Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET
The Galaxy Z Flip lineup has been the most popular of Samsung’s foldable devices, and its appeal is clear — who can’t benefit from a device with all the functionalities of a regular smartphone that can also shape-shift into a smaller phone for everyday ease?
Also: My first 24 hours with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 left me completely mesmerized
With its latest addition to the lineup, the Galaxy Z Flip 7, Samsung leaned into the phone’s most attractive feature, making it even more portable with a slimmer design, while also more capable, with the intent to improve user experience for power users and everyday users at the same time.
However, at $1,099, the Z Flip 7 is still in the higher price range of phones. To determine whether it is worth the investment of your money, I spent 24 hours with the phone. Let’s dive right in.
Highly anticipated FlexWindow refresh
FlexWindow comparison on Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 vs. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6
Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET
At a glance, the most visible change is the FlexWindow (the outer screen). The screen is now larger, spanning from one corner of the phone to the other, with the bezels barely visible — a big upgrade from its predecessor, as seen in the photo above. Not only is it most aesthetic to look at, resembling the look of the Moto Razr 60 Ultra, but it is also more practical.
The 4.1-inch FlexWindow is also brighter, with 2,600 nits of peak brightness and a smoother 120Hz refresh rate. It also has VisionBooster, a feature that enhances outdoor visibility, making it the brightest and highest-functioning FlexWindow yet. When using the Z Flip 7 at a park on a sunny NYC day, I was able to look at the screen without problem.
Also: I changed 10 Samsung phone settings to significantly improve the user experience
So, why does this make it a win? To get more than just nostalgia out of the clamshell design, you need to be able to use the outer screen for basic tasks, and the larger screen makes this more possible.
I found myself using it to do basic tasks such as taking photos, viewing notifications, and even looking up information more than with the past models, likely because on the older models, the limited screen size wasn’t really enticing for me to forgo opening the phone. I also found that it was a great vehicle for accessing the latest AI features–which leads me to the next section.
Easier AI access
Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET
If you care about AI on your mobile device, this cover screen makes it easier to get the immediate assistance you want without even opening your phone. Gemini Live is now accessible on the cover screen, whether through a long press of the side button or through the app. It can answer questions quickly for you on the go or access apps that take action for you, such as creating a note or adding a calendar event.
Also: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE hands-on: The ‘cheaper’ foldable phone got me very confused
If you often use multimodal AI assistance, like I do, you will be happy to learn that you can now share the camera right from your FlexWindow — meaning you prop your phone up and use the camera to get multimodal Gemini assistance from Gemini Live. Now, instead of having to prop my iPhone 16 Pro, which is my daily driver, on a water bottle or other item to take full advantage of the multimodal assistance, I am able to just open the phone and set it on the nearest surface to ask a question.
You can also access a Personalized Now Bar and Now Brief from the cover screen, a feature previously limited to the Galaxy S25 Ultra. This makes it easy to get a quick rundown of personalized insights such as weather, event summaries, and news. Beyond these, One UI 8 brings other helpful AI features such as improved photo and audio editing.
Additionally, the purchase of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 will also come with six months of Google AI Pro, which retails for $19.99 a month. The plan gives you access to some of Google’s most advanced AI offerings, including more access to Google’s most capable model, Gemini 2.5 Pro; Flow, Google’s AI filmmaking tool built with Veo 3 Fast, which makes hyper-realistic videos; and more. So if you are big into AI or have been wanting to give it a try, the Z Flip 7 makes it easier to dive into the advanced features.
More power in a slimmer package
Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET
The Flip 7 is thinner, coming in at 13.7mm thick, compared to last year’s 14.9 mm. This makes it more comfortable to slip into your pocket, minimizing the uncomfortable feeling of having two tiny phones stacked on top of each other.
Even though it is slimmer, Samsung didn’t compromise on key components, including a larger inner display of 6.9 inches, compared to the 6.7-inch screen on the Galaxy Z Flip 6, and a larger 4,300mAh battery (up from 4,000mAh) that can handle up to 31 hours of video playback time, according to Samsung.
One day of consistent use is not nearly enough time to judge a battery’s performance, so I will provide an update in my full review. However, I haven’t seen any signs of unusual battery decline, and the battery has lasted me through the full day without an issue.
Also: Your Android phone and watch are getting a major upgrade for free – Samsung models included
Instead of the expected Snapdragon 8 Elite, the Z Flip 7 is powered by the Exynos 2500, the first 3nm in-house processor, released just two weeks ago. The performance differences between both chipsets shouldn’t be noticeable, other than the in-house processor enabling new experiences such as DeX support on the Z Flip for the first time, allowing users to plug their phone into a monitor and use it like a desktop computer.
It has the same camera specs as last year, with a 50MP wide-angle and a 12MP ultrawide sensor. In last year’s Z Flip 6, this camera system was a major boost from the Z Flip 5, and ZDNET’s review found that while it didn’t offer flagship-tier performance, it was still a capable system, excelling in well-lit conditions and producing vibrant, detailed photos.
Samsung also claims to have made upgrades to the image processing, including Enhanced Nightography and 10-bit HDR for more detailed videos, which should upgrade and differentiate the camera’s quality from the preceding model. Below are some photos I took in different light conditions and settings.
Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET
Also: Verizon will give a free Samsung foldable phone right now – how to qualify for the deal
Overall, in the last 24 hours, I have genuinely enjoyed my experience with the Flip 7. The biggest standout in the limited time was the larger cover screen, which made it easy for me to forgo opening the phone. Overall, Samsung upgraded the Galaxy Z Flip 7’s specs in almost every way, but stay tuned to ZDNET for my deeper dive into the phone, where I’ll be specifically looking for longer-range performance, like its battery and camera.
If interested in purchasing it, you can preorder yours for a starting price of $1,099, with several promotions and offers already active. The colors include Coralred, Jetblack, Blue Shadow, and the online-exclusive Mint, and storage sizes are 256GB to 512GB.
