Updated March 3: article originally posted March 2.

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 is one of 2024’s eagerly awaited handsets. It will debut a new display, powerful AI features and a thinner, more pocketable design. And now we know more about Samsung’s plans to support the foldable.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 (Photo by Christoph Dernbach/picture alliance via Getty Images)

dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images

Update, Sunday, March 2: One thing that is becoming clearer is Samsung’s plans to launch the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the companion Z Flip 6. The summer’s Galaxy Unpacked event will be earlier than expected.

There is speculation that the event will take place early in July, which would make it one of the earliest launches from one of the South Korean foldables maker. This would align with the Galaxy S24 launch, which was also brought forward from the almost traditional mid-February date.

One other factor may be in play here. With the launch venue rumored to be Paris, Samsung’s partnership with the IOC and France’s hosting of the Summer Olympics should be considered. Launching ahead of the games, with a particular focus on fitness, thanks to the Galaxy Ring, would mean that any announced hardware would likely go on sale just as the opening ceremony of the Olympics Games begins, with rather a lot of Samsung branding.

A launch on Wednesday, July 10, going on sale Wednesday, July 24, fits nicely.

A Samsung exhibition with the theme of Winter Olympics(Photo by Andrea Verdelli/Getty Images)

Getty Images

In a move that will reassure consumers when the Galaxy Z Fold 6 launches later this year, Samsung will offer seven years of software support and Android updates, alongside seven years of security updates and patches. These will keep the foldable device as secure as possible as well as staying current with Android’s additions to support large-display smartphones such as the Z Fold series.

On one hand, this should not come as a surprise. Google announced a seven-year support window when it launched the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro handsets (the first to have Android 14 out of the box). Samsung promptly followed with the traditional flagship Galaxy S24 family, all offering the same seven years of software support and security updates.

Yet, not every new handset gets seven years of updates. While it’s understandable that less expensive handsets may receive only three or four years, a look around some of the new flagship smartphones announced at Mobile World Congress shows even some of the biggest handsets are not hitting the seven-year mark; one example would be Honor’s flagship Magic6 Pro, which is only offering four years of software and security updates.

The news that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will be part of the seven-year crowd will be welcomed by the community. Foldables represent the cutting edge of mobile manufacturing; they also represent a significant investment by consumers looking for a robust smartphone that will last for many years.

By offering seven years of software support, Samsung is signaling its plans for the Z Fold 6 to be around well into the 2030s.

Now read why a thinner Fold is a better Fold for consumers…