Samsung Electronics is hinting at the launch of the ‘Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition’ with a teaser video. This marks the beginning of the ‘thin smartphone’ war, as achieving a thinner design becomes a global smartphone trend. On October 17, Samsung released a teaser video on its official newsroom and YouTube channel stating, “A new Galaxy will be unveiled on October 21.”
The 12-second video features an envelope that, when opened, reveals a device presumed to be a new Galaxy product, with the date “October 21” highlighted. Samsung is expected to reveal the new product’s images and detailed specifications on its website on the 21st, with an official release on the 25th.
The new device is rumored to be the thinnest in the Galaxy foldable phone lineup. According to leaked information, the Galaxy Z Fold SE is expected to measure 10.6 millimeters thick when folded and 4.9 millimeters when unfolded, which is thinner by 1.5 mm and 0.7 mm, respectively, compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 6 launched in July.
The new model is expected to feature Ultra Thin Glass technology to reduce screen creases, a triple camera setup with an improved 200MP main lens, a Galaxy-specific Snapdragon 8 3rd generation chip, and a larger battery. This launch comes roughly three months after the Galaxy Z6 series was released, driven by competition from Chinese companies like Xiaomi and Honor, which have been aggressively promoting foldable phones thinner than 10mm, threatening Samsung’s market position.
Honor even challenged Samsung with a promotional message implying disappointment among Galaxy Z Fold users, suggesting that their Magic V3, being thinner and more durable, could cause a sense of betrayal. Even if the Galaxy Z Fold SE is launched at the anticipated 10.6mm thickness, it would still be thicker than Honor’s Magic V3 (9.3mm) and Xiaomi’s Mix Fold 4 (9.47mm).
Amid these pressures, Samsung emphasizes its durability as a unique selling point. Huawei’s recently launched triple foldable phone has been facing quality issues, with reports of damages within a month of release, highlighting Samsung’s focus on offering a robust and high-quality product. Industry watchers are keen to see if Samsung can maintain its leadership in the foldable phone market with this new release.
The Galaxy Z Fold SE is expected to initially debut in South Korea and China, where the foldable phone market is growing rapidly, before expanding globally.