Samsung has pulled the curtains back on its newest foldable smartphones — the Galaxy Z Fold7 and Z Flip7 — betting big on a dramatically slimmer design and cutting-edge AI features to rekindle interest in the niche foldable phone segment.
Announced on Wednesday, the new devices mark a significant upgrade from earlier models. The Galaxy Z Fold7, priced at $2,000, and the Galaxy Z Flip7, at $1,100, are now the thinnest and lightest foldables Samsung has ever released — roughly the same thickness as standard smartphones when closed and nearly half the bulk of the company’s early foldable designs.
“This is a reset of Samsung’s foldable design,” said Avi Greengart, analyst at Techsponential. “We’re now seeing a super-premium phone that folds into a tablet, with a user experience designed for that flexibility. Especially in the United States, no one has seen anything quite like this.”
The launch comes as Samsung faces stiff competition from Chinese rivals Honor, OnePlus, and Motorola, who have made significant gains in the foldable space once dominated by the South Korean tech giant. Foldable phones still account for only about 2% of global smartphone sales, according to Ben Wood of CCS Insight, with buyers deterred by hefty price tags, bulkier builds, and inferior camera systems compared to traditional smartphones.
But with the Z Fold7, Samsung appears to have tackled some of those issues head-on.
The camera system has received a major boost, now featuring a 200-megapixel wide-angle lens, four times the resolution of the previous Z Fold6, placing it among the most advanced camera phones on the market.
In terms of durability, Samsung has reworked the device’s materials and hinge mechanism, offering users a sturdier, more refined product. The company continues to rely on OLED screen technology, enabling a flexible polymer screen to fold in half like a book.
Samsung is also doubling down on AI integration, leveraging Google’s Android OS and Gemini AI tools to introduce smarter user experiences. For instance, users can snap a photo and ask Gemini for fashion suggestions or repair advice — tapping into generative AI capabilities now becoming common in high-end tech products.
However, not everyone is convinced that AI alone will drive demand. Thomas Husson, an analyst at Forrester, cautioned: “This is not a radical change with a new multimodal interface that drastically reinvents the consumer experience.”
Still, analysts like Wood believe Samsung has rediscovered its edge. “Samsung, who had become a little bit conservative, has found their mojo again,” he said. “They’ve delivered a product that truly stands out.”
