After a fairly lackluster outing last year, Samsung finally took the stage at Unpacked in New York this morning to announce the Galaxy Z Flip 7. So far, it’s looking like the upgrade many of us expected last year, and despite the addition of the cheaper Flip 7 FE to the lineup, it’s sticking at the same price.
At its core, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is focused on just a handful of changes. The same core design — rounded corners, flat edges — stays for another year, though it’s a slimmer chassis than ever before. Samsung managed to slim the Flip 7 down just enough to feel a little more pocket-friendly; down from 14.9mm when folded to just 13.7mm. Unfortunately, that reduction in bulk doesn’t carry over to the weight, as this year’s Flip is a gram heavier than its predecessor.
But really, the star of the show — the thing that’s guaranteed to steal everyone’s attention — is the new display. At 4.1 inches, Samsung’s new screen is significantly larger than the 3.4-inch panel on the Flip 5 and Flip 6. That change, along with a higher 2,600 nits of peak brightness rating and a 120Hz refresh rate, brings the Galaxy Z Flip 7 up to par with the last couple of Moto Razr generations. Likewise, the main display is also larger, jumping up to 6.9 inches from last year’s 6.7.
Despite shipping with One UI 8, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 doesn’t provide a huge leap forward for its cover screen software experience — at least insofar as it compares to Motorola’s own software. While the shortcut added in One UI 7 to skip right to Multistar for enabling third party apps continues to be handy, it’s still a hoop Razr users won’t need to jump through. That larger cover screen has learned some new tricks, though, including support for the Now Bar, Now Brief, and Gemini Live.
It’s not just the design that’s getting shaken up this year, as Samsung’s turning towards its own chipset business for a processor. Rather than opting for something from Qualcomm — like the Snapdragon 8 Elite that powers the Galaxy Z Fold 7 — Samsung is relying on its recently-unveiled Exynos 2500. It’s the company’s first 3nm chipset, and, in theory, should deliver some pretty big efficiency benefits over older Exynos chips. Considering Samsung only just announced this SoC last month, however, we haven’t had a chance to take it for a spin ourselves. If you’re worried about performance, thermal cooling, or battery life, you might want to hold out for reviews.
The Flip 7’s camera system hasn’t been radically overhauled; it’s still a 50MP f/1.8 wide sensor paired with a 12MP f/2.2 ultrawide. That said, the addition of 10-bit HDR video should deliver a pretty big jump up from the recording experience on last year’s mode, while the addition of a “Zoom Slider” allows for easier, more fluid movements.
Samsung has also upgraded the Flip 7’s battery up to 4,300mAh, which should go a long way in delivering more consistent battery life. Unfortunately, it still tops out at just 25W charging. DeX support has finally made its way over to Samsung’s clamshell as well, promising to turn a pocket-friendly foldable into a full PC-like experience with a compatible monitor. Pretty neat, and a long time coming at that. And, as usual, the Flip 7 is guaranteed software support for seven years.
The Galaxy Z Flip 7 is up for pre-order today for $1,100 through Samsung.com, Best Buy, and Amazon, with general availably starting on July 25th. It comes in Jet Black, Blue Shadow, and Coral Red, and includes 256GB or 512GB storage options. Samsung.com shoppers can also grab an exclusive Mint colorway, should those default tones not win you over.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments