Leaked hands-on preview says Galaxy Z Flip 7 finally eliminates the display crease
Samsung will unveil the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 on Wednesday, but we think we already know everything about the two upcoming foldable phones. The Fold 7 and Flip 7 have shown up in plenty of leaks over the past few months, including a few exciting last-minute ones.
We know both handsets will be thinner than all their predecessors, with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 slimming down to an 8.9 mm profile. We already saw real-life photos of a Fold 7 unit a few days ago, and they seem to confirm those dimension-related claims.
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Even more interesting is a hands-on video showing a Galaxy Z Flip 7 unit that highlights two exciting features coming to Samsung's next-gen clamshell phone.
First, the cover display extends from corner to corner and edge to edge, incorporating the two-lens camera. Second, the hands-on video suggests Samsung may have finally fixed the one design issue we've had with all its foldables since the original Fold. There's no crease on the Flip 7 unit you're about to see.
That's good news for the Fold 7, and even more so for the foldable iPhone Apple plans to release next year.
The Fold 6 and Flip 6 came with visible creases
The first thing I did during my Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Flip 6 hands-on experience last year was check whether Samsung had managed to eliminate the crease that appears in the middle of the screen, right over the hinge mechanism.
Unfortunately, both the Fold 6 and Flip 6 had visible creases. You could see the crease whether the screen was on or off.
You could also feel the crease while using the handset, a problem that affects the Flip more than the Fold. That's because the Flip's crease is horizontal, while the Fold's is vertical. You'll feel it when scrolling on the Flip, but not as much on the Fold.
Still, the crease has been an annoying visual compromise we've had to accept with foldable phones for years.
Late last year, Samsung released the Galaxy Z Fold SE in Korea and China. The upcoming Fold 7 is largely based on that model, and the Fold SE nearly eliminated the crease. I speculated at the time that the Fold 7 would do the same, but the hands-on leak we got last week didn't confirm it.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 hands-on video
Romanian site Mobilissimo.ro got its hands on what appears to be a commercial version of the Galaxy Z Flip 7, retail box included.
They posted a video on social media that quickly made the rounds. The hands-on clip gives us a short demo of the thinner Flip 7. We get to see every design detail, from the larger cover screen to the crease-less display. I had to rewind and rewatch the video a few times looking for the crease, and it just isn't there.
I said in my review last year that the Flip 6 felt like a real flagship. After years of compromises, Samsung finally gave fans a high-end Flip experience. But the crease was still there. Even if you get used to it, you can't ignore it.
The early Flip 7 hands-on experience in the clip above tells me the Flip 7 should feel even more like a premium phone than its predecessor.
Why is this important for the foldable iPhone?
Apple is reportedly releasing a foldable iPhone next year. The crease has been a major concern for Apple. Several reports have said the company spared no expense in developing a hinge mechanism and a foldable iPhone display that prevents a visible crease from forming in the middle.
If Samsung reaches that milestone a year before Apple, it gives the Korean company bragging rights. It can mass-produce crease-free foldable displays for commercial products at least a year ahead of Apple.
Even more importantly, Samsung can supply foldable displays to Apple that meet its design standards. Reports covering Apple's plans also said the foldable iPhone will drive growth for Samsung Display, the Samsung subsidiary that produces the high-end foldable OLED panels used in phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7.
Samsung Display is also one of the main suppliers of screens for non-foldable iPhones. It's been making OLED screens for Apple since the iPhone X introduced Apple's first all-screen design.
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Samsung DeX settings in One UI 8 Connected display settings in One UI 8 The settings for Taskbar , Keyboard , Set default audio input , and App icon badges have been removed. Taskbar: Can no longer toggle auto hide taskbar, toggle the navigation buttons, toggle the finder (search button), toggle the keyboard language, toggle the keyboard (either on screen or on phone), toggle the volume, or toggle the screenshot button. Keyboard: Can't set the on screen keyboard location either on the connected display or the phone by default, can't toggle showing the on screen keyboard when a physical keyboard is being used. Set default audio input: This setting made sounds play through the connected TV or monitor when Samsung DeX started. App icon badges: Changed how notifications were shown on app icons, either as a small number or a dot. , , , and have been removed. Classic Samsung DeX settings in One UI 7 App icon badge settings under classic DeX in One UI 7 Taskbar settings for classic DeX in One UI 7 Keyboard settings for classic DeX in One UI 7 The Flow pointer to phone screen page has been removed. This setting let you choose if you wanted to enable mouse continuity between the phone and external display. It has functionally been replaced by the Android 16 display topology feature that allows you to rearrange where your phone and external display are located in virtual space. However, mouse continuity is enabled by default now and cannot be disabled. page has been removed. This setting let you choose if you wanted to enable mouse continuity between the phone and external display. It has functionally been replaced by the Android 16 display topology feature that allows you to rearrange where your phone and external display are located in virtual space. However, mouse continuity is enabled by default now and cannot be disabled. Lock DeX and exit DeX buttons were removed from the app drawer: The lock DeX button locked DeX, requiring you to enter your phone's screen lock or biometrics. The Exit DeX button allowed you to quit DeX. and buttons were removed from the app drawer: The lock DeX button locked DeX, requiring you to enter your phone's screen lock or biometrics. The Exit DeX button allowed you to quit DeX. The Pin app button has been removed from apps' header bars. This button allowed you to pin an app to keep it on top of other apps you open. Flow pointer to phone screen settings for classic DeX in One UI 8 Lock DeX and exit DeX buttons for classic DeX in One UI 7 Pin button in app header for classic DeX in One UI 7 MultiStar removed the ' I❤️Samsung DeX ' menu. The 'High resolutions for external display' option is still there in the main MultiStar menu, but the 'run many apps at same time' which allowed you to run more than 5 apps at a time, auto open last app which allowed you to reopen the last app you had open, and set taskbar and header bar display time option which allows you to change the delay for showing the header bar have been removed. ' menu. The 'High resolutions for external display' option is still there in the main MultiStar menu, but the 'run many apps at same time' which allowed you to run more than 5 apps at a time, auto open last app which allowed you to reopen the last app you had open, and set taskbar and header bar display time option which allows you to change the delay for showing the header bar have been removed. Miscellaneous behavior changes You can't snap windows to the top anymore, but you can still double click app headers to maximize them. You can't right click the taskbar to access taskbar settings You can't right click the desktop to change how apps are sorted, clean up the desktop, or access screen zoom settings Finally, the app header bar and taskbar remain on screen even if you're trying to watch a video in full screen. Watching a full screen video in classic DeX on One UI 7 Watching a full screen video in the new DeX in One UI 8 As far as we can tell, the only proprietary DeX components that remain are its touchpad, wallpaper settings, S Pen integration, and wireless display connectivity. Fortunately, the new version of DeX retains most of the basic functionality of the classic experience, so most people should be satisfied with it. Samsung DeX home screen in One UI 8 New header bar dropdown options in One UI 8 DeX Redesigned app drawer in One UI 8's DeX Redesigned notifications tray in One UI 8's DeX Redesigned Quick Settings tray in One UI 8's DeX Redesigned recents menu in One UI 8's DeX While Samsung might add some classic features back in future updates, there's no guarantee. One thing is certain, however: Samsung won't be returning to its old DeX implementation. However, assuming Google commits to its desktop Android plans, the future for the new version of DeX looks bright. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
