Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 could launch early to beat the Olympics

Galaxy Z Fold 6 render
(Image credit: SmartPrix)

It sounds like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 may be arriving a little earlier this year. We had expected both phones to launch at a Galaxy Unpacked event some time in August, as is the norm, but we might instead see that event moved by a couple of weeks.

SamMobile is the source of this rumor, claiming that Samsung could hold its Summer Unpacked event during the second week in July — possibly July 10. It’s claimed that this may be due to the 2024 Summer Olympics, of which Samsung is a key sponsor, running between July 26 and August 11. 

By moving the announcement up by a couple of weeks compared to last year’s Unpacked, it means Samsung could potentially use one of the world’s biggest sporting events to advertise its newest phones to billions of people. In the past Samsung has also given special edition versions of its latest Samsung phones to Olympic athletes, which is some consolation if you come home without a medal. 

Hosting the launch before the Olympics also means that Samsung won’t be competing with the event for headlines and attention. Much like how the Galaxy S24 gave CES 2024 a wide berge, despite rumors that suggested otherwise.

It wouldn’t be the first time Samsung has brought its Galaxy Unpacked events forward, either. The Samsung Galaxy S24 launch event happened in January this year, rather than February. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 was also revealed a few weeks earlier than normal, with Samsung ditching the usual August launch for one on July 26. 

So what does this mean for the Galaxy Z Fold 6’s release date? Last year saw the Z Fold 5 release on August 11, two weeks after being announced. If we get the same gap between the two, it means the Z Fold 6 may be arriving around July 24. That would make sense from an advertising perspective, since both phones will be available to buy during the Olympic period.

Exploiting your position as a games sponsor to advertise a phone is available to pre-order doesn’t quite have the same appeal as “buy it now”.

It would be extra fitting if this rumored early launch also saw Samsung announce when the Galaxy Ring is going on sale. Considering the device is going to be very health and fitness focused, it makes sense for Samsung to tie it into the Olympics in some shape or form. 

As for the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 themselves, word is that we may see something of a design overhaul. Rumors claim that the Z Flip 6 may have a larger cover display, better cameras and a more durable screen design. Meanwhile the Z Fold 6 may have a wider cover display, a square aspect ratio on the internal display, and we may even see an Ultra edition arrive alongside it. And there's also the possibility of a Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra model as well.

There’s no telling how accurate SamMobile’s sources are, so there’s no guarantee that the next Unpacked will happen earlier this year. We will just have to wait hand be patient, and in the meantime you can keep on top of all the latest news and rumors in our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 hubs.

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Tom Pritchard
UK Phones Editor

Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.