Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 Review: Small Increments

When I reviewed Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip6 last year, I was impressed by its refinements over the previous model. Now, the Galaxy Z Flip7 is here with even more updates – a larger cover display, an expanded main screen, Samsung’s own chipset, and a bigger battery. But not everything has changed, and some familiar traits remain. The question is: do they work in the Flip7’s favour, or hold it back? Let’s find out.

Bigger but Thinner

At first glance, the Galaxy Z Flip7 looks rather similar to the Flip6, but closer inspection reveals a few subtle changes. It’s a touch thinner yet somehow 1g heavier, and the footprint feels much the same in hand. Despite this, the main display has now gone from 6.7 inches to 6.9 inches. Oddly, the screen resolution has decreased ever so slightly, but display details remain crisp, or so I felt. You can still see the crease where the phone folds in half, but you get used to it. The build quality of the phone is quite premium. I particularly liked our review unit’s striking blue finish.

The cover display is where things get interesting. Unlike the Flip6, it now overlaps with the camera lenses, stretching across the entire half of the phone. It’s a cleaner, more modern look, and the upgrade to a 120Hz refresh rate makes it a joy to use. Stereo speakers are quite impressive, delivering clear, balanced audio with satisfying volume, whether you’re listening to music or streaming video.

Running a Hot Pace

Samsung has ditched Qualcomm for the Flip7, opting for its in-house Exynos 2500. This 10-core chip keeps day-to-day performance snappy, and its GPU is more than capable of handling even the most demanding games available today. In reality, like many Exynos-powered devices before it, the Flip7 warms up quicker than you’d like, which is disappointing for a premium device.

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Storage options have also changed – the entry-level 128GB model is gone, leaving only 256GB and 512GB variants. RAM stays fixed at 12GB. The battery sees a modest capacity increase, offering a slightly better performance, but 25W charging speeds remain unchanged. Heavy users still shouldn’t expect to comfortably make it through a full day without topping up.

Same Snappers

Not much has changed in terms of the camera. The main lens is still a 50MP unit, accompanied by a 12MP ultrawide unit. I must say that I was hoping that Samsung would upgrade the camera setup, for it was one of the weaker aspects of the Flip6. Shots from both cameras are just about decent, but nothing spectacular. The lack of a telephoto lens still stands out like a sore thumb. However, experimenting with the folding feature of the phone and shooting at different angles is still a lot of fun.

(Shot on Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7)

Even the selfie camera has not changed, which means you get the same 10MP unit, which offers decent shots. Just like before, this unit can take satisfactory pictures and videos in good lighting but tends to struggle in the dark. However, this is not a big problem because the camera quality is good, and you can always use the main sensors for selfies, owing to the unique design of the phone.

More of the Same

While the Flip7 brings some welcome upgrades, it’s hard to shake the feeling that Samsung could have pushed further and offered a bit more. The chipset and cameras, in particular, leave room for improvement, especially from a company that’s been refining its foldable formula for a while now.

Also Read: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 Review: Refining the Formula

Price-wise, things are more palatable, for the Flip 7 is offered at the same price as the Flip6, meaning you do get a better device for your money. Still, if raw performance is your top priority, the regular S series remains the safer bet.