Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 are rumored to launch a little earlier this year, but it looks like the entry-level Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE may not join themAccording to The Elec (via @Tech_Reve), the long-awaited inexpensive Galaxy Fold double may not appear until September or October

Interestingly, the iPhone 16 is set to launch at some point in September, and it cannot be a coincidence that Samsung may have chosen this particular launch window

Apple is one of Samsung's biggest rivals in the smartphone business and gets a lot of attention whenever a new iPhone model is announced

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE is currently rumored to cost $800, the same as the iPhone 15, and is the first "budget" foldable released by Samsung Therefore, it is possible that this release date was deliberately chosen, perhaps in an attempt to distract some users from the upcoming iPhone

Whether that would work is another matter entirely However, it makes sense for Samsung to launch an entry-level model a few months after its flagship model It has done so with other FE phones, like the Galaxy S23 FE Undoubtedly, this is because a less expensive model will drive people away from the better, more expensive flagship

The Elec also claims that the Z Fold 6 FE will be even thinner than the flagship Galaxy Z Fold 6 However, the FE model is not expected to have an S Pen, and with these necessary components (and potentially others) gone, Samsung may have been able to shave a few millimeters off the phone

While there is still much we don't know about the Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE, one recent report claims that the phone will have a camera "similar" to the current generation of Samsung foldable phones, and mentions a "dual camera" module, suggesting that the phone will suggest that it will omit the telephoto lens found on the flagship Z Fold series

The report also claimed that the FE Foldable could also feature a less impressive chipset, display, and battery, although specific details were not mentioned But that probably means it will have an older or less capable chip, a lower-resolution screen, and a smaller battery pack, such as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 or Snapdragon 8s Gen 3

Beyond that, we will have to wait for further leaks and rumors to fill in the blanks prior to an official announcement In the meantime, check out the official Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 FE hubs for the latest news and updates