Two sticking points have held foldable phones back from going truly mainstream for their first several generations: price and durability. The first one might take a long time to gradually reach everyman levels. But with today’s Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung proved it’s possible to make big strides in just a single redesign.
While countless leaks leading up to the release should have prepared us for the new dimensions, it wasn’t until we got our hands on the new folding flagship that we realized the truth. This is the ergonomic experience foldables should provide. Let’s break down some of the specific things Samsung did to cut size and weight while increasing long-term durability (Source: SamMobile).
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An impressive array of upgraded design points
Some new, some refined, all advanced
Some of the components that enable the new, ultra-thin phone.
In your pocket, the latest Galaxy Z flagship foldable measures 8.9mm thick at its widest point. When opened, that translates to a whopping 4.2mm thickness — a truly svelte tablet built around top-of-the-line hardware and software. And Samsung didn’t just shave off material and pack components in tighter to get to this point. It made a selection of decisions that worked together to produce the folding phone people deserve.
The upgraded Armor FlexHinge enabling the meat of the folding sports an enhanced “water droplet” design that allows for greater resilience against sudden force, while requiring ever-so-slightly less material. Its updated multi-rail structural support more consistently spreads out the impact from normal use, resulting in better long-term precision and durability.
The Armor Aluminum frame from years past has been refined yet again, and now bears the Advanced moniker — surely this is a proprietary Samsung formula, but it marks a real improvement that the manufacturer pegs at 10% better strength and hardness.
Bendable glass is still a bit of a mind-bender for most people, and the Z Fold 7 makes it even more so. Now it’s just as bendy and lasts just as long, but it’s also 50% thicker. That reduces the sensitive-screen pain point of previous Galaxy Z Fold models.
After running with stainless steel and then carbon fiber, Samsung’s primary Z Fold now mimics last year’s Special Edition with a full-size titanium backplate. Titanium isn’t inherently stronger than steel, but it can offer comparable durability with a lighter weight and thinner construction.
Samsung also refined the cover screen’s Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2, added Victus 2 to the back panel, and decided on more effective internal adhesives to make sure everything stays scratch-free and in one piece.
Unfortunately, some users will lament one casualty of the Fold 7’s ridiculous sleekness. It lacks any S Pen support, which few may have used, but if you used it, you probably loved it. The S Pen’s digitzer got the axe in exchange for better ergonomics, and future Galaxy S Ultra models might, too. On the other hand, Samsung has been working on digitizer-free stylus technology for years, and we may see that in future foldables, instead.
Nonetheless, down to an impressive 215 grams, the Z Fold 7 now tips the scales at just a bit more than other leading smartphones that have much smaller screens (and, obviously, don’t unfold into a huge 8″ screen). It’s no wonder why so many leading experts are seriously impressed with this device. Now, imagine what’s in store for the currently in-development Galaxy Z Fold 8.
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