Samsung’s seventh-generation foldable phones, unveiled at the Galaxy Unpacked event on July 9, 2025, in New York City, mark a significant leap forward for the company’s foldable lineup. After years of iterative updates, the Galaxy Z Fold 7, alongside the Z Flip 7 and the budget-friendly Z Flip 7 FE, introduces bold design changes that could finally sway me to abandon my trusty slab phone for a foldable. These could be the foldables that could finally make me switch.
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The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a revelation, shedding the narrow, chunky design of its predecessors for a sleek, thinner profile—4.2mm when unfolded and 8.9mm when folded, making it the lightest book-style foldable yet at 216 grams. Holding it feels transformative; compared to the Z Fold 6, it’s noticeably lighter and more comfortable, almost like a standard phone when closed. The 6.5-inch cover screen (2520 x 1080p) feels like a regular smartphone display, while the 8-inch inner screen offers a tablet-like experience without the bulk. The redesigned camera array, with slim silver rings and a striking blue color option, adds a touch of elegance, moving away from the clunky black rings of the past.
However, the $1,999 price tag stings—a $100 jump from the Z Fold 6. Despite the cost, the upgrades are compelling. The Z Fold 7 boasts a 200MP main camera, a significant step up from the 50MP of its predecessor, paired with a 12MP ultrawide and a 10MP selfie camera in a hole-punch cutout, ditching the less effective under-display camera. The device runs: on the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, with 12GB of RAM and storage options of 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB, all on Android 16 with One UI 8.0, promising seven years of updates. The IP48 rating remains, offering water resistance but limited dust protection, a minor disappointment given competitors like Vivo are pushing boundaries.
The Z Flip 7 also impresses with a full-size 4.1-inch cover screen that wraps around the camera lenses, reminiscent of Motorola’s Razr 60 Ultra, making it far more usable when closed. At 6.5mm unfolded and 13.7mm folded, it’s slimmer than its predecessor, with a 4,300mAh battery, Exynos 2500 chip, 12GB of RAM, and up to 512GB of storage. The camera setup mirrors the Z Flip 6 (50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP selfie), but Flex mode and Galaxy AI enhancements make photography fun and versatile. Priced at $1,099, it’s a compelling option for those seeking a premium clamshell foldable.
The Z Flip 7 FE, starting at $899, targets budget-conscious buyers but feels less exciting. It retains the Z Flip 6’s 3.4-inch cover screen and 6.7-inch inner screen, with a 4,000mAh battery and 8GB of RAM, available only in black and white. It’s a cost-effective entry into foldables but lacks the Z Flip 7’s innovative cover screen design.
Samsung’s integration of Gemini Live and AI features, like Circle to Search with follow-up questions, adds polish to the software experience, especially on the Z Flip 7’s cover screen. Preorders for all three devices began on July 9, with shipping starting July 25, and Samsung is sweetening the deal with $50 credits and enhanced trade-in offers.
The Z Fold 7’s thinner design, expansive screens, and upgraded camera make it the foldable that could finally convince me to switch. Its premium price is a hurdle, but for the first time, Samsung’s foldable feels like a true competitor to traditional flagships, blending portability with power in a way that’s hard to ignore
