If you are involved about how sturdy Samsung’s foldable telephones are, I’m right here to inform you to not fear. And that is very true with regards to the brand new Galaxy Z Flip 7, which holds its personal amongst as we speak’s greatest smartphones.After lower than six hours with the Galaxy Z Flip 7, I by chance carried out my very own casual drop check. At a catered affair in Brooklyn, I walked outdoors to get a view of the waterfront, and once I pulled the Z Flip 7 out of my pocket, I fumbled it. I watched helplessly as Samsung’s latest foldable cellphone fell to the bottom. The noise it made when it clacked towards the concrete induced everybody round to have a look at me with a figuring out, sympathetic expression that stated, “Aw, that’s a shame. Your phone is toast.”
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Have you ever dropped your cellphone? There’s that Schrödinger’s cat-like second earlier than you decide it up if you’re anxious to see if the cellphone survived.Fortunately, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 was effective. The 4.1-inch cowl display screen did not have any cracks or scuffs. The 6.9-inch interior show was unhurt as a result of the cellphone was shut. The solely inform that it kissed the bottom was a tiny scuff on the underside of the cellphone close to the microphones. Samsung’s declare that its new “Armour Flex Hinge” is constructed to resist impression is certainly true.In the early days of foldable telephones, one of many greatest unknowns was their sturdiness. It’s wonderful that about six years later, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 can deal with being dropped on concrete prefer it had landed on a velvet pillow. Now, I nonetheless would not take the Flip 7 (or any foldable cellphone) to the seashore, as it might probably solely stand up to particles which are 1mm or bigger. So going to a confetti manufacturing facility can be effective, however a salt manufacturing facility is a particular no-no.The Galaxy Z Flip 7’s skinny design The Galaxy Z Flip 7 is 6.5mm thick when open and 13.7mm thick when closed. Joe Maldonado/CNET/PCMagThe star of Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked occasion was the Galaxy Z Fold 7. At 8.9mm thick when closed, the Fold 7 is ridiculously skinny. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 seems prefer it additionally went on Ozempic, but it surely’s 13.7mm thick when closed. That’s slim, however not Fold 7 slim. Why could not the Flip 7 be tremendous slim just like the Fold 7? I simply hold imagining a Galaxy Z Flip 8 with the identical thinness because the Fold 7.For some perspective, here is how the Flip 7 compares to its clamshell kinfolk:Galaxy Z Flip 7 thickness vs. different flip telephones Phone ClosedOpenSamsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 13.7mm6.5mmSamsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 14.9mm6.9mmMotorola Razr Plus 15.32mm7.09mmMotorola Razr Ultra 15.69mm7.19mmMotorola Razr (2025) 15.85mm7.25mm The Galaxy Z Flip 7’s huge cowl display screen Here are three Galaxy Z Flip 7 telephones in several colours. Joe Maldonado/CNETThe authentic Galaxy Z Flip had a tiny, 1.1-inch pill-shaped cowl show. It was excellent for displaying the time however just about ineffective for anything. The defining characteristic on the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is its 4.1-inch cowl show. The display screen seems unimaginable. I used to be checking my notifications on the display screen beneath direct daylight and was in a position to learn all the things. One of the hang-ups I had reviewing the Galaxy Z Flip 6 was switching from the interior display screen to the quilt show outdoor. There can be instances on sunny days the place I may barely make out what was on the quilt show, regardless of having no points with the primary display screen.Samsung has elevated the utmost brightness of the Flip 7’s cowl display screen to 2,600 nits, which is similar because the interior show. Both screens now high out at 120Hz, too, which ought to make for a way more constant expertise by having system animations, gameplay and scrolling by means of a social feed look tremendous easy.The 6.9-inch interior display screen is huge, but it surely would not really feel unwieldy once I use it. The Flip 6 had a 6.7-inch show, however that additional 0.2 inches on the Flip 7’s display screen makes it really feel a lot greater, which my middle-aged eyes are grateful for.In phrases of performance, the quilt display screen’s pure state is widgets. And some, like Spotify’s widget, are all I would like in lieu of utilizing full apps. But I need apps on the house display screen, so I have to allow this performance within the Labs part of Settings and obtain the MultiStar app. It takes a few minutes to arrange, however I do want the interface supported apps by default.The Galaxy Z Flip 7’s cameras The Z Flip 7 has a 50-megapixel digital camera with a wide-angle lens and a 12-megapixel ultrawide digital camera in its cowl display screen. Joe Maldonado/CNETThe Flip 7 has three cameras: a 50-megapixel wide-angle, a 12-megapixel ultrawide and a 10-megapixel selfie digital camera (in the primary 6.9-inch display screen). The cameras are the identical as these on the Flip 6 and Flip 7 FE. But the telephones run on totally different processors, so variations or enhancements in photographs and movies (if any) will come from Samsung’s processing and machine studying.Here are a few of my favourite photographs from the Galaxy Z Flip 7 up to now:
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I grabbed this shot of the New York skyline with the Flip 7’s foremost digital camera set at 2x. The highlights and texture within the clouds actually make this picture pop. Patrick Holland/CNET
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This picture of CNET’s Tara Brown and Vanessa Hand Orellana was taken with the Flip 7’s foremost digital camera, which did job of dealing with the mixture of heat entrance lighting and the intense white backlight from the signal. Patrick Holland/CNET
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New York streets look nice at evening after it rains, particularly on this picture I took with the primary digital camera. Patrick Holland/CNET
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I’m a fan of ultrawide cameras, and this snap that I took with the Flip 7 is one instance why. I like the best way Samsung’s ultrawide lens distorts and exaggerates the topic and makes it look extra dramatic. Patrick Holland/CNET
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Here’s one other picture from the cellphone’s foremost digital camera, taken in a dim airline cabin. Patrick Holland/CNET
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Both these pictures are from the primary digital camera. The one on the left was lit purely by the signal, from behind me. And the one on the precise captures the feel and particulars of the big gelato cone. Tara Brown, Patrick Holland/CNETGalaxy Z Flip 7 closing ideas for now The hinge on the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is sort of 30% smaller in contrast with the one on final yr’s Galaxy Z Flip 6. Joe Maldonado/CNET/PCMagSamsung gave its foldable line a significant overhaul. And whereas the Galaxy Z Fold 7 seems like a completely totally different cellphone from earlier Folds, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 looks as if a pleasant refinement. I’ll say that I’ve had solely two days with the cellphone. And as enamored as I’m with the bigger cowl display screen, I’m excited to see how the battery life measures up.Samsung gave the Flip 7 a 4,300-mAh battery (in contrast with the Galaxy Z Flip 6’s 4,000-mAh battery), however I ponder if the elevated capability will probably be offset by the ability wanted for its Exynos 2500 chip and people bigger, brighter shows.I’ve much more testing to do. But as I work my method towards a full evaluation, I’ll strive to not drop the Flip 7 anymore.Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 specs vs. Motorola Razr Ultra, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7Motorola Razr Ultra (2025) Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6Cover show measurement, tech, decision, refresh fee 4.1-inch AMOLED, 948×1,048p, 120Hz refresh rate4-inch pOLED, 2,992×1,224p, as much as 165Hz variable refresh rate3.4-inch AMOLED; 720×748 pixels; 60Hz refresh feeInternal show measurement, tech, decision, refresh fee 6.9-inch AMOLED, 2,520×1,080p, 1-120Hz refresh rate7-inch AMOLED; 1,272×1,080p, as much as 165Hz variable refresh rate6.7-inch AMOLED; 2,640×1,080 pixels; 1-120Hz refresh ratePixel density Cover: 342ppi. Internal: 397ppiCover: 417 ppi. Internal: 464 ppiCover: 306 ppi. Internal: 425 ppi Dimensions (inches) Open: 2.96×6.56×0.26 Closed: 2.96×3.37×0.26Open: 2.91×6.75×0.28 Closed: 2.91×3.47×0.62Open: 6.5 x 2.83 x 0.27 Closed: 3.35 x 2.83 x 0.59Dimensions (millimeters) Open: 75.2×166.7×6.5 Closed: 75.2×85.5×13.7Open: 73.99×171.48×7.19 Closed: 73.99×88.12×15.69Open: 165.1×71.9×6.9 Closed: 85.1×71.9×14.9Weight (grams, ounces) 188 g (6.63 oz)199 g (7 oz)187 g (6.6 oz)Mobile software program Android 16Android 15Android 14Cameras 50 megapixel (foremost), 12 megapixel (ultrawide)50 megapixel (extensive), 50 megapixel (ultrawide) 50 megapixel (extensive), 12 megapixel (ultrawide)Internal display screen digital camera 10 megapixel50 megapixel10 megapixelVideo seize 4K at 60fps4K TBDProcessor Samsung Exynos 2500Snapdragon 8 EliteSnapdragon 8 Gen 3RAM/storage 12GB + 256GB, 12GB + 512GB16GB + 512GB, 1TB12GB + 256GB, 512GBExpandable storage NoNoneNoneBattery 4,300 mAh4,700 mAh4,000 mAhFingerprint sensor YesSideSideConnector USB-CUSB-CUSB-CHeadphone jack NoneNoneNoneSpecial options One UI 8, IP48 water resistance, 25-watt wired charging, Qi wi-fi charging, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, Galaxy AIIP48 score, 68-watt wired charging, 30-watt wi-fi charging, 5-watt reverse charging, twin stereo audio system, Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic cowl show, 3,000 nits peak brightness on cowl show, 4,500 nits peak brightness on foremost show, 5G. IP48 score, 25-watt wired charging, wi-fi charging + powershare, 3x optical zoom (as much as 10x digital and 30x Space Zoom with AI Super Resolution tech)US worth begins at $1,100$1,300$1,100 Correction, Jul. 12: The Galaxy Z Flip 7 runs on Samsung’s Exynos 2500 chip.