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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