the best folding of the brand anticipates the future

One of the most anticipated releases of the year will unfortunately not arrive in Europe. Samsung has finally announced the Galaxy Z Fold Special Editionperhaps the most important folding in its history, but for the moment it will remain in South Korea and China (under the name W25). However, that doesn’t mean we won’t notice the importance of this launch in the future, in the successor to the Galaxy Z Fold 6.

And the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition represents a glimpse into the future of Samsung foldable devices; It includes technologies and technical advancements that we hope to see in the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 7 arriving next year, and shows that Samsung has not been left behind against rivals like the HONOR Magic V3.

For practical purposes, the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition is an improved Galaxy Z Fold 6, based on the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor

and the same 4,400 mAh battery, although it now includes 16 GB of RAM; In fact, perhaps the biggest complaint one could make is that this is what the Galaxy Z Fold 6 should have been, which is virtually unchanged from the last generation. This is what has allowed Chinese manufacturers to boast of offering thinner foldable products with better cameras in their new models.

These are precisely the two aspects in which this special edition improves the most. To start, the thickness when opened is only 4.9 mmand 10.6 mm when closed; It’s also 3 grams lighter, which in practice should translate into a much easier device to use. The new proportions will also help, with an 8-inch interior screen, the largest ever on a Galaxy Z Fold, and a 6.5-inch exterior screen with an aspect ratio more similar to that of a traditional mobile .

What’s interesting is that Samsung achieved these numbers without affecting the durability of the device. The key is the use of a new, more durable type of glass, which also brings another improvement: the central wrinkle is now almost invisible, at least from many angles from which the device was photographed during the presentation.

Wrinkling has always been one of the big problems with these foldables, due to the way the material is folded to allow closure; It hasn’t been completely eliminated, but it has been significantly reduced. However, Samsung achieved this feat by making a big sacrifice: compatibility with the S Pen. The new type of glass is incompatible with the stylusand perhaps this is why Samsung did not use it in the Galaxy Z Fold, since this accessory is very important for many users of this type of device. Another detail lost is the camera under the screen; The special edition features a hole for the front camera in the large screen, although it is not clear whether this is also due to the new material.

To compensate, the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition has the best cameras among Samsung foldables until now. The protagonist is the 200 Mpx main sensor with OIS stabilization, the same one used in the Galaxy S24 Ultra; It is accompanied by a 12 MP wide angle with autofocus and a 10 MP telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. All of these cameras support video recording at 4K and 60fps, and the main camera supports 8K at 30fps.

The Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition comes with Galaxy AI on One UI 6.1.1, still based on Android 14, but Samsung promises the upgrade to One UI 7 with Android 15 in early 2025, along with six other system updates operating. At first glance, it differs from the Galaxy Z Fold 6 by a new color, Black Shadow with black stripes, and a redesign of the camera network.

The Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition is available in South Korea for 2,789,600 won, or around 1,870 dollars at the exchange rate; It is therefore a little more expensive than the Galaxy Z Fold 6, which initially cost 2,229,700 won in its country of origin, or 1,490 dollars at the exchange rate.