Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 Review: A Big Win for the Small Form Factor
Flips have always had my heart. While others get starry-eyed over the possibilities of the Fold, I have always been a Flip loyalist. There is something deeply satisfying about snapping a phone shut, sliding it into the tiniest pocket, and knowing you are carrying a piece of tech that is both playful and practical.
Unfortunately, the club of true Flip believers is small. Outside of Samsung and Motorola, few brands are even attempting to make the form factor work, let alone improve it. That is why, each year, I watch closely to see how Samsung evolves its clamshell offering.
This year feels different. With a dramatically improved cover screen, a thinner and lighter design, a larger main display, and a bigger battery, the Galaxy Z Flip7 feels like the first Flip in a while where Samsung is actively pushing the envelope rather than making safe, incremental tweaks that we are used to seeing every year. In some ways, it is the most impressive Z Flip I have used yet. But is it the best one? I have been the Z Flip7 for a while now and here’s what I really think about it.
Design and Display (Both Cover and Inner)
Since Samsung introduced the flip-style foldable in 2020, most updates have been evolutionary. A minor hinge redesign here, a slightly better display there. The Flip7 still follows that path but manages to feel like a more meaningful refinement.
The hinge is slimmer, and bezels around the main display are thinner, helping the device shed weight to just 188g. When opened, it measures 6.5mm thick, and when folded, 13.7mm, making it the thinnest Flip yet and more pocketable than ever. The hinge now closes completely, eliminating the dust-prone gap that still exists on rivals like the Moto Razr 60 Ultra. Button placement remains unchanged, with the power button doubling as a fingerprint scanner on the right alongside the volume rocker. The fingerprint sensor takes time to get accustomed to and most times I found myself entering the PIN rather than fidgeting my way. It is more of a placement issue and muscle memory that was a challenge, rather than the response time of the phone. The USB-C port, mic, and single speaker are positioned at the base.
My review unit was the Blue Shadow variant. Samsung has opted for a safe and muted colour palette this year, which works well for me. I am someone who prefers subtle tones, but then a lot of people are looking for something more attention-grabbing. And they may feel a little underwhelmed and want something bolder. The matte finish is nice in the hand, though I personally prefer this over the finish of the Moto Razr 60 Ultra. The IP rating has improved to IP48, offering better dust and water resistance.
Coming back to displays. Thankfully, this year both displays see meaningful changes. The inner display has grown from 6.7 to 6.9 inches, with a slightly shorter 21:9 aspect ratio that feels more conventional and makes typing more comfortable. It remains a bright and vibrant AMOLED panel with 120Hz refresh and HDR10+ support. Watching Netflix and YouTube on it was enjoyable, with HDR streams supported and minimal black borders, while colours and contrast stayed consistent even at off angles. I had watched almost 2 episodes of Rookie on this phone and loved the overall experience, as both the picture and sound quality were decent.
The outer display is now 4.1 inches, up from 3.6 inches, and uses a Super AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and peak brightness of 2,600 nits. The thinner bezels and Vision Booster technology make it easy to see in bright sunlight. The increased size makes tasks like replying to messages, checking navigation, or framing selfies far less cramped. However, there are still unnecessary limitations. To run more apps on the cover display, you have to dig into the Labs menu in settings, and even then, you cannot customise clock faces, edit quick settings toggles, or multitask directly from it. Moreover, the whole experience of unlocking required way too many steps. By 2025, was expecting that this experience would be simplified but this is one major ask that I have from Samsung for the next iteration of Flip and I hope they listen!
Performance, Software and Battery Life
For years, Samsung’s Fold series has relied on Qualcomm Snapdragon chips. However, this time, Samsung has used its own Exynos 2500 for the Flip7, while the Fold7 gets the Snapdragon 8 Elite. The change had raised eyebrows and some even wondered if that was unfair treatment towards the Flips. During my time with the Flip, I did not feel much difference from the predecessor. For daily use, the Flip7 is responsive and keeps pace with other premium Android phones for general tasks, streaming, and casual gaming. Titles like Subway Surfers ran smoothly, and app switching was fast. In our AnTuTu tests, the Galaxy Z Flip7 ended up near the bottom when placed against other phones in the same price range. Things looked a little better in Geekbench, where the results told a slightly different story. You can check out the score graphs for a clearer picture.
The battery has grown to 4,300mAh, which is a solid improvement for a device of this size. It still trails the Moto Razr 60 Ultra’s 4,700mAh, but comfortably lasts a full day with moderate use. Trying to push harder or going a little extra with maps or editing might mean that you will be looking for that charger a little earlier than bedtime. Charging remains the weak link. The 25W wired charging takes around 80 minutes from 20 to 100 per cent. While the phone does offer wireless charging, it is even slower at 15W. This could feel very frustrating to people, and you might want to resort to it only for overnight.
The Flip7 ships with One UI 8.0 on Android 16, making it one of the first devices with Google’s latest OS. One UI remains polished, fast, and highly customisable. Samsung has bundled its suite of AI features, including Live Translate for calls, Interpreter mode for in-person conversations, and Note Assist for summaries and translations. Samsung DeX is also supported, allowing you to connect the Flip7 to an external display for a desktop-style interface.
Cameras
The Flip7 retains the same setup as the Flip6, with a 50MP main, 12MP ultrawide, and 10MP selfie camera. The main sensor delivers detailed, vibrant shots in good light, with Samsung’s portrait mode continuing to stand out for natural skin tones and pleasing background separation.
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The ultra-wide is better suited for daylight landscapes and architectural shots, as its small sensor struggles at night despite the help of night mode. The 10MP selfie camera is sharp, but the real advantage of the Flip is its folding design, which allows you to use the main camera for selfies via the cover screen or FlexCam mode for creative angles.
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Verdict
The Galaxy Z Flip7 is the clearest sign in years that Samsung is still serious about the clamshell foldable. It refines the formula in almost every meaningful way. The device is thinner, lighter, and more comfortable to use, with a main display that feels more natural in hand and a cover display that is finally large enough to be genuinely useful. The hinge closes fully, the IP rating is better, and the main camera delivers solid results for most scenarios. One UI 8.0 adds polish, and the AI tools feel genuinely helpful rather than gimmicky.
It is not perfect. Charging speeds are slow compared to other flagships, the ultrawide camera still has limitations, and Samsung’s decision to keep certain cover screen features hidden behind settings menus feels unnecessarily restrictive. The move to the Exynos 2500 will also be debated by those who prefer Snapdragon performance.
Yet, for those who love the flip form factor, this is the most complete and capable version of it so far. It may not convert the foldable sceptics, but for the believers, it is an easy recommendation and a reminder that compact can still mean capable.
The post Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 Review: A Big Win for the Small Form Factor appeared first on MySmartPrice.
