If there's one thing that I frequently get on Samsung's neck about, it is innovating in some categories and absolutely refusing to follow consumer-benefiting trends in others. The company's devices will always be an easy choice, but why can't we get a Samsung smartphone that feels like it has no compromises?
This year might be the first in a while where it feels like Samsung truly wants to beat the competition. The South Korean electronics giant has just unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7, and my, they are excellent. There are still some compromises you'll have to make, but this is Samsung in peak form—refusing to bow to the competition.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Leaps Miles Ahead in Its Hardware
In an age of exceptional foldables from Honor, Oppo, and other Chinese OEMs, it seemed like Samsung got too comfortable with its market lead, even without needing to do too much. This year seems different, and that's good. Very good. It outstrips last year's model by quite a bit, so let's break down everything new.
The Design
As expected, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 really is the thinnest and lightest book-style foldable that Samsung has ever made. Not only is it just thinner, but it shaves over 3mm of thickness when the device is folded. That brings it down to 8.9mm, and a mere 4.2mm when unfolded. That makes it the joint second thinnest foldable in the world. That's a big deal for a company that was nowhere near that last year.
It also weighs just 215 grams. For full context, that's even lighter than the Galaxy S25 Ultra is. That's pretty crazy if you think about it.
To get the device that thin and light, Samsung has made notable changes to the Armor FlexHinge and the Armor Aluminum frame. But that doesn't just lend to a sleeker build, but a tougher one too. The device sticks to the IP48 certification of last year's model, so you'll still want to be careful around sand and dust.
The Screens
The displays on a foldable phone are arguably the most important part of the device. Samsung knows that and has delivered much-needed boosts to the screens. The cover display is now:
- 6.5 inches, 0.2 inches larger than the Z Fold 6
- Has a 21:9 aspect ratio, wider than last year and closer to a regular phone
- Protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2
The main display is also bigger. It now measures 8 inches, 11% bigger than last year, and Samsung has utilized 50% thicker ultra-thin glass for more durability. All that space will make this device a productivity powerhouse. On productivity, though, it is important to mention that S Pen support is gone.
Both screens share Dynamic AMOLED 2X tech, with refresh rates that can dynamically switch between 1 and 120Hz depending on what you're doing at the time. Plus, it is plenty bright, with 2,600 nits of brightness.
The Hardware
The performance of its foldables is something that Samsung has never slacked on, and now isn't the year that it'll choose to start. You get the very best mobile processor currently available, the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy.
You'll have the option to spec the phone up to 16GB/1TB, though the device starts in a 12/256GB variant. Connectivity specs have been improved too, such as a jump to Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4.
The Battery and Charging
There's not much going on in the battery field, and it is arguably the one aspect where I'd argue Samsung is behind the rest. The battery stays at 4,400mAh, and yes, 25W wired charging and 15W wireless charging also stay stagnant. If Samsung finally switches to silicon-carbon cells and faster charging, there might finally be zero compromises.
The Cameras
This year, the cameras also see a boost. The 50MP main camera is out, and a new 200MP primary is in—the same as on the S25 Ultra. The sensor is significantly larger, enabling images that are 44% brighter than those of the last generation. Samsung is set to compete a lot better with the rest of the foldable segment now. You also get a 10MP 3x telephoto and an upgraded 12MP unit.
For selfie cameras, you get a 10MP camera on the cover display, and an identical 10MP unit on the inner display. Plus, the under-display camera experiment is over now. Good thing? I think most would agree.
The Clamshell Z Flip 7 Is More Stylish and More Capable
For those who don't need a device as “serious” as the Z Fold 7, there's the stylish and fashion-forward Z Flip 7. Last year, I wouldn't have recommended it over Motorola's Razr, but this year is very different. Samsung has cooked with the Z Flip 7, as the kids would say.
The Design
The first thing that you'll notice about the Z Flip 7 is that new edge-to-edge cover display. We'll talk more about that later, but it certainly makes the device look incredibly modern. It's the best-looking clamshell foldable on the market.
The device is only 13.7mm when folded, making it 1.2mm thinner than last year. More notable is that it is only 6.5mm thick when unfolded. It weighs 188 grams, which is roughly the same weight as last year. Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protects both the front and back of the phone and the device brings an IP48 rating, same as the Fold.
The Screens
Without wasting any time, I have to talk about the new FlexWindow, which is Samsung's name for the Z Flip 7's cover display, which is now 4.1 inches, making it the largest on any flip foldable. The bezels are 68% thinner than last year, for a truly edge-to-edge appearance. The inner display is a 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X unit. Both displays share a few specifications, such as:
- 120Hz refresh rate
- 2,600-nit peak brightness
- AMOLED
As you might expect, there's so much you'll be able to do from the new FlexWindow, whether taking selfies, typing messages, or getting help from Google Gemini.
The Hardware
Samsung's official press release says that the new device has the “latest 3nm processor”, which is a weird way to say Exynos 2500. The Flip can certainly get away with a “weaker” processor, and I have that in quotations because the Exynos isn't exactly a miserable chip. It just isn't as good as flagship options from MediaTek or Qualcomm. You'll get 12GB of RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of storage.
The Battery and Charging
The battery on Samsung's clamshell foldable gets bigger, at 4,300mAh. That's up by 300mAh, and Samsung says you should get 31 hours of video playback off a full battery. And yes, it is 25W wired charging and 15W wireless charging for yet another year.
The Cameras
For the photographers, the main camera is a 50MP unit with OIS, and Samsung's secondary choice is a 12MP ultrawide. Those are the two cameras you see jutting out of the cover display. The selfie camera is a 10MP module, likely an identical one to the one used on the Z Fold 7. Samsung heavily advertises how you can half-fold the phone to act as its own tripod.
Don't Forget the Lower-Priced Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE
Samsung has decided to give those who want a modern flip phone but don't want to spend over $1,000 an option. That comes in the form of the Z Flip 7 FE. It's basically the Z Flip 6, with a few changes.
- Ships with One UI 8
- Exynos 2400 processor
- Less RAM, at 8GB
- Only 128GB and 256GB storage choices
- Upgrades to Bluetooth 5.4
- Comes in only Black and White
Samsung's New Foldables Unveil One UI 8, Based on Android 16, to the World
Samsung has launched both devices with One UI 8, very quickly after the official launch of Android 16. Both devices will get 7 years of major OS updates and 7 years of security updates.
The full suite of Galaxy AI features is available, and Samsung partners with Google (as always) to give you Gemini Live with camera sharing and screen sharing, making it so much more helpful. The Now Bar and Now Brief are back, and better, too.
Pricing and Availability of Samsung's New Foldables
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Z Fold 7 will both be available in four colors. Both devices will share the following colorways:
- Blue Shadow
- Jet Black
- Mint (Online exclusive)
The Z Fold 7 will have an exclusive Silver Shadow option, while the Z Flip 7 will have Coral Red as its fourth choice.
Starting price for the Z Flip 7 will be the same as last year, at $1,099. However, the Z Fold 7 will get more expensive, touching $1,999 this time around. If you prefer something more sensibly priced, that's what the $899 Z Flip 7 FE is for, though it is not as cheap as I'd have liked to see.
