Although I’m pretty happy with my Pixel 9 Pro Fold, there’s always room for improvement, and when I found out about Samsung’s “Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition” I got more excited about it than I ever was for the Galaxy Z Fold 6.
But why does the Special Edition Fold even exist? The Galaxy Z Fold 6 came out just a few months ago.
I think I might know why…
The best of both worlds: Forget Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Pixel 9 Pro Fold – the Galaxy Z Fold “SE” is the folding phone I want
A rough estimate of the size difference between the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition.
The Fold SE will be easier to hold in vertical orientation due to being noticeably narrower.
The Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition’s taller design is more practical than the Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s
As a current Pixel 9 Pro Fold user, I can say that I find folding phone design to be incredibly important. And I don’t mean superficial subjective stuff like colors or the shape of the camera bump.
And the design Samsung’s gone for with the Korea/China-exclusive Galaxy Fold Special Edition seems at least as tall and rectangular as what we see in the Galaxy Z Fold 6, and honestly, that makes sense to me.
My Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s square inner screen ratio can feel awkward at times, and the narrower form of the Galaxy Z Fold SE would solve issues such as the large black bars you get when watching videos and the wide grip when typing on the inner screen.
Another issue I personally encounter with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is that I find it tricky to hold it with one hand when it’s fully open. I do have small hands but the fact that the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition still has a noticeably narrower body (on one side) despite getting larger than the Fold 6 is awesome news.
The larger cover screen of the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition is (literally) its biggest advantage it has over the Pixel 9 Pro Fold (and Fold 9)
This makes the 6.5-inch cover screen of the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition very impressive in comparison since this one is larger than the 6.3-inch cover panel of the Pixel (by being mostly taller), but doesn’t sacrifice the one-hand usability thanks to having a slightly narrower aspect ratio but also, significantly thinner borders and frame.
Compare that to the Fold 6’s 6.2-inch cover display and 7.6-inch inner screen, and it’s clear the Fold SE is going to be the more practical “normal phone”. For example, the typing experience on the narrow Fold 5 and Fold 6 is often singled out as one of the biggest drawbacks of going with a Samsung foldable over say a OnePlus Open or a Pixel Fold.The Special Edition finally takes care of that – so I guess Samsung isn’t so stubborn after all.
Dropping the S Pen support and under-display camera makes Samsung’s Special Edition Fold slimmer and lighter than the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Fold 6
Now, not only is the Special Edition Fold as slim as the Pixel Fold when closed, but it’s actually thinner when opened – 4.9mm vs 5.1mm.
It’s a breath of fresh air compared to Samsung’s previous Fold models, which have always felt bulky. In fact, I’d go as far as saying that the thickness of the standard Fold 6 is the only thing that’s holding it back compared to my Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
The thickness makes the phone dig into your hand because of the sharp corners, which can get annoying after extended use.
The new Fold is also 21g lighter than the Pixel 9 Pro Fold – at 236 vs 257g, which is going to be noticeable when using the two. My Pixel 9 Pro Fold has always felt a little too heavy than it needs to be.
To make the Fold Special Edition pretty much as light as the Galaxy S24 Ultra and thinner than the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Samsung had to ditch the S Pen support and under-display camera found in the Fold 6. Are the trade-offs worth it? I guess that’s up to you. I think the S Pen support is what set the Fold 6 apart, and it would’ve been nice to see it here too.
Samsung is feeling the pressure: Why does the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition exist, and could this be the Galaxy Z Fold 7?
Huawei Mate XT vs Galaxy Z Fold 6. I can see why Samsung is feeling the pressure to deliver a better foldabe in Asia.
It’s unusual for Samsung to release two folding phones in the same year, let alone call one of them “Special”. So, what’s the deal with the Fold SE? Well, my educated guess is that the Fold SE exists for a couple of reasons…
- For one, Samsung is reportedly struggling to outsell Huawei in China, and the Fold SE is rumored to be exclusive to China and Korea for the time being; in other words, if the Fold 6 was flying off the shelves, I doubt Samsung would be launching another model just three months later
- But my second, and perhaps more interesting theory, is that we might be asking the wrong question… Maybe the thicker, bulkier Fold 6 shouldn’t have existed in the first place, and Samsung intended to launch the Fold SE from the start (but ended up choosing to play it safe)?
After all, the Fold SE has so many features that just make more sense – larger displays, a slimmer body, and even a higher-res 200MP primary camera. So, maybe it’s the Fold 6 that’s the odd one out, and the Fold SE should have been Samsung’s foldable flagship all along?
Or… Is the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition the actual Galaxy Z Fold 7?
That being said, I also wouldn’t be surprised if the pressure Samsung felt from the Fold 6’s underwhelming sales (and the launch of the super-innovative Huawei Mate XT) hasn’t forced the company to launch what was supposed to be the Fold 7… almost a year early.Frankly, I wouldn’t be shocked if the Fold SE is actually the Fold 7 in disguise – Samsung just needed to slap a “Special Edition” label on it to launch it quickly and try to revive its foldable lineup in the face of the competition.
The Huawei Mate XT, for example, features a trifold design that makes the Fold 6 look ancient in comparison. They share the same thickness, but the Mate XT can unfold into a massive tablet, whereas the Fold 6 feels more restrictive.
So, perhaps the launch of the Fold SE is just a rescue plan that gave us the Fold 7 early? I guess we’ll find out if that’s the case when the actual “Galaxy Z Fold 7” is out. But I have a feeling it won’t look much different than the Fold SE. If it all.