I like foldable phones, but I haven't bought any. When I spend my own money, I buy phones like the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the iPhone 15 Pro Max. I have never bought a folding phone, not even the OnePlus open, my favorite foldable from last year. I have had reasons to resist, but rumors that Samsung could use Ultra-fy Galaxy Z Fold 6 I'm very curious and maybe I'll save up to buy a new foldable.
Why haven't I bought a foldable phone? It's not the high price – I don't mind signing up with a carrier for a few years to pay for a phone if they offer me a good deal. AT&T gave me $1,000 trade in an old, worthless phone for my current Ultra. Once every two or three years, I'll get an expensive phone this way, and if there's a solid deal on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra, I'll consider it.
It's not a question of durability. I am careful with my phones and sometimes I don't even use a case. I don't drop my phones often and I don't keep them next to a large keychain in my pocket. I'm not worried about the durability of foldable phone hinges and can be careful enough with that smooth interior screen to avoid nasty scratches.
I'm not a fan of the look of most foldables, but it's not my biggest problem. I think the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is, well… just wrong. Its appearance is incorrect; It's too narrow on the front screen. I thought the Google Pixel Fold was better, with a wider, squatter screen on the front, but it's still not perfect. The OnePlus Open was the Goldilocks that taught me that foldable phones can achieve a perfect aspect ratio, with a front screen that looks like a regular smartphone and an even larger internal screen.
The only compromise every foldable phone makes
The big obstacle that prevents me from buying a folding phone is the camera. No foldable with a great camera has shipped yet. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 has similar cameras to the base model Galaxy S23and not the Galaxy S23 Ultra. This last one was ours best camera phone until the Galaxy S24 Ultra replaced it.
The OnePlus Open uses the new Sony Lytia stacked sensors to great effect, but the cameras aren't the best. To achieve the slim, foldable design, phone makers make compromises every time, and the compromise every foldable phone makes is on the camera.
The reason is depth. A large camera system needs space. You need room for the sensor, lens, and ideally some space in between to achieve depth. And that's just the main camera. If you want to zoom, you need even more space.
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is 6.1mm thick, which isn't a lot of room for a camera. In comparison, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is 2.5mm thicker, at 8.6mm. That's a lot more room for camera technology. The Galaxy S24 is 7.6mm thick and its camera specs are almost identical to the Z Fold 5.
If the rumors are true, an upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra could use a large new sensor, possibly the 200MP sensor found in the Galaxy S24 Ultra. It would be great news. OnePlus managed better photos with the OnePlus Open, but the camera module sticks out significantly. If Samsung can keep its current design and add a huge new camera sensor, I'd be very impressed.
Titanium too, but about that camera…
In addition to the new camera specs, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra could have a titanium frame, which would be cool and would certainly make the Fold feel more durable. I also hope to see a different aspect ratio, similar to the OnePlus Open, and of course a display without visible wrinkles.
But it's the camera that excites me the most. A foldable phone, especially one the size of a tablet, needs an amazing camera. The foldable design lends itself to incredible photographs.
You can position the camera in new ways and see a preview on the screen while you shoot. The main camera is also the selfie camera, thanks to the dual screens. Photography is more fun with a foldable device, except no foldable device has yet excelled in photography.
Frankly, I don't care much about zoom or a better ultra-wide sensor, not if I can get a great main sensor. I care about portraits, selfies, group photos and night scenes. Those are all photos that look best with a large, high-resolution camera. If the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra is real and offers Ultra-level photography, I'd say foldable devices finally deserve their time in the spotlight and I'll step up to take a closer look.
