A cheaper Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE looks very likely, but it might lack a key feature

Three foldables could be on the way

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Recently there have been several claims thatSamsungis working on a cheaper alternative to the upcomingSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, possibly set to be called the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE, and now two more leaks echo this, while adding some additional details.

First up,WinFuturehas spotted codenames that are reportedly for Samsung’s upcoming foldable phones. There’s ‘B6’, which is thought to be theSamsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, ‘Q6’, which is said to be the Galaxy Z Fold 6, and then there’s ‘Q6A’, which is assumed to be a cheaper model.

For reference, theSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 5andGalaxy Z Flip 5were codenamed Q5 and B5 respectively, so the assumptions as to what Q6 and B6 are make sense.

These codenames were apparently spotted on online databases related to the import and export of products in various countries, and those sorts of databases are likely to have accurate information, so this is compelling evidence that three Samsung foldables are on the way.

Given that Q6A is a similar codename to that of the standard Galaxy Z Fold 6, it also seems a reasonable assumption that this is a cheaper version of that, rather than a cheaper version of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6.

And WinFuture reports that the production of components for Q6A began at around the same time as those for Q6, which might mean these two phones will launch at around the same time as each other. Based on past form, that probably means late July or sometime in August.

No S Pen for the FE

The other piece of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE news we have comes fromETNews(viaSamMobile), which states that one way this phone might be cheaper than the standard Z Fold 6 is by not supporting the company’s S Pen stylus.

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The S Pen is actually sold separately for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 anyway, but making the phone support it requires a part called a digitizer, so by not including this the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE could be cheaper to manufacture. The site additionally claims that other “parts and performance” of the phone might be cheaper than those of the standard Galaxy Z Fold 6, but it doesn’t specify which parts.

In any case, not supporting the S Pen would make sense, since this is a non-essential part of Samsung’s foldables that many people probably don’t even purchase or use, especially as there’s no S Pen slot to house it. But it is likely that costs would have to be cut in other ways too, perhaps with a lower end chipset or lesser screens.

We probably won’t know for sure what the Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE has to offer – or whether it even exists – for a while yet, but it’s likely we’ll hear plenty more leaks and rumors in the meantime, and we’ll be sure to cover all the credible ones.

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James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.

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