightness on the Fold 5.

The new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor should provide a performance boost, especially when it comes to AI tasks. And the Z Fold 6 can do a lot of things, including automatic summaries and transcriptions of your meetings and the ability to create compelling artwork with the Sketch to Image feature. I was really impressed with it during my hands-on time, even if you have to pay even more for an S Pen to use it.

Add in fun photo features like AI-generated portraits and email writing assistance, plus built-in Google Gemini, and the Z Fold 6 is a true AI powerhouse. But is it worth $100 more than the Z Fold 5?

“The main culprit for the $100 price increase is probably inflation,” said Avi Greengart, principal analyst at Techsponential. “But Samsung has upgraded processors, made hinges and displays more durable, and modernized cameras.”

Galaxy Z Flip 6 price: What do you get for $1,099?

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 strikes me as the most disappointing foldable, partly because the Cover Screen remains at 3.4 inches, compared to the Motorola Razr Plus’s gigantic 4-inch external display. Samsung still doesn’t let you run full apps on the Cover Screen without using a separate app. Instead, you’re limited to Flex Window widgets.

Is this foldable worth $1,099 when Motorola has a regular Motorola Razr 2024 that sells for just $699?

“In the foldable smartphone segment, Motorola’s new Razr offers an option for those looking for a compelling foldable at $700, and I expect it to sell well,” Greengart says. “However, it’s important to remember that smartphones are heavily subsidized in the U.S., so the end consumer often doesn’t pay retail prices.”

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 gets a few notable improvements. It gets increased durability, just like the Z Fold 6, and a new 50MP wide-angle main camera with 2x optical zoom. Thanks to Galaxy AI, you can reply to text messages with suggested replies on the front screen. And there’s a new auto-zoom feature in FlexCam mode to automatically frame photos of you and your friends.

The Z Flip 6 is clearly an eye-catching phone. The AI ​​extends to the wallpaper with a new Ambient Photo mode that can change in real-time based on the time of day and even weather conditions.

The biggest upgrade to the Z Flip 6 might be the battery, as it’s a whopping 4,000mAh. That’s a notable improvement over the Z Flip 5’s 3,700mAh cell. Pair that with the Galaxy Z Flip 6’s more efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip and this foldable should have some serious battery life.

What Samsung says about price hikes

To dig a little deeper, I asked Drew Blackard, Samsung’s vice president of mobile product marketing, for his thoughts on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 price increases.

“Our top priority is always to deliver an incredible product experience,” Blackard said via email. “The Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 set a new standard for mobile innovation and are our best foldable series yet, enhanced by new Galaxy AI capabilities.”

Blackard also points out that Samsung hasn’t increased the price of its foldable phones in recent generations. For the Fold 6, Samsung said it’s their “lightest, thinnest, most powerful Galaxy Fold ever, packed with exciting new Galaxy AI capabilities.”

With the Flip 6, Samsung is trying to create parity with the Galaxy S24, including a more powerful processor and better camera performance. However, you don’t get the triple camera setup of the S24; the Flip 6 only has two rear cameras.

Bottom line: Look for carrier and pick-up deals

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 price hikes are disappointing. Our full reviews will determine whether or not they’re justified. But in the meantime, should you pre-order these foldables or wait?

The good news is that Samsung and mobile carriers are offering deep discounts on the Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 to entice you to upgrade. For example, Samsung is offering up to $1,500 off with trade-in and a free storage upgrade.

Verizon and AT&T also offer trade-in deals with a free storage upgrade, so you can get the 512GB option for the same price as the 256GB model. Amazon and Best Buy have similar deals. As Greengart said earlier, these types of subsidized deals should keep you from paying full price for your new Samsung phone.

But even with monthly payments, there’s a good chance you’ll pay more for Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 than you would for the Fold 5 and Flip 5. And that doesn’t exactly make us want to return the device.

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