29 Sept 2025
The Samsung Z Flip 7 emerges as a more mature foldable, addressing previous criticisms regarding slow innovation with a focus on refined design and user experience. This new iteration, however, still presents a trade-off between its unique form factor and performance expectations, especially concerning its Exynos chipset and camera capabilities.
The Z Flip 7 signifies Samsung's response, marking a maturing point for foldable phones, though it is not without minor flaws and was launched alongside the Fold 7, which also received an FE version.
Samsung prioritized making the Z Flip 7 thinner and lighter, resulting in a phone 1mm narrower and 1g lighter than its predecessor, a subtle but noticeable improvement in daily use, complemented by attractive color options like serene blue and mint green.
The Z Flip 7's packaging is minimal, containing only a USB-C cable, a SIM ejector tool, and paper documentation, notably lacking a charger, screen protector, or phone case.
The external display, now called Flex Window, is a significant upgrade, expanding to 4.1 inches to cover almost the entire front panel and boosting its refresh rate from 60Hz to 120Hz, which enhances the user experience.
The main display's aspect ratio has been adjusted from 22:9 to 21:9, making the phone more comfortable to hold and use, while its brightness and low-light performance are commendable; however, the non-glass surface feels unusual, gets dirty easily, and affects visibility in direct sunlight.
The fingerprint sensor is integrated into the power button, offering fast and accurate performance.
The Z Flip 7 retains the same 50MP main and 12MP ultrawide camera hardware as its predecessor, but photo quality shows minor improvements with better detail in zoom, clearer low-light images, reduced softness, and significant HDR enhancement with fewer artifacts and more natural outputs, although the overall changes are subtle and may not be obvious to all users.
Video recording sees few changes from the previous generation, but leveraging the larger external screen for vlogging improves professionalism; however, Log mode is unavailable when recording with the external display, and videos exhibit significant noise even in daylight, suggesting the Z Flip 7 is not a professional camera phone.
The Z Flip 7 is powered by an Exynos 2500 chipset, marking its first use in the Flip series, and while benchmarks show it is weaker than expected for a $1000+ phone and lags behind flagships like the Fold 7 and S25 Ultra, it delivers smooth and fast performance in daily use with significant graphical improvements over the Flip 6.
Running Android 16 with One UI 8, the Z Flip 7 benefits from Samsung's promise of 7 years of updates, surpassing competitors, and features minor UI refinements; however, the external display remains limited mostly to widgets, requiring third-party apps for full application functionality, though DeX support has been added for a desktop-like experience.
The Z Flip 7 features a 4300 mAh battery, an 8% increase over its predecessor, offering improved but not dramatically extended battery life, with approximately 18.5 hours of web browsing or 9.5 hours of YouTube playback, while charging remains at 25W wired (1.5 hours for full charge) and 15W wireless (3 hours for full charge).
The phone's audio performance lags behind traditional flagships, offering weaker bass and lower volume than models like the S25 Ultra, despite slightly cleaner sound than the Flip 6, and its haptic feedback remains unchanged from the previous generation.
While the Z Flip 7 offers improvements like a larger external display, DeX support, and better battery life, its Exynos chip, limited external display functionality, and average speaker performance, combined with an estimated price likely exceeding $1200, make its value questionable, suggesting the Fold series offers more added functionality, and recommends waiting for a potentially more cost-effective FE version.
The Z Flip 7 is fully equipped with Galaxy AI features, identical to those found in the Fold 7 and S25 Ultra, which are seamlessly integrated and perform smoothly.
The Samsung Z Flip 7 finally represents the maturity of a foldable phone, yet it isn't entirely flawless.
| Aspect | Key Improvement / Observation | Impact / Evaluation |
|---|---|---|
| External Display (Flex Window) | Expanded to 4.1 inches, 120Hz refresh rate. | Significantly enhances user experience with a more dynamic and usable front screen. |
| Design and Ergonomics | 1mm thinner, 1g lighter than previous model; features attractive new color options. | Offers noticeable comfort in daily use and improved aesthetic appeal. |
| Camera Quality (Photos) | Minor software refinements, including better zoom detail, low-light clarity, and improved HDR. | Results in a subtly enhanced photo experience with less 'dullness' compared to the Flip 6. |
| Video Recording | Enables vlogging using the large external display, improving professionalism. | Despite professional vlogging capability, videos exhibit significant noise even in daylight, and Log mode is unavailable on the external screen. |
| Performance (Chipset) | Features an Exynos 2500 chipset, showing significant graphical uplift over Flip 6. | Delivers smooth daily operation but lags behind other flagships in benchmark scores. |
| Software Updates | Samsung promises 7 years of Android and One UI updates. | Provides an industry-leading update policy, greatly extending the phone's future-proofing. |
| Battery Capacity | Equipped with a 4300 mAh battery, an 8% increase from its predecessor. | Offers improved, though not dramatically extended, battery life compared to the Flip 6. |
| DeX Support | Newly added software feature. | Enables a desktop-like experience when connected to an external monitor, adding versatility. |
| External Display Functionality | Primarily limited to widgets, requiring third-party apps like Good Lock for full application use. | A persistent drawback that limits the full potential of the larger external screen for running apps natively. |
| Price and Value | Estimated price over $1200. | High cost for limited additional utility compared to the Fold series, making the reviewer question its overall value and suggest waiting for an FE version. |
| Galaxy AI Features | Fully equipped with Galaxy AI features identical to other Samsung flagships. | All AI functionalities are seamlessly integrated and perform smoothly without noticeable slowdowns. |
