ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 has formally launched with a beginning worth of $1,099
- With a much bigger cowl display, thinner kind issue, and improved battery life, it’s Samsung’s finest take but on the foldable
- To raised compete within the foldable market, it might use a greater digicam system and quicker charging.
The Galaxy Z Flip lineup has been the preferred of Samsung’s foldable gadgets, and its enchantment is evident — who cannot profit from a tool with all of the functionalities of an everyday smartphone that may additionally shape-shift right into a smaller telephone for on a regular basis ease of use?
With its newest addition to the lineup, the Galaxy Z Flip 7, Samsung leaned into the telephone’s most engaging function, making it much more transportable with a slimmer design, whereas additionally extra succesful, with the intent to enhance person expertise for energy customers and on a regular basis customers alike.
Additionally: 24 hours later with Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: Why I’m leaving the S25 Ultra behind
Nonetheless, at $1,099, the Z Flip 7 continues to be within the greater worth vary of telephones. To find out whether or not it is value your cash, I changed my day by day driver, an iPhone 16 Professional, with the Z Flip 7 for the complete weekend — the outcomes left me pleasantly stunned. Let’s dive proper in.
The most recent flip telephone from Samsung options bigger inner and exterior shows, a extra enduring battery, and a brand new 3nm processor.
The FlexWindow refresh we have been ready for
FlexWindow comparability on Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6
Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET
Probably the most seen, and maybe anticipated, change is the FlexWindow (the outer display). The display is now bigger, spanning from one nook of the telephone to the opposite, with the bezels barely seen — a giant improve from its predecessor, as seen within the photograph above. Not solely is it most aesthetically pleasing to take a look at, resembling the look of the Moto Razr 60 Ultra, however additionally it is extra sensible.
The 4.1-inch FlexWindow is brighter, with 2,600 nits of peak brightness and a smoother 120Hz refresh price. It additionally has VisionBooster, a function that enhances outside visibility, making it the brightest and highest-functioning FlexWindow but. When utilizing the Z Flip 7 on outside walks, I used to be ready to take a look at the display with no actual pressure, even with the NYC solar beating down on my telephone and reflecting off the pavement and each shiny constructing within the metropolis.
Additionally: iOS 26 envy? 5 iPhone features you can already use on your Android (Samsung included)
So, why does this make it a win? To get extra than simply nostalgia out of the clamshell design, you want to have the ability to use the outer display for primary duties, and the bigger display and quicker refresh price make it tempting to forgo opening your telephone.
Throughout the first 24 hours of utilizing the telephone, I discovered myself utilizing the quilt display to do primary duties resembling taking photographs, viewing notifications, and even wanting up info greater than with the previous fashions. That is doubtless as a result of on the older fashions, the restricted display measurement and fewer easy refresh price weren’t actually engaging for me to cease opening the telephone.
After a complete weekend, I observed that I used to be leaning on the quilt display a lot that it truly deterred me from my typical, not perfect, telephone utilization habits. These embody unintentionally doom-scrolling on social media each time I am going to take a look at a notification, which I discovered to be a significant win.
After all, you may work round this through the use of the Good Lock app and including social media apps to your cowl display, and with the larger display, you may very well be capable to have an honest expertise. That mentioned, if you’d like full-on in-app experiences on the quilt display, even when you allow it by Good Lock, the performance is proscribed and can doubtless require you to open your telephone.
One factor the quilt display was helpful for was accessing the newest AI options, which leads me to the following part.
Simpler AI entry
Hey Gemini, what sort of canine is that this?
Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET
If you happen to care about AI in your cellular gadget, this cowl display makes it simpler to get the speedy help you need with out even opening your telephone. Gemini Dwell is now accessible on the quilt display, whether or not by an extended press of the aspect button or by the app. It may possibly reply questions shortly for you on the go or entry apps that take motion for you, resembling making a notice or including a calendar occasion.
If you happen to usually use multimodal AI assistance, as I do, you will be blissful to be taught that you would be able to now share the digicam proper out of your FlexWindow — which means you prop your telephone up and use the digicam to get multimodal Gemini help from Gemini Dwell.
Now, as an alternative of getting to prop my iPhone 16 Pro on a water bottle or different merchandise to completely make the most of the multimodal help, I can simply open the telephone and set it on the closest floor to ask a query. The clamshell design additionally makes it simpler to take photographs or watch movies, unlocking a variety of experiences you usually would not have with a typical brick telephone.
Additionally: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE hands-on: The ‘cheaper’ foldable phone got me very confused
You can too entry a Customized Now Bar and Now Transient from the quilt display, a function beforehand restricted to the Galaxy S25 Ultra. This makes it straightforward to get a fast rundown of customized insights resembling climate, occasion summaries, and information. Past these, One UI 8 brings different useful AI options resembling improved photograph and audio modifying.
Moreover, the acquisition of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 or Flip 7 can even include six months of Google AI Professional, which retails for $19.99 a month. The plan offers you entry to a few of Google’s most superior AI choices, together with extra entry to Google’s most succesful mannequin, Gemini 2.5 Pro; Flow, Google’s AI filmmaking device constructed with Veo 3 Quick, which makes hyper-realistic movies; and extra.
In case you are large into AI or have wished to attempt it, that is clearly a great way to entry a few of the newest options.
Extra energy in a slimmer package deal
The Flip 7 is thinner, coming in at 13.7mm thick, in comparison with final yr’s 14.9 mm. Whereas the distinction in measurements could seem minimal, it’s visibly much less chunky, as seen within the picture beneath. This makes it extra comfy to slide into your pocket, minimizing the uncomfortable feeling of getting two tiny telephones stacked on prime of one another.
Though it’s slimmer, Samsung did not compromise on key parts, together with a bigger inside show of 6.9 inches, in comparison with the 6.7-inch display on the Galaxy Z Flip 6, and a bigger 4,300mAh battery (up from 4,000mAh) that may deal with as much as 31 hours of video playback time, based on Samsung.
Additionally: Your Android phone and watch are getting a major upgrade for free – Samsung models included
All through my day by day utilization, I’ve had no problem with having it final a complete day. In reality, I’ve been ending my days with much more juice than I usually would — hovering across the 30% mark. Partially, I attribute the prolonged battery life to the truth that, as talked about above, I used to be spending considerably much less time on my telephone for the reason that cowl display advised me most of what I wanted to know. One caveat with the battery is how lengthy it takes me to cost it; the look ahead to the 25 W wired charging is as painful as watching water boil.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 (left) and Z Flip 7 (proper).
Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET
As an alternative of the anticipated Snapdragon 8 Elite, the Z Flip 7 is powered by the Exynos 2500, the primary 3nm in-house processor, launched simply final month. The efficiency variations between each chipsets should not be noticeable, aside from the in-house processor allows new experiences resembling DeX help on the Z Flip for the primary time, permitting customers to plug their telephone right into a monitor and use it like a desktop laptop.
Again to the display: Once I first heard of the display improve, in comparison with the opposite specs, it received drowned out by the noise. Nonetheless, after having used it for a weekend and scrolling on social media, though lower than normal, I remembered how a lot I actually loved utilizing a telephone with a bigger display.
Usually, what turns me off bigger display fashions is having a but bulkier gadget to hold round — therefore why I bought the 6.3-inch iPhone 16 Professional versus the 6.9-inch iPhone 16 Professional Max. With the Z Flip 7, I used to be in a position to make the most of a 6.9-inch display for my TikTok scrolls, whereas at most occasions utilizing a 4.1-inch telephone.
Additionally: I spent a week in New York City with the Samsung Z Fold 7 – and it spoiled me big time
It has the identical digicam specs as final yr, with a 50MP wide-angle and a 12MP ultrawide sensor. In final yr’s Z Flip 6, this digicam system was a significant enhance from the Z Flip 5, and ZDNET’s review discovered that whereas it did not provide flagship-tier efficiency, it was nonetheless a succesful system, excelling in well-lit circumstances and producing vibrant, detailed photographs.
Samsung additionally claims to have made upgrades to the picture processing, together with Enhanced Nightography and 10-bit HDR for extra detailed movies, which ought to enhance and differentiate the digicam’s high quality from the previous mannequin. I took a variety of photographs this weekend, from my walks, errands, hangouts, and extra, and was glad with the outcomes. Under are some photographs I took in numerous mild circumstances and settings so you may have a look for your self.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
I’ve genuinely loved my expertise with the Samsung Galaxy Flip 7. Total, Samsung upgraded the Z Flip 7’s specs in nearly each means, addressing many of the customers’ complaints concerning the predecessor and making it a powerful competitor within the flip telephone market.
You’ll be able to order yours now for a beginning worth of $1,099 (with a $50 low cost occurring now), and several other promotions and presents are already energetic. The colours embody Coralred, Jetblack, Blue Shadow, and the online-exclusive Mint, and storage sizes are 256GB to 512GB.
Additionally: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 vs. Motorola Razr Ultra: I tested both foldables, and here’s the winner
In case you are an influence person who may gain advantage from a greater digicam system and get extra out of your cowl display with a greater refresh price, peak brightness, and extra app interoperability, chances are you’ll wish to take into account the Motorola Razr Extremely. Nonetheless, it begins at a better premium of $1,300. For extra on how they examine, learn ZDNET’s take here.
You’ll be able to sustain with my newest tales and tech adventures on social media. Observe me on Twitter/X at @sabrinaa_ortiz and on Instagram at @sabrinaa.ortiz.
