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| (Image credit: Tom's Guide) |
There have been several reports circulating that Samsung is working on a new, thinner Galaxy Z Fold 6 model that they want to call the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim. Although there isn't much information available about the phone now, a recent report from the Korean website The Elec may provide some insight, and it may suggest that we will eventually see a titanium foldable phone.
According to the source, instead of employing carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) or stainless steel for the Galaxy Z Fold 6 backplate, Samsung is "considering" using titanium. Although titanium is stronger and lighter than steel, the website points out that it is more difficult to produce. This same logic may be found in phones such as the iPhone 15 Pro and the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra.
It's important to remember that this procedure could vary somewhat. Up until now, phones have kept their internal components made of more conventional metals but used titanium on the outside of the frame. The backplate of a phone serves as a support layer and, in foldable phones, is located in between the hinge and the inner screen. It appears that switching to titanium would increase the phone's internal durability as opposed to its external durability.
Remarkably The Elec also mentions that CFRP was used as a backplate for the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and later models because metal might interfere with the phone's screen's digitizer layer and make it difficult to use a pen. Switching from CFRP to titanium shouldn't be too difficult, as one of the few details we do know about the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Slim is that it is believed to do away with the digitizer layer.
It appears that Samsung has finished developing the titanium backplate and is currently examining the options for incorporating it into the Z Fold 6 Slim. Given that certain phone components are rumored to have already reached mass production, a decision is anticipated shortly. This also implies that the purportedly more elegant foldable may be released soon, but we're not sure precisely when that will happen.
It's unclear if titanium will be used in the Z Fold 6 Slim in any other capacity. Although we should never give up, we definitely shouldn't get our expectations up as we did with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 until there are any new reports.
According to reports, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 slim is around 11 mm thick, making it about one millimeter smaller than the Z Fold 6 regular. It is also said to include an 8-inch foldable display but not support the S Pen stylus. Beyond this, though, we're still unsure of what to anticipate from the phone.