I'm worried Samsung will make a critical mistake with the Galaxy Z Fold Ultra

Android Authority

a day ago

Lanh Nguyen / Android Authority
Well, things just got interesting (and a bit confusing) for Samsung's next foldable phone. On Tuesday evening, Samsung announced that it's bringing the company's 'Ultra' branding to its foldables for the first time this summer. The announcement came alongside a teaser of a book-style foldable, suggesting that the phone we've been referring to as the 'Galaxy Z Fold 7' may go by a different name, likely 'Galaxy Z Fold Ultra' or 'Galaxy Z Fold 7 Ultra.'
As someone who's been pretty lukewarm on the last couple of years of Galaxy Z Folds, the prospect of a significant upgrade this year is exciting. And with Samsung going all-out with the Ultra branding, it certainly suggests that's what we're getting.
The only problem is that rumors suggest this year's Z Fold won't have all the makings of an 'Ultra' foldable. The new name is setting expectations at an all-time high, but if what we know about the new Z Fold is true, the Ultra name may be unwarranted and misleading.
What do you think the next Galaxy Z Fold will be called?
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The Galaxy Z Fold we've been waiting for?
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 has leaked a lot over the last few months, and assuming that's the phone that'll be known as the Galaxy Z Fold Ultra/Z Fold 7 Ultra, some of the leaks certainly indicate the Ultra name will be justified.
Perhaps the biggest sign of this is the new design. Leaked renders of the Z Fold 7 have suggested its aesthetics won't be that dissimilar to the Z Fold 6, though this year's phone should be substantially thinner and lighter.
Samsung all but confirms this in the new teaser above, showing the silhouette of a foldable phone that's noticeably thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 6. There's also language in the press release about this Ultra foldable offering ample power 'without weighing you down,' hinting at the reduced weight, too.
We've heard reports that the Z Fold 7's primary camera will replace the aging 50MP sensor with a significantly more capable 200MP one, aligning it with the Galaxy S25 Ultra's primary camera. The screens are also rumored to be larger, increasing from an 8.2-inch inner display to an 8.5-inch one, along with a new 6.5-inch cover screen, replacing the previous 6.2-inch size. Finally, there should be the usual chipset upgrade, meaning the Galaxy Z Fold 7 will likely be powered by the same Snapdragon 8 Elite chip found in the Galaxy S25 series.
Samsung has placed far greater expectations on this year's Z Fold by adding the Ultra name.
So far, so good, right? A thinner and lighter design, larger displays, a new primary camera, and a better chipset. Those are all meaningful upgrades, and if we were going from the Galaxy Z Fold 6 to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, I'd be pretty happy. But if we're now going from the Galaxy Z Fold 6 to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 Ultra, I expect the specifications across the board to reflect that. And unfortunately, we have reason to believe that won't be the case.
Ultra has to mean ultra
Ryan Whitwam / Android Authority
As impressive as the changes above may be, there's plenty about the Galaxy Z Fold 7/Fold 7 Ultra that's reportedly staying the same — and they're pretty important things, too.
Chief among them is battery capacity. Regulatory filings indicate that the new Z Fold will have a 4,400mAh battery, which, for reference, is the exact capacity currently found in the Galaxy Z Fold 6. In fact, it's the same battery size that Samsung has used in the Z Fold series since the Galaxy Z Fold 3. In a world where competing foldables like the Honor Magic V3 and OPPO Find N5 offer 5,150mAh and 5,600mAh batteries, respectively, Samsung not making any progress on this front with its first Ultra foldable would be hard to grapple with.
Plenty about the Galaxy Z Fold 7/Fold 7 Ultra is reportedly staying the same.
It's also believed that charging speeds will remain the same, which is equally disappointing. Another year of 25W wired charging, in 2025, on an Ultra-branded foldable, would look ridiculous. This is especially true since Honor and OPPO's foldables mentioned above blow Samsung out of the water, with 66W and 80W wired charge speeds, respectively.
Furthermore, as exciting as the new 200MP primary camera may be, we aren't expecting any other camera changes. That means another year of the 12MP ultrawide camera, 10MP telephoto camera, 10MP front-facing camera, and 4MP under-display camera — the same camera specs we've had since the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Does any of that sound Ultra to you?
Samsung is playing a dangerous game
Lanh Nguyen / Android Authority
When Samsung first introduced the Ultra moniker in 2020 with the Galaxy S20 Ultra, it signaled a drastic upgrade from the company's other phones. The Galaxy S20 Ultra was the first Galaxy S handset with a 6.9-inch display, 16GB of RAM, a 108MP primary camera, and 100x zoom. It was a big deal, and it largely justified the Ultra name.
In the years since, however, the weight behind that Ultra branding has become less and less. It feels hardly warranted on devices like the Galaxy S25 Ultra and Galaxy Watch Ultra, with the Ultra name now used out of habit rather than signaling significant changes or upgrades.
It's been somewhat commendable that Samsung has kept its Ultra branding away from its foldables for so long, so the fact that it's coming this year after six previous generations is a big deal — and why expectations for a Galaxy Z Fold 7 Ultra are so heightened.
Lanh Nguyen / Android Authority
If Samsung wants to release a Galaxy Z Fold with the Ultra name, great! But if that happens, it should mean something. The first Ultra foldable needs to be a significant enough upgrade in all respects to earn its Ultra label, and based on the leaks so far, it doesn't seem likely that this will happen this year. Samsung's first Z Fold Ultra shouldn't have outdated camera sensors, a mediocre battery capacity, or woefully slow charging speeds. Yet, that's what we're expecting.
I'm not against the idea of a Galaxy Z Fold Ultra ever being released, but when it happens, the first Ultra should be the pinnacle of Samsung foldables; the very best the company can do. If the Z Fold 7 Ultra isn't that phone, it shouldn't be called an Ultra.
And if it is, that's just bad marketing and a bad idea all around.