Kalakshar US

Once again, it’s time for Samsung’s mid-year Galaxy foldable showcase. Over the last 10 years, Samsung gave us curved edges, curved screens, and then screens that fold (both ways). While we’re still waiting for that rumored tri-fold Galaxy, Samsung has primed two new Flip foldables, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and (surprise!) the Z Flip 7 FE. 

First, there’s the Galaxy Z Flip 7. This year, the biggest change is a larger 4.1-inch second display with cutouts for the dual cameras. This occupies the entire front surface of the device and is a considerable increase from the 3.4-inch display of last year’s Z Flip 6. (It also looks a lot like Moto’s most recent foldable.)

The Flex Window is also better in almost every way. It can reach peak brightness levels of 2,600 nits (matching the S25 Ultra), has a 120Hz refresh rate and the thinnest bezel yet (1.25mm) of any Samsung smartphone. The front screen is a significant improvement over the Z Flip 6, but refinements also extend to the main display.

Samsung has expanded the primary internal screen to 6.9 inches, up from 6.4 inches. It’s now in the more typical smartphone display ratio of 21:9. Previous Flips had a more elongated screen, making it harder to paw at the upper corners. This means video content fits better, too.

What about the crease? Well, in person, it looks the same as last year’s phones, and, interestingly, Samsung isn’t hyping some hard-to-measure crease visibility metric. I did chuckle when the company said that it made the main screen’s ultra-thin glass “50 percent thicker.” The wording’s clunky, but it points to Samsung’s continued focus on improving toughness and longevity. The Flip 7 now has a new waterproof coating beneath the glass and AMOLED display. Once again, the hinge has been further strengthened.

And yet, the Flip 7 is thinner than last year’s model. It measures 6.4mm (0.25 inches) thick, down from 6.9mm. That’s equal to the Galaxy S25 edge, where the major selling point was its thinness. I shouldn’t have to say, but that thickness doubles when you fold it away – Samsung says it’s 13.7mm (0.54 inches) when closed. However you measure it, this is the thinnest Flip yet.

Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, Z Flip 7, Z Flip 6, side by side comparison.

Despite less space, Samsung has increased the battery up to 4,300mAh, 300mAh more than the Z Flip 6.

Samsung is addressing our issues with its recent Flip foldables. It’s also delivered solid battery life on nearly every device it has launched in the last year or so. The company also mentioned that the Flip 7 packs a new 3nm processor, the company’s own Exynos 2500 chip.

This is intriguing: last year’s foldables featured the powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy that delivered impressive battery life. I’m interested in seeing whether Samsung’s latest silicon delivers similar performance and efficiency.

While Samsung has equipped the Z Fold 7 with a new sensor, the Flip 7 essentially matches last year’s model, featuring a 50-megapixel primary camera with 2X optical zoom and a 12MP ultra-wide secondary camera. This year, the Flip 7 can record video in 10-bit HDR, up from 8-bit, resulting in richer colors for those seeking even more polished video from their smartphone.

Camera controls have been refined to better suit the Flex Display on the front. There’s now a zoom slider for smoother video punch-ins and more broadly, an interface tidy-up. If you’re into using Samsung’s built-in photo filters, the Flip 7 will show live previews in each filter before you even choose one. Some of my favorite software features introduced on the Z Flip 6, auto-zoom and auto-frame, are back once again in the Flip 7. While the Flip is closed, the cameras can detect and track users, zooming in and out to focus on the subject automatically.

Software-wise, Samsung is folding in the Gemini AI smarts and Now Brief features that debuted in the S25 series. As a refresher, it’s Samsung’s rival take on the iPhone’s Dynamic Island. It’ll present health information, music and video controls and live updates from supported apps like Uber. It’s a perfect fit for the Flip, with its small glanceable screen. Similarly, you can now chat to Google’s Gemini Live AI assistant without unfurling the phone.

As I mentioned in my review of the Galaxy S25, the appeal of the Now Brief and Bar depends on how frequently you use it. Hopefully — and I’ve asked Samsung to confirm this — transferring data between Galaxy devices should include the profile and information used to populate these two features. With the Flip 7, you can tap into the Now Bar without opening the phone.

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 has a more typical 16:9 screen ratio.

Samsung is also adding weekly updates to your Now Briefing, although it was hard to discern from the demo devices earlier this week whether that would be future-facing summaries of your schedule or more of a what-you-did-last-week summary of the week that’s already happened – it’s something we’ll be testing during review.

There isn’t much new functionality for the larger 4.1-inch secondary screen, which is a shame. In this regard, Motorola still manages to offer more with its flip phones.

The Flip 7 is also the first Flip device to support mouse and keyboard peripherals, which means, yes, Samsung Dex is back. It never left. And Samsung will continue to tell us all about it. If you want to plug your foldable into a giant monitor, you can now do that.

There’s also the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, priced at $900, with a 6.7-inch main display and a 3.4-inch Flex Window on the front. And if you think it looks and sounds familiar, you’re right. This is almost entirely the Galaxy Z Flip 6 with a new name. The only significant aesthetic change is that the Z Flip 7 FE lacks the metal accents on the cameras. The only meaningful spec change is an Exynos chip, replacing the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy.

The Z Flip 7 FE has a 50MP primary camera and 12MP ultra-wide, with a 10MP camera once it’s unfolded. The FE does a good job of showcasing how much thinner the Z Flip 7 is and how much better that full-width cover display looks, but those aren’t great selling points in and of themselves. The timing sucks, too: in Amazon’s Prime Day sale, the Z Flip 6 is $800. That’s $100 less than this “new” entry-level foldable, which is almost identical.

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 will launch at the same price as its predecessor, at $1,100. It’ll come in multiple colors: a very handsome dark blue, red and the usual monochrome black and white options. There will also be a mint color, available as an online exclusive. Preorders open today, with devices shipping on July 25.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsung-galaxy-z-flip-7-hands-on-bigger-screens-bigger-battery-better-foldable-140008222.html?src=rss 

Pre-release leaks may have spoiled most of the surprises Samsung had up its sleeve for Wednesday’s Unpacked event, but there were still some interesting details to gleam from the presentation. For example, we knew the Galaxy Z Fold 7 would be Samsung’s thinnest foldable ever, but now we know part of the reason for that is because the company dropped S Pen support. Samsung also announced updates to its family of Galaxy Watch devices. Here’s everything the company had to share at the latest Galaxy Unpacked.

Galaxy Z Fold 7

Samsung kicked Unpacked off with its new flagship foldable for 2025, the Galaxy Z Fold 7. After six previous iterations, the company has arrived at its thinnest foldable phone yet, with the new device measuring 8.9mm thick when closed and 4.2mm unfolded. If you’re curious, at its thickest the Z Fold 7 is only 0.7mm thicker than the S25 Ultra, and 26 percent thinner than the previous Fold. The new handset is also Samsung’s lightest foldable yet, weighing in at just 215 grams.

Despite the glow up, Samsung says the Z Fold 7 is also more durable than its predecessors, thanks to the inclusion of a new grade four titanium layer and a redesigned FlexHinge that should make the display crease on the Z Fold 7 less prominent. Speaking of the display, it’s now 8 inches big, up from 7.6 inches previously.

Internally, the new phone features Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and a 4,400mAh battery. Samsung has dropped S Pen support, claiming stylus use on the Z Fold 6 was “really low,” and part of the reason the new foldable is so slim is that the company was free to remove the digitizer that was needed to process stylus inputs. Storage starts at 256GB, with 512GB and 1TB configurations available.

In addition to being thin, the Z Fold 7 offers Samsung’s best phone camera to date. The foldable has a massive 200-megapixel main sensor. It also comes with a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom and a 12MP ultrawide. The company has once again tweaked the inside camera. It’s no longer under the screen and offers a wider 100-degree field of view with 10MP of resolution. For selfies, Samsung has once again gone with a 10MP sensor above the phone’s cover screen. Rounding things out, the company has updated its visual engine to support 10-bit HDR capture.

Pre-orders for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 start today, with general availability to follow on July 25. Pricing starts at $2,000. At launch, Samsung will offer the phone in three colors: blue shadow, jet black and silver shadow. Samsung will also exclusively carry the phone in a mint color. The Z Fold 7 will ship with Android 16 out of the box.

Galaxy Z Flip 7

Samsung’s clamshell foldable has also received some upgrades. The new Galaxy Z Flip 7 has a 4.1-inch edge-to-edge FlexWindow display with 1.25mm bezels. That’s good enough to give it the thinnest display bezel on any Samsung phone. Additionally, the new screen offers a 120Hz refresh rate and 2,600 nits of peak brightness. It also works with Google Gemini, along with Samsung’s own suite of AI features, including Now Bar and Now Brief.

On the inside, Samsung has increased the size of the main screen for the first time. It’s now 6.9 inches, up from 6.7 inches on the Z Flip 6. For context, that’s the same size as the screen on the S25+. Samsung has also equipped the Z Flip 7 with a larger 4,300mAh battery. The entire phone offers improved water protection compared to its predecessor, and the new Armor FlexHinge should better protect the internal display against unsightly creasing.

Now, I’m sure this will upset some people, but Samsung has decided to spec the Z Fold 7 with one of its in-house chipsets, the Exynos 2500, instead of a Qualcomm Snapdragon. I know what you’re thinking, but the company’s recent processors have been great — the Exynos 2400e was the best part of the S24 FE.

For photos and video, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 has a 50MP main camera, supported by a 12MP ultra-wide. For self-portraits, you can use either the main camera or the 10MP camera selfie camera found on the inside of the phone. Like the Z Fold 7, Samsung has updated the Z Flip 7’s camera engine to support 10-bit HDR capture.

The Z Flip 7 is available to pre-order today. It comes in three colors – coral red, blue shadow and jet black — and two storage configurations — 256GB and 512GB. As with the Z Fold 7, Samsung will also exclusively carry the phone in a mint color. Pricing starts at $1,100.

Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE

If the high cost of Samsung’s foldables has kept you from buying one in the past, this year Samsung is trying to offer a more affordable way to enter the ecosystem. I say it’s trying because at $900 the Z Flip 7 FE is still a nearly $1,000 phone. For that price, you get what is last year’s Z Flip 6 with an Exynos 2400 processor and a smaller 3,700mAh battery. The design of the new model doesn’t include any of the flourishes found on the Z Flip 7, including the edge-to-edge Flex Window display or the larger internal screen. For what it’s worth, Samsung’s Galaxy AI suite is included in the package.

Storage on the FE starts at 128GB. Samsung will also sell a 256GB variant for those who need more space. This being an FE model, colors to just two: white and black. Like all of its siblings, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE is available to pre-order today, and expected to hit store shelves on July 25

Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic

As expected, Samsung has also updated its wearable line for 2025. Starting with the Galaxy Watch 8, it now features a thinner design reminiscent of last year’s Galaxy Watch Ultra. Like with that device, Samsung has gone with a squircle form factor. There’s also a new lug system for changing out straps. As mentioned, the new watch is also thinner. In this case, it’s 11 percent smaller than its predecessor. Despite the size reduction, the Galaxy Watch 8 offers better battery life, thanks to the inclusion of larger power cells on both the 40mm and 44mm models. The former has a 325mAh battery while the latter has a 435mAh one. A new AMOLED display offers 3,000 nits of peak brightness to make the watch easier to read in harsh sunlight. Samsung has also improved the Watch 8’s ingress protection. The wearable’s case is rated 5ATM and IP68-certified against water and dust.

As for software, the Galaxy Watch 8 will ship with Wear OS 6 out of the box, making it the first Samsung wearable to offer the new operating system. Included in the update is Google’s Gemini assistant, which, thanks to AI, can better understand better natural language. New to the entire Galaxy Watch family is a feature that Samsung claims can accurately measure the antioxidant levels in your blood. To use the tool, you’ll need to take the Galaxy Watch 8 off your wrist and place the device’s heart rate scanner on your thumb.

The Galaxy Watch 8 Classic offers all of the enhancements found on the base model alongside the rotating bezel the Classic series is known for. This year, Samsung plans to only offer the Watch 8 Classic in a single 46mm size. That model comes with a 445mAh battery.

Samsung is probably holding off on a proper Watch Ultra update for 2025. Instead, the company has announced a new SKU of the wearable that has 64GB of internal storage and the lug system found on its siblings.

Pricing for the Galaxy Watch 8 series starts at $350. The Watch 8 Classic will cost $500 and $550 for the Wi-Fi and cellular models respectively. The entire family is available to pre-order today and will hit retail more broadly on July 25.

Samsung Wallet gets Buy Now Pay Later support

Samsung also updated some of its software features this Unpacked, and one piece of news that might get overlooked is something coming to Samsung Wallet. After launching a Tap to Transfer feature last year and announcing Instant Installment in January this year, the company is sharing today that its Buy Now Pay Later service is launching with the Fold 7.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/galaxy-unpacked-2025-everything-samsung-announced-including-the-z-fold-7-z-flip-7-and-galaxy-watch-8-140023487.html?src=rss 

Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 are the first phones to ship out of the box loaded with Android 16. Similarly, the company’s new Watch 8 Series will be the first to launch already running Google’s Wear OS 6. That means Watch 8 is the first wearable to have Google’s Gemini LLM ready to go the moment you switch it on, allowing you to ask the AI questions straight from your wrist. 

Google and Samsung are also upgrading Gemini Live so that it can be accessed on the external screen of the Z Flip 7. And thanks to updates rolling out to Gemini in general, you’ll be able to use your camera and ask it about what you’re seeing in real time while your Flip 7 is in Flex Mode. Gemini Live’s new camera sharing feature will also be accessible from the Flip 7’s external screen, so you can point the phone’s camera at something and get answers from the AI without having to open your phone. Take note that Gemini Live now supports more Samsung apps, including Samsung Calendar, Notes and Reminders. 

The new foldables are getting Google’s new Circle to Search updates, as well, including AI Mode. When you long press the home screen or the navigation bar on Samsung’s new phones and circle something on screen, you’ll get AI responses and will be able to ask follow-up questions. Circle to Search is also getting a feature called gaming help, which can help you with gaming questions while playing on mobile. You can encircle a character in the game to identify it, for instance, or get tips and strategies when you’re stuck. 

Of course, Google’s Gemini upgrades are coming to other devices, as well. Google has announced that Gemini on Wear OS is rolling out to all Pixel Watch users, and if you have a Pixel phone, you’re getting access to Google’s Veo 3 video generator. You’ll even get a full year of the company’s AI Pro subscription at no cost, as long as you have a Pixel 9 Pro. Finally, the new Circle to Search capabilities are also coming to Pixel phones. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-galaxy-z-fold-7-and-z-flip-7-are-the-first-phones-to-launch-with-android-16-140025335.html?src=rss 

Do you even antioxidant bruh? Samsung’s latest smartwatch can help answer that question and provide receipts, should you need it. The Galaxy Watch 8 series, which the company unveiled at its Unpacked event today, comes with a new test that uses existing optical sensors to gauge the level of antioxidants in your body. That’s present in both the standard Watch 8 as well as the new Watch 8 Classic, which comes with the rotating bezel that has historically been popular with Samsung smartwatch fans.

The Watch 8 is also what Samsung calls “the thinnest Watch 8 ever,” which I think is supposed to mean it’s the slimmest Galaxy Watch to date. Despite the smaller profile, the Watch 8 also has bigger batteries, a new “dynamic lug system” for its bands, as well as other hardware tweaks like a brighter screen and a possibly polarizing “cushion design.”

Gemini comes to the Galaxy Watch 8 series

The Galaxy Watch 8 series is the first to launch with Wear OS 6 out of the box. With that, it’s also getting support for Google’s Gemini AI assistant. Theoretically, this means Gemini can do on the Watch 8 what it can on your phone. But at the large, busy demo area where I checked out the new watches this week, the Gemini integration was laggy at best.

Using the prompt suggested by Samsung’s reps. I asked Gemini to tell me “two cool things to do in New York City.” There was a noticeable multi-second pause before the Watch 8 Classic I was testing registered the request and showed the words on its screen. It then took another second or so for the answer to be displayed (we have a video of this sluggishness, check it out below).

To its credit, Gemini’s answers were fairly accurate, depending on your definition of “cool.” For example, it recommended the High Line park and an observation deck at Top of the Rock as candidates. But when Samsung reps and I followed up with “Add that to Samsung Notes” or “Add that to Google Tasks,” both of which are apps the assistant is supposed to be able to interact with, the system never completed either action. On one attempt, Gemini said I would first need to connect Google Workspace to the device, while on another try I got a more general error message. 

It’s most likely the demo units were either failing due to spotty Wi-Fi or not set up for certain apps, and we’ll need to properly test Gemini on a review unit in the real world to see how responsive and effective it actually is.

Preview of the new antioxidant test on the Galaxy Watch 8

Of all the new features coming to the Galaxy Watch 8 series, I was most intrigued by the antioxidant test. It doesn’t require specialized hardware and uses what appear to be the same optical sensors that were on previous Galaxy watches. You do need to remove the watch from your wrist and place your thumb on the heart rate scanner on the underside, though, so this is definitely a test that can’t passively track data in the background.

Samsung says this should help you “gain insight into the accumulated antioxidants in your skin,” and you’ll receive recommendations on how to improve your score and tips on adopting healthier habits. The company said this uses its “bioactive sensor” to measure carotenoid levels so you can “make informed lifestyle choices,” and cautions in fine print that this isn’t intended for medical use. My ears twitched at the mention of “antioxidants,” which I assume is the effect Samsung was hoping for. They’re nutrients like Vitamin C and Vitamin E, and are generally considered to be good for health.

I was frankly shocked and borderline offended to find out that in all three tests I ran on a demo unit of the Watch 8 Classic, my antioxidant index number was “very low.” I scored 38, 41 and 39 on a scale of one to 100.

To run the test, you have to open the Samsung Health app on the watch and scroll all the way to the third tile from the bottom to launch it. From there, you just have to tap the “Measure” button, swipe through three pages of guidance and then flip the watch around to put your thumb on it.

As the Watch suggested, I made sure my thumb covered the entire sensor and felt a quick vibration quickly after. I continued to hold my finger in place until the device buzzed more aggressively, which was a cue that the reading was complete. The process, after I placed my thumb on the sensor, took only about five seconds. I did find that my score jumped from 38 to 41 when I made sure to leave my finger firmly on the scanner for the full five seconds.

You can see your result on the Watch 8 (and this test requires a Watch 8 to work, which is possibly sad news for those who have older Galaxy watches). The Samsung Health on your phone can provide more information, and I noticed that the Z Flip 7 my Watch 8 unit was connected to was responding in tandem when I started a test. A small panel popped up on the phone’s screen, and the results appeared on both devices at the same time.

Over on the phone, I tapped various parts of the screen to find more details on my performance, but nothing responded until I tried the small info icon to the top right of my score. This brought up a page with paragraphs of information titled “About antioxidant index.” It explained what “free radicals and oxidative stress” were, saying the harmful unstable molecules were exacerbated by “unhealthy lifestyle habits” like smoking, heavy drinking, overeating and stress.

It also included the World Health Organization’s recommended daily intake of fruit and vegetables, as well as a table explaining all the possible ranges of results on Samsung’s Antioxidant Index. The company said these numbers are based on analysis of “clinical trials at Samsung Seoul Hospital.”

Surprisingly, the highest level is simply “Adequate” while those with levels below 75 get assigned “Low” (74 to 50) or “Very Low” (below 50). A footnote clarifies that “the above criteria may be adjusted based on future clinical results,” and this index doesn’t appear to be a scale used in non-Samsung medical settings.

I’m not sure if my low number is the result of a lack of antioxidants or a high level of stress, but it’s certainly motivated me to eat more vegetables (I already consume a fair amount of fruit). I’ll need more time with a review unit to see if changes to my diet will make any difference and whether the feature actually is effective at motivating longterm consistent lifestyle change.

What else is new on the Galaxy Watch 8 series?

I’ll also have to spend more than an hour with the Watch 8 series to know how I feel about the updated interface, but my early impressions are positive. This was my first interaction with Wear OS 6, and while I’m not sure how much of the tweaks are exclusive to Samsung’s One UI overlay, I have to say the seemingly larger tiles and rearrangement of how information is displayed made the screen feel roomier. One thing I can say is certainly a Samsung tweak is the Now Bar, which sat at the bottom of the home screen. I didn’t interact with it much during my time with the demo unit, but so far it seems to display too little information at a glance to be very helpful.

New design and lug system

Most of the other updates I was able to check out at the hands-on event were related to the hardware. I have to admit I wasn’t a fan of the so-called “cushion design” when I saw pictures of the Watch 8, which basically looks like a round screen encased in an aluminum squircle (squarish circle or round square?). The same goes for the Watch 8 Classic, except that its rotating bezel is large enough to hide some of the metallic case around the watch face, and it has markings in the bezel to denote time.

In person, I didn’t mind the new look as much, and was actually quite taken by the Watch 8’s thinness. At 8.6mm thick, this model is 11 percent slimmer than the Watch 7. Plus, Samsung says it improved the strap’s angle using a “dynamic lug system,” which makes it easier to swap out different bands and minimizes the gap between the watch and your wrist. Altogether, the company says these changes result in “11 percent more accurate heart rate tracking.”

Do I think the idea makes sense in theory? Yes. Do I also find the multiple occurrences of “11 percent” suspicious? Extremely so. I’ll grant that coincidences can happen, and numbers like 11 percent don’t really mean anything, so I won’t get too skeptical about that right now. I will say it’s also very convenient (and weird) that Samsung said in a briefing that the improved “pressure uniformity” makes for a 12 percent increase in comfort, as if that’s something you can quantify.

Now, the button to release the watch straps is on the case itself rather than the bands, which gives me a firmer backing to push against. But I could see it being an adjustment for those who have gotten used to pushing down on the strap and pulling away. You’ll have to buy new bands if you’re upgrading to the Watch 8 or Watch 8 Classic, though, since the system won’t be compatible with older straps or devices. That’s mildly annoying, especially when you consider that companies like Apple and Google generally make their bands compatible with new and old models.

Watch 8 Classic’s rotating bezel and other hardware tweaks

I also want to shout out the Watch 8 Classic’s rotating bezel, which looks more like a toothed gear than that on the Watch 6 Classic. When I tried spinning it to scroll through apps on the new Classic and its predecessor (there wasn’t a Watch 7 Classic), I found the later model slightly stiffer, but it wasn’t sluggish or difficult to use. I remain a fan of the mechanical bezel as a way to interact with Wear OS.

I’ll run through a few quick hardware specs for the Watch 8: it comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes. These will have batteries that are 325mAh and 435mAh respectively, representing an 8 percent increase over the previous generation. Both versions of the Watch 8 have displays that are 50 percent brighter than before, up to 3,000 nits. The same goes for the Watch 8 Classic, which is only available in a 46mm model and has a 445mAh battery. Finally, across the lineup, the devices have what Samsung says is a durable Armor Aluminum 2 frame, and are rated 5ATM and IP68 for water (and dust) resistance, as well as MIL-STD-810H.

Software, fitness and health updates I didn’t get to test

I didn’t get to test some other new software features coming to the Watch 8 series, including vascular load insights, running guidance and bedtime suggestions. Vascular load requires you wear the watch overnight and it tracks your heart health while you sleep. Samsung says it will provide insight into your sleep, exercise and stress, and make suggestions for bringing down your vascular load

Meanwhile, after you’ve worn the watch for at least two nights in a row, the Watch 8 can recommend an ideal bedtime, based on sleep and activity patterns. According to Samsung, prompts to get ready for bed will be delivered on the watch about two hours prior to the suggested window, so you’ll have ample time to wind down.

Of course, I didn’t spend that much time with the demo units, so I can’t say how accurate or effective they are. I also didn’t use the Watch 8 enough to check out the running guidance feature, but it sounds similar to existing versions across the smartwatch ecosystem. In fact, based on Samsung’s description, it’s most reminiscent of the Workout Buddy that Apple recently announced for watchOS 26. Both will offer motivational messages, insights and real-time feedback during your workout. Apple’s does support more types of exercises, though, including biking, strength training and HIIT. It’s also unclear whether Samsung’s version will analyze your past workouts for the insights it delivers.

After years of incremental updates, it’s nice to see a fairly significant set of changes coming to the Galaxy Watch series. As usual, I recommend waiting till we’re able to review these in the real world before spending your money, but if you’ve already decided to get one, you won’t have long to wait. The Watch 8 will start at $349.99 and $379.99 for the 40mm and 44mm (Wi-Fi only) models, while the Watch 8 Classic will cost $499.99 and $549.99 for the Wi-Fi and LTE versions respectively. All are available for pre-order today and will retail more broadly on July 25.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/samsung-galaxy-watch-8-hands-on-new-look-new-ai-and-new-antioxidants-140039472.html?src=rss 

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold line has been treading water for a couple generations. But that’s changing in a big way at today’s Unpacked event with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 boasting a dramatically thinner design, new cameras and an even larger flexible display.

For 2025, Samsung has significantly decreased its latest flagship foldable’s weight and thickness. Compared to the previous model, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is 26 percent thinner, measuring just 8.9mm when folded (or 4.2mm unfolded) versus 12.1mm for the Z Fold 6. Meanwhile, the Fold 7’s heft has dropped to just 215 grams, which is down 24 grams from its predecessor.

Now I’ve said before that the single-minded quest to make thinner phones is relatively pointless, but that’s mostly when it comes to standard candybar-style glass bricks. That’s because for larger devices, like those in the Z Fold line, more streamlined dimensions can make a big difference. And with the Z Fold 7, Samsung has created a device that’s essentially the same weight and thickness as the Galaxy S25 Ultra (8.2mm and 218 grams), which can be opened at moment’s notice to reveal a massive flexible display.

Speaking of the Z Fold 7’s main display, despite its newly streamlined design, Samsung managed to increase its size from 7.6 inches to 8 inches flat — which means you get five percent more room for movies, games and multitasking. Granted, that might not sound like a ton, but when the main purpose of a gadget is to provide a big display that still fits in your pocket, that’s a very welcome upgrade. And while its IP48 rating for dust and water resistance is the same as before, Samsung claims it reworked the phone’s internal design to provide more robust protection against liquids.

Elsewhere, the Z Fold 7 features a redesigned Armor FlexHinge that’s noticeably sleeker than before with Samsung saying it also disperses stress from opening and closing the phone more evenly. Additionally, the hinge has extra room inside to reduce the appearance of a crease, though it’s still there if you look closely or from acute angles. Durability has also been improved as the Z Fold 7 comes with Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 (which we first saw on the S25 Edge) in front and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 around back.

The Z Fold 7 now has a primary 200-megapixel sensor similar to the one used in the S25 Ultra and S25 Edge. Samsung says this should help deliver “best in class image quality,” though because its 12MP ultra-wide cam is largely unchanged and its 10MP telephoto cam is still limited to a 3x optical zoom (instead of the 5x like in the Pixel 9 Pro Fold), I’m going to wait until I can properly test things out before making a final judgment.

That said, perhaps the biggest change to the Z Fold 7’s photo toolkit is that Samsung has gotten rid of the under-display camera it has been using since the Z Fold 3 in favor of a more traditional 10MP holepunch module. This represents a small retreat from what was once seen as a more sophisticated solution. But for anyone who regularly uses the interior camera for video calls and meetings, the improved image quality is almost certainly worth the small cutout in the phone’s flexible display.

Inside, the Z Fold 7 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip, either 12GB or 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. Some may be slightly disappointed to see that the phone’s battery capacity is staying the same at 4,400 mAh, though Samsung claims the increased power efficiency of the new processor results in better longevity overall.

For longtime Fold fans, the most troubling downgrade may be that the 7 no longer supports Samsung’s S Pen. The company says it made this change because data showed that the number of owners who used stylus integration was “very low” and that by removing the dedicated digitizer layer from the Z Fold’s screen, it was possible to make the phone even thinner. This may be a dealbreaker for some, but it shouldn’t really come as a surprise. Existing S Pen features have stagnated over several generations and after Samsung removed the dedicated S Pen storage slot from the Galaxy S Ultra line, I feel like the writing on the wall for the demise of S Pen support.

But even with the loss of stylus integration, from what I’ve seen so far, the Z Fold 7 is a major upgrade over the three previous models. Samsung has finally made a big flagship foldable that won’t weigh you down compared to an equivalent glass brick like the S25 Ultra. Its new main camera sensor offers a huge jump in resolution while refinements like a faster chip and its streamlined design contribute to a much more well-rounded package. The one issue is that starting at $2,000, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 remains prohibitively expensive.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is available for pre-order today, with official sales slated to begin on July 25. It will be available in three main colors: blue, silver and black, along with mint, which will be an online exclusive at Samsung.com.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsung-galaxy-z-fold-7-hands-on-the-big-design-revamp-weve-been-waiting-for-140049475.html?src=rss 

With the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Samsung is getting closer than ever to perfecting its folding smartphones. The new model is a substantial improvement over the Fold 6 with a much thinner, lighter design, larger and brighter display and an improved hinge design that reduces visible creasing to almost nothing. It’s also more powerful and comes with a new wide-angle camera that finally matches up with the mainstream Galaxy S series. 

Though it superficially resembles the previous model, Samsung has improved the Fold 7 nearly everywhere. That starts with the display(s), with the main AMOLED 2X main display (120Hz, 2,184 x 1,968) now 11 percent larger at 8 inches with up to 2,600 nits of peak brightness. It’s also tougher thanks to the use of Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2. The cover screen uses the same display tech and is also bigger at 6.5 inches compared to 6.3 inches, with a 21:9 aspect ratio.

The main improvement, though, is with the lighter and thinner Armor FlexHinge that reduces visible creasing noticeably compared to the Fold 6, addressing a key concern for buyers. It also boosts durability thanks to a “multi-rail structure” that evenly disperses stress. 

Though the screens are larger, the Fold 7 is lighter and thinner than its predecessor. Weighing in at 215 grams, it’s 24 grams lighter than the Fold 6 and lighter even than the non-folding Galaxy S25 Ultra. It’s also just 8.9mm thick when folded and 4.2mm when unfolded, a hefty 27 percent reduction compared to the previous model. 

Under the hood is Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy that boosts CPU and GPU performance by 38 and 26 percent respectively, while lifting NPU compute by 40 percent. Other key specs include 12GB memory, up to 512GB internal storage and a 4,400mAh dual battery (with wireless Qi charging and a 50 percent wired charge in around 30 minutes). Samsung is also touting its latest One UI 8 on Android 16 that is very AI-centric, as you’d expect, with features like Gemini Live, Circle to Search and Galaxy AI optimized for large screens. 

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 also has updated cameras, negating one of our biggest complaints about the Fold 6. It now comes with the same 200MP wide-angle camera as the Galaxy S25 Ultra, though the 12MP ultra-wide and 10MP telephoto cameras are unchanged — as are the 10MP selfie cover camera and 10MP main camera. Still, at least you’re no longer getting compromised optics with the principal camera, especially considering this smartphone’s price.

And the Galaxy Z Fold 7 certainly isn’t cheap with another $100 boost in price compared to last year. It’s now available for pre-order in the US at Samsung.com and elsewhere starting at $2,000 in Jetblack, Blue Shadow and Silver Shadow options. Shipping is set to start around July 25, 2025. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsungs-galaxy-z-fold-7-is-thinner-lighter-and-has-a-larger-8-inch-display-140054089.html?src=rss