Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 vs Z Fold 7: Which foldable comes out on top?

Previous iterations of Samsung’s Galaxy foldable range may have had their issues, but the newly launched Z Flip 7 and Z Fold 7 offer a much-needed revamp. 

If you’re ready to take the plunge with a foldable device but aren’t sure which handset will suit you best, we’re here to help. We’ve compared our reviews of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 to its Galaxy Z Fold 7 counterpart below, so you can decide which one to go for.

Not sold on either Samsung Galaxy Z model? Our guide to the best foldable phones lists our other favourite models.

Price and Availability

Following a brief pre-order period, which was praised as achieving the “highest number of pre-orders for Galaxy Z foldable ever in the UK”, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Galaxy Z Fold 7 are now available to buy globally.

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 is the cheaper of the two, with a starting price of £1049 / $1099.99 for the 256GB model.

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The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is the priciest of Samsung’s Galaxy offerings, with an RRP starting at £1799/$1,999.99 for 256GB.

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Design

• Z Fold 7 is a book-style foldable, while the Z Flip 7 is a clamshell
• At just 4.2mm, Z Fold 7 is thinner than the Flip 7 when unfolded
• Both are more durable than their predecessors 

The most obvious and immediate difference between the phones is in the style of foldable. As their names suggest, the Z Fold 7 is a book-style, whereas the Z Flip 7 is a clamshell foldable. So while the Z Fold 7 has a 6.5-inch screen when folded, which is similar to a standard smartphone, the Z Flip 7 sports a smaller 4.1-inch alternative. 

When unfolded, the Z Fold 7 measures 8 inches while the Z Flip 7 opens up to a 6.9-inch internal screen. 

Both handsets have seen thoughtful updates from their predecessors to help them feel more durable. In fact, we noted the Z Flip 7’s hinge “feels easier to open and shut than the last one”, while the Z Fold 7 utilises a new Armour FlexHinge system that Samsung promises “disperses stress and protects display integrity”.

We do have one fairly major complaint with the Z Fold 7, and that’s due to the protrusion of its rear lenses. Essentially, we found that this design means the phone constantly wobbles while it’s resting flat on a table. Depending on your usage, this may not be an issue you encounter, but it’s still worth mentioning.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7

Screens

• Z Flip 7 has a 4.1-inch outer display and a 6.9-inch internal while the Z Fold 7 has a 6.5-inch outer and 8-inch internal
• Samsung has improved the aspect ratio of both Z 7 foldables
• Both handsets are fitted with a 120Hz refresh rate and AMOLED displays

Samsung took a leaf out of Motorola’s book with the Z Flip 7, as its cover screen is now much more usable. At 4.1 inches with a super-slim 1.2mm-thick surrounding bezel, the Z Flip 7 looks much sleeker than before. However, where the cover screen is let down is when launching certain apps, as this feels cumbersome and less optimised than Motorola’s alternative. 

There are pre-selected apps that are usable on the cover screen, including WhatsApp and Google Maps, but if you want to use other apps, then you’ll need to install Multistar. 

We also struggled with Samsung’s keyboard on the outer screen, which feels less responsive and harder to use quickly than the Gboard alternative.  

Even with those annoyances in mind, we still concluded the Z Flip 7’s displays are “infinitely better” than the Z Flip 6, thanks to the improved size and aspect ratio. 

Now that the Z Flip 6 sports a 21:9 aspect ratio, you can comfortably use the internal display as a normal phone without elements feeling cramped. This is similar to the aspect ratio of the Z Fold 7’s outer display, which, when combined with its ultra-slim bezels, feels a lot like the Galaxy S25 Ultra in use.

Both foldables have also taken giant leaps forward in terms of reducing the crease, with a rather negligible bump on both phones. It’ll be more noticeable on the Flip than the Fold, due to the placement of the hinge in the centre of the screen where you’ll tend to swipe, but both are on par with the best around.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7

Cameras

• Z Fold 7 has the same 200MP main lens as the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
• Both have an ultrawide, although the Z Fold 7 benefits from a 10MP 3x telephoto lens
• Samsung has finally replaced the Z Fold 7’s under-screen camera with a regular cutout alternative 

Foldables aren’t renowned for their photography prowess, so if that’s important to you, then you’re likely better off choosing one of our best camera phones instead. Having said that, the Z Flip 7 and especially the Z Fold 7 both offer solid snappers that will please most users. 

While the Z Flip 7’s 50MP main and 12MP ultrawide lenses won’t match the likes of the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and lacks the dedicated zoom lens found on the Z Fold 7, the phone still manages to take vibrant images during the day. At night, we noted photos had a slight cool tint, but it was still able to capture decent shots. 

The Z Fold 7 boasts the same 200MP primary lens that’s found in the mighty Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, which naturally offers a consistently sharp performance across most lighting conditions. Alongside the 200MP are 10MP 3x telephoto and 12MP ultrawide lenses, which Samsung promises should allow for a “56% boost to overall brightness”. 

While we can’t confirm those exact claims, we still found the camera was able to take solid images in dimmer conditions without looking over-processed.

It may feel disappointing that the Z Flip 7 lacks a dedicated telephoto lens, especially when compared to the Z Fold 7, but in reality, we found it’s merely an average zoom lens. Although it offers consistently sharp images at the 3x mark, push it much further and you’re left with fuzzy snaps.

Finally, if you tend to make video calls or take selfies regularly, you’ll be pleased to know that Samsung has finally removed the Z Fold 7’s under-screen camera and replaced it with a regular one instead, which offers a significantly improved user experience.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7

Performance

• Exynos 2500 vs Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
• Z Flip 7 doesn’t reach the levels of the Z Fold 7
• Both handsets are more than capable for everyday use

Other than their respective designs, the most significant difference between the Z Flip 7 and Z Fold 7 is their processors. While the Z Fold 7 uses Qualcomm’s premium Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, which is also found across the entire Galaxy S25 series, the Z Flip 7 instead runs on Samsung’s own Exynos 2500 processor. 

While Exynos 2500 doesn’t quite match up with the mighty Snapdragon 8 Elite’s prowess, considering the Flip isn’t aimed at intense tasks like gaming, we don’t see this as an issue at all. In fact, we still found the handset to be fast, responsive and perfectly powerful. 

It’s a similar story with the Z Fold 7, which is unsurprising considering its chipset. Even when pushing the handset to its limits, we didn’t report a single stutter or lag during our time with the handset. 

Sure, its benchmarking scores don’t quite match the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but that’s likely because the Fold is much thinner.

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7

Software and AI

• Both sport One UI 8 based on Android 16
• The two handsets have tweaks designed specifically for their folding displays
• Other than a few improvements to the Galaxy AI toolkit, both offer a very familiar Samsung experience

You shouldn’t expect anything radically different with both the Z Flip and Z Fold, despite the fact that both sport the new One UI 8 based on Android 16. What sets the foldables apart is the inclusion of a few useful features designed for folding displays.

For example, if you part-fold the Z Flip 7 to a near 90° angle, an icon will appear which, when tapped, will activate a touchpad at the bottom half of the display, allowing you to use the bottom half as a trackpad.

There are also a few improvements to the phones’ AI toolkit, including boosted Circle to Search smarts, a foldable-optimised layout for Gemini and a side-by-side before and after preview when editing images on the big-screen Fold.

Both also offer an industry-leading seven years of combined OS upgrades and security patches, so the experience should only continue to improve over time. 

Winner: Tie

Battery Life

• Both offer just 25W fast charging support
• While the Z Flip 7 can last for a second day, we didn’t find Z Fold 7 had this ability
• You can expect a 1-100% recharge in just under 90 minutes with both

What lets both foldables down is their battery life. Although the Flip 7 can potentially last two days with light usage, the Z Fold 7 got dangerously low on a few occasions after just a day’s use.

That would’ve been an easier pill to swallow had the phones boasted faster charging, but the 25W fast charging support is seriously underwhelming, especially when compared to the likes of Oppo Find N5’s 80W support. 

In fact, 25W takes both handsets nearly a whopping 90 minutes to recharge fully. If you’re an overnight charger, then this isn’t necessarily a huge issue, but it’s worth noting that other foldables boast much faster offerings. 

Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7

Verdict

It’s fair to say that both the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Z Fold 7 are undoubtedly Samsung’s best foldables yet. 

Which handset you opt for depends on your usage. If you would prefer a phone that handles more intensive tasks like video editing or AAA gaming, then the Z Fold 7 is likely a better option than the Z Flip 7 due to its mightier processor. However, this comes with a much higher price tag and a larger footprint. 

If, however, you’ve been tempted by a compact foldable purely for everyday use and maybe the odd game, then the Z Flip 7 is a great option.