Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Changed My Mind About Foldables

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 is the first foldable that made me put my skepticism aside-and it did so before Apple even managed to get their prototype off the ground.

After years of rolling my eyes at foldables because of their clunky builds and annoying display creases, the Fold 7 has finally changed my mind.

I’ve always thought foldable phones were more concept than consumer-ready tech. Yeah, the innovation was cool, but the reality was a thick phone with a giant trench down the middle of the screen. I didn’t want to watch my favorite movies on something that looked like it had a fault line running through it. I figured I’d wait for Apple’s rumored crease-free foldable, assuming they’d get it right the first time.

But then came the Fold 7. What Samsung has achieved here isn’t just a yearly refresh-it’s a major leap. They’ve slashed the thickness from 12.1 mm (Fold 6) to just 8.9 mm folded. To put that in perspective, Honor’s Magic V5-the thinnest foldable on the market-is 8.8 mm. We’re talking a 0.1 mm difference. That’s wild progress from Samsung, and honestly, it shocked me.

This got me exploring the foldable world beyond Samsung, checking out the Oppo Find N5, Honor’s Magic V5, and Xiaomi’s Mix Flip 2. Turns out, you guys in the comments were right all along-these phones are packing flagship-level specs, smooth hinge mechanisms, and far less noticeable creases. I’ve clearly been sleeping on this category for too long.

And while Apple’s foldable is still stuck in prototype limbo, Samsung has already dropped a legitimate contender. Even with the foldable iPhone expected sometime next year-after the Fold 8 is already here-early reports say it’s already behind in screen tech. Crease or not, Samsung beat them to the punch with a functional, stylish, and slim foldable.

Look, the Fold 7 isn’t perfect. The crease is still there, albeit much less noticeable. The charging speed and battery life could use a boost too. But this phone is finally good enough that I’m giving foldables a real chance. If you’re like me and hesitant to drop a fortune on one, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE might just be your affordable entry point into this new era of smartphones.

Samsung didn’t just make a foldable. They made a believer out of me.