Samsung’s iconic flip phone just got smarter, bigger, and more practical — but is the new Galaxy Z Flip 7 a major leap over last year’s Z Flip 6, or just a modest refinement? Here’s how the two foldables stack up side by side — covering displays, performance, cameras, battery life, and the new AI smarts that make the Flip 7 stand out.
📱 Displays: FlexWindow Gets Bigger and Brighter
The biggest physical change on the Flip 7 is right up front: its cover screen. The Z Flip 6 sported a 3.4-inch Super AMOLED cover display with a resolution of 720 x 748 pixels and up to 1600 nits of brightness. That was already a big step up compared to the Flip 5’s tiny window.
But with the Flip 7, Samsung stretches that even further — the FlexWindow now measures 4.1 inches, goes edge-to-edge with ultra-thin bezels, and hits a new peak brightness of 2,600 nits. Its resolution is sharper too at 948 x 1048, and both displays now support a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, up from 60Hz on the cover screen before. It even gets Samsung’s Vision Booster tech for better outdoor visibility.
Unfolded, the main display also grows slightly. The Flip 6 had a 6.7-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X (2640 x 1080) at 120Hz, while the Flip 7 stretches that to 6.9 inches with a slightly different aspect ratio (2520 x 1080, 21:9). So while the difference may be subtle, the Flip 7 feels more spacious and more usable for typing or watching videos.
✅ Winner: Flip 7 — Bigger, brighter, smoother FlexWindow and a larger main screen.
⚙️ Performance: New Chip, Same RAM
Inside, the Z Flip 6 was powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy — a customized version of Qualcomm’s flagship chip tuned for Samsung. The Flip 7 moves to Samsung’s own Exynos 2500 (in many regions) — built on a more efficient 3nm process, promising better CPU, GPU, and NPU performance, especially for AI tasks.
Both generations pack 12GB of RAM, with the same storage options: 256GB or 512GB. But the new chip means the Flip 7 should handle Samsung’s latest Galaxy AI features much more smoothly — things like Gemini Live, Now Bar, and on-device AI photo edits.
✅ Winner: Flip 7 — more advanced chip and next-gen AI integration.
📸 Cameras: More Megapixels and More AI
The Flip 6 offered solid but familiar hardware: a 12MP wide and 12MP ultra-wide, with the main camera featuring Dual Pixel AF and OIS. Selfies were great too, thanks to FlexCam.
With the Flip 7, Samsung upgrades the main sensor to a 50MP wide-angle lens, keeping the 12MP ultra-wide. This brings it closer to the Z Fold and Galaxy S flagships. The bigger sensor and the new Pro Visual Engine should deliver better detail, low-light performance, and richer color with 10-bit HDR video by default — another Flip first.
The cover screen also makes selfies easier, thanks to real-time previews, new filters, and a Zoom Slider right on the FlexWindow.
✅ Winner: Flip 7 — higher-res main camera and smarter shooting tools.
🔋 Battery & Charging: More Juice in the Same Slim Body
One big knock against foldables has always been battery life. The Flip 6 packed a 3,700mAh battery — enough for a day for moderate users, but easy to drain with heavy camera or Flex Mode use.
The Flip 7 addresses this directly, bumping the battery to 4,300mAh — the largest in a Flip yet — while somehow making the phone slimmer than the Flip 6’s 15.1mm folded thickness (Flip 7 is 13.7mm folded).
Both support 25W wired fast charging, Fast Wireless Charging 2.0, and Wireless PowerShare, so the top-up times stay about the same — about 50% in half an hour with a 25W adapter.
✅ Winner: Flip 7 — more capacity, same fast charging, thinner design.
🧩 Durability & Design: Slimmer Hinge, Same Tough Build
Samsung made durability a priority on the Flip 6 with its Armor Aluminum frame, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, and IPX8 water resistance.
The Flip 7 retains the same robust build materials but goes further with a 30% slimmer Armor Flex Hinge and a new circuit board design to squeeze everything into a thinner profile. There’s a slight downgrade from IPX8 to IP48 (water and dust), but that adds better dust protection without sacrificing daily durability.
✅ Winner: Flip 7 — improved hinge design, more compact without losing toughness.
🤖 Software: One UI 8, Gemini, and Smarter Everything
The Flip 6 launched with Android 14 and One UI 6, offering Flex Mode features, Cover Screen widgets, and Samsung’s ecosystem perks. The Flip 7 ships with Android 16 and One UI 8, putting Gemini AI front and center on the cover screen. New features like Now Bar and Now Brief help you stay on top of your day with proactive suggestions, while Gemini Live uses voice and camera inputs to assist on the fly.
Add in Samsung DeX, which appears on Flip for the first time, and the Flip 7 is a much more flexible productivity tool.
✅ Winner: Flip 7 — bigger AI push, DeX support, and deeper cover screen functionality.
🎨 Colors: A Fresh Coat of Paint
The Flip 6 came in a handful of trendy pastel shades and exclusive Bespoke Edition options. The Flip 7 keeps it fresh with Blue Shadow, Jet-Black, Coral-red, plus a Samsung.com exclusive Mint color. Expect Bespoke custom options to follow.
✅ Winner: Tie — both colorful and customizable.
So, Should You Upgrade?
If you’re already loving a Flip 6, the Flip 7 doesn’t reinvent the wheel — but it meaningfully improves nearly every key area: a bigger, better FlexWindow; a flagship-level main camera; longer battery life in a slimmer shell; and Samsung’s most practical AI tools yet.
For power users or anyone who relies on hands-free selfies and cover screen shortcuts, the Flip 7 is a compelling upgrade — especially if you want your pocket-sized foldable to double as a mini AI assistant. But if your Flip 6 is holding strong, the improvements may not feel essential just yet.
Galaxy Z Flip 7 starts at $1,099, with pre-orders live now — or stick with the Flip 6, which may see price drops that make it a great value foldable for newcomers.
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