If you were to sample 100 people and ask them to mention the first foldable smartphone that comes to their minds, the leading answer is certainly going to be a Samsung model—most likely the Z Fold. Samsung is the biggest Android OEM in the world, so it isn’t much of a surprise that its entry into the new market segment is the most popular one.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is launching in summer this year, likely in July, and the hope is that it will come with enough upgraded hardware to make choosing it less of a battle when placed beside its competitors. Well, rumored specs point to what might be a foldable that doesn’t quite meet its opponents’ standards.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Will Ditch the Digitizer to Get Slimmer; No S Pen Support?
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 revised the design of its predecessor. While many might not prefer the more angular design as they say it is less comfortable to hold, it was at least a breath of fresh air from a company that usually doesn’t rush away from the design languages that it settles into. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 has essentially been confirmed to stick to that same design, unsurprisingly, though it’ll be getting slimmer than last year.
One change that is going to enable a slimmer build is the removal of the digitizer—whether that’s from just one screen or both isn’t certain. However, it allows the OEM to shave 0.6mm off the device’s thickness, according to reports. Unfortunately, digitizers are a very important component of the function of the S Pen. That could mean Samsung has a special S Pen coming, or the Z Fold 7 will drop stylus support entirely.
While we’re here, let’s talk about the screens. The device will supposedly adopt a wider aspect ratio on the cover display, and both displays will get much larger. The cover display will go up 0.2 inches to 6.5 inches, and the inner display will add 0.6 inches for a massive 8.2-inch diagonal. No one can say no to a bigger display on a foldable phone (it explains why dual-folding models are a thing).
The Rest of the Spec Sheet Shows a Device That Will Lag Behind the Competition
These days, if I’m to be entirely honest, the major perk of Samsung’s foldables is that they are available almost everywhere in the world. That can’t be said of other foldable phones—even Google’s. However, when it comes to the actual hardware, I think there’s still a lot of catching up to be done, and this year won’t be the one where they sprint to meet up with the rest.
The main lens is rumored to be upgraded to a 200MP sensor, similar to the Z Fold Special Edition. Besides that, the rest of the imaging setup will stay the exact same, including that 4MP under-display camera in the inner display.
The Snapdragon 8 Elite will be the chip of choice, so that’s something to smile about. However, it will still be paired with a 4,400mAh battery (in a world where the slimmest foldable manages a 5,600mAh cell). Don’t expect 45W fast charging this year, either. Of course, we expect a bunch of new software and AI features to come with the device, but that won’t be enough to sell units.
