Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7: Slimmer, More Powerful Foldables Push the Boundaries

I Tested the Galaxy Z Fold 7: It's Slim, Powerful and Surprisingly Practical

Samsung has achieved quite a feat with the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Yes, it's a spectacularly thin phone, but an even greater accomplishment is that using both the cover and main display on this book-style foldable finally feels like an almost perfect experience. Almost. I spent a week scrolling, snapping photos and texting on Samsung's new premium foldable, and it really was a "feeling is believing" experience. Because the Z Fold 7 is only 8.9mm thick when closed and 4.2mm when open, it's not clunky in either configuration. (For comparison, last year's Z Fold 6 was 12.1mm thick when closed and 5.6mm when open. That makes the new foldable phone just a bit thicker than the 7.2mm Galaxy S25 when closed.) The generous 6.5-inch cover screen means I hardly feel the need to pry the phone open and use the more sprawling internal display - even though that's kind of the whole point. And snapping photos on this foldable doesn't feel like a compromise, thanks to an impressive triple camera system that includes a 200-megapixel sensor. But there are still moments where the Z Fold 7 comes off as a work in progress. Formatting issues on the internal display occasionally persist, and the 4,400-mAh battery pales in comparison to what you'll find in other slim foldables, like the Oppo Find N5's 5,600-mAh capacity and the Huawei Mate X6's 5,110-mAh battery (not to mention the Z Fold 7's meager 25-watt charging). Samsung also dropped S Pen support with this device. Overall, though, the downsides are minimal. What's not so minimal is the Z Fold 7's $2,000 price tag, up $100 from the starting price for last year's Z Fold 6. But Samsung's slim book-style offering strikes that sweet spot between a novel experience and a wonderfully ordinary one, at least most of the time. In addition to being thin, the Z Fold 7 is also lightweight, especially for a foldable, at 215 grams. That's 3 grams lighter than the S25 Ultra, 12 grams lighter than the iPhone 16 Pro Max and 14 grams lighter than the Oppo Find N5. In my hand or pocket, the Z Fold 7 feels better than most flagship slate phones, which in itself is pretty extraordinary. I've tested a handful of phones that serve as great conversation starters, but the Z Fold 7 has definitely received the most attention. Pulling the phone out at a birthday party, I was met with gasps of, "Woah, that's so thin," and my colleagues were in awe of how ordinary the phone looks when folded shut. I can comfortably use it while closed if I don't want to draw attention or cause a bit of commotion around me and pop it open. I ended up using the Z Fold 7's cover display about 70% of the time, and primarily for tasks like messaging, taking photos and scrolling through Instagram and TikTok. That 6.5-inch screen is one of the phone's most pleasing features because of how practical it is, and it is long overdue. Because the cover screen isn't awkwardly narrow, using the inside display is now less of a necessity and more of a choice. Switching from the cover display to the main one when opening the phone is seamless, and apps transfer without any hiccups. I opted for that wider 8-inch real estate when watching videos and multitasking, like texting while online shopping. It's neat that you can have up to three apps on screen at the same time, so I can have YouTube, my texts and my photo gallery pulled up simultaneously, because my brain isn't already overstimulated enough. The 2,600-nit peak brightness helps with viewing such a big screen outdoors, and Samsung's new tech also makes it easier to see the display while wearing polarized sunglasses. There were a handful of instances in which posts on Instagram and TikTok were weirdly cropped on that main screen, which was disappointing. But the majority of the content showed up the way it was supposed to. And while I appreciate that the inside display is 11% larger than the Z Fold 6's, typing can be a bit tricky on such a wide expanse, even with bigger hands and the split keyboard. A funny side effect of the Z Fold 7's sleekness is it can be a little tricky to, well, unfold. I kind of have to wedge my nail within the crevice to pry it open, and it's game over if you're wearing acrylics, as my colleague Alexandra Able confirmed (she did eventually get it open with some extra effort). But snapping the phone shut is so satisfying that it kind of makes up for it, at least in my book. The Z Fold 7 helps to explain the existence of its skinny sibling, the Galaxy S25 Edge, which came out in May. The latter phone was a way for Samsung to show what it's capable of, even if the $1,100 device comes off as a bit frivolous. (I personally found the lighter phone to be a game changer, but it comes at a high price.) The Z Fold 7 gives that slim profile a purpose, turning a formerly bulky foldable into one that feels wonderfully ordinary where it counts. Despite how thin the Z Fold 7 is, it's nice and sturdy, with a Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 cover and a Victus 2 backing. That makes me feel better about refusing to slap on a case and add even a millimeter of thickness. I toted the Fold around New York City with the peace of mind that hopefully all would be well if it took a tumble (it didn't), and it made it through the chaos of JFK Airport unscathed (though I'm not sure I did). Back at home in San Francisco, I've been throwing it into my bag and carrying it while out and about without worrying too much about anything happening to it. So far, it hasn't sustained any scuffs or scratches. The Fold 7's hinge has also gotten a makeover; it's thinner and lighter, according to Samsung, and the aluminum design makes it 10% stronger. I can't bend the phone, open or closed, even when applying considerable force. So you should be able to put it in your back pocket without folding it even further. What's not so thin is the Z Fold 7's camera bump. I like that it doesn't take up the expanse of the phone and is instead relegated to the left side of the device, but that definitely results in some wobbling when the phone is placed on a table, though there are some cases to help with that. The triple camera system, headlined by the 200-megapixel main camera, delivers crisp, vibrant shots, defying the hardware compromises so many foldables have had to make over the years. There's also a 12-megapixel ultrawide and 10-megapixel telephoto camera, as well as a 10-megapixel selfie camera in the cover and main displays. Photos on the Z Fold 7 are comparable to what you'll get shooting on the Galaxy S series, including the top-of-the-line S25 Ultra. Generative Edit isn't new, but Samsung says it's gotten better at seamlessly filling in the gaps after you remove people and objects from your photos. This is one of my favorite Galaxy features for making photobombers or anything cluttering your photo disappear. (Yes, I am ruthless with this tool.) Audio Eraser, which also isn't new, gets a designated button under videos in your gallery, so you can quickly tap to launch the feature. It uses AI to clean up background noises so you can focus on what you actually want to hear. Audio Eraser can now automatically detect what to tune out, like the crowd or the wind. I used the feature on a video of me talking to camera during Samsung's Unpacked evening event as the DJ was spinning and folks were chattering, and it did a good job reducing the sound of voices in the background, but it did warp my voice a bit. I'm sure it'll only get better with time, but it's neat to have even its current rudimentary capability. I was worried Samsung would scale back the Z Fold 7's battery with a slimmer design, as it did with the S25 Edge. But the Fold 7 maintains the 4,400 mAh of last year's Z Fold 6. That's still notably less than the capacity on similar phones from Chinese companies like Huawei, Honor and Oppo, but I'm just glad the Fold's battery didn't take a hit. It also only features 25-watt wired charging (and 15-watt wireless charging), which is significantly less than its competitors. The Z Fold 7 lasted me about a day and a half with my usual routine of scrolling through social media, checking emails, watching YouTube videos, texting, using Google Maps and taking photos. (You know, just your healthy daily dose of screen time.) In CNET's 45-minute endurance test, which includes a combination of streaming, scrolling through social media, joining a video call and playing games on the inside screen, the Galaxy Z Fold 7's battery went from full to 93%. For comparison, in the same test, the Oppo Find N5 dropped to 95%, and Google's Pixel 9 Pro Fold hit 96%. And in a 3-hour streaming test over Wi-Fi, in which I watched a YouTube video in full-screen mode at full brightness using the main screen, the Z Fold 7's battery dropped from 100% to 84%. Last year's Z Fold 6 reached 82% in the same test, so it's a welcome, if modest, improvement. When it was time to charge, the Z Fold 7 went from 0% to 42% in 30 minutes and reached full battery in about an hour and a half. The Z Fold 7 comes with 12GB RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of storage, as well as 16GB of RAM with 1TB of storage. I tested the 256GB version. The phone packs a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, powering the many Galaxy AI and Gemini features Samsung has been touting. It comes out of the box with Android 16 and One UI 8, and you'll get seven years of OS and security updates to help stretch your many, many dollars spent. Benchmark tests for the CPU in Geekbench 6 place the Z Fold 7 well above the full Galaxy S24 lineup. In a graphics test using 3DMark's Wild Life Extreme, the Z Fold 7 exceeded the performance of the iPhone 15 Pro, Galaxy S24 Ultra and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Check out the graphs below for more specifics. It's a good sign when you become so used to a phone's design that you forget how extraordinary it really is. That's certainly been the case with the Z Fold 7. This phone's thinness, paired with its wider cover screen, makes it feel wonderfully normal when closed, and the inside display has become my go-to way to watch movies and multitask. It's great that the camera and battery didn't end up being the trade-offs I was bracing myself for with that slimmer build, and the phone feels surprisingly durable. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before more companies take a page out of Samsung's book and slim down their phones, too. (Looking at you, Apple.) The price of being fairly early to a trend comes at a high cost; $2,000 is tough to stomach. This continues Samsung's practice of raising prices on its Fold devices by $100 over the last few years. So it can be a difficult purchase to justify. But there are a handful of carrier deals that can help soften the blow. If you're all about having a sleek device with the option of a bigger screen, and a solid camera is one of your top priorities, the Z Fold 7 could be the right fit for you. It has many of the same AI features you'll get on last year's Z Fold 6, along with some new additions and updates. And while battery life isn't as great as on some competitors' phones, it certainly gets the job done. But make no mistake: the Z Fold 7's fresh, slim form factor steals the spotlight here, and makes using this book-style foldable truly feel like a novel experience. Every phone CNET's reviews team tests is used in the real world. We test a phone's features, play games and take photos. We examine the display to see if it's bright, sharp and vibrant. We analyze the design and build to see how it is to hold and whether it has an IP rating for water resistance. We push the processor's performance to the extremes using standardized benchmark tools like GeekBench and 3DMark, along with our own anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution videos and playing graphically intense games at high refresh rates. All the cameras are tested in a variety of conditions, from bright sunlight to dark indoor scenes. We try out special features like night mode and portrait mode, and compare our findings against similarly priced competing phones. We also check out the battery life by using it daily, as well as running a series of battery drain tests. We take into account additional features like support for 5G, satellite connectivity, fingerprint and face sensors, stylus support, fast charging speeds and foldable displays, among others that can be useful. We balance all of this against the price to give you the verdict on whether that phone, whatever price it is, actually represents good value. While these tests may not always be reflected in CNET's initial review, we conduct follow-up and long-term testing in most circumstances.

Yes, Motorola's $1,300 Razr Ultra competes with the Galaxy Z Flip 7 (and not just in price)

The 4,700mAh battery looks great on paper, but yields average endurance from our testing. The Motorola Razr Ultra is one of the most interesting phones I've tested this year. It's not just because it folds in half and fits comfortably in my pocket, or that there's a Retro Razr mode that transforms the UI into a nostalgia trip back to the Razr's golden days. Also: Android 16 totally changes how notifications work on your phone, thanks to two new features Instead, it's the fact that this is arguably one of the closest things we've gotten to a true flagship flip phone, with no obvious compromises to the performance, display, camera, and durability. At $1,300, you'll really have to pay to play with the Razr Ultra, and I'm curious to see how customers will react now that they can finally take one home. Until then, here's my verdict after testing the handset over the past week, including where Motorola misses the mark, and where it wins big. By appearances alone, the Razr Ultra doesn't look all that different from the Razr Plus model of past years. It's just as pocketable, flips open and close with a flick of the wrist, and comes in an assortment of Pantone-validated finishes. If none of that "moves you," that's because the Razr's full-display outer screen is arguably the peak of flip phone design. So, most of the changes Motorola implemented are rooted in the internal structure and material choices. Also: My first 24 hours with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 left me completely mesmerized The most significant yet subtle change is the new titanium-reinforced hinge plate, which Motorola says is four times stronger than surgical-grade stainless steel and can withstand up to 35% more folds than last year's models. The company isn't lying here. Having flipped open dozens of foldable phones over the past few years, I can tell you that the Razr Ultra is noticeably sturdier than other models, with a confident thump when you snap it shut. The big question with any foldable phone is how it holds up over time -- I write as my Motorola Razr Plus (2024) produces a gritty, brushing-sandpaper-like sound whenever I open and close it -- so I'll keep my eyes and ears out with the Razr Ultra. On a brighter note, the Razr's curved sides continue to be a welcome design choice and make the thumb-tucking unfolding experience much easier than Samsung's flattened design. Also: Your iPhone is getting a major upgrade - 10 best features I can't wait to try in iOS 26 The crease on the inner display of the Razr Ultra -- a constant area of improvement with foldable phones -- is also a little less noticeable this time around. Even if the difference isn't visually distinctive compared to previous Razrs, you can feel the change when gliding your finger across the screen; it's now a gentle divot that reminds you just how far flip phones have come in the past few years. I have to tip my hat to Motorola's continuous efforts in making phones feel less boring. The Pantone-validated finishes on this year's Razrs (beyond the Ultra) are a breath of fresh air in a market full of black and white rectangles, and they remind me of the old Moto Maker days. While you can't necessarily customize the Razr Ultra the same as you would with a Moto X in 2013, you can choose from a variety of colors and material finishes, including Pantone Scarab in Alcantara, Pantone Mountain Trail in FSC-certified wood, Pantone Cabaret, and Pantone Rio Red. Also: This $611 Android competes with my Pixel 9 Pro (and does a few things better) Each finish carries a unique aesthetic, but again, I'm a bit concerned about how they'll fare in the long run -- when softer materials like Alcantara face the brunt of dust particles and finger grease. Throughout my week of usage, the Alcantara fabric on my Razr Ultra picked up unknown pieces of dirt and debris without me even trying. Just the motion of going in and out of my pants pocket was enough to fill the textured backing with white speckles. The takeaway? Opt for one of the harder, more polished finishes for the Razr Ultra, and you won't regret it. While companies like Apple have seemingly backpedaled on their AI integrations in smartphones, Motorola is confidently doubling down. With the Razr Ultra, the company has called on several AI partners, including Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Perplexity, to embed their agents and services into the devices. If that sounds like the most chaotic buffet of AI helpers a phone user can have, it kind of is. While Motorola's controlled chaos approach to AI sounds promising in theory, I found each offering, except for Google Gemini, to be too disruptive. Also: I used every Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Series model - and my favorite isn't the Ultra For example, Moto AI, a pop-up window prompted by a long press of the dedicated AI key (found on the left side of the phone), gives you several pathways to interact with its large language models, from asking Perplexity to explain something to recording audio for summarization. As a result, I often found myself pausing my train of thought just to decide which AI service to use. There's an added layer of complexity here, as tapping shortcuts like "Explain with Perplexity" takes you from the pop-up window to the actual full-screen app. Shouldn't everything be kept in one floating window as your background task stays put? I'm more enthusiastic about the Razr Ultra's Look and Talk feature, which leverages its cameras to detect when you're staring at it and automatically prompts an AI voice chat. This ambient feature works surprisingly well, whether I set the phone at an angle on my office desk or on the kitchen countertop for quick recipe searches. Its delayed responses can make for an awkward conversation, but the answers are often well-detailed and sourced properly. The key here is intention, as you really have to face and stare at the phone screen to activate the feature. I find that to be a good thing, as the last thing I want is another voice assistant randomly activating itself in the middle of the night. Also: My new favorite multi-port charging station is $50 off on Amazon right now As I mentioned at the beginning, the Razr Ultra is a true flagship flip phone, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of base storage. Those specs, paired with a fairly polished Android skin, make for a snappy and reliable mobile experience. You'll notice some throttling when playing graphics-intensive games or downloading larger files in the background, but the day-to-day performance has proven to be just as good as $1,000+ slab phones. The Razr Ultra's camera system is another high point, with the 50MP main camera having just enough optics to capture subjects in great detail and vivid colors. Even with Motorola opting for a 50MP ultrawide camera instead of last year's telephoto, I didn't find myself missing the far-distance shooter all that much. Instead, I was very impressed with the dynamic range, barrel distortion control, and sharpness of the ultrawide sensor. On the other hand, video recordings on the Razr still appear slightly choppy, with a noticeable jitter that's produced by the electronic image stabilization. There's also a noticeable difference in color tones when switching between the main and ultrawide sensors, which can be jarring for some users. Also: I changed 12 settings on my Android phone to dramatically improve battery life Motorola somehow fit a 4,700mAh battery capacity into the Razr Ultra, and while that looks great on paper -- competing flip phones are closer to 4,000mAh -- I've found the endurance to be just average. On a regular day, I'm looking at around 15% battery left by the time I'm resting after dinner. Your mileage will vary, but I just wouldn't set too high an expectation with the Razr Ultra. Fortunately, the phone does support 65W wired charging and 30W wireless charging, so long as you have the proper chargers. This puts the Motorola phone closer to the likes of OnePlus, which most people consider the fast-charging leader in the US, and further away from the likes of Samsung and Apple. That's a big win for Motorola. You have to respect Motorola for taking a big swing with the Razr Ultra. The $1,300 flip phone won't appeal to the masses per se -- it's hard enough to be a flip phone -- but it shows that the company is listening to what its core users want. Who exactly should buy the Razr Ultra? Technology enthusiasts, fashion-forward consumers (especially if you fancy the Ultra-exclusive Alcantara and Wood finishes), and users who want the best compact phone right now. That said, the Razr Ultra's biggest competitor has yet to hit the market, with Samsung expected to launch its latest Z Flip model this summer. Until then, shoppers should mostly consider the less expensive Razr Plus (2025), which has similarly-sized displays, software features, and the same Android update commitment (three years of OS and four years of security patches).

After 24 hours with Samsung's Flip 7, one big thing stands out

The Galaxy Z Flip lineup has been the most popular of Samsung's foldable devices, and its appeal is clear -- who can't benefit from a device with all the functionalities of a regular smartphone that can also shape-shift into a smaller phone for everyday ease? Also: My first 24 hours with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 left me completely mesmerized With its latest addition to the lineup, the Galaxy Z Flip 7, Samsung leaned into the phone's most attractive feature, making it even more portable with a slimmer design, while also more capable, with the intent to improve user experience for power users and everyday users at the same time. However, at $1,099, the Z Flip 7 is still in the higher price range of phones. To determine whether it is worth the investment of your money, I spent 24 hours with the phone. Let's dive right in. At a glance, the most visible change is the FlexWindow (the outer screen). The screen is now larger, spanning from one corner of the phone to the other, with the bezels barely visible -- a big upgrade from its predecessor, as seen in the photo above. Not only is it most aesthetic to look at, but it is also more practical, resembling the look of the Moto Razr 60 Ultra. The 4.1-inch FlexWindow is also brighter, with 2,600 nits of peak brightness and a smoother 120Hz refresh rate. It also has VisionBooster, a feature that enhances outdoor visibility, making it the brightest and highest-functioning FlexWindow yet. When using the Flip 7 at a park on a sunny NYC day, I was able to look at the screen without problem. Also: I changed 10 Samsung phone settings to significantly improve the user experience So, why does this make it a win? To get more than just nostalgia out of the clamshell design, you need to be able to use the outer screen for basic tasks, and the larger screen makes this more possible. I found myself using it to do basic tasks such as taking photos, viewing notifications, and even looking up information more than with the past models, likely because on the older models the limited screen size wasn't really enticing for me to forgo opening the phone. I also found that it was a great vehicle for accessing the latest AI features--which leads me to the next section. If you care about AI on your mobile device, this cover screen makes it easier to get the immediate assistance you want without even opening your phone. Gemini Live is now accessible on the cover screen, whether through a long press of the side button or through the app. It can answer questions quickly for you on the go or access apps that take action for you, such as creating a note or adding a calendar event. Also: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE hands-on: The 'cheaper' foldable phone got me very confused If you often use multimodal AI assistance, like I do, you will be happy to learn that you can now share the camera right from your FlexWindow -- meaning you prop your phone up and use the camera to get multimodal Gemini assistance from Gemini Live. Now, instead of having to prop my iPhone 16 Pro, which is my daily driver, on a water bottle or other item to take full advantage of the multimodal assistance, I am able to just open the phone and set it on the nearest surface to ask a question. You can also access a Personalized Now Bar and Now Brief from the cover screen, a feature previously limited to the Galaxy S25 Ultra. This makes it easy to get a quick rundown of personalized insights such as weather, event summaries, and news. Beyond these, One UI 8 brings other helpful features such as improved photo and audio editing. Additionally, purchase of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 will also come with six months of Google AI Pro, which retails for $19.99 a month. The plan gives you access to some of Google's most advanced AI offerings, including more access to Google's most capable model, Gemini 2.5 Pro; Flow, Google's AI filmmaking tool built with Veo 3 Fast, which makes hyper-realistic videos; and more. So if you are big into AI, or have been wanting to give it a try, the Z Flip 7 makes it easier to dive into the advanced features. The Flip 7 is thinner, coming in at 13.7mm thick, compared to last year's 14.9 mm. This makes it more comfortable to slip into your pocket, minimizing the uncomfortable feeling of having two tiny phones stacked on top of each other. Even though it is slimmer, Samsung didn't compromise on key components, including a larger inner display of 6.9 inches, compared to the 6.7-inch screen on the Galaxy Z Flip 6, and a larger 4,300mAh battery (up from 4,000mAh) that can handle up to 31 hours of video playback time, according to Samsung. One day of consistent use is not nearly enough time to judge a battery's performance, so I will provide an update in my full review. However, I haven't seen any signs of unusual battery decline, and the battery has lasted me through the full day without an issue. Instead of the expected Snapdragon 8 Elite, the Z Flip 7 is powered by the Exynos 2500, the first 3nm in-house processor, released just last week. The performance differences between both chipsets shouldn't be noticeable, other than the in-house processor enabling new experiences such as DeX support on the Z Flip for the first time, allowing users to plug their phone into monitor and use it like a desktop computer. It has the same camera specs as last year, with a 50MP wide angle and a 12MP ultrawide sensor. In last year's Flip 6, this camera system was a major boost from the Flip 5, and ZDNET's review found that while it didn't offer flagship-tier performance, it was still a capable system, excelling in well-lit conditions and producing vibrant, detailed photos. Samsung also claims to have made upgrades to the image processing, including Enhanced Nightography and 10-bit HDR for more detailed videos, which should upgrade and differentiate the camera's quality from the preceding model. Below are some photos I took in different light conditions. Overall, in the last 24 hours, I have genuinely enjoyed my experience with the Flip 7. The biggest standout in the limited time was the larger cover screen, which made it easy for me to forgo opening the phone. Overall, Samsung upgraded the Galaxy Z Flip 7 specs in almost every way, but stay tuned to ZDNET for a deeper dive into the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7. I will be specifically looking for longer-range performance, such as battery and camera performance. If interested in purchasing it, you can preorder yours for a starting price of $1,099, with several promotions and offers already active. The colors include Coralred, Jetblack, Blue Shadow, and the online-exclusive Mint, and storage sizes are 256GB to 512GB.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 vs. Motorola Razr Ultra: The Ultimate Flip Phone Face-Off

No matter how you slice it, these phones are expensive. Foldable phones generally cost more than their slab-style counterparts, and these top-of-the-line models are no exception. Samsung's Z Flip 7 starts at $1,099.99 for 256GB of storage, while a 512GB model costs $1,219.99. Both versions come with 12GB of RAM and run on the Samsung Exynos 2500 system-on-a-chip, which we've yet to test. The Razr Ultra starts with 512GB for $1,299.99, or $80 more than the 512GB Z Flip 7. The Ultra has 16GB of RAM, 4GB more than the Flip 7. If you need even more room for your apps, photos, and videos, a 16GB/1TB version of the Razr Ultra is available for $1,499.99. The Ultra is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite, which is the top mobile processor available right now. In short, the base version of the Razr Ultra costs $200 more than the Flip 7, but has twice the storage, 4GB more RAM, and a more capable processor. Both the Z Flip 7 and the Razr Ultra feature designs that harken back to the early aughts when cell phones flipped open and snapped shut. These modern flips are generally taller, thinner, and more square than the originals, but work in a similar way. Both phones are generally the same size. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 measures 6.56 by 2.96 by 0.26 inches (HWD) in its open position and 3.37 by 2.96 by 0.54 inches when flipped closed. It weighs 6.63 ounces and has a 4.1-inch cover display and a 6.9-inch main display. The Razr Ultra is taller, thicker, and heavier than the Flip 7, but not by much. It measures 6.75 by 2.91 by 0.28 inches open and 3.47 by 2.91 by 0.62 inches. It weighs 7.02 ounces and has a slightly smaller 4-inch cover screen to go along with its slightly larger 7-inch main display. They both have aluminum frames and reinforced hinges for lasting durability. The Flip 7 protects its outer display with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, while the Ultra uses the tougher Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic. Each phone has an IP48 rating, which means it is protected from dust and other particles 1mm and larger and can withstand a dunk in about 5 feet of water for about 30 minutes. The Flip 7 is available in Blue Shadow, Coral Red, Jetblack, or Mint, though the latter is a Samsung.com exclusive. Motorola worked with Pantone to create the colors for its phones. The Ultra is available in Cabaret (pink), Mountain Trail (wood), Rio Red, or Scarab (black). The Z Flip 7 and the Razr Ultra both feature large outer displays, though one phone's screen is more useful than the other. The Flip 7's 4.1-inch Super AMOLED cover screen has a resolution of 1,048 by 948 pixels and a variable refresh rate between 60 and 120Hz. It reaches 2,600 nits of peak brightness, and while it looks impressive, it's limited. You can only use about 20 apps on the outer display, and many of them require you to open the phone in order to access advanced features. Samsung's outer display philosophy is more in line with the flip phones of old, wherein the outer screen was meant to provide glanceable information only. Samsung has certainly expanded the usability of the front display, but has yet to give it full access to all the phone's apps. Motorola takes the opposite approach and treats the front display like a full extension of the phone. The 4-inch pOLED external screen features a resolution of 1,272 by 1,080 pixels with a variable refresh rate up to 165Hz. It gets brighter than the Flip 7 at 3,000 nits. The best part? You can give the outer display access to your apps and use them without opening the device. Wanna play Genshin Impact? You can do it from the front display. Write an email, browse online, or reply to a text? All of this can be done on the outside screen. There are fewer differences between the phones when it comes to the main displays. The Flip 7 has a 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x main screen with a resolution of 2,520 by 1,080 pixels and an adaptive refresh rate between 1 and 120Hz. Like the front display, it reaches 2,600 nits of peak brightness. The Razr Ultra has a slightly larger 7-inch AMOLED main screen with a resolution of 2,992 by 1,224 pixels and a dynamic 165Hz refresh rate. It gets considerably brighter than the Flip 7, topping out at 4,500 nits. No matter how you look at it, the Razr Ultra has brighter, more useful displays. Samsung increased the size of the Galaxy Z Flip 7's battery this year, bumping its capacity up to 4,300mAh from the 4,000mAh of the Flip 6. Samsung says this should be enough for 31 hours of video playback without needing to recharge. We test our batteries by running a 1080p video on loop over Wi-Fi with the screen set to full brightness, but have not yet been able to test Flip 7. We have tested the massive 4,700mAh battery on the Razr Ultra, and it delivers. It lasted 22 hours and 3 minutes on a single charge, making it one of the longest-lasting flip phones we've seen. It's unlikely the Flip 7 will beat this number, but it still should offer enough battery life to get through a whole day without needing to plug it in. The Flip 7 supports 25W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and 5W reverse wireless charging. The Ultra can support up to 68W wired charging, 30W wireless charging, and 5W reverse charging. Both phones require you to provide your own charging bricks and wireless charging pads. In terms of connectivity, the Z Flip 7 supports all flavors of 5G, including sub-6GHz, C-band, and mmWave. The Razr Ultra, on the other hand, doesn't support the faster mmWave technology, but does connect with sub-6GHz and C-band 5G. Both the Flip 7 and the Ultra have a 50MP main camera with optical image stabilization (OIS). This Flip 7 also includes a 12MP ultra-wide camera with a 123-degree FoV and a 10MP selfie camera with an 85-degree FoV. We've yet to test the camera on the Flip 7, but it is identical to the system found on the Flip 6. We thought the Flip 6's images looked clear, but were oversaturated. The Ultra's ultra-wide camera has a 50MP sensor with a 122-degree field of view and also works as a macro camera. The selfie camera has a 50MP sensor, too. We found the cameras on the Ultra to be the phone's weakest link, though we thought the main camera did a good job capturing daylight scenes. The Flip 7 is one of the first phones to come preinstalled with Android 16 and Samsung's One UI 8. It will also receive seven years of OS upgrades and security patches. The Motorola Razr shipped with Android 15 and will eventually be upgraded to Android 16, though it's unclear when. Unfortunately, it won't get too many more upgrades than that. Motorola only offers the Ultra three years of OS upgrades and four years of security support. Both phones have AI baked into the system. The Flip 7 receives all of Samsung's Galaxy AI goodies, including Circle to Search, Gemini Live, Note Assist, and Transcript Assist. It also packs Gemini Live AI Mode, a new feature that lets you have a conversation with Gemini Live from the outer screen. The Razr Ultra is backed by Moto AI and includes a dedicated Moto AI key on the side of the phone. With its Catch Me Up feature, you can get a summary of your notifications, and with the Pay Attention feature, you can have it transcribe meeting notes. When in tent mode, you can glance at the display to activate Moto AI using the Look and Talk feature. You also get AI features from Perplexity, Meta, Google, and Microsoft, which partnered with Motorola to create Moto AI. While the usefulness of AI features may be debatable, years of OS and software support are not, which gives Samsung the decisive edge. Samsung and Motorola both make excellent flip phones. They have fun and appealing designs, bright external screens, excellent battery life, and a full complement of AI tools. We still need to test the Galaxy Z Flip 7 before we can give you definitive buying advice, but based on the specs, these are our initial recommendations: We're in the process of texting the Galaxy Z Flip 7 now, so check back soon for our full review.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Review: The Best Foldable Gets Even Better

Now in its seventh generation, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is even better thanks to its excellent hardware, expansive and gorgeous displays, powerful multitasking software, and Galaxy AI. Its only drawbacks are its exorbitant high price and just-average battery life. And while some will surely lament the loss of S Pen support, the fact remains that you can still get more done with the Z Fold 7 than most other phones, making it our Editors' Choice for folding phones. Samsung finally nailed it. I'll put it in the simplest of terms: The Z Fold 7 is lighter and smaller in your pocket than the Galaxy S25 Ultra ($1,299.99), the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL ($1,099), and the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max ($1,199) -- and none of those phones includes a 8-inch inner screen. The Oppo Find N5 and the Honor Magic V5 full-size foldables may be a few hairbreadths thinner, but you can't buy either phone in the US. Samsung essentially took the Z Fold 6 -- a fantastic phone in its own right -- and pressed it flatter. The Z Fold 7 measures 6.24 by 2.87 by 0.35 inches (HWD) when folded and 6.24 by 5.64 by 0.17 inches when opened. It weighs 7.58 ounces. To compare, the Z Fold 6 measures 6.04 by 2.68 by 0.48 inches folded, 6.04 by 5.22 by 0.22 inches opened, and weighs 8.43 ounces. The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold ($1,799), the only other mainstream book-style foldable available in the US at the moment, is far bulkier at 6.10 by 3.00 by 0.40 inches closed, 6.10 by 5.90 by 0.20 inches open, and 9.1 ounces. The top three flagship phones aren't much bigger and heavier, but they are bigger and heavier. The S25 Ultra measures 6.41 by 3.06 by 0.32 inches and weighs 7.69 ounces, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is 6.42 by 3.06 by 0.32 inches and 7.99 ounces, and the Pixel 9 Pro XL is 6.40 by 3.0 by 0.30 inches and 7.80 ounces. The reason I'm making such a big deal about the size and weight here is because it's likely been the main factor (other than price) in deciding between a folding phone and a standard slab. Until now, book-style folding phones have been thick, heavy pieces of hardware that aren't all that much fun to cram in your pocket and carry around. Here, Samsung has solved this issue with style. The new Fold is also just gorgeous. When closed, it's a simple slab with a razor-thin bezel framing a huge outer screen. The Advanced Armor Aluminum frame, which Samsung says is stronger than ever, is trimmed down to barely anything at all. The FlexHinge is rounded off and more comfortable, and though the phone has somewhat sharp corners, it still feels good to hold and use. Samsung employs Gorilla Glass Victus 2 to protect the back panel and Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 -- an upgrade over the Fold 6's Victus 2 -- to protect the front. The Z Fold 7 carries over the IP48 rating from last year for dust and water protection. The phone rejects dust particles larger than 1mm and can be dunked in up to 5 feet of water for about 30 minutes. When asked why it didn't upgrade the dust protection year over year, a Samsung representative explained that the company focused most of its engineering efforts on reducing the thickness of the hinge, rather than improving the IP rating. With the phone closed, you've got a volume toggle and combined power button and fingerprint reader on the right edge. The toggle is a little short and stiff for my tastes, and it's too close to the power button. The power button is recessed a bit, which makes it harder to find, but the secure fingerprint reader performs flawlessly. This key also doubles as a way to call up Gemini if you wish. The top edge contains a speaker grille, and several microphones, and the SIM card tray, which supports up to two nano SIM cards, while the bottom edge also holds a speaker and mics, in addition to the USB-C port for charging and data transfer. The rear panel glass has a matte-like finish that mostly hides your fingerprints. The camera module looks about the same as that of the Z Fold 6, which is to say it's a vertical arrangement of three lenses ringed with chrome accents. The Fold 6 camera lenses were accented with black rings. The Fold 7's module is noticeably thicker. The Z Fold 7 is available at retail stores in Blue Shadow, Jetblack, and Silver Shadow. If you prefer Mint (green), you'll have to order it directly from Samsung.com. This is fewer color options than in years past, but the selections are all classy. We received the Blue Shadow color for review and I think it looks fantastic.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Review: Foldable Perfection That's Tempting Me to Leave My iPhone

I haven't been this obsessed over a Samsung phone since the company's literally explosive Galaxy Note 7. Disregard the fact that there’s a whole world of Chinese-made book-style foldables as thin and light as the Galaxy Z Fold 7 that Americans can’t buy, and Samsung’s latest phone-to-tablet foldable is what we’ve been waiting for. It only took Samsung six years to make its flagship foldable as svelte as a regular bar smartphone, but the Z Fold 7 delivers in all aspects. The only thing that holds it back is the $2,000 price tag, a $100 increase over last year’s Z Fold 6. It’s often difficult to see the march of progress year-over-year. It's only over multiple generations of small improvements that you see how far along things have really come. The road to the Z Fold 7 has been in the making since 2019, when Samsung released the first-gen Fold and disaster struck immediately when people started peeling its pre-installed protective film and literally destroying the folding display. The original Fold was also too skinny to use as a regular phone when closed, the cover screen was too tiny, and the whole thing was too thick and heavy. The Z Fold 7 is a miracle in engineering compared to that first Foldâ€"delivering everything that Samsung wanted to achieve with that pioneering foldable. Year-over-year, the Z Fold 7 sheds some major weight, adds a flagship-level main camera, and increases performance while sprinkling just enough new Galaxy AI and Gemini features to not feel like Samsung went overboard. The Z Fold 7 also ships in what might be the nicest shade of blue that I’ve seen on any phone. (Yes, even prettier than the Pacific Blue iPhone 12 Pro and Ultramarine OnePlus 8 Pro.) In six years of reviewing Samsung Z Folds, I’ve not once felt compelled to leave my iPhone for one just to get an extra tablet-sized screen. Not even for better-made book-style foldables like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold or OnePlus Open, both of which I gave high marks. But the Z Fold 7 captivated me from the second I laid my fingers on it. The last time an Android phone truly made me want to leave Apple’s walled garden was the Galaxy Note 7, which took breaths away with its sleek, dual-curved display and had such a tightly packed design that faulty batteries literally killed it. Leaving Apple’s walled garden would be uncomfortable for my friends and family who choose to live in Apple’s ecosystem, but features like RCS for improved messaging interoperability and AirDrop-replacement apps like LocalSend for sending files to and from Apple devices make switching easier than before. You really have to hold the Z Fold 7 in your hand to believe that it’s virtually the same thickness (8.9mm) and weight (215g) as a regular flagship bar-style phone. Even having used the foldable for a week, I still marvel at it every time I unlock the 6.3-inch cover screen with my fingerprint or face and use it like a regular phone, or unfold it to get the 8-inch screen. Both displays are really bright, really sharp, and support 120Hz refresh rates. The folding screen still has a visible creaseâ€"one that I expect to deepen with folds over timeâ€"and you’ll still feel the hinge underneath it every time your finger runs over it, but I rarely noticed it while reading, watching videos, or playing games. The crease is an engineering compromise that I don’t think foldables will ever solve (though Apple will reportedly try). You just learn to ignore it over time, the same way you stop noticing a notch or a hole-punch camera on non-folding phones. I agreed to not do any drop or bend tests on the Z Fold 7 in order for Samsung to provide me with a loaner unit to evaluate, so I’ll have to leave the durability tests to attention-seeking YouTubers and TikTokers. But I did try lightly flexing the device when it’s open, and at its thinnest, and I didn’t feel it had much give with normal use. I’m not saying accidentally sitting on the Z Fold 7 won’t mean instantly destroying your $2,000 foldable, but Samsung at least beefed up the hinge and the “Armor aluminum†frame, toughened the glass backside, and doubled the thickness of the folding screen. The IP rating, unfortunately, is the same IP48; it would have been great to see a bump up in water- and dust-resistance, but I guess Samsung needs to save upgrades for the Z Fold 8 and beyond. As you’d expect, $2,000 gets you the very best of what Samsung has to offer. Well, almost everything. I’ve got no complaints about the main specs: Qualcomm’s latest and most powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite with Galaxy chip, up to 16GB of RAM, and up to 512GB of storage. Unsurprisingly, the Snapdragon chipset is a beast on benchmarks, but I’d be lying if I told you I could feel a 38% CPU boost or a 26% increase in GPU performance for regular phone tasks like browsing the web, scrolling on social media, or sending emails. The 41% faster neural processing unit, or NPU, however, does seem to make on-device AI processing speedier. For example, generating summaries and wallpapers, or using AI writing and AI photo and audio editing tools, did seem speedier than I remembered last year. The battery is the same 4,400mAh capacity in the Z Fold 6, but I had no problems getting through a full day with power to spare, even when I was pushing the foldable hard with lots of apps, photography, and AI usage through Gemini and Perplexity. I was more surprised that Samsung didn’t remove wireless charging or reverse wireless chargingâ€"either feature is usually the first to go when phones are put on the Atkins diet. Hell, there’s even a SIM card tray; Samsung could have easily switched to eSIM and used the extra space for something else like a larger battery. The one feature from previous Z Folds that didn’t make it into the Z Fold 7 is the S Pen. I’m not mourning the loss of support for the stylus that was sold separately, but I know S Pen loyalists will, since it makes sense to want a larger screen to write notes or draw on. I wouldn’t hold my breath for Samsung bringing it back or building it into the frame since it says usage was low, especially now that the profile, when unfolded, is the thinnest (4.2mm) it’s ever been. See Galaxy Z Fold 7 at Samsung.com The cameras on Samsung’s Z Folds have always been a few steps behind the ones in the Galaxy S series. That’s not the case anymoreâ€"the Z Fold 7 has the same 200-megapixel main camera as the S25 Ultra. There’s also a 13-megapixel ultra-wide and 10-megapixel 3x telephoto lens. The cameras punched into the cover and folding display are 10 megapixels each. Photos from the main camera look great with sharp details, vibrant dynamic range, and tons of resolution to get optical-quality 2x and 3x shots (crop-ins using the 200-megapixel sensor). The rest of the Z Fold 7’s cameras are fine. The ultra-wide lens now has autofocus and can take close-up macro photos, and the 3x telephoto is good enough (the 10x, 20x, and 30x digital zooms take fuzzy photos with low-res details). The camera on the inside of the folding screen has a slightly wider 100-degree field of view that’s handy for fitting more in a selfie or group shot. Videos look better than before with improved quality in low-light situations and less noise. And you can record in 10-bit HDR, which just means your videos will display more colors and content will appear brighter. I was delighted to see smoother video stabilization with less jerky movements when panning the Z Fold 7 or walking and recording. Samsung’s One UI 8 is one of, if not the, best customizations of Android I’ve seen. It’s fast and smooth and has extra levels of personalization that I wish Pixel phones had. About the only thing I don’t like is how much Samsung is starting to borrow from iOS. Sure, Apple’s moving on to Liquid Glass (or perhaps more like frosted glass if the latest iOS 26 developer beta 3 is anything to go by), but there are some areas of One UI 8, like the Lock Screen clock and widget customization, that look too similar to iOS. Gander at the sliders and tell me they’re not the same. It’s a small thing, but I suppose Samsung’s tweak of Android 16 is nowhere near as blatant as the shameless copying you’ll find from Xiaomi or Huawei phones. It's 2025, and that means you can't buy a new phoneâ€"foldable or notâ€"without being bombarded with how AI is going to change how you use it. Samsung's usual plate of Galaxy AI features, including generative photo editing, translations, and summaries, returns on the Z Fold 7, with some new ones that can only be described as minor. With its larger screen, you can compare original and edited photos side by side or use the Audio Eraser tool to remove background noise such as wind or traffic. They all work as advertised and better than the same or similar AI features on other phones (especially iPhone's embarrassing suite of Apple Intelligence features), but they're not exactly $2,000 selling points. Nor is multimodal Gemini Live, which lets you type, talk, or "see" what's on screen or through the camera and then respond. There's little that having Gemini pre-loaded into the Z Fold 7 can do that you can't do just by installing the Gemini app on another phone. Sure, it's nice to load up Gemini on the Z Fold's larger screen in fullscreen, as a split-view app, or as a floating window and not have the keyboard take up the whole bottom half, but I wouldn't say it's game-changing by any means. Gemini is still just a chatbot in a window that you can summon on command. If I've saved any time using Gemini on the Z Fold 7, I haven't felt it much. I'm still spending a stupid amount of time looking at social media. I cannot stop gushing over the Z Fold 7 every single time I pick it up. There are some minor observations that I've noticed in my week of using it, like the fact it can get hot in the summer heat faster than I've experienced on any other bar-style phones. (It's so thin, there's just less room for a vapor chamber or cooling.) The pill-shaped camera bump, while not as massive as on other foldables, causes the phone to wobble like crazy on a table. But none of these small compromises bother me when I can slip the Z Fold 7 in my pocket and my pants don't sag. I also love that I can read manga without having to pinch to zoom all the time to see the text or watch a movie without needing to squint (though the "Flex mode" where you turn the Z Fold 7 into a little laptop is still silly). I've always believed in the benefits of a phone that unfolds into a tablet. It's just the thickness and weight, and other concerns like durability and unavailability in the U.S., that have always stopped me from putting my money where my mouth is. The Z Fold 7 is more expensive than before, and $2,000 is a lot of money for a phone (the cost for repairs isn't cheap either), but I'm obsessed with it, and thank god there are installment plans that break up the cost into monthly payments. I know my iPad mini, with iPadOS 26's Liquid Glass developer beta installed, is missing me, but I just don't care. The Z Fold 7 is my new gadget love, and I guarantee, it'll be yours too if you can stomach the price.

You asked, Samsung delivered -- but the Galaxy Z Fold 7 still costs $2,000

I knew we were in good shape with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 when Samsung mentioned that it understood customers wanted meaningful progress in devices year-over-year. Making a phone a potentially attractive upgrade from three generations ago wasn't going to cut it, especially when you're asking people to part with $2,000. I've spent 48 hours with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, and overall, I'm impressed. Samsung addressed many complaints from previous generations, and the Z Fold 7 is easily the best foldable the company has produced. However, it's not for everyone, and if you're considering taking the plunge, there are a few things you need to know. Related I used the Galaxy Z Fold 7, and it's my dream big-screen foldable Thin is most definitely in Posts 5 Samsung finally reads the room The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is thin and light The Galaxy Z Fold 7 does feel much better in the hand, thanks to its lighter and thinner design. I'm not going to give Samsung a gold star for making a thin, book-style foldable -- we've seen several remarkable devices from overseas, like the Honor Magic V5. However, Samsung does get credit for breaking out of its carrier upgrade cycle mindset, even if it's just for this one phone. Like the old NBC commercial goes, "If you haven't seen it, it's new to you." So, for most people in the US who are buying foldables, with their experience limited to older Z Fold devices or the Google Pixel Fold lineup, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 will be a significant advancement. It's much easier to use one-handed while unfolded. You need a larger hand to palm the device, but it's well-balanced, so even if you can't wrap your fingers around it entirely, you can still hold it with confidence. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is slightly wider than its predecessor when unfolded. You'll still get letterboxing when watching videos in landscape orientation, but the viewing space is a touch larger. I prefer watching videos in portrait, as my content can fill the top half of the display while I add another app underneath for multitasking. It's not only the larger and wider external display that makes the phone better than its predecessors. The thin design makes it a joy to use, and I could easily spend an entire day just using the cover screen without feeling shorted. All told, Samsung did precisely what it needed to do to make the Galaxy Z Fold 7 a viable contender this year, and that's going to be good enough for many. One UI 8 brings the start of something new Android 16 runs well on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 The Galaxy Z Fold 7 hardware is definitely up to the task. Aside from the improved design, it's powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite (for Galaxy) and 12GB of RAM -- plenty of power for anything you can throw at it. And while I appreciate that Samsung enhanced the Galaxy Z Fold 7 both inside and outside, it doesn't solve a major hurdle I face when recommending a $2,000 phone: software. Without software designed to maximize the expansive internal display, there's not enough value for most people. Why spend $800 more on a Galaxy Z Fold 7 over a device like the Galaxy S25 Ultra? We're not all the way home yet, but Samsung is starting to address these concerns with One UI 8 on the Galaxy Z Fold 7. The company's improved multitasking is smoother and easier to use on the Galaxy Z Fold 7. I can quickly pull up different app pairs and create new ones within seconds. However, it's not just multitasking that Samsung has improved to make better use of the 8-inch internal display. When editing photos, you can now see a side-by-side view of before and after, an advantage only available on a large-screen device. And that's the point. If you want me to spend a significant premium over traditional slab smartphones, I need to see features and enhancements I can only get by spending more. Now Brief is also showing signs of life -- something I'm particularly interested in. I've been frustrated by the feature since its launch on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, as I've waited for it to do anything that felt proactive and generative. I haven't had the chance to experience much of it yet, but I'm encouraged by the brief testing I've done. I turned on the parking spot reminders and also the traffic updates to be included in Now Brief. If Samsung keeps adding capabilities and Now Brief starts to add to my day instead of distracting from it, I'll be a convert. Samsung made some confusing decisions on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 A big camera upgrade, but the same battery Unfortunately, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 isn't a clean sweep, and there are areas of the device that should give you pause. Samsung commented that it listened to customers to decide which upgrades it added to the Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 received a notable camera upgrade, with its 200MP primary sensor. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 scored a bigger 4,300mAh battery. Undoubtedly, people complained about the camera system on the Galaxy Z Fold 6. However, if I could only choose one upgrade, it would've been the battery. Casual users are far more likely to pick up a Galaxy Z Flip 7 than a Fold 7, and their primary concern is going to be picture quality. When I think of the typical Z Fold 7 user, I picture an enthusiast who wants to use the phone throughout the day with a mix of gaming and more intensive apps. It's still early, and the battery does need time to settle in, but hardcore users will struggle to make it to the end of the day on a single charge, especially if they use the internal display heavily. I'm hoping for a reversal, but my mixed use has left me with about 30% by day's end, and that's without really firing up Genshin Impact or any other AAA mobile titles. Samsung did one other thing that puzzled me, especially since people spending $2,000 on a smartphone are going to be passionate customers. I know the company claims that the digitizing layer for the S pen would result in a thicker device, but I've had more than a few people come up to me in disbelief, because they used the feature. It's an 8-inch display when unfolded, ideal for drawing and navigation with an S pen, leaving me with more questions than answers. More hits than misses this year Overall, Samsung won more than it lost with the Galaxy Z Fold 7. No device is perfect, and I have my gripes. However, I'm an enthusiast who does this for a living, so any new and innovative phone is going to excite me. If you're coming from an older Galaxy Z Fold, have at it -- you're going to love what Samsung has done. For everyone else, think long and hard about how you want to use your smartphone before plunking down $2,000. Samsung did a better job this year, but that doesn't mean the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is for everyone. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 RAM 12GB Storage 256GB Battery 4,400mAh Operating System One UI 8 Weight 215g IP Rating IP48 The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is the thinnest and lightest in the series to date, integrating a powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor for enhanced AI capabilities and a 200MP pro-grade camera. Built for enhanced durability with an Armor FlexHinge and Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2, the device features a wider 6.5-inch cover screen and unfolds into an expansive 8.0-inch main display for immersive viewing and productivity. $2000 at Samsung Expand Collapse

Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 worth the upgrade: Here's everything that's changed

The foldable era is no longer a novelty. It has matured into a polished, mainstream option that continues to improve with each release. With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, Samsung is doubling down on the clamshell form factor it helped popularize. At first glance, the Flip 7 might seem like a modest update over the Flip 6, but is it? This comparison breaks down every major difference between the Flip 6 and Flip 7. This guide is for Flip users considering a switch to the new model. It's also a helpful starting point for anyone exploring foldables for the first time. Related 5 Galaxy Z Flip 7 features that won't make it to the cheaper Z Flip 7 FE You might want to spend the extra $200 Posts 6 Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 is thinner, flatter, and easier to carry The Flip 7 is noticeably thinner when closed, thanks to a slimmer hinge. It's Samsung's thinnest Flip yet, measuring 13.7 mm when folded and 6.5 mm unfolded, compared to the Flip 6's 14.9 mm and 6.9 mm. The new design reduces the pocket bulge and makes it feel better in the hand. The camera module has been slightly downsized to sit more level with the surface. Despite the thinner build, the Flip 7 still weighs around 188 grams, nearly the same as the Flip 6. Slight increases in width help accommodate the larger screen and give the Flip 7 a more slab smartphone feel when open. Samsung has continued to reduce the fold crease. The Flip 6 already featured a subtle crease. With the Flip 7, Samsung further refined the hinge design and display layering. It is less visible than ever. This year's Galaxy Z Flip 7 is available in Jet Black, Blue Shadow, Coral Red, and a Mint variant exclusive to Samsung's online store. All models feature a matte finish, which helps reduce fingerprints and gives the phone a cleaner look. 5 FlexWindow is bigger, brighter, and far more useful The Galaxy Z Flip 7's most eye-catching upgrade is its cover display. Samsung expanded the FlexWindow to 4.1 inches corner to corner, up from the Flip 6's 3.4-inch cover screen. With thin 1.25 mm bezels, the OLED panel stretches the entire front face, leaving only space for the dual camera cutouts. Samsung also increased the refresh rate to 120 Hz, a jump from the Flip 6's standard 60 Hz, and pushed the peak brightness to 2,600 nits from 1,600 nits for better visibility in bright environments. Samsung's One UI makes full use of the extra space. It added new animations for camera countdowns, palm selfies, and recordings. Widgets are now more stackable and practical, and the cover screen can run a wider range of full apps with support from Samsung's Good Lock. Samsung has also suggested that more third-party apps will become available for the FlexWindow. With these improvements, the Flip 7's cover screen experience now matches rivals like the Motorola Razr, closing the gap where the Flip 6 had previously fallen behind. Related 5 features the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 needs to reclaim its spot as the best foldable It's getting out-styled by the Razr Posts 4 Samsung moves away from Snapdragon for the Flip series Another headline this year is Samsung's decision to equip the Galaxy Z Flip 7 with the Exynos 2500, built on a faster 3nm architecture. This marks a shift from the previous reliance on Snapdragon. Early benchmarks suggest promising performance compared to last year's model. Still, real-world use will ultimately reveal how this change impacts image processing, battery life, network stability, and sustained performance under demanding tasks. While I initially wished Samsung had used Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Elite, the more powerful chip featured in the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the choice makes more sense when considering the Flip series' target audience. This line is designed for users who value looks, portability, and convenience in daily use, rather than intense multitasking or raw power. The decision to use the Exynos 2500 aligns well with these priorities. The previous Exynos 2400 had already narrowed the performance gap with Snapdragon, and my expectations are high for the 2500, especially given its strong track record in battery life. Moreover, by selecting the Exynos chipset, Samsung can balance performance and cost. 3 Battery capacity gets a small bump with big-time goals Another welcome upgrade to the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is the battery capacity. Samsung managed to fit a 4,300mAh battery in the Flip 7, up from the 4,000mAh cell in the Flip 6. While a 300mAh difference might not seem huge, it could lead to noticeable improvements in battery life when paired with the new Exynos processor. Samsung claims the Galaxy Z Flip 7 can deliver up to 31 hours of video playback on a single charge. This is big talk. The real result will depend on how the new chip handles power. For now, Samsung is sticking with conventional battery tech, choosing not to adopt silicon-carbon cells like some competitors, such as Honor. 2 Same lenses, new tricks On paper, the Galaxy Z Flip 7's camera hardware is identical to the Flip 6's, with both models featuring a 50MP main sensor and a 12MP ultrawide lens. However, the Flip 7 sets itself apart through software additions made possible by the larger Flex Window. This expanded cover screen unlocks new camera features like improved auto-framing, better animations, and fluid previews. With the addition of the Pro Visual Engine, Samsung promised better noise reduction, low-light video, and 10-bit HDR video. Still, don't expect a big jump. It would've been nice to see a hardware upgrade, like how the Galaxy Z Fold 7 got with its 200MP sensor. 1 The cover screen is now more than a notification window The Galaxy Z Flip 7 comes with Samsung's One UI 8 and runs on Android 16 out of the box. One of the standout additions this year is the Samsung DeX, available on a Flip model for the first time. This allows the Flip 7 to double as a workstation. Flip it open, connect to a screen, and get a full suite of PC-like tools for multitasking. While there's some curiosity about how well DeX performs on the Exynos chip, it's still a welcome addition. Samsung is also marketing the Flip 7 as a pocketable AI powerhouse, and that promise is evident in the software experience. One UI 8 introduces an expanded range of Galaxy AI features, building on what was offered in the Flip 6 and tightening Gemini integration. Thanks to the larger FlexWindow, AI tools can now be used from the cover screen. For example, the Now Bar is accessible directly from FlexWindow, providing at-a-glance updates on your schedule, upcoming appointments, and more. If you want to get the most out of the FlexWindow, install Good Lock as it turns the FlexWindow into a fully functional second screen with extra features and customizations. Related Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 worth the upgrade? Here's everything that's been updated It's lighter, smarter, and easier to use if you don't miss the S Pen Posts 1 Not essential, but hard to ignore If you're happy with your Flip 6 and its current features meet your needs, there's no urgent reason to upgrade. Aside from the larger cover screen and the addition of DeX, you're not missing out on anything essential. The Flip 6 will continue receiving software updates and remain capable for at least a few more years. If you can resist the temptation of the screen, it might be worth waiting to see what the Flip 8 brings. Hopefully, a much-needed camera upgrade. On the other hand, if you're new to foldables or coming from a Flip 5 or earlier, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is an excellent buy. It represents Samsung's foldable vision at its most refined yet. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 $900 at Samsung Expand Collapse Your Rating close 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Rate Now 0/10 Like Follow Followed Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 $950 $1100 Save $150 SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy Display type AMOLED (internal and external) Display dimensions 6.7" (main), 3.4" (cover) Display resolution 2640 x 1080 (main), 720 x 748 (cover) $1100 at Amazon $950 at Best Buy $1000 at Samsung Expand Collapse

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7: 5 reasons to buy (and 3 reasons to skip)

Keep these factors in mind when shopping for the latest Galaxy Z Flip model After Motorola released a trio of foldable flip phones earlier this year, Samsung is firing back with two new models of its own, highlighted by the Galaxy Z Flip 7. The latest version of Samsung's modernized take on the flip phones of a generation ago introduces a number of changes from previous models, as Samsung looks to re-establish itself as the device maker to turn to for the best foldable phones. And the new flip phone makes a pretty compelling case if our Galaxy Z Flip 7 hands-on is anything to go by. Along with some design changes that particularly boost the displays on the new model, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 sees software changes that deliver a more useful flip phone overall. Still, whether you've got an earlier version of the Galaxy Z Flip or are just trying to decide if you should finally give foldable phones to try, we've spotted some very good reasons in our initial testing to give the Galaxy Z Flip 7 a miss. With Galaxy Z Flip 7 preorders underway in advance of the phone's July 25 release, here are the reasons you may wind up buying the Galaxy Z Flip 7 along with reasons to pass up the chance to get this particular phone. The last version of Samsung's flip phone, the Galaxy Z Flip 6, made no changes to either of its displays, delivering a 6.7-inch main panel augmented by a 3.4-inch screen on the outside of the phone. That's a stark contrast to Motorola models like the Razr Plus and the Motorola Razr Ultra, both of which have 4-inch cover displays. The interior screens are larger, too, at 6.9 inches and 7 inches, respectively. It's safe to say that the Galaxy Z Flip 7 attempts to catch up with the latest Razrs when it comes to display size. The interior panel on the Galaxy Z Flip 7 now reaches 6.9 inches while the outer Flex Window stretches to 4.1 inches. It's not just size that makes the Z Flip 7 more usable than its predecessors. Samsung extends that Flex Window all the way to the edge of the phone, even wrapping it around the outer cameras to free up more space for you. And that interior screen delivers some nice viewing angles with vivid colors. Samsung's foldables have struggled to last a long time on a charge. The Galaxy Z Flip 6 endured for a bit more than 11 hours on our battery test, which is only a little bit ahead of the average time posted by smartphones. Can the Galaxy Z Flip 7 improve on that performance? We won't know until we finish testing the new phone. But Samsung has at least set itself up for success for increasing the size of the battery in the new model. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 offers a 4,300 mAh power pack, a modest increase from the 4,000 mAh battery that the Galaxy Z Flip 6 used. It may not be a big gain, but every little improvement helps when it comes to eking out more time between charges. Samsung isn't slowly down its Galaxy AI push, and the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is one of the big beneficiaries. Features like the Now Brief and Now Bar added with the Galaxy S25 release earlier this year are included with Samsung's latest foldable phones -- with Now Bar updates even appear on the Z Flip 7's outer screen. The real boost comes from support for multimodal AI, where the Gemini assistant on board the Galaxy Z Flip 7 can use the phone's cameras to see what you're seeing -- and then provide information about what it observes. My colleague John Velasco has only had a little hands-on time to test this particular feature so far, but the way he describes it certainly feels like the future. Samsung DeX is a hidden weapon on many of the best Samsung phones where you can plug your phone into a display and use it as a makeshift desktop computer. But it's also a feature that hasn't been available to Galaxy Z Flip owners -- until the arrival of the Z Flip 7. DeX support has been one of the most requested features by many of my Tom's Guide colleagues, especially John Velasco. He's had a chance to try out DeX on the Galaxy Z Flip 7, and while it's not without its issues -- DeX hasn't been refined for the Flip -- the arrival of a long-missing feature should be celebrated. We live in a world where a Galaxy Z Fold 7 now costs $1,999 -- a $100 price hike from the previous model. So any time Samsung holds the line on pricing, we're going to breathe a sigh of relief. And that's the case with the Galaxy Z Flip 7, which starts at the same $1,099 price as the Galaxy Z Flip 6 before it. Would we have preferred to see a price cut back down to the $999 cost of the Galaxy Z Flip 5? Sure, but you could argue that's the point of the $899 Galaxy Z Flip FE 7, which scales back on some of the Z Flip 7's features to offer that lower price. The point is that prices may be on the rise everywhere, but at least that doesn't apply to Samsung's new flip phones. If you own a recent Galaxy Z Flip model, you probably can get by without an upgrade to the latest version unless the allure of larger screens proves too great to ignore. In other areas, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 shares a lot in common with its predecessors. Take the camera hardware, which is unchanged from the 50MP main shooter and 12MP ultrawide lens on the Galaxy Z Flip 6. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as the Z Flip 6 has been the best camera phone among foldables, but Samsung is clearly relying on its ProVisual Engine photo-processing to boost camera performance with the Z Flip 7. Likewise, Samsung hasn't changed charging speeds for the Galaxy Z Flip 7. You'll still get the 25W wired charging Samsung has offered since the Galaxy Z Flip 4. Unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which will benefit from the processing power of Qualcomm's impressive Snapdragon 8 Elite system-on-chip, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is turning to Samsung's own Exynos 2500 silicon. And while we'll need to run benchmark tests on the flip phone to see what that means for performance, it's safe to assume that the Exynos 2500 isn't going to be able to keep pace. Samsung's Exynos chips tend not to match the CPU and GPU performance numbers that top-of-the-line Snapdragon silicon posts in benchmarking. You can argue that may not matter in terms of real-world performance, but it's still a compromise you'd be making with the Galaxy Z Flip 7. And it's a particularly notable compromise since past Flip models have used Snapdragon chips. One of our favorite things about Motorola's Razr lineup is the ability to run apps on the cover displays of those phones. That's not something you can necessarily do on the Galaxy Z Flip 7, not even with the larger 4.1-inch panel on the phone's exterior. While some apps have been optimized for the Galaxy Z Flip 7's Flex Window, if you want to run apps natively, you'll need to download the Good Lock app. While that's a proven workaround, it feels like an unnecessary inconvenience, especially when a Z Flip rival shows just how easily native app support can be implemented. We'll have our full review of the Galaxy Z Flip 7 out soon, along with our definitive buying advice for the latest foldable flip phone from Samsung. But from what we've seen so far from this phone, its biggest strengths are the larger displays and new features, particularly when it comes to AI. The biggest reason to pass up the new phone boils down to how much it really improves upon older models -- and from a camera and performance standpoint, the gains could be minimal.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: 5 reasons to buy (and 3 reasons to skip)

There's a lot to like about this new foldable -- and a few things to fret about With the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Samsung has made the best argument yet for ditching conventional phones in favor of a foldable device. The changes are so significant that in his Galaxy Z Fold 7 hands-on, Mark Spoonauer calls the new Samsung offering the first foldable he'd truly want to buy. Are you in the same boat? And if so, should you be planning on setting aside a (fairly substantial) stack of cash to buy the phone now that Galaxy Z Fold 7 preorders are underway? We're in the process of testing and reviewing the Galaxy Z Fold 7 to give you our definitive buying advice on the latest foldable phone from Samsung. But we've seen enough from Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked presentation and our initial hands-on time to make a case for why you'd want to buy the Galaxy Z Fold 7. And we've also spotted a few things that might make you pause before mashing that buy button. Here's an overview of the five best reasons to buy a Galaxy Z Fold 7 and three why you might want to skip the phone this time around. I've compared the Galaxy Z Fold 7's thinness to other phones, and the short answer is you'd have to go a long way to find a phone as slender as Samsung's new foldable when it's open. Specifically, you'd have to go to where the Oppo Find N5 and Honor Magic V5 are sold, and those phones are pretty hard to come by outside of Asia. But as impressive as the 4.2mm-thin profile of an open Galaxy Z Fold 7 may be, don't overlook the 8.9mm-thin design of the folded-up phone. That's a very thin device, making the Galaxy Z Fold 7 easier to tote around while still enjoy the benefits of having a super-sized screen. Samsung also didn't skimp on durability to make the Galaxy Z Fold 7 so thin. A new Armor Flex hinge evenly dispenses stress as you open and shut the phone, while both the frame and hinge use Advanced Armor Aluminum for increased strength and hardness compared to previous models. Even with all that, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is lighter than before, tipping the scales at 215 grams. That's 3 grams lighter than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and that phone doesn't have the multiple screens that the Z Fold 7 carries around. When it comes to snapping photos with a foldable phone, I always preferred the Galaxy Z Flip models to the larger Fold, but some improvements to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 may cause me to adjust my thinking. Like the Galaxy S25 Ultra and Galaxy S25 Edge, the Z Fold 7 now offers a 200MP main camera for richer, more detailed photos. Samsung says the new main camera on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 can capture 4x the detail of previous Galaxy Z Fold models, which featured a 50MP main lens. Images should be 44% brighter, too, while the ProVisual photo processing engine has beeen tweaked to work faster, boosting the sharpness of images. The selfie cam on the interior display -- long the weakest part of the Galaxy Z Fold's camera setup -- gets an update with this version. The 4MP sensor makes ways for a 10MP one, and an expanded 100-degree frame should allow you to fit more into any shots you take with that camera. Size matters when it comes to phone screens, as more expansive displays make it easier to get work done on the go. Both the exterior and interior screens get a size boost on the Galaxy Z Fold 7, with the cover display expanding from 6.3 inches to 6.5 inches. The main panel on the Z Fold 7 is now 8 inches, up from 7.6 inches on the previous model. Of the two displays, the more significant change is probably to the external panel. That screen on past Folds has felt a bit cramped so the extra 0.2 inches of space on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 should make it feel more like using a conventional phone. That's significant as there are times when you're not going to want to unfold your device, instead getting work done on the cover display -- and that will be easier to do on the Galaxy Z Fold 7. One of my recurring complaints with foldable phones is that device makers really haven't provided much of a justification to pay up for a foldable other than that larger screen. Foldable-specific features feel few and far between. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 changes that, and Galaxy AI is a big reason why. Samsung is optimizing some of its AI tools to take advantage of a foldable phone's design, making this new model a much more compelling option than before. For instance, results from AI-powered searches and tasks appear in their own split view or floating view window, so that whatever it is your working on doesn't get covered up. That way you can more easily refer to something like Circle to Search results or writing suggestions without losing sight of your original work. I also appreciate that the Galaxy Z Fold 7's larger screen can give you a before and after view of changes wrought by generative AI. In his hands-on time with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Mark Spoonauer was able to get side-by-side comparisons of an image to see how the AI-edited version looked compared to the original. I'm primarily an iPhone user, able to upgrade to new software versions the moment they're released. For that reason, I've never understand how Android users can cope with the haphazard update schedules for their phones -- that a new version of Android might be available, but they can't download it until their phone maker is good and ready to release it. That's not something you'll have to suffer through with the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Android 16 is out, and so Android 16 is the version of the software that will run on your new phone. That also means Samsung's One UI 8 interface is readily available, too, so you won't be taking your brand new phone out of the box only to wait for the new software features to show up weeks or months later. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 was the first of Samsung's foldables to support the S Pen. It's an addition that made sense, and not just because the Fold essentially replaced the old Galaxy Note phablet in Samsung's lineup. The large display on the Fold lends itself to sketching and note-taking, and the S Pen has proven itself to be adept at both. You won't get that benefit with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, though, as Samsung has dropped S Pen support from this model. The likely culprit is that thin design I was singing the praises of earlier. To get the Fold that thin, I'm guessing Samsung did away with the digitizer layer on the displays that enable the S Pen to work. "When we look at the insights from what our customers were using on the Galaxy Z Fold series and what they wanted, fundamentally they wanted a thinner and lighter device," Kadesh Beckford, a smartphone specialist manager with Samsung UK, told my colleague Richard Priday in an interview about the new phone. "And with us we definitely pay attention and listen to our customers. So with those insights, we implemented what they asked." Maybe that's a trade-off the majority of Fold customers are happy to make. But if you value S Pen compatibility, this is not the model for you. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 runs on a 4,400 mAh battery, which is the same power pack that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 used. That phone wasn't well known for lasting a long time on a charge -- it posted an average result of 10.5 hours on our battery test, which essentially matches the average smartphone result. Yes, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 will have the benefit of a more power efficient Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset to help it eke out more battery life. But I don't see the Galaxy Z Fold 7 threatening to land on our best phone battery life list any time soon. In fact, the entire battery and charging setup for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 leaves much to be desired. Samsung didn't make any changes to charging speed for the new foldable phone, which still features 25W wired charging. When you're paying this much for a device, that's hard to swallow. Speaking of what you have to pay for a Galaxy Z Fold 7, I hope you were sitting down when Samsung announced the price. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 now starts at $1,999, which is $100 more than the starting price for the Galaxy Z Fold 6. That phone, in turn, saw a $100 price hike from its predecessor. Were you to opt for the 1TB Galaxy Z Fold 7 -- and why not since Samsung packs 16GB of RAM into that model -- you'd pay $2,419. That's 16-inch MacBook Pro M4 territory. To be fair, a preorder deal at Samsung gives you a free storage upgrade. So you can pick up a 512GB Galaxy Z Fold 7 for the same $1,999 price as the 256GB model. Nevertheless, the higher a price rises, the smaller its potential audience gets. And a $1,999 phone is going to have a very small audience indeed. Only after we complete our Galaxy Z Fold 7 testing will we be able to say whether Samsung's new phone justifies that lofty cost. But at first glance there's a lot to like about the new phone, even if there are few noticeable flaws as well.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 review: The first foldable I'd actually buy

Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate. It's pretty rare that I'm so excited by a foldable phone that I'm tempted to buy it. This is one of those times. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is not yet another iterative upgrade. It is a huge leap forward in terms of design. It's so thin and light I was shocked every time I picked it up for the first week of using the phone. You're no longer being penalized for wanting a phone and tablet in one device. In fact, the Fold 7 is lighter than both the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Galaxy S25 Ultra and also thinner than both of those phones when open. That's pretty frickin' amazing for a foldable with a ginormous 8-inch display on the inside (one I can run three apps at once on), a 6.5-inch screen on the outside and a powerful new 200MP camera. At the same time, Samsung is charging a staggering $2,000 for the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which is the second price hike on this model in two years. And the phone maker made some sacrifices to get he Fold this thin. Bye-bye S-Pen! Now that I've been living with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, here's my reasons to buy (and skip) in my full review -- and how it stacks up to other flagships like the S25 Ultra. Who is this for? Power users looking for a tablet and phone in one device -- without the usual foldable phone penalty of heft and bulk. What does it cost? The Galaxy Z Fold 7 starts at $1,999/£1,799 / AU$2,899. That's a $100 price hike over the Galaxy Z Fold 6 in the U.S. What do I like? The amazingly thin and light design, the larger displays, more advanced 200MP camera and the seamless integration of Gemini Live AI. What do I not like? Other than the sticker shock of that price, the unsightly punch hole camera on the main display and the just-okay battery life. Some may miss the S Pen. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 starts at $1,999 for 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM. No, that's not a typo. That's $100 more than the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the most expensive phone you can buy in the U.S. The Fold 7 is more affordable in the U.K. and Australia, with prices starting at £1,799 / AU$2,899. Opting for the 512GB model will run you $2,119 / £1,899 / AU$3,099. Want 1TB? You're looking at $2,419 / £2,149 / AU$3,549, but at least that includes a bump in RAM to 16GB. Let's get something out of the way. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 may not be the thinnest and lightest book-style foldable in the world. But it is such a huge improvement over the Z Fold 6 that it feels like a totally new device. Measuring 8.9mm thick unfolded and 4.2mm unfolded, the Z Fold 7 is 26% thinner than the Fold 6. And when I hold them side by side the contrast is dramatic. Seriously, it's the difference between wanting to carry this phone in my front or back pocket and using a coat pocket or my bag. For those scoring at home, the Honor Magic V5 is reportedly 8.8mm thin when closed and 4.1mm when open, but that's not a phone that's available for sale in the U.S. Samsung says it's made the Fold 7 more durable, too, thanks to a new Armor FlexHinge that more evenly distributes stress, an advanced Armor Aluminum in the frame and hinge that increases strength and a main display that's thinner but stronger. During my time with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, it felt pretty durable despite being so thin. And I like how the hinge barely protrudes when closed. But note that this foldable is just IP48 rated once more, meaning it's water resistant but not dust resistant. I won't be taking the Fold to the beach. I do have some nitpicks with the design. The first is the camera for the inner display. Samsung moved from an invisible under-display camera to a punch hole, it's an eyesore. I also wish the camera bump wasn't so thick. As a result, the phone wobbles when you press use it on a table. One more thing. I think the Z Fold 7 could be slightly easier to open. It's so thin you have to dig your nails in there. How about colors? If you want to stand out, get the bold Blue Shadow option. I love it. If you don't like fun get the Jetblack or Silver Shadow option. There's also an exclusive Mint color on Samsung.com. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 gets three major display upgrades versus the Z Fold 6. Both the cover and main displays are now larger, and the crease on the unfolded main display is definitely less noticeable. Starting with the inside, the Galaxy Z Fold 7's main display has grown from 7.6 inches to 8 inches, which is a pretty big jump. I appreciated the extra real estate when watching the Superman trailer on YouTube but especially when working on spreadsheets in Google Sheets. You can see a lot more info without scrolling. And it's nice being able to see several open tabs at once when surfing the web in Chrome. The other plus is that Samsung has worked hard to minimize the main display's crease. It's still there but it's much less noticeable. I put the Z Fold 7 and Z Fold 6 side by side and the line running down the middle of the screen is a lot more subtle from various angles. So one of the biggest complaints about foldable phones is (almost) no more. I will say, though, that the Galaxy Z Fold 6's panel looked a bit richer side by side next to the Z Fold 7 with slightly wider viewing angles. Meanwhile, the Z Fold 7's cover display is now 6.5 inches, up from 6.3 inches on the Fold 6. It's wider, too, so I found typing more comfortable. It's certainly not as wide as the S25 Ultra's 6.9-inch panel, but I had no problem checking emails, responding to Slack messages and changing tracks on Spotify, and so on. In our labs, the Z Fold 7's main display delivered a peak brightness of 2,310 nits when displaying HDR content, compared to 2,317 nits for the Z Fold 6. So they're comparable. The S25 Ultra, by comparison, reached 1,860 nits in the same test. The Fold 7's main display also registered 96% of the DCI-P3 color space in Natural mode and 105.2% in Vivid mode. That's better than the Z Fold 6, and the S25 Ultra was slightly better in Vivid mode and slightly worse in Natural mode. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 has three major camera upgrades, and one of them is controversial. Samsung has upgraded the main wide camera from 50MP to 200MP. And that means you not only get more detail but can crop in more on your shots so you have more creative freedom. You also get autofocus on the 12MP ultrawide camera, which means you can get some very detailed macro shots. Just take a look at this shot of a Rose of Sharon flower. The Z Fold 7 delivers much more details in the petals, stamen and even the flecks of pollen vs. the Z Fold 6. Just keep in mind that the S25 Ultra's 40MP ultrawide camera can capture even sharper looking macros, as you'll see in the gallery above. The third major change is the inner selfie camera. Samsung has ditched the under-display 4MP camera on the Fold 6 for a 10MP punch hole camera on its new foldable. And while aesthetically it's not pleasing, it does take better looking photos. Check out this selfie comparison. The Z Fold 7's shot is more colorful and there's more detail in my eyes and shirt. The Fold 6's image is blurrier and a bit washed out by comparison. The main camera did a great job with this photo of the fountain in Bryant Park. The blue forget-me-not flowers really pop, and the fountain itself has a subtle blur effect. Meanwhile, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold's pic is more evenly focused throughout, but there's more of a haze to the image. The fountain gets a bit lost in the iPhone 16 Pro Max's image. With the sun behind the clouds I took this somewhat moody image of Bryant Park using the Z Fold 7's ultrawide camera. In this case I prefer the brighter shot taken by the S25 Ultra. But the Fold 7 does a better job of capturing the clouds than the S25 Ultra. So how about portraits? The Z Fold 7 holds its own versus the competition. My green shirt with white stripes looks vibrant, and there's good definition in my hair and hands. Still I slightly prefer the brighter exposure from the Z Fold 6 and S25 Ultra. The Pixel 9 Pro's image looks a bit flat and dull, while the iPhone's image has the best contrast. In low light, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 captured a fairly impressive photo of string lights outside a restaurant. There's a good amount of detail in the bricks and trees, and the Modelo-branded umbrellas pop. I'd give a slight edge to the iPhone 16 Pro Max because you can make out the lights a bit better in the foreground. Indoors the Galaxy Z Fold 7 struggled with this photo of a checkerboard lamp in a dark room with two candles behind it. It had trouble focusing but actually fared better than the S25 Ultra, whose pic turned out quite dark. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 captures crisp video up to 8K at 30 fps and promises better results in low light thanks to Samsung's ProVisual Engine. I shot this video of a creek on a very muggy day right before a thunderstorm hit, and the Z Fold 7 recorded colorful footage with rich greens and browns against a grayish-white sky. As I zoomed in, the camera did a fine job rendering the ripples in the water. In this footage of the Bryant Park fountain, the Z Fold 7's footage looks more evenly exposed, while the Z Fold 6's video appears overly bright and washed out. The Fold 7 clip also offers more details in the stone and water as I zoomed in. To test the ProVisual Engine's chops, I shot this footage of a pool in near darkness. The Z Fold 7's clip looks brighter and a bit crisper, especially as I zoom in on the basketball net. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is so far ahead of the iPhone on AI it's almost sad. While there aren't many new features versus what the S25 Ultra introduced, Samsung deserves credit for making more of its Galaxy AI tools foldable friendly. And Gemini steals the show. I love that you can just long press the Z Fold 7's side button and then quickly launch into a live audio and video chat with Gemini Live. The window just pops up on the bottom right side so it doesn't cover up the app you're using. I also like that you can share your screen with Gemini and ask questions about it. For example, I opened a photo of the Bryant Park Fountain and asked about when it was made. I learned that the Josephine Shaw Memorial Fountain in Bryant Park was dedicated in 1912, and it's the first major public memorial dedicated to a woman in New York City. You can even ask Gemini questions while you're playing a game. I asked where I should go next in Wuthering Waves and Gemini gave me directions (head North) to get to the next checkpoint. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is also super smart when it comes to generative AI photo edits. I just tapped the eraser button and it automatically recommended a bunch of people to zap out of my photo. With a couple of taps they were gone. I appreciate that you can see the before and after side-by-side on the big 8-inch display. The same thing goes for other generative AI image tools like turning you and your friends into a comic, 3D cartoon, watercolor or sketch. You can even have AI fun with your pets now, including a funky Fisheye lens option. One of the more popular Galaxy AI tools gets a boost with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, and that's Audio Eraser. You can now remove background noise not just from video recordings in the Gallery app but also in Voice Recorder, Notes and call transcript. In one video, I could easily remove unwanted voices in the background in auto mode, and then I could fine tune from there for the exact desired result. It took me playing only a few minutes of Wuthering Waves on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 to know this is a powerhouse phone. The graphics look stunning, and the frame rate stayed super smooth as I battled a ginormous monster and ran for my life. I could also easily run three apps at once using the Multi Window feature, such as Slack, Gallery and Spotify. And it's neat that you can drag and drop images from one window to another. On Geekbench, which measures CPU performance, the Galaxy Z Fold 7's Snapdragon 8 Elite chip paired with 12GB of RAM notched 3,052 on the single-core portion of the Geekbench test and 9,735 on multicore. That's about the same as the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The results were similar on our video transcoding test using Adobe Premiere Rush, taking 52 seconds to transcode a 4K video to 1080p. Strangely, last year's Fold 6 finished in a quicker 40 seconds. The iPhone 16 Pro Max was way faster than them all. However, the iPhone lags the Fold 7 on the 3DMark graphics test. The foldable reached 41 frames per second (fps) on the demanding Solar Bay Unlimited portion of the test, compared to just 28 fps for the iPhone 16 Pro Max. The bad news is that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 packs the same size 4,400 mAh battery as the Galaxy Z Fold 6. This at a time when Chinese phone makers like Honor and Oppo are rolling out higher capacity silicon carbon batteries. For example, the Honor Magic V5 packs a 6,100 mAh battery using the new technology and the Oppo Find N5 offers a 5,600 mAh cell. Samsung has told us that it is investigating silicon carbon batteries but for now it is prioritizing safety. On the Tom's Guide battery test, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 lasted a somewhat mediocre 10 hours and 55 minutes when surfing the web over 5G. Compare that to 10:25 for the Galaxy Z Fold 6. The Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max both lasted over 17 hours, or 6 hours longer than the new Fold. Alas, the charging picture isn't much prettier. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 supports relatively slow 25W charging. That means you get a 54% charge in our testing in 30 minutes. The S25 Ultra's 45W charger got to 71% in the same amount of time. Meanwhile, the above Honor and Oppo phones boast 80W charging, but we haven't measured their charging speed yet. The Galaxy Z Fold runs Samsung's One UI 8 software on top of Android 16, and there are some notable upgrades for foldable fans. As mentioned above, Gemini Live is now enhanced with multimodal AI, which means it can process information from your voice and what the camera "sees" in real-time, as well as what's on your screen. The Gemini Live interface floats on top of whatever you're doing, so it doesn't feel like it's taking over your phone, and when you're sharing your screen and talking to Gemini you'll see an indicator in the top left corner that it's listening, so you can tap there to pause or turn it off at any time. Circle to Search gets an upgrade in One UI 8, too. You can use Circle to Search when playing a game and get instant tips or find out more about characters or enemies. Another AI perk is that you can now drag and drop AI-created content from one window to another when using the multi window feature, including images. Thanks to its larger screen, there's a revamped Studio video editor in the gallery that lets you edit videos almost like on a computer. What makes it unique is how it's laid out, along with the ability to layer tracks much like on professional video editors. For creators, it's a helpful tool that offers on-device editing to save you time. This is exclusive to the Z Fold 7 for now, as the Z Flip 7 doesn't have it. As for Android 16 features, some of the biggest highlights include live updates for ride-share and food delivery apps (which is coming to Samsung's Now Bar). Another welcome upgrade is grouping notifications from a single app for reducing clutter on your lock screen. As with other Samsung flagships, the Z Fold 7 comes with seven years of OS and security updates. However, it only comes with 6 months of free Gemini Advanced -- whereas Google's Pixel 9 phones get a full year. Samsung has done it. They've won over a foldable phone skeptic with a design that just feels right. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a triumph of engineering, packing larger displays in a design that's so thin and light you forget that you're carrying a foldable around. You get two vibrant screens in one device, awesome multitasking power and a flagship-grade camera system. And the AI features really shine on this bigger canvas, especially Gemini Live screen sharing. So what's the problem? The $2,000 price is super steep, and I wish Samsung found a way to pack in a larger battery. I personally can live without the S Pen, though creatively-inclined users may be peeved, and I really don't mind the punch hole camera. The megapixel upgrade makes up for it. I think the Galaxy S25 Ultra is the better option if you want longer battery life, even better cameras and S Pen support for hundreds less. But if you're even thinking about splurging for a foldable, you'll be more than happy with the Z Fold 7. It's the best foldable phone you can buy in the U.S. and maybe the world. It finally feels like the future we were promised is here.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs. Z Fold 6: The Ultimate Upgrade Guide

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 represents a significant evolution in foldable smartphone technology. Notable advancements in design, performance, and camera capabilities it sets a new standard for premium foldable devices. While the removal of S Pen compatibility may disappoint some users, the device compensates with enhanced durability, improved displays, and robust multitasking features. These upgrades position the Galaxy Z Fold 7 as a strong contender in the competitive foldable market. The video below from Sakitech gives us more details. Samsung has carefully refined the design of the Galaxy Z Fold 7, making it thinner, lighter, and more durable than its predecessor. Weighing just 215 grams -- 24 grams lighter than the previous model -- it is easier to carry without compromising on strength. The device incorporates Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 on the front and an armor aluminum frame, making sure a robust build. Additionally, a titanium layer reinforces the foldable display, addressing concerns about long-term wear and tear. The crease on the inner display is now less noticeable, offering a smoother and more immersive visual experience. The wider cover display enhances usability, making one-handed operation more practical when the device is folded. These design improvements reflect Samsung's commitment to balancing aesthetics, functionality, and durability. The Galaxy Z Fold 7's display upgrades are among its most impressive features. The cover screen measures 6.5 inches, while the unfolded display expands to an expansive 8.2 inches, providing a larger workspace for multitasking, gaming, and media consumption. With a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 2600 nits, the AMOLED display ensures smooth visuals and excellent visibility, even under bright sunlight. To address durability concerns, Samsung has added a titanium durability layer to the foldable screen. This enhancement not only improves the screen's resilience but also reassures users about the longevity of the device. Whether you're streaming videos, editing documents, or gaming, the Z Fold 7 delivers a premium visual experience. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 introduces a 200MP main camera sensor, delivering exceptional detail and clarity in photos. This upgrade significantly enhances low-light performance, making it a versatile tool for capturing moments in various lighting conditions. The ultrawide camera now produces 56% brighter images, further expanding its utility for landscape shots and group photos. Samsung has replaced the under-display selfie camera with a 10MP punch-hole camera, offering sharper image quality for selfies and video calls. These improvements cater to users who prioritize high-quality photography and videography, making sure the Z Fold 7 meets the demands of modern smartphone photography. At the heart of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, which delivers a substantial performance boost. The CPU is 38% faster, the GPU is 26% quicker, and AI processing has improved by 41% compared to its predecessor. These enhancements translate to smoother multitasking, faster app launches, and an improved gaming experience. With up to 16GB of RAM available on the 1TB storage variant, the device is designed to meet the needs of power users. Whether you're running multiple apps simultaneously or engaging in resource-intensive tasks, the Z Fold 7 ensures seamless performance. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 retains the 4,400mAh battery capacity of its predecessor but benefits from improved efficiency thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor and software optimizations. Charging options include 25W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging, allowing you to power accessories like earbuds on the go. These features ensure the device remains reliable for daily use, even with heavy multitasking or extended screen time. In pursuit of a slimmer and lighter design, Samsung has removed S Pen compatibility from the Galaxy Z Fold 7. While this decision enhances portability, it may disappoint users who relied on the S Pen for tasks such as note-taking and creative work. For those who consider the S Pen essential, alternative devices or solutions may need to be explored. This trade-off highlights Samsung's focus on achieving a more compact and user-friendly design. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 runs on One UI 8.0, which introduces subtle yet meaningful software refinements. Enhanced multitasking features allow users to manage multiple apps more efficiently, while AI-driven optimizations improve usability. These updates complement the hardware advancements, creating a seamless and intuitive user experience. Features such as split-screen functionality and app continuity further enhance productivity, making the Z Fold 7 a versatile tool for both work and entertainment. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is positioned as a premium device, with a starting price of $1,999 for the 256GB model. Storage options include 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB, catering to a range of user needs. The device is available in four colors: Blue Shadow, Jet Black, Silver Shadow, and an exclusive Mint option available only through Samsung's website. These choices provide flexibility for users seeking a device that aligns with their preferences and requirements. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 delivers a compelling combination of design, performance, and functionality, solidifying its position as a leader in the foldable smartphone market. While the removal of S Pen compatibility and the premium price point may influence purchasing decisions, the device's advancements in durability, display quality, and multitasking capabilities make it a standout option. For those seeking innovative technology and a premium foldable experience, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 offers a balanced blend of innovation and practicality. Enhance your knowledge on Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 by exploring a selection of articles and guides on the subject.