Should you wait to buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7?

For the last several years, Samsung has been moving at what feels like a glacial pace on its foldables. This is particularly true for the Galaxy Z Fold series, which saw the most innovation for the first three years and has been largely iterative since then. But the Z Fold 7 may finally change that.

Ever since the Galaxy Z Fold 4 debuted, it has been easy to recommend sticking with an older Z Fold model due to the high price of the series. Upgrading to an $1,800 phone doesn't feel great when you're not getting substantial innovation improvements every year, and the Z Fold's camera has never been at the top of the charts.

That's not to say the Galaxy Z Fold 6 isn't a good phone by any means, but we called it the "master of refinements" for a reason. Thankfully, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is painting a very different picture, according to leaks and rumors, and we're confident in saying that you should wait to see what Samsung has in store this summer. Here's why.

Ultra-level specs

In most cases, the Galaxy Z Fold series has represented some of the best specs in the industry. However, while the series has always featured top-of-the-line processors, RAM, and storage speeds, as well as impressive software, there were always aspects that felt like compromises, despite its $1,800 price tag.

That's reported to change this year as Samsung teases "an Ultra experience" for its upcoming book-style foldable. We initially thought this meant that Samsung would be releasing a Galaxy Z Fold 7 Ultra model as they did in South Korea last year with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Special Edition, but the latest rumors say that's not the case.

Instead, Samsung is said to be launching one model with "Ultra" specs. That means you should not only expect high-end performance and multitasking, but the entire experience is getting a substantial upgrade over the Z Fold 6.

That all starts with the design, which is rumored to be the thinnest foldable in the world. That's a monumental change from even the Galaxy Z Fold 6, which was around 40% thicker than some competitors. At a rumored 3.9mm unfolded, this would be 0.3mm thinner than the current thinnest phone in the world, the Oppo Find N5.

Thinness for foldables is a bigger deal than with traditional non-foldable smartphones, as the Galaxy S25 Edge is proof of. That is, of course, because these phones have to fold in half and somehow still fit in your pocket without discomfort.

Samsung is said to be expanding the screen size to make it feel even more like a tablet in your pocket. On top of that, Samsung showed off a new creaseless folding display at MWC this year, which we surmise will make it to the Z Fold 7. Ultra-thin, bigger displays, and no crease? That's sounding like a huge win for Samsung.

But what about the cameras, or the battery life?

Cameras have always been a sticking point for the Z Fold series. Even as recently as last year, the Z Fold's cameras have been disappointing when compared to the competition.

Rumors suggest that the under-display camera on the large display is getting an upgrade, and the main rear camera is set to receive a 200MP upgrade, similar to what we've seen on several other recent Samsung flagships.

However, there's no indication of an upgrade for the telephoto camera, which I believe is the weakest link among all the sensors. A few foldables, like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, have been able to pack a 5x optical zoom lens for the telephoto camera, and we're hoping Samsung surprises us with an upgrade here.

We are also not yet confident in what Samsung is doing with the Z Fold 7's battery. Making the phone ultra-thin could mean trade-offs in battery size, but rumors say the battery will stay the same size as the Z Fold 6. Samsung is reportedly working on new battery technology, but it isn't expected to debut until next year's Galaxy S26 series, so it's unclear how Samsung achieved this feat, if it's true.

We expect the Galaxy Z Fold 7 to feature the same 25W charging speed as the Fold 6, which is rather slow for a modern phone. However, battery life on the Z Fold 6 is good enough to get through a full day without a problem.

Should you wait?

In summary, you should wait for the Z Fold 7 as it looks to be a substantial upgrade over the Z Fold 6 in nearly every area. Thinner, faster, stronger, better cameras, and potentially no display crease are all in the cards as we wait with bated breath for Samsung's announcement this summer. It's easily the most excited we've been for a Samsung foldable in years!

For more news and information on Samsung’s upcoming foldables, check out our Ultimate Guide.