Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 set to steal the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition’s best features – and this is a much-needed upgrade
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 leak teases major camera and display upgrade
- It’ll borrow the screen and cameras used by the Z Fold Special Edition
- Though it might not get the Special Edition’s 16GB of RAM
New Samsung foldables are expected to land later this year – the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 – and leaks have been teasing what users can look forward to when the devices arrive. Some disappointing news came a few days ago when one source suggested the devices won’t offer an upgrade in the RAM or storage department compared to current-gen models, but now a new leak suggests the Fold 7 may find ways to excite users with an improved camera and bigger screen.
That’s according to tipster @TheGalox_ who says the Galaxy Z Fold 7 will take a few cues from the Samsung Galaxy Fold Special Edition. The Special Edition was only available in select Asian regions (such as Samsung’s home base South Korea) and boasts improved specs, larger displays, and a higher price.
Hopefully that last point won’t be transferred to the new Fold 7, but TheGalox_ confirms the 7 is borrowing the 200MP main camera – finally catching up with the Galaxy Ultra line – and the bigger displays. In addition, the 7 will reportedly boast a larger vapor chamber (perhaps stealing the S25’s line’s design), a faster chipset (likely the S25 line’s Snapdragon 8 Elite, which older leaks suggested too), and improved speakers.
Obviously all leaks should be taken with a pinch of salt, and even if the Galaxy Z Fold 7 does borrow some of the Special Edition’s features leaks have already suggested it won’t be an exact copy – for example the 7 is said to have 12GB of RAM, rather than the Special’s 16 – though a couple of downgrades could ensure we won’t see a Fold 7 price hike.
Foldables approach their final form
I’ve been using the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 as my main smartphone for the past few months, and as I often discuss on the TechRadar Podcast I can’t imagine going back to a standard handset. Though there are a few frustrating quirks that make the phone tough to recommend when you consider it’s Samsung’s most expensive, widely available, consumer smartphone.
The first is the camera. For a lot of people the snappers are the main reason to choose one phone over another, so it can be an instant deal breaker when you discover the Fold 6 – despite costing about 1.5 times more – boasts a worse camera than a Galaxy Ultra. Yes, that cost is going to the extra folding display, but even so it’s an odd feeling to be buying a phone that comes with any downgrades compared to a significantly cheaper one.
Another is the display aspect ratio. The outer screen is a little thinner than a standard phone which can lead to some annoyances with apps being cut off at the sides, or the screen feeling a little cramped for videos. It’s not a massive downgrade but again a device which starts at $1,899 / £1,799 / AU$2,749 doesn’t feel like it should come with any downgrades – especially when other foldables like the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold offer a full-sized out display (which leads to a larger inner screen too) and are a similar starting price at $1,799 / £1,799 / AU $2,699.
If the Z Fold 7 boasts the special edition’s screen it should feel less cramped, and will only make it an even more useful tablet-alternative when it’s unfolded.
Hopefully the phone will adopt these camera and display upgrades then, but we won’t know for certain until Samsung makes an official announcement. We’ll also have to wait and see if it’ll do anything about the phone’s IP48 dust and water resistance rating. I’m not holding my breath, but that might soon be the last major foldable frustration Samsung needs to solve.