“Thin and light” “Large and bright”
On the 10th, Samsung Electronics unveiled the seventh generation foldable smartphones, “Galaxy Z Fold 7” and “Galaxy Z Flip 7.” The company revealed the new foldable phones alongside the “Galaxy Watch 8” series and the first budget model of its foldable phones, the “Galaxy Z Flip 7 Fan Edition (FE),” at the “Galaxy Unpacked 2025” event held on the 9th (local time) at the Duggal Greenhouse in Brooklyn, New York.
◇ Z Fold 7, convenient with ‘AI experience’ operating on ultra-slim large screen
Samsung Electronics described the “Galaxy Z Fold 7” as an ultra-slim large screen foldable phone. This is because it features the ‘thinnest and lightest’ design among all Galaxy Z Fold series to date. It boasts a thickness of 8.9 mm when folded and 4.2 mm when unfolded. Its weight is also lighter, at 215 g, compared to its predecessor (239 g) by 24 g.
Before the Fold 7 announcement, Samsung Electronics displayed the phrase, “Unfolding ultra experience.” In reality, the feeling when holding the folded Fold 7 was not significantly different from that of the bar-shaped flagship smartphone, the “Galaxy S series.” Even compared to the Galaxy S24 Ultra (thickness 8.6 mm), the thickness difference was barely noticeable.
Compared to the Galaxy S25 Ultra released earlier this year, the difference is only 0.7 mm. The weight (S25 Ultra 218 g) is even lighter. Previously, the size, thickness, and weight made it feel burdensome to put it in one’s pocket, but with this model, such discomfort was not found.
When the Fold 7 is unfolded, it seems like the Galaxy S model opens wide. The biggest advantage of the foldable phone, the large screen, has advanced even further in this model. The largest 8-inch (diagonal length 203.1 mm) screen among all Galaxy smartphones has been proven to be usable, even adopted by various tablet PCs. Compared to the previous model, it has increased in width by 11%.
The AI operating smoothly on the large screen is also an advantage. Samsung Electronics is confident that this model will provide “a true multimodal AI experience.” It has implemented functionality that allows the Fold 7 to recognize various types of information such as text, images, audio, and video that I see and provide “personalized information.”
By splitting the large screen, information on running shoes is displayed on the left, while exercise records measured by Samsung Health are shown on the right, and AI analyzes the information on the screen using the Google “Gemini Live” feature. It is possible to recommend running shoe models suitable for my exercise records. Each model's strengths and weaknesses, summarized based on an analysis of the user's current condition, were also compiled in Samsung Notes with voice commands, making the entire process convenient.
However, it is disappointing that the popular S Pen from past models is not included. Additionally, the ‘Under Display Camera’ (UDC) that hides the camera hole under the display is also not applied. While providing the largest screen among Galaxy smartphones, a key function that could enhance its usability was missing. Every time the screen is unfolded to watch videos or search for information, the black hole drew attention and was inconvenient.
A Samsung Electronics official noted, “We have comprehensively gathered user opinions on foldable phones and prioritized them to reflect in the model.” He explained, “While UDC can enhance screen usability, there are inevitably constraints on camera performance. In response to user demands for selfies, we chose to focus more on the camera rather than UDC.” He added, “We judged that achieving a thin thickness is more of a factor that enhances usability than equipping the S Pen.”
The front camera of the Fold 7 supports 10 million pixels and a 100-degree angle of view. The front camera of the previous model, which had UDC, was only 4 million pixels, and the angle of view was just 85 degrees. It is a case of sacrificing UDC to allow clearer selfies in wider spaces.
The price of the Fold 7 256GB model is 2,379,300 won, while the 512GB model is 2,537,700 won. Both have increased by 149,600 won compared to the previous model. The 1TB model equipped with 16GB of memory is priced at 2,933,700 won, which is 228,800 won more expensive than its predecessor.
◇ Z Flip 7, larger cover screen and increased battery capacity
As soon as I held the “Galaxy Z Flip 7,” the full screen caught my eye. The cover display adopts a 4.1-inch (diagonal length 104.8 mm) Flex Window for the first time in the series, significantly improving usability. It has expanded by an impressive 18.7 mm from the previous model (86.1 mm), allowing the entire surface to be utilized as a screen when folded.
The Flip series has established itself as a ‘signature’ feature, allowing selfies to be taken by looking at the cover display while partially folded and using the rear camera. Samsung Electronics has increased the cover display brightness to a maximum of 2,600 nits to maximize this usability.
A Samsung Electronics official said, “This is to address customer requests for discomfort in using the cover display in outdoor photography,” adding, “We also included a feature called ‘Vision Booster’ that automatically adjusts brightness according to the surrounding environment.”
The battery capacity has also been increased to reduce usage burden despite the brightness enhancement. For the first time in the series, it features a 4,300 mAh battery and combines it with the latest 3-nanometer (nm·one billionth of a meter) processor to enhance energy efficiency. It supports up to 31 hours of video playback (compared to the previous model's maximum of 23 hours).
It can be conveniently used while folded with AI capabilities. Like the Fold 7, it is equipped with the Google “Gemini Live” feature, allowing operations while viewing the cover display. It was also felt as an advantage that it can analyze the scene the user is viewing through the rear camera and provide personalized information.
The Flip 7 is 13.7 mm thick and weighs 188 g when folded. It has been made 1.2 mm thinner than the previous model, yet the weight has only increased by 1 g. It is equipped with a 50 million pixel wide-angle camera and a 12 million pixel ultra-wide dual camera.
The price of the Flip 7 is 1,485,000 won for the 256GB model and 1,643,400 won for the 512GB model, which are the same as the previous model. Both the Flip and Fold 7 will be gradually launched worldwide starting on the 25th. Pre-orders in Korea will be held for seven days from the 15th to the 21st.