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Samsung has unveiled its latest generation of foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Fold 7.
There's plenty to shout about with this new foldable — bigger screens on the outside and inside of the handset, 50% thicker pliable glass, redesigned hinge, Android 16 features out-of-the-box, faster performance, upgraded cameras, the list goes on — but the most striking difference between Galaxy Z Fold 7 and its predecessors is the thinness.
At just 8.9mm when folded, Galaxy Z Fold 7 is almost indistinguishable from a standard smartphone. For example, Galaxy S25 Ultra — released earlier this year — measures just 8.2mm, while the iPhone 16 Pro is 8.25mm.
The first foldable ever launched by Samsung measured a chunky 15.7mm when folded, showing the incredible advancements made by the South Korean firm in the last six years. Even compared with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 released last year (12.1mm when folded), the new model has enjoyed a successful course of Ozempic.
Preorder Galaxy Z Fold 7 and DOUBLE the storage at no extra cost
Samsung's next-generation Galaxy Z Fold 7 boasts two larger AMOLED screens, a faster Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy system-on-a-chip, a 200MP main camera, and an array of Galaxy AI tools. Despite these gains, Samsung has managed to squeeze everything into a smaller, thinner case design. Galaxy Z Fold 7 weighs less than a Galaxy S25 Ultra or iPhone 16 Pro Max... and isn't much thicker either
Galaxy Z Fold 7 isn't just slimmer, but it's also lighter than ever before. Tipping the scales at 215grams, this next-generation foldable is even lighter than the Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Like its predecessors, Galaxy Z Fold 7 unfolds like a paperback book, revealing an expansive 8-inch Dynamic AMOLED touchscreen — 11% than earlier models — protected by stronger ultra-thin glass. Samsung says its flexible glass is now 50% thicker, which all-but eliminates the unsightly crease that runs down the flexible screen.
Unfolded, Galaxy Z Fold 7 measures just 4.2mm — the thinnest we've ever seen from the R&D team at Samsung
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On the front, Samsung has expanded the cover display to 6.5-inches. It's also wider than previous Galaxy Z Fold devices, resulting in a 21:9 aspect ratio, which Samsung says should make typing on the keyboard more natural since the experience will be much closer to what you'd expect from a regular smartphone.
Samsung has supercharged the brightness of the cover display — up to 2,600-nits, for those counting — to ensure the Galaxy Z Fold 7 stays easily visible even in direct sunlight.
As part of its efforts to shed the weight from its foldable phone, Samsung redesigned its hinge mechanism to be thinner and lighter, with a new water droplet-inspired design called Armour FlexHinge. Samsung says it should reduce visible creasing and strengthen durability by evenly dispersing stress
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Between the thinner case design and larger 21:9 AMOLED display on the front of the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the experience of using the exterior touchscreen should be closer to a traditional smartphone than ever before.
It means unfurling the tablet-like foldable screen hidden inside the handset will be an optional treat when watching video, playing games, or multitasking with multiple windows, rather than a necessity due to the compromises of the cover screen.
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Photography is another aspect of the new Galaxy Z Fold 7 that's almost indistinguishable from the experience found on other top-end Samsung smartphones, like Galaxy S25 Ultra. The South Korean firm has fitted its newest foldable with the same 200MP camera as its £1,249 entry in the Galaxy S lineup.
That sensor can capture a vast amount of detail, resulting in crisp, vibrant photographs packed full of detail. This is only possible, thanks to Samsung’s next generation ProVisual Engine that can process images and video faster. Samsung uses AI to automatically optimises the camera for the lighting and setting.
Galaxy Z Fold 7 will automatically detect unwanted people and objects in the background of your shots, letting you eliminate them with a single tap. You can also compare the unedited photo with the new-and-improved version side-by-side on the large foldable screen
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Once you've pressed the shutter, Samsung's new Photo Assist feature is ready to help with any tweaks. It can move, erase, and enlarge objects in the final shot, adjust the angle of the photograph with a few taps.
Samsung will proactively suggest distracting objects or people in the frame to erase with its AI-powered tool, which can fill-in any blank spaces left by the removal process. If you're using the main screen on the Fold 7, you'll be able to see the original and edited image side-by-side, making it easier to decide if you need to make further modifications.
Out-of-the-box, Galaxy Z Fold 7 is powered by Samsung's new One UI 8 operating system, which is still in testing on other Galaxy smartphones.
Packed with the latest Android 16 features, as well as some additional extras from the software team at Samsung, One UI 8 is designed to be context-aware. Google's Gemini Live can see what's on-screen, so you can ask the Artificial Intelligence (AI) questions based on what you're looking at. For example, if there's a booking confirmation for a flight or concert on your screen, you can ask Gemini to add the event to your calendar — and it'll populate everything itself.
Samsung UK and Ireland Mobile Experience Vice President of Product and Marketing, Annika Bizon said: "We’re entering into a new era of smartphone innovation. As AI becomes the new UI, people need devices that learn, understand and anticipates their needs. The new Galaxy Z Fold 7 combines powerful hardware with Galaxy AI in an ultra thin and ultra sleek form factor – supporting people to get things done in previously unimaginable ways."
Galaxy Z Fold 7 is available in Blue Shadow, Silver Shadow, and Jetblack from the Samsung Store, as well as UK mobile networks and high street shops. An additional colour — Mint — is available exclusively from Samsung
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Galaxy Z Fold 7 is available to preorder from today (July 9), with the foldable handset landing on UK store shelves from July 25. It's available in Blue Shadow, Silver Shadow, and Jetblack colourways.
Samsung has reserved an extra finish — Mint — that's exclusive to its Samsung Store.
Prices start from £1,799 for the entry-level model with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of built-in storage. Samsung will charge £1,899 if you want to increase the built-in storage to 512GB. There's also a top-of-the-line model with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of built-in storage — more than most laptops — that'll set you back £2,149.
Preorder the new Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Samsung will double your storage for free, so you'll pocket the £1,899 model with 512GB of space for photos, videos, games, and apps for the same price as the entry-level 256GB variant.
Samsung is also offering anyone the chance to buy and test the Galaxy Z Fold 7 for 100 days. If you decide that foldables aren't quite right for you during that trial period, you're able to return the device for a refund.
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