I'll admit, I wasn't holding my breath for Samsung's latest foldables. After a few years of minor tweaks and AI additions, I thought the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Z Fold 7 would just be more of the same. I was almost ready to jump ship to a Razr Ultra or the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Fortunately, Samsung has pleasantly surprised me!

It seems they've taken a good, hard look at where their foldables were falling short and made some real changes. My experience has been primarily with the Z Fold 7, but I'm finally seeing a spark that suggests Samsung is serious about reclaiming its foldable throne.

Farewell Under-Display Camera!

One of the most welcome changes is the removal of the under-display selfie camera. While I appreciate Samsung's effort, let's be honest – it never looked great. The picture quality felt reminiscent of a cheap tablet. I always found myself preferring the cover screen's punch-hole camera or awkwardly using the main camera while the phone was fully open. Now, with a significantly upgraded 200MP selfie shooter, the Z Fold 7 truly highlights its top-tier Android camera system. This upgrade alone makes a huge difference!

I feel like the Galaxy Z Fold 7 finally resembles a normal phone. In the past, Samsung's narrow cover screen made using the phone uncomfortable. My fingers simply couldn't navigate it with any grace. This time, the Z Fold 7 sports a more traditional 21:9 aspect ratio. This seemingly small change makes a world of difference. The keyboard feels less cramped, and the overall experience is much more enjoyable.

I also noticed how the phone feels less like an awkward brick in my pocket. Instead, it's more like carrying a slightly thicker Galaxy S25 Ultra. The S Pen is gone, though, due to the slimming down process. But, in my opinion, the trade-off is worth it.

Over on the Galaxy Z Flip 7, I can't help but commend Samsung for seemingly "borrowing" the cover screen concept from Motorola's Razr. While it's a bit late to the party, the upgrade from a smaller 60Hz display to a larger 120Hz panel makes the new Flip feel far more premium. It also went through a "squish and stretch" process, becoming taller and wider, now housing a bigger display. This brings it closer to the experience of the Razr Ultra.

Samsung's really listening to the feedback. People wanted something less narrow, more comfortable, and they're finally delivering. The biggest takeaway is that Samsung is actually changing!