Last month, Samsung launched two foldable devices that focus on different users. If the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 is a premium device for those who are more concerned with productivity and the use of a larger screen, I can say that the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 is for those who are more inclined to a minimalist lifestyle but want a “stylish” device.
As someone who has been used to using candy bar smart devices with both Android and iOS operating systems for a long time, this time I was given the opportunity to try out this new compact foldable device from Samsung for myself, and I think I quite like it, although there are some issues that still plague this device.
Specifications and Design
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 5G
Inner Screen – 6.7″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, FHD+, 120Hz, HDR10+
Outer – 4.1″ Super AMOLED, 720 x 748, 60Hz
Samsung Exynos 2500 (3nm) Processor
1x 3.3GHz Cortex-X5 Chip
2x 2.74GHz Cortex-A725
5x 2.36GHz Cortex-A725
2x 1.8GHz Cortex-A520
Xclipse 950 Graphics Chip
12GB LPDDR5X RAM
Up to 512GB UFS 4.0 Internal Storage
50 Megapixel f/1.8 Main Camera, OIS
12 Megapixel f/2.2
Selfie Camera/Internal Camera 10 Megapixel f/2.2
4300mAh Battery
25W Wired Charging
Charging wireless 15W
SIM/Nano/5G Telephony
NFC Yes
Audio Jack No
Waterproof IP48
Scanning System Side fingerprint scanner
Selling Price RM4,399 (12/256 GB)
RM4,999 (12/512 GB)
In terms of device design, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 shows some significant differences when compared to the previous model. When the device is opened to its full size, it is seen to come with a 6.9-inch Foldable Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X screen display with a resolution of 1080 x 2520 pixels, a refresh rate of 120Hz and a brightness value of 2600 nits.
The Flex Window on the Z Flip7 device also now comes with a larger chassis. Samsung now packs a 4.1-inch Super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 948×1048 pixels and a refresh rate of 120Hz along with a brightness value of 2600 nits just like the main display, and both screens come with the latest Gorilla Glass Victus 2.
The Flex Window display also uses the entire back space of the main display which can be used to better use applications, especially with the Good Lock application which allows you to use various types of applications on the small display.
Like the previous device, the Z Flip7 device's power button also functions as a fingerprint scanner, and interestingly, the volume control button can now be used more precisely depending on the orientation of the device. This allows for more intuitive volume adjustments, regardless of whether you are using the main display or the Flex Window display.
If you are hesitant about NFC support, just like the previous model, the entire Flex Window display can be used for scanning the technology.
Speaking of these two displays, we also can't forget Samsung's latest display hinge technology, the Samsung Armor FlexHinge, which is used on this device, similar to what was shown on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7.
In addition to allowing this device to come with a thinner design, it also extends the lifespan of this device's fold and from what I can see, reduces the crease effect that can be seen on the main display when it is used.
I set the screen display to auto brightness, and through daily use, the crease effect is only visible when very bright light is emitted to the main display, showing a slight bend in the middle of the screen. It can also be felt when you move your finger in the middle of this display.
But other than that, the fold of this device's screen looks pretty neat, and there is no empty space in the middle. In my opinion, this is the best Z Flip device design so far.
One aspect that is maintained from the previous model is its camera system. Like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6, the Z Flip7 model retains the previous dual-camera system of 50MP f/1.8 and 12MP f/2.2.
Like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7, this smaller device comes with the Android 16 operating system with the latest OneUI 8 interface, where Samsung promises seven major operating system updates in the future, and this is very good for those who stay with the same device for years to come.
Moving on to the device specifications, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 is powered by the Samsung Exynos 2500 processor, and is the only Samsung device to use this processor. It is combined with 12GB of LPDDR5X memory and a 256GB storage option with no option to add storage. Depending on your usage pattern, the amount of storage offered will either be sufficient, or you will feel the constraints at a fast rate.
In terms of battery, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 comes with a 4300mAH battery, only 100mAH smaller when compared to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 and has a 25W wired charging speed using QuickCharge 2.0 technology and 15W wireless charging support.
Interface
The Samsung OneUI 8 interface in my opinion is quite neat, with various important functions easily accessible due to its slimmer design compared to many other devices.
One feature I didn't think I'd use often was the Edge Panel, a shortcut menu that houses a number of features like AI Select for taking screenshots of text in a language I don't understand and want a quick and easy translation of, and Now Brief which gives me a quick snapshot of what's going on around me and my and my colleagues' tasks for the day.
Edge Panel shortcuts can also be easily and quickly customized, giving you the option to access frequently used apps without having to scroll through the device's menu, if your main screen is already full of shortcuts for other apps.
Samsung also now makes it easy to change the design of the OneUI interface to a design you prefer, but I'm a little disappointed that the free options for this interface aren't as numerous as the paid options. That said, I understand that many of these designs come from the individuals who developed them, and not necessarily from Samsung itself.
Another new feature introduced on this device is Samsung DeX which allows you to connect this device to a screen display and allow it to be used as a computer.
Flex Screen
The new Flex Screen on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 is for me one of the two biggest updates to this device series. It finally comes with a display that fills the back of the main device when closed, and can now finally be said to be the main attraction of using this device.
However, when used straight out of the box, this Flex Screen display can only be used as a screen to display certain widgets. To take advantage of this 4.1-inch screen display “to the fullest” by using the applications that you have downloaded on this device, you will need to download the Good Lock application from the Samsung Store and then use the MultiStar function in the application to “activate” the use of the application.
To use the MultiStar function, you just need to go to the device settings menu, go to the Cover Screen settings and add the MultiStar feature as a widget to the Flex Screen. You can then add shortcuts to apps that are already installed on the device, and when you activate the Flex Screen display, those apps can be accessed and used directly from the MultiStar widget.
In addition, you can modify the aspect ratio of the apps displayed on the Flex Screen to make it easier to access menu options that may be located at the bottom of the app. This is another important aspect of convenience because the Z Flip7's camera lens may block access to certain menus in the app.
Among the apps that I often use with the Flex Screen are Youtube and Netflix for watching videos without needing the main display, WhatsApp and Telegram for a quick look at incoming messages (and also replying to them, if necessary) and also the Honkai Star Rail launcher for doing daily quests.
Camera
I can't say much about the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7's camera because it's the same camera system used on the previous Z Flip6 device. But since this is my first time using this series device, I will say that this camera system is one of the few things I don't like about this device.
The quality of the images produced by this device's camera depends on whether the subject you are capturing has sufficient lighting and the zoom number used. When the subject is in bright or bright conditions, and the amount of zoom used does not exceed 2X, the images taken are usually bright and sharp.
In dim or dark conditions, I would say that the quality of the photos taken drops off, is full of noise, and photos can rarely be taken in sharp condition.
When the amount of zoom exceeds the 2X figure, photos taken in bright conditions will become faded, lose color, and in dark conditions, the quality of the photos appears to be worse than before.
But for selfies, the Flex Cam mode makes taking square photos very easy, and the audio volume button can be used as a camera shutter button to make taking photos even easier. It can also be used as a “webcam” device for unique video calling or teleconferencing sessions.
User Experience
One of the reasons why I reviewed the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 device is to find out if I can live without using a smart device that comes with the most powerful processing chip on the market today.
I also wanted to try a unique device that does not come with a candy bar design, so when the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 came to our lab for review, I asked to test it.
After using it as my only smart device for a few weeks, I can say that it is a good device for everyday use. I will not deny that the folding function of the Z Flip7 device still seems like a gimmick to me, but it still has its own function.
Who doesn't like a small device that is easy to put in a pocket or handbag and doesn't take up much space? Or use the Flex Window screen display to watch video content with the device in a standing position without ruining the aspect ratio of the content, or to see incoming notifications at a glance?
One app that I did not expect to use often is Samsung Health. Combined with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 device (review to follow), this app gives me details about the exercise I did (a brisk walk on the treadmill), and will provide details such as walking speed, average heart rate, oxygen consumption and calories burned.
If you are just learning to run for short and medium distances, Samsung Health is also now introducing a Running Coach function that will help you start the learning process. This feature should be used in conjunction with the Samsung Galaxy Watch for the best experience.
In terms of performance, I would say that the Samsung Exynos 2500 processor chip used in this device is powerful enough for your daily use. Combined with the screen that has a high refresh rate, any scrolling done, productivity tasks or leisure tasks can all be done smoothly, regardless of whether through the main display or Flex Window.
However, this is not to say that this device does not have its own issues. If you do not like devices that become warm or hot in a short time, I have to say that this happens very often on the Z Flip7.
No matter what application is open, be it Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp or the camera application, if you use this device for more than two to three minutes, be prepared for the temperature of this device to rise quickly.
This issue can be felt the fastest when you use the camera system. This is not so surprising especially when you realize that the SoC and camera module are located between the two screens. Its thinness may have caused Samsung to not provide enough thermal insulation to prevent users from feeling how hot this device gets when used for more than a few minutes.
I also have an opinion on battery usage and charging, which I will explain below.
Battery
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 is equipped with a 4300mAH battery, only 100mAH lower than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7. If you read the reviews of the device, Effi has said that this battery capacity is not enough for daily use.
This is not surprising given that the device is powered by a very powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor chip, in addition to the use of a foldable screen display with a large size and resolution.
So how is the battery performance of the Galaxy Z Flip7 device? I can say that for this not very large battery capacity, this device has a high battery life. I give two usage scenarios, one is when I just go to the office and do daily tasks, and the other is when I need to go to an event location and do a report there.
In the first scenario, the device is only used for browsing the web, scrolling through social media platforms and watching YouTube/Netflix videos during lunch and dinner, and also for streaming songs via Spotify when driving to and from work.
For this scenario, I found that the device came with a screen-on time figure of 8-9 hours with around 20-30 percent battery remaining at the end of the night, around 9 pm.
In the second scenario, when I was going to any launch event etc., I would use a GPS app like Waze or Google Maps to find the fastest route to the event location, and then use the internet hotspot function to connect my laptop to the internet to write a report. For the whole day, the device usage was as usual.
For the second usage scenario, the device recorded a screen-on time usage of around seven hours, with 15-20 percent battery percentage remaining at 7-7.30pm. I once saw that my device's total screen-on time lasted only 5 hours and about 12 hours of full use, but that was only because I used the Google Maps app for two hours throughout the day.
For me, the battery life optimization done by Samsung for this device is very good in terms of all-day durability. Depending on your usage pattern, a full day of use is very easy to achieve, and there were no issues in terms of device performance.
However, one significant drawback of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 is its very slow charging power. Just like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7, this device only supports 25W wired charging, which in my opinion is very slow.
Yes, charging from almost empty to around 50 percent doesn't take that long, but if you want to charge your device to 100 percent, it will take about an hour and 30 minutes to do so.
I also don't recommend using this device for long periods of time while it's charging. If you're just scrolling through social media platforms or checking incoming messages, this is fine, but I wouldn't use this device to watch videos or use apps that require a lot of processing power while it's charging. The device gets very hot, and at one point all apps were forced to close because of this.
Benchmarks
Here are some benchmark scores for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 that we've tested.
Geekbench 6
PCMark Work 3.0
3DMark Wild Life Extreme
Antutu
What's in the Box
Here's what you'll get when you buy a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7:
1x Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7
1x USB Type-C charging cable
1x SIM Pin
1x Manual
Cover
If you want a compact, versatile device with cool gimmicks, I'd say the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 is a device that you should at least consider in your purchasing choices.
Samsung has upgraded the Flex Window display to fill the entire rear panel of the main display, optimizing battery life and is also the only Samsung device to use the Samsung Exynos 2500 processor chip which shows smooth performance for daily use.
For now, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 is the only new flip series device that has been launched in Malaysia. Technically, the Xiaomi MIX Flip 2 has already appeared in select markets, but Xiaomi Malaysia still has no plans to bring it to the local market, while OPPO is yet to show off their latest Find N Flip offering.
Pros:
Satisfactory device performance
Neat and not too prominent folding effect
Long battery life
Larger FlexWindow display
Excellent app and feature ecosystem
7+7 years of operating system update support.
Cons:
Slow charging
Old camera module
Quickly heats up