Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 review – instead of a phone, you get a compact gem

If I had to choose between the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7, I would always choose the Fold because it is simply more useful for my needs. On the other hand, in the last week, I have completely changed the way I use my phone, thanks to the new Galaxy Z Flip7.

When I first held it in my hands at an event in New York, it didn't seem like a major change from last year's Galaxy Z Flip6. Samsung didn't set any records (unlike the Fold7) for thinness and lightness. The dimensions remained the same, and it even gained a gram, but in exchange for a much more sophisticated hinge, which is now even waterproof and at the same time more resistant to the flaws that have plagued Flip phones in previous years.

What you notice right away is that the front (external) screen is larger. It stretches from edge to edge, but at first I wasn't sure what that meant for my usage. Will I actually use the front screen most of the time, or will I succumb to habit and prefer to open the phone?

I also find the decision to install an Exynos chip instead of a Snapdragon strange. The phone is not cheap and I expect the best components from it.

But I'm willing to overlook that if the rest is really at the highest level. Is that true?

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 price and specifications

• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 12GB/512GB: 1319 €
• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 12GB/256GB: 1199 €

Available in blue, red and black.

Compared to last year, the highest configuration has become cheaper by €30. I'm still waiting for Samsung (and others) to take a bigger step forward to make foldable phones cheaper and closer to the general public. This year we got the Galaxy Z Flip7 FE version for the first time, but it's not an "affordable" solution, as the phone is almost identical to last year's Flip6, which is also even cheaper.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 – you won't even notice it in your pocket

The unchanged dimensions of the new Galaxy Z Flip7 are not a serious criticism. What was more important to me was that the Galaxy Z Fold7 lost much-needed millimeters and grams, while last year's Flip version was already compact enough. When you put it in your pocket, the bulge is visible, but it bothers you less than with a classic phone or a foldable. Since it is half the size of the others when closed, it can also be put in a pocket by the fairer sex, although I suspect you will still be tossing it in your bag.

My first concern is still durability. Not short-term (a few months), but durability after 2 years or more. The external screen (if you don't use a case) is always exposed to dangers. Samsung has provided good protection everywhere (Victus 2 front and back, aluminum frame ...), the folding hinge has a completely different structure and is even waterproof, but the fear is still there. First of all, the fear that micro scratches will appear on the external screen over time, and the bigger fear is that the hinge will loosen or the protective film on the internal screen will peel off. With each generation, the possibility of such defects is smaller, but we are not at the point where we can think of them.

Front screen larger and more useful

The user experience of the new Galaxy Z Flip7 depends largely on the front screen. A year ago, we finally got a screen that was useful for everyday tasks (notifications, music, etc.), and this year's Flip7 only upgraded it. The front screen is larger (4.1 inches vs. 3.4 on the Flip6), faster (120 Hz vs. 60 Hz) and better resolution (948 x 1048 pixels). The maximum brightness (2600 candelas/nits) remains unchanged and is enough for use in daylight.

So the numbers are great, but what about the software? I expected a bigger leap. You can use more apps and widgets, they added the Now Brief and Now Bar toolbars (although they are not overly useful), but then the list of changes ends. For the best user experience, you still need the Good Lock app (available in the Galaxy Store), where you can add any apps you want, such as Outlook, Gmail, games, and the like, with experimental features. Not every app will work well on the front screen, and lenses that cover the screen often get in the way. In this regard, the edge-to-edge display was not the best decision. Fortunately, you can help yourself with an on-screen button that quickly changes the layout of elements on the screen.

The internal screen is also larger (6.9 inches vs. 6.7 on the Flip6), while the other specs remain the same (120 Hz, 2600 nits, etc.). However, the aspect ratio is 21:9, like most traditional phones, which sometimes makes me feel like the content is too stretched. I would really like to test Huawei's new foldable phone (Pura X) with a 16:10 aspect ratio, which at least feels like a better solution for such phones.

If you have short limbs, you may find it difficult to reach the volume keys.

Why Exynos?

It's true that the new Flip7 is almost half the price of the Fold, but that's still the territory of the best premium phones, like the Galaxy S25 Ultra. For that price, it's really fitting that they're packing the best we have this year. I'm talking about the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, of course, which is fortunately available in the new Galaxy Z Fold7. Why the Flip got the significantly inferior Exynos 2500, I don't know. Certainly not because of better efficiency and heat dissipation, because it's also worse than the Snapdragon chip in this regard. All the heat is retained in the upper half, and this causes rapid overheating.

Last year's Flip6 got the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, which was the best option in 2024, so I don't see any particular reason why we didn't get the best chip this year either. The Exynos 2500 is better than last year's Gen 3 (at least on paper), but that's not much consolation for a good €1,000.

When I stop ranting, I always wonder if the user will even notice this. Yes and no. For hardcore gamers who like to play Windows and Switch games on their phones, then yes. Not necessarily because of the performance, because the Xclipse 950 graphics core is among the best and can compete with the competing Adreno core. More because there are no dedicated drivers for Xclipse, which often decide whether a game will be functional or a stuttering mess.

There are not many of these users, and in any case, I would advise them to choose the new Fold in this case. Outside the world of gaming, however, you will hardly notice the difference. The chip and the system work great, without lags (at least after a week of intensive use). The drive is, as always, fast UFS 4.0, the RAM is also enough (12 GB), and the initial drive configuration starts at 256 GB and goes up to 512 GB.

The battery has only an average capacity of 4300 mAh with a still slow charging of 25 W (wireless 15 W). When it comes to battery life, I have the same opinion as last year. If you change your habit and do most of the basic tasks on the front screen, you will get a solid autonomy (more than a day). Otherwise, you will have to switch the phone to the outlet towards the end of the day.

One UI 8 is based on the latest Android 16 (same as the Fold7) with a bunch of AI features including photo styling tools, noise cancellation, writing assistance, transcription, translation, surround search and more. Gemini and Gemini Live are also available.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 is also the first to support the Samsung Dex feature (wired and wireless), which allows you to turn your phone into a desktop simulation.

Not the best, not the worst photographer, the golden mean

Although it has two main lenses (wide and ultra-wide cameras), in 90% of cases you will opt for the 50 MP main camera. The 12 MP ultra-wide is more of a backup if you need a slightly different perspective, and that's only during the day in good light.

The main lens is solid. It performs very well during the day. It captures details well, the colors are mostly authentic and natural, and the contrasts are also at a high level. It has optical stabilization, so any movement and shake will not be fatal to the photo. Even at night, the images and recordings are fine, although the quality drops by a step. When you use zoom, you go one step lower. I preferred not to use the ultra-wide at night.

Gallery

But it's a great phone for taking selfies. Not with the front camera (10 MP), of course, but with the main lens, and in this case you use the front screen as a preview. I had fun with different phone positions to view the scene from different angles. In such cases, the foldable screen became even more appealing to me.

Video (up to 4K 60 fps or 1080p 240 fps) is also mostly satisfactory. I can't say that the Galaxy Z Flip7 is a versatile photographer, it is a master of one trick, namely taking pictures in daylight.

Despite some flaws, I really like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7

It's clear that there's still a lot they can improve on the new Galaxy Z Flip7. Starting with the chip and battery, but also adding software refinement to the front display.

After a good week, I realized that I could live with some of the shortcomings. It performs the main functions of the phone perfectly, but at the same time it forced me to approach using the phone differently. In the last few days of testing, I got used to trying to use the front screen for most tasks, and only using the internal screen when I want to read, play games, or do something more productive.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 is a very good foldable phone, but it is not without competition, but the latter is very limited in our market. It would be great if we could get, for example, Motorola's masterpiece (Razrr Ultra), Xiaomi's or Huawei's, then the comparison would be really fair.

Until then, this is the best Flip.