From AI chips to larger displays, new foldable phones deliver flagship upgrades with modest price hikes
Samsung Electronics unveiled its new slimmer, lighter and even more advanced artificial intelligence-powered foldable phones -- the Galaxy Z Flip7 and Z Fold7 -- in New York on Wednesday. It marks the first time in three years that the Korean tech giant has held an unveiling event in the US city since the release of the Galaxy Z Flip4 and Fold4 in August 2022.
As the venue for the biggest product launch in the latter half of this year, Samsung chose Duggal Greenhouse in Brooklyn, inviting some 1,200 journalists and industry people from around the globe. The site regularly hosts major fashion shows and auto shows.
“The Galaxy Z Flip7 combines a compact design with powerful mobile AI features. The Galaxy Z Fold7 merges advanced hardware with AI to deliver the most sophisticated smartphone experience ever introduced by Samsung,” said Roh Tae-moon, acting head of the Device eXperience division.
The vertically folding Galaxy Z Flip7 is the first in the series to feature a 4.1-inch cover screen, called the Flex Window, an upgrade from its predecessor‘s 3.4-inch cover screen. It boasts a slimmer 1.25-millimeter bezel and measures 13.7mm thick when folded, with a lightweight design at 188 grams -- maximizing portability and ease of use.
For the first time in the Z Flip series, the device is equipped with a powerful 4,300 milliampere-hour battery paired with Samsung‘s latest 3-nanometer processor. It also supports Samsung DeX, allowing users to seamlessly connect the Z Flip7 to external display devices for enhanced productivity.
Camera capabilities have also seen a major upgrade. The Z Flip7 features a 50-megapixel wide-angle camera and a 12MP ultra-wide dual camera system. With real-time filters and the dual preview function -- allowing simulaneous preview on both the cover and main displays -- users can capture high-quality selfies with ease.
The horizontally-folding Galaxy Z Fold7 is the slimmest and lightest model in the Galaxy Z Fold lineup, measuring 8.9mm when folded and 4.2mm when unfolded, and weighing 215 grams.
The device boasts Samsung’s largest smartphone display yet -- a main 8.0-inch screen that is 11 percent larger than its predecessor. It also features a 6.5-inch cover display with a ratio of 21:9, offering a user experience comparable to traditional bar-type smartphones even when folded.
A newly introduced Armor Flex Hinge enhances durability by evenly distributing external impacts while maintaining a sleek profile. The main display is reinforced with a titanium layer, further boosting structural integrity.
Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset, the Z Fold7 delivers a 41 percent improvement in neural processing unit performance, 38 percent in central processing unit performance and 26 percent in graphics processing unit performance compared to the previous generation -- ensuring top-tier speed and efficiency for demanding tasks.
The Z Fold7 is also equipped with a 200MP wide-angle camera, offering a professional-grade photography experience typical of the high-end Ultra models of Samsung‘s flagship Galaxy S series smartphones. Additionally, a 100-degree ultra-wide selfie camera allows users to easily capture high-quality shots with minimal effort.
The Galaxy Z Flip7 and Z Fold7 will be released in Korea on July 25, with seven-day preorders starting Tuesday.
The price tag of the Z Flip7 ranges between 1.49 million won ($1,085) and 1.64 million won depending on the amount of storage, while the Z Fold7 is priced between 2.38 million won and 2.93 million won.
Color options for the Z Flip7 are blue shadow, coral red and jet black, while the Z Fold7 will be available in blue shadow, silver shadow and jet black. For both models, a mint color will be available for customers who purchase the phones at the company’s online shopping mall or at Samsung Gangnam, its flagship store in southern Seoul.
At Wednesday’s event, Samsung also debuted its thinnest smartwatches -- the Galaxy Watch8 and Galaxy Watch8 Classic.
Compared to its predecessor, the Galaxy Watch7, the new model is 11 percent slimmer and boasts a display brightness of up to 3,000 nits -- 50 percent brighter than the previous generation. The Galaxy Watch8 models also become the first smartwatches to feature an antioxidant index function. Users can measure their carotenoid levels -- an indicator of antioxidant presence -- in five seconds.
Pricing for the Galaxy Watch8 models varies based on size and connectivity options, ranging from 419,000 won to 489,500 won. The Galaxy Watch8 Classic is priced between 569,000 won and 599,500 won.
yeeun@heraldcorp.com
