Word on the street is that Samsung will unveil its new Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 foldables in a few weeks, right in time for the Summer Olympic Games, where the Korean giant is an important sponsor. But, as usual with Samsung flagship phone launches, there won’t be any secrets left by the time the company holds its second Unpacked press conference of the year.
Everything Galaxy-related always leaks long in advance, especially details about the next generation of foldables. Samsung is also expected to announce availability details for the Galaxy Ring wearable at the event. Moreover, we could see a new Galaxy Buds design debut this summer alongside next-gen smartwatches.
The latest Galaxy rumor concerns a detail many fans of foldables are probably dying to learn: the price of the Galaxy Z Flip 6. After all, the purported Galaxy Z Fold 6 price leaked last week, so it was only a matter of time before the clamshell foldable got the same treatment.
Like the Fold 6, you won’t like this Flip 6 price rumor one bit. In fact, if this leak is accurate, the price of the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is even worse.
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An unnamed European retailer that SamInsider spotted (via Phandroid) put up the purported prices for the Galaxy Z Flip 6 models as follows:
- 256GB Galaxy Z Flip 6: €1,339.99 ($1,437)
- 512GB Galaxy Z Flip 6: €1,466.99 ($1,573)
Here are the Galaxy Z Flip 5 prices from last year:
- 256GB Galaxy Z Flip 5: €1,199 ($1,286)
- 512GB Galaxy Z Flip 5: €1,319 ($1,415)
That’s right; we’re looking at massive price hikes of around €140 ($150) in Europe, which is much higher than anyone expected.
It’s important to note that direct conversions to US dollars won’t give us the US prices for the Galaxy Z Flip 6. I’ll remind you that European prices for any product, including smartphones, have VAT factored in. What you see is the price you pay at the cash register or online, including taxes. Also, since we’re talking about the EU, these prices would generally apply to the entire block. Sure, they might vary slightly, but there wouldn’t be significant differences between the various countries of the EU.
I will point out the glaring issue with this Galaxy Z Flip 6 price leak. We might be looking at placeholder prices from a retailer eager to get sales started. I certainly hope that’s the case.
The Flip 5 started at $999 in the US, before tax, but Samsung increased the price in Europe last year. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 price leak we saw a few weeks ago is a sign that Samsung might want to increase the prices of the larger foldable. But that’s where Samsung can afford to do it since a cheaper Galaxy Z Fold 6 variant is reportedly coming out later this year.
The more affordable foldable could help Samsung compete in certain markets. The more expensive one will continue to target buyers who want a high-end foldable device.
Samsung leaked the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 designs in a Galaxy AI ad. Image source: Reddit
But no cheaper Galaxy Z Flip 6 model is coming out later this year. If there is one, it somehow hasn’t leaked yet. Giving the Flip 6 another price hike seems like a bad idea. The Flip is the best-selling foldable of the pair, and it should be a priority for Samsung. Increasing the price at a time when there’s more competition in the foldable space is not a recipe for success, assuming the leak is accurate, of course.
Also, Samsung isn’t necessarily facing mounting competition in the foldable space from a position of power. Considering what several Chinese vendors have been doing in the past few years, Samsung isn’t at the forefront of foldable innovation. Rather, Samsung found itself catching up to rivals when it comes to design ideas for both the Flip and Fold form factors.
The Flip wasn’t the first phone to offer a larger external display. Also, Samsung stuck with hinge gap designs for its Flip models when other clamshell foldables were already folding perfectly. Then there’s the battery size, which was smaller than competitors.
The Flip 6 should look even better than the Galaxy Z Flip 5, which started fixing things for Samsung. If leaks are accurate, it might almost eliminate the screen crease and come with a much larger battery. Also, it’ll certainly run Galaxy AI features from day one, including a few rumored novelties. But does that warrant a price hike of at least $100?
Then again, Samsung will likely offer buyers great perks for preordering a Flip 6 or Fold 6 device next month. The bigger the price hike, the better the perks will likely be.