Hot off the heels of theSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 5andZ Flip 5launch, rumours are swirling around the possibility of cheaper foldable devices in Samsung’s future.
To be clear, these devices are still a long way off, with prolific leakerTech Revesaying that we won’t see them until after theZ Fold 6andZ Flip 6. Still, it’s an exciting development, and will address one of our largest complaints about the current generation of foldables - they’re just too expensive.
Samsung FE (or Fan Edition) devices are typically lower-cost handsets with some cut-back features designed to bring Samsung’s flagship tech to a wider audience. Samsung saw a lot of success with theGalaxy S21 FE, but the S22 FE was notably absent last year. The concept of Fan Edition devices is far from dead and buried, though, with many rumours saying that theGalaxy S23 FEis right around the corner.
That said, it’s the folding phones that we’re talking about today. Here’s everything we know so far, and everything we’re hoping to see in the Galaxy Z FE devices.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
Galaxy Z FE release date and price
Twitter leaker Tech Reve says that we can expect to see Z series Fan Editions after the launch of the Z Fold 6 and Z Flip 6 in August 2024. That could mean a late 2024 announcement or early 2025, it’s too soon to say definitively.
As for the price, these handsets will need to be significantly cheaper than the main line Galaxy Z Fold a Z Flip handsets. Currently, that means under $1,800 and $999, respectively, but whether those prices change in 2024 remains a mystery.
Galaxy Z FE design
Thus far, Samsung has remained very consistent with the design of its foldable devices, so we’d be surprised if it introduced a vastly different form factor for the 6th generation or the Fan Edition devices.
This means that the Z Fold FE will probably have a slim and tall outer display that unfolds into a tablet with a footprint of around 7.6 inches. We’d love to see a wider outer display, similar to that of theGoogle Pixel Fold, but Samsung has stuck to its guns so far, so we wouldn’t be surprised if the slim display trend continued on for the next generation.
The same can be said for the Z Flip devices, which have a much less controversial design. It seems that most users are perfectly happy with the square-ish folded form factor that unfolds into a traditional candy-bar shape, and we can’t imagine it changing any time soon. If current trends are anything to go by, the outer display could be quite large, though it’s possible we’ll see Samsung revert to a smaller outer screen to keep the costs down.
Galaxy Z FE display
There haven’t been any whisperings about the possible specs of a Galaxy Z series display just yet. As for what we’d love to see, the wishlist essentially applies to all of the foldables on the market. A less visible crease and a hardier, more smudge-resistant coating are among the top priorities.
As for other specs, we’d expect 120Hz refresh rates throughout and at least FHD+ resolution on the inner displays.
Galaxy Z FE hardware
We haven’t heard anything about the Galaxy Z FE hardware so far, but we can make some educated guesses. The Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 both run onQualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2chips, and we’re expecting the 6th gen models to run on Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.
This is likely an area where Samsung can reign in the costs, so we might see the older Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset used in place of the Gen 3. Otherwise, Samsung might opt for more of a mid-range chip like the Snapdragon 7-series processors. But this is all purely speculation.
Galaxy Z FE cameras
At this stage, it’s impossible to say what cameras will appear on the Galaxy Z FE phones, but we have at least one idea that would make a lot of sense. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 features an under-display selfie camera on its interior screen, and while it’s a neat trick, it’s no secret that its performance leaves something to be desired.
This cutting-edge camera tech comes at a cost, so we’d expect that to be cut from a Fan Edition model. Then, in its place, we’d either see a more typical punch-hole selfie camera or the brand could choose to forgo the interior camera entirely. If it’s the former, it would be an advantage over the flagship model, in our view, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5
Galaxy Z FE rumours: What’s happened so far
09 August 2025: Leaker claims Galaxy Z FE phones will launch after Z Fold/Flip 6
Tech Revesays Samsung plans to continue launching FE phones, starting with theGalaxy S23 FE, and eventually including Z-series handsets.
