Samsung Launches Sleeker, Smarter Z Fold7

News Desk

Islamabad: On Wednesday, Samsung introduced its latest foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Fold7, marking a significant design overhaul aimed at revitalizing the niche foldable phone segment.

Despite being more than seven years removed from the launch of the world’s first foldable device—the FlexPai by China’s Royole, which filed for bankruptcy in late 2024—foldable phones still make up only about 2% of total smartphone sales, according to Ben Wood of CCS Insight.

Key obstacles to wider adoption have included their bulkier form factor, lower camera performance, and premium pricing. Samsung, which pioneered this category with its Galaxy Z Fold in 2019, has recently lost ground to Chinese competitors like Honor and OnePlus, as well as Motorola in the U.S. market.

“Samsung had become a bit cautious in recent years, but they’ve bounced back with what is arguably the best foldable device available today,” said Wood.

The newly launched $2,000 Galaxy Z Fold7 and $1,100 Galaxy Z Flip7 are the slimmest and lightest in Samsung’s foldable lineup. When folded, they resemble standard smartphones in size and are nearly half as thick as the brand’s earlier models.

“This marks a major reset in Samsung’s foldable design, delivering a high-end smartphone experience that unfolds into a tablet with software tailored for that format,” noted Avi Greengart of Techsponential. “In the U.S. market, nothing quite like this has been seen before.”

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Greengart also pointed to advancements in material construction that make the devices sturdier and potentially more durable.

These foldables, which open like a book, use OLED screens with flexible polymer plastic instead of traditional glass.

Upgrades Without a ‘Revolution’

Among the notable upgrades is a 200-megapixel wide-angle camera—four times the resolution of the Z Fold6—bringing its photography capabilities in line with top-tier smartphones.

Samsung has also used this launch to integrate more generative AI features, leveraging Google’s Android system and Gemini AI suite. Users can now interact with AI based on images captured by the phone—for example, asking for clothing suggestions or repair tips based on a photo.

Still, analysts caution that the improvements, while meaningful, don’t amount to a dramatic reinvention.

“This isn’t a radical leap in consumer experience via multimodal AI interfaces,” said Thomas Husson of Forrester.

Whether these enhancements are enough to drive broader adoption remains uncertain, especially as consumers continue to hold off on upgrading amid rising smartphone prices.