The market for flip-style foldable smartphones is increasingly competitive, with more brands introducing their own models, including OPPO, Xiaomi, and Infinix. So when Samsung introduced the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 in July, it had to do something truly unique to make it stand out from the competition.

The Flip7 is priced starting at RM4,999 for the 12GB RAM and 256GB internal storage variant, making it a bit expensive compared to other flip phones. Is this foldable better than its competitors in 2025? Read on to find out.

Design – Larger cover screen

At a glance, the Galaxy Z Flip7 has the same design as the Flip6. It's still 6.9mm thick when opened and still weighs 188 grams, so it doesn't feel like anything changed.

However, Samsung has made a significant upgrade to the cover screen. The Galaxy Z Flip7 sports a 4.1-inch external screen, notably larger than the Galaxy Z Flip6's 3.4-inch cover screen. This means that almost the entire section of the external display is the cover screen. Additionally, it features very slim bezels.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 foldable home screen

The now larger front screen

This larger external screen is also more practical for certain apps or functions. For example, you can use it to take a quick selfie or read messages without having to unfold the phone. This could be convenient for people who wish to avoid unfolding the phone too often, which could lengthen the lifespan of the hinge and help conserve battery, since you're not using the main screen as much.

Even the main display is larger than its predecessor at 6.9 inches, compared to the Z Flip6's 6.7 inches. The bezel size is also very slim on all sides. It's impressive because Samsung increased the screen size and kept the bezels slim. However, the phone's size isn't significantly larger than last year's model.

The main screen has a resolution of 1080×2520 with an aspect ratio of 21:9, meaning it has the same height and width as a regular phone. As such, you won't experience any noticeable changes when migrating from a regular smartphone to the Galaxy Z Flip7.

Comes in blue, red and black

This is a foldable phone, so of course, many people want to know if the crease line in the middle of the screen is still clearly visible. In this aspect, the Flip7 is similar to the Flip6, where the crease line is still clearly visible if you tilt the screen at a certain angle. However, the line becomes less noticeable when you have something else to focus on. When you have YouTube or TikTok open, you will usually not even notice the crease.

In terms of durability, the Z Flip7's IP48 waterproof rating allows it to submerge in water for 30 minutes at a depth of 1.5 meters. This means you don't have to worry about the phone or its hinges getting splashed with water. Additionally, both the external and main screens are made of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, so they're highly resistant to scratches and cracks.

The Galaxy Z Flip7 features a side-mounted fingerprint scanner that can scan and unlock fast enough. However, it does feel slightly outdated compared to other 2025 flagships, which all use under-display fingerprint readers. Even the more affordable devices have it, so it's unusual for the Galaxy Z Flip7 to not have one. Fortunately, that's not really a deal breaker.

Very compact when folded

Tech specs and features – New Exynos chipset

Here are the full specifications for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7:

• Dynamic AMOLED 2X 6.9-inch main screen, 2520×1080 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2
• 4.1-inch Super AMOLED external screen, 1048×948 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate
• Exynos 2500 chipset
• 12GB RAM
• 256GB or 512GB internal storage
• 50MP main camera + 12MP ultra-wide camera
• 10MP front camera
• 4300mAh battery
• 25W fast charging, 15W wireless charging
• Android 16 operating system with One UI 8
• Waterproof rating IP48
• Supports Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 7
• Colour options: Blue Shadow, Jet-Black, Coral-Red
• Price: 12GB+256GB: RM4999; 12GB+512GB: RM5599

Interestingly, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 is the first phone to feature the Exynos 2500 chipset. This 3nm chipset packs 10 CPU cores and an NPU promising improved artificial intelligence (AI) performance. We'll discuss more on that in our Performance section.

In terms of memory, the phone only has a 12GB RAM option. For storage, it's available in two variants, namely 256GB and 512GB. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a microSD slot, so you can't expand the storage with a memory card.

On the bright side, the phone has a sizable 4,300mAh battery. For comparison, last year's Galaxy Z Flip6 has a smaller 4,000mAh battery. Moreover, the Galaxy Z Fold7's battery capacity is only slightly larger at 4,400mAh. Considering the size of the Galaxy Z Flip7, its battery capacity is quite impressive.

Unfortunately, the Flip7's charging rate hasn't improved. Like the Flip6, it supports 25W wired charging and 15W wireless charging. It might not sound like a big deal, but some may find it unacceptable because even mid-range phones can charge faster in 2025.

One UI 8 interface

Despite this shortcoming in charging speed, the Z Flip7 still has one significant advantage: its long Android update cycle. The phone comes with Android 16 and One UI 8 out of the box, with Samsung promising 7 years of major Android updates. In other words, the Z Flip7 will continue to receive updates until 2032. You'll definitely be using this phone for a long time, so its high price tag is well worth it.

As mentioned, the Z Flip7 now allows you to open any app on the cover screen. This is thanks to One UI 8 and the Launcher Widget. Some apps work well on the cover screen, such as watching YouTube videos or browsing social media. However, you shouldn't play games on it because game icons or menus will appear smaller and harder to press.

You can play games using the cover screen

The image can be enlarged for more immersive visuals, but the camera bump will bother you

List of Galaxy AI functions

Of course, the Z Flip7 also sports various Galaxy AI functions. For instance, there's Call Assist to translate phone calls, Writing Assist to help you write documents, Browsing Assist to summarise websites, Photo Assist to edit photos with generative AI and many more. These AI features can help make your daily tasks easier, saving you time in the process.

Our gripe is that while the Galaxy AI functions are listed in Settings, the phone doesn't inform users on how to access these functions. Hopefully, Samsung will find a simple way to teach users about these Galaxy AI features in a future update.

Performance – Good, but not perfect

Here are the benchmarks I did for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7:

Geekbench 6 - Not much better than the Galaxy S24 series

Performance-wise, the Z Flip7 isn't significantly better than its predecessor. Although equipped with a new Exynos 2500 chipset, the new model is only slightly better than the Z Flip6's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. That's unfortunate, considering that the former is supposed to be on par with the Snapdragon 8 Elite. However, the Exynos 2500 is more of a direct rival of the already 2-year-old Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. Why this chip and not the Snapdragon 8 Elite? Well, likely because of cost and battery efficiency. Since Samsung owns Exynos, it won't need to pay a fee to use the chipset for this phone.

Anyway, the performance gap is noticeable in high-graphics games like Delta Force and Wuthering Waves. In Delta Force, the Z Flip7 failed to deliver high-quality graphics on a flagship level, which affected our gaming experience. When playing high-end games, you can't set the graphics to high or ultra without affecting the frame rate.

Delta Force is unplayable at the highest graphics settings

In Wuthering Waves, we could game at the highest graphics settings. However, the frame rate drops noticeably after a while. This makes it clear that the Z Flip7 is unsuitable for intensive gaming sessions. However, it can still play some popular titles, such as COD Mobile and Mobile Legends, with no issues.

The Galaxy Z Flip7 can handle everyday tasks and Galaxy AI processing smoothly, so we have no complaints on that end. However, another demerit is how the phone's temperature would quickly increase, at an even faster pace than on other flagship phones.

Wuthering Waves is playable at the highest graphics, but frame rates are inconsistent

It makes sense for a phone to become warm when playing games with higher graphics settings or using the camera for long sessions. But it even gets warm when opening less intensive social media or streaming apps. The reason for this could be the foldable design, which lacks space for cooling systems and has difficulty dissipating heat (compared to regular phones).

As for battery life, the 4,300mAh capacity may seem small for a 2025 flagship phone. But it's actually enough for a day's use for everyday tasks. Of course, GPS navigation, recording videos, or playing games will drain the battery much faster. For heavier users, the battery could run low before you leave work for home. Fully charging the phone takes around 90 minutes, so you will have to pay attention to the battery level.

Next, let's discuss camera performance. The Z Flip7 comes with only two cameras on the back, which are a 50MP main camera and a 12MP ultra-wide camera. Photos come out beautiful, on par with those captured on the Galaxy S25 series. You'll get shots with bright colours, balanced light, and low-light shots with little noise. Overall, the results are satisfactory.

Main camera

2x zoom

4x zoom

Ultra-wide camera

Night mode

Portrait mode selfie

A big benefit of foldable phones is that you can take selfies using the main camera. Obviously, the Z Flip7's 50MP main camera performs much better than the 10MP front-facing camera. For video, the main camera can record at up to 4K/60fps, delivering stunning videos.

Although the main camera is great, the lack of a telephoto lens means you can't zoom far. The Z Flip7's camera app only supports up to 10x digital zoom. However, we recommend taking pictures at 2x or 3x. Any more than that, and your photos will look blurry.

Conclusion – A cutting-edge foldable phone with a focus on AI

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 offers several features that set it apart from other flip phones, most notably its many Galaxy AI functions and the long Android software update. Additionally, its slightly larger cover screen makes it possible to run some apps without unfolding the phone.

Of course, this phone isn't without flaws. Firstly, its charging rate is slow for a 2025 flagship phone. Secondly, the phone gets warm quickly, even when you're just using regular apps. Thirdly, the camera's zoom is very limited.

Despite the above issues, this feature-rich clamshell-style smartphone is worth its price tag if you love the form factor. For alternatives, you can consider the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 FE. At RM3999, it's more affordable than the Z Flip7 (RM4999). But it has a slower chipset, a smaller battery, and a smaller cover screen.

You can also consider phones like the OPPO Find N3 Flip (RM3999), Xiaomi Mix Flip (RM4999), or Infinix Zero Flip (RM2999). These are all phones launched in 2024, but still offer good performance and specs. Plus, they might be more affordable now. Xiaomi also launched the Xiaomi Mix Flip 2 this year, but it's currently unavailable in Malaysia.

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