Samsung introduced its latest flagship foldable phones, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, this week in Brooklyn, New York during its live Samsung Unpacked event. This isn’t the tech giant’s first entry into foldable phones, but these new models felt refreshing. I got hands-on with the new and innovative builds in person when they were released live in New York. I spent an hour with each device, the Fold 7 and the Flip 7, to learn more about them—and one blew me away.
Samsung took bold design and software risks that seems to have paid off. While both look and feel innovative, there’s one device that should be crowned the best smartphone of 2025. Read on to hear my initial thoughts on the Fold 7 and the Flip 7 and to learn whether either is worth becoming your daily carry.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
Finally, Samsung Takes Some Risks With A Thinner Design
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 may look familiar to those who have seen the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge: I suspect that the Fold 7 uses a similar shell to Samsung’s thinnest phone. It’s a smart choice. This is by far the thinnest foldable phone in the U.S. market right now, measuring only 8.9mm folded and 4.2mm unfolded.
It’s also light, weighing 215 grams. For context, Samsung’s other flagship device, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, weighs 218 grams before adding a case. When I left my Casetify case on my Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, I could physically feel the weight difference. Based on design and weight alone, the Fold 7 might just turn into my new full-time carry.
Innovation Comes At A Divisive Cost
But that thinness and lightness come at a cost, and it’s one that’s worth pointing out—and might cause some purchasers to skip this one. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a booklet-style phone, and with the previous model I appreciated one particular feature that Samsung killed with this update: Its S Pen, a digital pen, tucked into the Fold 6’s case, making it easy to write notes on it, making grocery lists on the fly and more. It was also easier to use AI features like Sketch To Image with this S Pen feature, and it distinguished the device from other foldables like the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold and the OnePlus Open. Samsung removed all S Pen compatibility with the Fold 7.
That omission might be too much for those who rely on it as productive tool. It was certainly a feature that kept drawing me back to the Samsung ecosystem. Now, the only Samsung 2025 device that has the S Pen is the Samsung Galaxy S 25 Ultra.
New Cameras Capture The Details Well
Samsung upgraded the main 50MP lens to a 200MP wide lens with 2x optical quality zoom and a 10MP telephoto wide 3X optical zoom lens. I demoed the macro photography to see how the camera performed on a fake stuffed cat and reviewed the pet hair detailing. Skin marks on a macro image of a pear looked rich and vibrant, which is what you want for this kind of lens, especially if you want to capture every petal on a flower, as an example.
There were also a few fun features I tried, like Pet Portrait, which takes a photo of your pet and uses AI to generate a new themed image. The dog statue that I snapped turned into a cute 3D cartoon dog, in one instance, with a few more options like oil painting and fisheye lens.
Overall, I’m a huge fan of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. The brand certainly delivered a quality foldable phone. If you’re going to consider either of the two new foldable phones this year, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 should be the device you get—even if it does come at the loss of the beloved S Pen.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 starts at $2,000 and is available in three colors: Jet Black, Blue Shadow and Silver Shadow. The Samsung store offers a fourth online-exclusive color Mint. Choose from three storage options, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB. Shipping begins July 25.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 is Samsung’s latest clamshell style foldable, and it added some elegant upgrades. The phone is slightly wider, which translates into a 6.9-inch display, up from the Flip 6’s 6.7-inch display. It feels significantly more comfortable to hold in my hand and lighter.
But the major upgrades aren’t on the main display, but the cover display, which Samsung calls the Flex Window. This year, it almost feels like the device received the Motorola Razr Ultra treatment by adding a full-screen cover display. It feels pretty darn close to an infinity display, but it retains a 1.2mm bezel around the edge. It’s simply lovely to watch animations on this smaller screen—I’m a huge fan of the smooth, vibrant colors and that’s partially thanks to its upgraded 120Hz refresh rate.
The Cover Display Adds Plenty Of AI Features
It’s also a noticeably brighter cover, and I attribute that to the 2,600 nits the cover display now sports. But it’s not just these perks that make this phone feel more whimsical and just fun overall. There are several more charming additions, like the clock’s Font To Fit, which is exactly what it sounds like: The device uses AI to fit the clock into an area on the Flex Window so that it doesn’t block the subject. You get to enjoy your personalized image, and you get to see the time at-a-glance.
You can use Gemini without opening the cover screen. Saying, “Hey Google,” can now trigger the AI framework’s response to help answer any questions or help you complete smaller tasks. You can also use the camera to give context. Like anything, Google Gemini isn’t flawless, so while I didn’t experience any issues during my hands-on, I do expect to find some mistakes and misinformation as I continue testing the device. For simpler tasks, I can see its usefulness.
In addition to Google Gemini, the Now Bar and Now Brief are available on the clamshell-style phone. While I had high hopes and enthused about them in my Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review, during long-term testing, I only open it to glance at the weather. It may be a hit-or-miss feature depending on your preference, but for those who are enthusiastic about the Now Brief, they’ll find it helpful.
While the cameras received an upgrade last year, this year, the Flip 7’s upgrades were muted. You get an enhanced autofocus that performs well. In general, I found the cameras took high-quality images, and they’re sufficient for most needs.
Samsung DeX Finally Comes To The Flip
The biggest question I had walking into the hands-on was about Samsung DeX, Samsung’s software which turns its mobile UI into a PC-like experience. Hook it up to a monitor and it’s like working on a laptop on the go, and you can use the phone’s display as a mouse pad. It’s essential to my workflow these days. While I didn’t get a chance to fully test it, I’m thrilled that the Flip 7 gets the full DeX treatment.
Two things remain to test: I can’t wait to deep dive and test whether the DeX mouse touchscreen works on the cover display. Also, I’ll be curious to see how DeX performs with the new Samsung-built Exynos chipset under the hood, a first for the Flip line. Historically, Samsung has partnered with Qualcomm for its Snapdragon chipset.
This is a good phone, and if you prefer a clamshell-style foldable phone, this is a strong contender for the one you should get. Based on my hands-on, it marries the best of both worlds. You still get the cover display that’s useful for seeing at-a-glance information or responding to messages, and it significantly reduces the phone’s footprint in your pocket.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 starts at $1,099 and comes in three colors: Coral Red, Jet Black and Blue Shadow. It features two storage options, 256GB and 512GB. Preorder the phone now, and shipping begins July 25.
Why Trust Forbes Vetted
The Forbes Vetted team has published hundreds of tech and electronic guides that leverage our hands-on testing and research.
- Consumer tech and electronics editor Rebecca Isaacs has been involved in tech journalism for more than six years. She has done deep dives into the Apple ecosystem with the iPhone 16 Pro and reviewed plenty of Android devices, including the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and the Google Pixel 8. Most recently, she tested and reviewed the best Android phones and the best Samsung phones. She regularly attends Samsung Unpacked and other tech events, including CES. For this story, she tested these new Samsung phones live and in-person at the product event.
- As she tests phones, Isaacs focuses on aspects of interest to everyone, from folks who prefer a simple call-and-text device to heavy mobile gamers who want a powerful and seamless experience. As a result, her testing is relevant to how general users, gamers and content creators may interact with these phones.
- The editor of this story, Rose Gordon Sala, is a journalist with 20 years of editing experience, and the Forbes Vetted deputy editor who oversees the consumer tech section.
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