It is July, and just like last year. Samsung is back again to reveal the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 and Galaxy Z Flip7, but they aren’t the only foldable devices announced. Joining the lineup is the Galaxy Z Flip7 FE, marking the first time a Fan Edition has been introduced for a foldable device. And alongside the new foldables, the company also unveiled the latest Samsung Galaxy Watch8 series on the wearables side.
The main focus is, of course, on the Galaxy Z Fold7 and Galaxy Z Flip7. Samsung has largely only implemented minor changes for the foldable line over the last few years, but after getting some hands-on time with the two phones, I’m happy to say that this year’s lineup features more tangible changes that people can look forward to.
Galaxy Z Fold7
We’ve only recently seen the Galaxy S25 Edge be released just over a month ago, and while I would have thought that we would only see the slim innovations from it next year, we actually have that here with the Galaxy Z Fold7.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 is the company’s thinnest foldable phone yet, measuring just 8.9mm in width when folded and an astonishing 4.2mm when you have it unfolded. To put that into perspective, it is even slimmer than the aforementioned S25 Edge.
And, it is also lighter. It comes in at a featherlight 215 grams, which is even more lightweight than the flagship S25 Ultra. Suffice it to say, it feels good to hold the phone in hand and have it in the pocket. Samsung has slowly been slimming down the previous iterations over time, but they’ve still felt bulky. Now, having shaved off more than 3mm in width in its folded mode, this is a meaningful change.
That being said, thinner does not necessarily mean better. While I had the chance to play around with the Galaxy Z Fold7, I had a little bit of trouble trying to unfold the device. The slimness of the phone seemed to work against it, because I could not get a good finger grip to open the device as easily as the Fold6. Perhaps it is simply an issue of getting used to it, but I’ll need more time with it to tell.
Though the device has been made slimmer, Samsung has ensured that it stays tough. It has a new Armor FlexHinge system, which has been re-engineered to evenly distribute stress across the display. The display additionally uses Corning Gorrila Glass Ceremic2 and 50% thicker ultra-thin glass to ensure that the screen is less likely to be compromised.
Samsung has also found some space to increase the size of the outer display. It is now 11% larger than the Fold6 and hits the 8-inch mark for the first time. With the new 21:9 aspect ratio, it’s a huge screen to have, and I’m quietly curious to see how they can manage to make it even bigger for future iterations.
Another notable update is the camera. Now, the Galaxy Z Fold7 finally gets the 200-megapixel sensor seen on the Ultra phones for its main camera. The Fold always seemed to lag behind in camera specs despite being the ‘flagship’ foldable, but now we have parity.
And last on the list of big spec upgrades, Samsung has equipped the Galaxy Z Fold7 with the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chip for the processor. The new chip is expected to provide an increase in performance with the device, particularly for battery efficiency, since the Fold7 unfortunately keeps the same 4,400mAh battery capacity from last year.
AI was once again highlighted at the preview session, with Gemini Live arriving on the device to provide multimodal capabilities. And since the Fold offers a much larger screen than typical phones, there are some cool things you can do to take advantage of the AI features. For instance, when using Photo Assist to edit a photo, the bigger display is able to show a side-by-side comparison. Multi-tasking using Gemini Live was also demonstrated by a Samsung representative, showcasing the efficiency benefits of having more on the screen.
Galaxy Z Flip7 and Galaxy Z Fold7 FE
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 also receives a marked change from its predecessor, now featuring an all-new FlexWindow display.
Its new 4.1-inch FlexWindow display is the largest cover screen yet on the Flip series and comes with a razor-thin 1.25 bezel. Now, Samsung can finally say that the screen is edge-to-edge, and it certainly looks the sleekest it has ever been. With the added space, the device is now able to fit more elements like the Now Bar and Now Brief (which was introduced in the S25 series). Though the cover screen remains at a peak brightness of 2,600 nits, it does have a Vision Booster feature to enhance outdoor visibility.
Similarly, Samsung has also managed to slim down the device. When folded, the Galaxy Z Flip7 measures just 13.7mm, which makes an insanely portable phone even more so. Notably, the Armor FlexHinge system is thinner than the previous generation and has a restructured design for smoother folds and longer durability.
There are a couple of other highlights to round up the changes for the Galaxy Z Flip7. We got a bump up in battery capacity for last year’s phone, and it is the same for this year, with the device now carrying a 4,300mAh battery – rated for up to 31 hours of video play time on a single charge. Also, unlike the Fold7, the Flip7 is using an Exynos 2500 chip instead of the Snapdragon 8 Elite, at least for the Singapore release.
The camera system stays the same as last year, though there are some new photography features added to the Flip7. The previous year introduced Auto Zoom onto the phone, and now there is a new Zoom Slider feature for the cover screen that lets users quickly zoom in or out with just a simple swipe. Gemini Live can also be accessed directly on the FlexWindow, which enables real-time help like previewing what you are wearing on the screen and asking Gemini if the outfit is suitable for the weather.
That’s the highlights from the Galaxy Z Flip7, but now we also have a new Flip phone with the Galaxy Z Fold7 FE.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much I can really say about the device. It is very similar to the Galaxy Z Fold6, though it does come with the latest Android 15 and One UI 8. If price was always a stumbling block for getting into the Flip series, the FE version may seem like a viable option. Though it also begs the question—why not just get last year’s device?
Galaxy Watch8 Series
We’re also getting new wearables with the Galaxy Watch8 series. Just like the new foldable phones, the Watch8 lineup is now slimmer than ever, featuring a sleeker profile that has been re-engineered to be 11% thinner than last year’s watches. It also uses a Dynamic Lug system that helps fit the watch more snugly on the wrist, making it more comfortable for wearing and also helps in making health-tracking more accurate.
Usability-wise, you can look forward to a brighter display face—the peak brightness is now 3,000 nits, which is 50% brighter than before. It also has 8% larger battery that should enable extended usage.
Those are the big hardware and spec upgrades, but the Galaxy Watch8 series also features some new health features for people to utilise. For those who already use sleep-tracking, the new Bedtime Guidance gives more detailed insights by measuring users’ circadian rhythm. Not only does it detect issues like sleep apnea (which is new for Singapore), it also helps suggest optimal time windows to sleep so that you can get a better sleep experience.
While we are still on sleep-tracking, the Vascular Load feature tracks the stress levels on the vascular system during sleep. As the high vascular load can lead to future heart disease, the feature helps alert users to any abnormalities and suggests changes to reduce the risk.
The Galaxy Watch8 series also introduces Antioxidant Index as a new health feature. By simply placing your finger on the bottom sensor, the Watch8 measures your carotenoid levels. Based on the results, it gives suggestions on food and lifestyle choices to help you manage it well. Samsung was not able to confirm the accuracy level of the feature, but it does sound uniquely interesting to try out.
Finally, on the fitness front, Running Coach makes running even more accessible to users. It first calculates your fitness level from 1 to 10 before developing a tailored training plan that gives real-time feedback and motivational comments to push you to your goals.
Samsung has also collaborated with Google to bring Gemini to the watches, and the Galaxy Watch8 series is the first smartwatch line to have it out of the box. And with Gemini, there are more hands-free opportunities with voice commands, letting users quickly access apps or multitask on the go.
Availability in Singapore
All the devices mentioned—Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7, Galaxy Z Flip7, Galaxy Z Fold7 FE, and the Galaxy Watch8 series—will be widely available for purchase on 1 August 2025.
Pre-orders are now open as well, and you can make your orders for the devices at the retail Samsung Experience Store, Samsung Online Store, or their Official Stores on the following platforms: Lazada, Shopee, TikTok, KrisShop, iShopChangi.
The Galaxy Z Fold7 will start at S$2,698, with Blue Shadow, Jetblack, and Silver Shadow as the available colour options. The Galaxy Z Flip7 is priced starting at S$1,648 and comes with colour variants in Blue Shadow, Coralred, and Jetblack. Finally, the Galaxy Z Flip7 FE retails at a base of S$1,348, with Black and White as the two available colour schemes. The Samsung Online Store has an exclusive Mint colourway for the Galaxy Z Fold7 and Galaxy Z Flip7.
As for the Galaxy Watch8 series, the regular Galaxy Watch8 has 40mm and 44mm models to choose from, priced starting at S$498 and S$548 respectively. They come in Graphite or Silver options. Meanwhile, the 46mm Galaxy Watch8 Classic starts at S$698, with Black and White as the colourways available. Lastly, the Galaxy Watch Ultra retails at S$988 and comes with Titanium Grey, Titanium Silver, Titanium White, and a new Titanium Blue variant.
So that has been the latest foldable and wearable lineup from Samsung. It is the biggest update we’ve gotten for the Fold and Flip line in a long time, and I’ll be interested to find out how meaningful the changes are for the devices.
Photos by Russell Loh of the DANAMIC Team.
