Just when you thought the rumors swirling around the Galaxy Z Flip 6 were as boring and as repetitive as they could get, painting the upcoming Android-powered clamshell a depressingly familiar picture, the plot suddenly thickened yesterday with a... bizarre new benchmark listing.
This contradicted a similar performance test from just last week on two key points, seemingly revealing a Z Flip 6 variant with an outdated Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor but also a whopping 12GB RAM on deck. That led to all kinds of theories and assumptions on our part, but as it turns out, it was simply a big fat nothingburger.
No such Galaxy Z Flip 6 model exists
Cutting a long story short without going into many technical details, the folks over at SamMobile have been able to conclude beyond the shadow of a doubt that what seemed to be a Z Flip 6 was actually something else entirely. Namely, a Galaxy S23 Ultra unit with a manipulated model number meant to trick us into giving Samsung's unreleased flip phone more attention than it deserved.
Who would do such a thing and why? We have no idea, but at the end of the day, it doesn't really matter that much. What matters is the mystery of that puzzling Galaxy Z Flip 6 version with an underpowered chip and a whole lot of memory has been solved.
This information does NOT belong to an actual Galaxy Z Flip 6 unit.
Of course, we fully intend to retain hope that the Z Flip 6 will improve on its predecessor's single 8GB RAM configuration and offer 4 gigs more in a top-of-the-line variant. There are no credible rumors supporting that theory... yet, but because Samsung's big Unpacked event dedicated to the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6 is still a few months away, there's obviously time for everything to change.
Maybe not everything, as many key specifications are pretty much etched in stone already, from a 6.7-inch primary foldable screen and 3.4-inch cover display to a hefty 4,000mAh or so battery with 25W charging capabilities and, yes, a state-of-the-art Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor.
Although we refuse to believe that at this time, the Galaxy Z Flip 5's two 12MP rear-facing cameras are also expected to reside on the back of this year's Z Flip 6, which would clearly be terribly disappointing. Then there's the matter of a rumored chipset separation for different regions, but even if that materializes, we're obviously not talking about Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Gen 2 processors but rather the Gen 3 and Samsung's in-house Exynos 2400 silicon.
Is a Galaxy Z Flip FE version coming or not?
That, our friends, is a million-dollar question we cannot answer right now with anything resembling a decent level of confidence. While we have heard some whispers in recent months on possible Fan Edition "cousins" of both the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6, these are yet to turn into legitimate storms of leaks and rumors from our most trusted sources across the interwebs.
In short, the jury is still out regarding the existence of a Galaxy Z Flip FE (or Z Flip 6 FE) device, but what we can say for sure is such a product will never pack 12GB RAM... if it does exist.
This is a legit Galaxy Z Flip 6 with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and 8GB RAM.
We're also starting to seriously doubt that Samsung will unveil anything else than the "regular" Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6 at that Unpacked shindig likely to take place in July. In other words, if a Z Flip Fan Edition is coming, we'd expect it to see daylight a little later in the year, perhaps alongside the ultra-high-end Galaxy Z Fold 6 Ultra as well.
We wouldn't hold our breath for a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC inside this device either, as the few rumors we've heard on the matter recently suggest something a little humbler is in the pipeline.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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