Last Tuesday Patently Apple posted a statistic report titled "In Q4-23 Apple's iPhone was the top smartphone and more importantly, the iPhone was the Global leader for all of 2023 for the First Time ever. The next day Samsung introduced their new Galaxy S24 smartphone lineup with the S24 Ultra model introducing Galaxy AI as presented in their promo video below.

While there were some nice features with their Ultra model, the question becomes, will they be enough to topple the iPhone 15 and 16 in 2024? While only time will tell, Samsung may decide to further shake things up in 2024 by introducing a more economical version of their Galaxy Z Fold and making their premium Z-Fold model thinner by possibly using a new hinge system or modified construction.

The Elec reports today that "Samsung Electronics is considering developing an entry-level model of its new foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Fold 6, this year. If true, it would be a reversal to their position made public back in November 2023.  Of course this statement was made prior to the news that Apple was the top smartphone in 2023. The new reality may have set the heads of Samsung's board members on fire, forcing them to move their plans for an economical Z-Fold model up on their calendar. 

The goal is reportedly to increase the penetration rate of the foldable phone market and expand the share of the Chinese foldable phone market. This is the first time that Samsung Electronics is considering developing an entry-level foldable phone model." Of course the introduction of this model will likely be dependent on whether the economy improves.

Industry sources told The Elec that "Samsung Electronics is considering developing an entry-level model of its new foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Fold 6, to be released in the second half of the year. This is the first time that Samsung Electronics is considering developing an entry-level foldable phone model.

Samsung Electronics is considering developing an entry-level foldable phone model, with goals such as expanding the penetration rate of foldable phones in the smartphone market and increasing Samsung Electronics' market share in the Chinese foldable phone market.

By increasing the penetration rate of foldable phones, which Samsung Electronics has been leading, Samsung Electronics will be able to differentiate itself from other smartphone companies while maintaining its technological leadership in the smartphone market. Currently, except for Apple, most major smartphone companies such as Samsung Electronics and Huawei have entered the foldable phone market.

The expansion of Samsung Electronics' foldable phone shipments may lead to an increase in Samsung Electronics' shipments or market share in the Chinese foldable phone market. Although Samsung Electronics has less than a 1% market share in the Chinese bar-type smartphone market, it has consistently maintained a double-digit market share in the Chinese foldable phone market.

The reason Samsung Electronics is considering developing the Z Fold 6 entry-level model rather than the Z Flip 6 is presumed to be a result of the evaluation that the Z Flip series is relatively established. In Samsung Electronics' foldable phone series, Z Flip shipments are ahead of Z Fold. The Z Flip is small and light, and is popular among women and younger age groups thanks to its compact design, but its short battery life is a disadvantage. In addition, because the Z Fold has potential in terms of foldable form factor productivity, Samsung Electronics' task is to increase Z Fold shipments.

Although the foldable phone released by Huawei last year was inferior to Samsung Electronics Z Fold in terms of product completeness, such as the hinge, the industry has assessed that the thin concept foldable phone has caused tension in Samsung Electronics. Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Z Fold 5, released last year, was 13.4mm thick when folded. The thickness of the Mate X3, released by Huawei in April last year, is 11.8mm." This will be a focus for Samsung Galaxy's Z Fold 6 coming in late August to remedy this.  

An entry Galaxy Z-Like foldable could also be a way to bolster sales in an effort to take back the lead from Apple.

Lastly, Samsung also filed for a mysterious new U.S. Trademark on January 03, 2024, for "IronFlex" as presented in-part below.

Samsung's trademark was filed under International Class 009 covering the following:

"Foldable OLED (organic light emitting diode) display panels; foldable smartphones; foldable electronic display screens sold as an integral component of smartphones; foldable and wearable video display monitors; foldable computer display monitors; foldable and flexible flat panel displays for computers; foldable video display screens for portable communications apparatus, namely, smartphones, tablet computers and smart watches; foldable flat panel display screens; foldable tablet computers; foldable tablet monitors."

While the trademark suggests that next-gen premium foldable displays will be tougher in some way, no specific attributes of the display were revealed in their trademark filing.  

At present, Samsung's trademark coverage is far too broad to limit it's use to just a future Galaxy Z Fold. The trademark could be used in conjunction with Samsung's XR Headset debuting in H2 as a (feeble) competitor to Apple Vision Pro and likely a foldable tablet and/or foldable hybrid tablet-notebook device that could shake things up in the tablet market later this year where the iPad remains dominant.