logo
Samsung Interview: Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 product manager talks new designs, more AI — and that missing S Pen

Samsung Interview: Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 product manager talks new designs, more AI — and that missing S Pen

Tom's Guide11-07-2025
We've only just seen the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Galaxy Watch 8 officially at Galaxy Unpacked, and we've barely spent 24 hours with these devices as I write this. But some people have been trying them all out for quite a bit longer.
Kadesh Beckford is Smartphone Specialist Product Manager at Samsung UK, and one of the first people to use these devices over a long period of time. So since he's had more of an opportunity than almost anyone else in the world right now to try out the new Samsung foldables and smartwatch, we thought we'd ask him our most pressing questions about the lineup.
"To be honest and transparent, I've experienced the Galaxy Z Fold 7 for a couple of weeks now," Beckford admitted during our interview. "I've been very knowledgeable about the product for a little while, obviously while having it under lock and key. But then I've seen every single time I pick it up and have the capability of looking at it, it blows me away."
Why does it blow him away? That has a lot to with the big design upgrade the new Z Fold has seen from previous generations. "Every single time I picked it up, I completely forgot it was a Fold. It screams out a normal phone, but when you open it, I'm like, "Okay, this is great."
While Beckford's more of a Z Fold fan, he still gets the appeal of the smaller Galaxy Z Flip 7.
"With the Z Flip series, the customers love the portability, the practicality of the device and its design. And the fact is we've made improvements on that: stronger, thinner, a bigger battery. Our R&D guys, our engineers, are amazing."
There are plenty of hardware changes to talk about, but Galaxy AI still looms in the background as a big part of Samsung's mobile device plan. A few new features are debuting on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7, so I asked Beckford what he liked best out of the fresh additions.
Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
"My favorite one probably is Suggest Erases. Last week, my colleague, Tom, actually, we were in our office, I was taking a few pictures around and I'm taking a picture of Tom. And I'm in the background because there's a mirror in front of us.
'I thought I looked pretty good in the picture at the time, but just the fact that AI picked me out, literally drew a line around me, and I then could literally just press a button and erase. It wasn't me going in to erase it, it made the suggestion at an instant and it removed me."
Beckford also named the Now Bar as another favorite. The live app notification feature was introduced with the Galaxy S25, but it takes on new life on the cover screen of the Z Flip 7, where it's visible without opening the phone.
'I use Uber now and then. So now with the Now Bar, you'll get your Uber notifications.. I can now look at that on the Z Flip, just on the left-hand side. For me, that's fantastic.'
The Now Brief summary has also proven beneficial for Beckford's fitness goals. 'I wouldn't say I'm a great runner, but I recently committed to not driving to the gym. I either walk or get a [dockless hire] bike. And what I'm finding is that with my device, I'm able to view all my metrics. I do wear a Galaxy Ring. I do wear a Galaxy Watch, but the fact is in my Now Brief, I'll get all of my weekly health insights."
This data is important for Beckford, who has set himself the goal of running a marathon distance by September this year ("I haven't said in what time I'll complete it in," he adds). This follows his completion of the popular "75 Hard" fitness plan earlier this year. And he gives Galaxy AI a good amount of credit for helping him.
"75 Hard is… hard! But with [Galaxy AI] what I was able to say okay, Monday's scheduling is chest and bicep day, then it's going to be back and tricep day, then it's going to be shoulders and abs day, and legs and abs day. I was able to just say it [to Galaxy AI] and then ask it to repeat this for X time frame and it kept me true to form.
"Even at lunch breaks… because Bixby Routines knows I've got into the office, and it's coming up to around lunch time, it will make the suggestion of going for a walk. So these are small little things that I was able to implement. And especially when we pair it up with the improvements to Now Brief and Galaxy Watch.
Yes, we must not forget about the other strand of Galaxy Unpacked — the new Galaxy Watch 8 series. "The watch is definitely a complementary factor when it comes to these devices. It looks sleek, it looks sexy as far as I'm concerned, with the stainless steel finish on the Watch 8 Classic. when I partner that up with probably a Silver Shadow Fold 7. It's going to look complete."
For as much as the Galaxy Z Fold 7 has improved on its predecessors, it's taken a step back by losing S Pen compatibility.
But Beckford explained the reasoning: "When we look at the insights from what our customers were using on the Galaxy Z Fold series and what they wanted, fundamentally they wanted a thinner and lighter device. And with us we definitely pay attention and listen to our customers. So with those insights, we implemented what they asked."
Now that he can talk about the phone openly, the last thing I wanted to know from Beckford was the first thing he'll show off once he's moved on to the Z Fold 7 from his current Galaxy S25 Edge.
"I'll just show [people] the design. Fundamentally, it will be to put the phone in the palm of the hands of everyone. And I want their opinion and their reaction. It's easy for me to talk about all of the plus points on this device."
"But I truly believe once people get it in the palm of their hands and they compare it year on year or even since 2019… they are going to be like, "Yeah, this is epic.""
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

iPhone 17 Pro could get unexpectedly huge camera upgrades
iPhone 17 Pro could get unexpectedly huge camera upgrades

Digital Trends

time2 hours ago

  • Digital Trends

iPhone 17 Pro could get unexpectedly huge camera upgrades

Over the past few months, leaks showing a redesigned iPhone 17 Pro pair and an uber-slim iPhone 17 Air have occupied social media. But it seems the upcoming Apple flagships will serve a few other niceties that will appeal to camera fans. According to a Macrumors report, which cites an unnamed source, the iPhone 17 Pro will come with an upgraded 8x optical zoom camera. For comparison, the iPhone 16 Pro pair is limited to 5x optical zoom output. Apple is stepping up Looking over at the competition, Samsung's Galaxy S25 Ultra and Google Pixel 9 Pro peak at 5x optical zoom output. Stepping into the hypercompetitive Asian markets, Oppo's Find X8 Ultra goes up to 6x optical zoom, and the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra reaches the 9.4x optical zoom figure. 'The lens can apparently move, allowing for continuous optical zoom at various focal lengths,' adds the report. To recall, all the leaks point at a massive camera bump at the back of the iPhone 17 Pro, so it's plausible that Apple is indeed eyeing a major upgrade for the imaging hardware. Recommended Videos Assuming the rumor turns out to be true, the iPhone 17 Pro will emerge as one of the best smartphones out there for long-range photo and video capture, at least going by the on-paper hardware. Whether Apple upgrades the tetraprism design for the next-gen telephoto camera system remains a mystery. A true camera powerhouse, at last Older leaks are also predicting a triple 48-megapixel camera layout for the iPhone 17 Pro, with support for 8K video capture in tow. We are also hearing some chatter about a mechanical aperture feature that will offer users more granular control over photo capture. The camera app will reportedly allow simultaneous capture by the front and rear snappers, a solution that is tailor-made for vlogging. This facility, however, isn't exactly a groundbreaking innovation, as the likes of Samsung have offered it for years on the Galaxy smartphones. The latest Apple leak also claims that Apple will release a new camera app with the iPhone 17 Pro, one that will focus on Pro-grade features and deeper controls. So far, the likes of Halide and Kino have remained a favorite in the 'mobigrapher' community, so it would be interesting to see what Apple has to offer in terms of standout capabilities.

I spent 24 hours with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra — here's what I like and what I don't
I spent 24 hours with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra — here's what I like and what I don't

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

I spent 24 hours with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra — here's what I like and what I don't

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Update: Our in-depth Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review is live. Check out our verdict. Samsung introduced the world to the Galaxy S25 Ultra last week, meaning even those of us lucky enough to have tried the phone haven't spent much time with it yet. But even after just a single day of use, the phone's left an impression on me. The Ultra version of each year's Galaxy S flagship is usually one of the best phones of the year, and with the number of new software and AI features Samsung's added this time around, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is likely to clear that bar, too. I have one main complaint about the phone which could impact the eventual verdict of our review, but everything else I've sampled so far is promising. Here's my take based on my short time with the S25 Ultra so far. And for more see our full Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review. A new but familiar look The Titanium Silverblue color of my review unit looks excellent, but the Black, Grey and Whitesilver versions also look pretty slick as well. And the more lively Samsung Store-exclusive colors don't look bad either. The new rounded corners on this year's edition give the Galaxy S25 Ultra a matching design with the Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25 Plus, which makes sense even if I'm going to miss the Galaxy Note-style pointy corners for the unique look they provided. Black camera surrounds help the phone look like it means business, too even if only one of them (the 50MP ultrawide camera) is any different from the Galaxy S24 Ultra. On the topic of cameras, I've yet to properly test the photographic potential of the S25 Ultra. But from the Galaxy S25 Ultra photo comparisons I and my colleagues have already taken, this is looking like one it'll be another entry on our best camera phones guide from Samsung. Now Brief seems immediately useful The one Galaxy AI tool that's already showing potential is the Now Brief, which draws info from various apps into one easily-accessible widget. By default, it lives on your home screen, but it can also be found in the Edge panel that appears when swiping in from the side of the screen, or on the lock screen when it's got an update for you. I'm hoping to see Now Brief offer more as I keep using the phone. Even in its basic format, having a single screen containing the day's weather and events available at any time is useful, but I look forward to seeing it recommend automated routines and surface relevant tickets and coupons saved to Samsung Wallet. Display looks better than ever Samsung knows its screens, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra is another example of this. Early test results show the 6.9-inch panel is way brighter than the Galaxy S24 Ultra, and is only beaten by the screen on the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL. Plus the increased size and slimmer bezels mean even more viewing space, with the ProScaler system helping lower-res content fit better on the QHD panel. I don't plan on testing the Gorilla Armor 2 display's durability, but the anti-glare layer, combined with the screen's high overall brightness, is already making the screen easier to read outdoors or when a bright spotlight is overhead. Watching movie trailers (like Captain America: Brave New World) still look exciting and colorful even with the sun trying its best to outshine the display. A bright screen with anti-glare tech is something I wish every phone had. But the only place you'll currently find it is on Samsung's Ultra flagships. Galaxy AI and One UI 7 are already complete Samsung has launched its latest OS and all of its new tools on the Galaxy S25 at the same time as the phone, something that Google didn't manage with its latest flagships. Apple's iPhone 16 lineup arrived with iOS 18 preinstalled, but Apple Intelligence started appearing later. Everything Samsung has to show off is ready to try, rather than waiting on a full or partial OS update. One UI 7's new design steals a few cues from iOS, but still looks distinctly Samsung. It all works wonderfully smoothly from what I've seen so far. The only potential sticking point is the new default notification style, which puts all the app icons into the top right corner rather than having them in obvious view front and center. I'm sticking with the default for now, but I may switch it to the traditional "card' layout down the road if I find the lack of information irritating when I want a quick glance of incoming messages. The S Pen remains a faithful companion I'm happy Samsung's continuing to bundle a stylus with the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and while it's never good to see features disappear, I'm not missing the Air Actions that the Galaxy S24 Ultra offered. Other than testing to see that they worked on previous models, I never used them. As long as the stylus stays included and stored within the body of future Galaxy S Ultras, it's cool. The price still makes me wince All of these useful or fun features aside, I still can't get over the fact that the Galaxy S25 Ultra costs $1,300 (£1,250 here in the U.K. or AU$2,149 in Australia). The iPhone 16 Pro Max and Google Pixel 9 Pro XL, both amazing phones, sell for $100 or $200 less. Perhaps the S25 Ultra's features are worth the extra money, and my opinion on the price will soften as I get more use out of them. But as the most expensive phone in its class, the Galaxy S25 Ultra may be hard to justify buying this yourself. We're still testing the whole Galaxy S25 series, including the Ultra though. So perhaps when our full reviews arrive, the phone will have justified its hefty price tag, and it'll be surprisingly simple to recommend upgrading to Samsung's latest premium device. More from Tom's Guide Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra vs OnePlus 13: Which flagship will win? I saw the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge at Unpacked — and I'm super excited and super confused The Samsung Galaxy S25 stole this genius idea from a dead phone and finally made it a reality

Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs Pixel 10 Pro Fold: Here's how Google can beat Samsung
Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs Pixel 10 Pro Fold: Here's how Google can beat Samsung

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs Pixel 10 Pro Fold: Here's how Google can beat Samsung

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold will debut at the Made by Google 2025 hardware event on August 20. But even before the new version of the foldable phone hits retail shelves, it's already facing a big challenge. And the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is the reason why. Samsung's own updated foldable phone goes on sale this Friday (July 25). And though the $1,999 starting cost is a steep price to pay, you get an impressive phone in return In fact, in his Galaxy Z Fold 7 review, my colleague Mark Spoonauer calls the new Samsung model the foldable phone he's been waiting for, thanks to an ultra portable design that's uncommon for devices this big. We've got the Galaxy Z Flip 7 ranked as the best foldable phone thanks in part to its more palatable price tag, but the Galaxy Z Fold 7 isn't that far behind. And that poses a problem for Google, which is about to roll out a new version of its foldable phone immediately after Samsung has seriously stepped up its game. It's certainly a formidable prospect for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold to take on, but it's not an impossible task. Even with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 raising the standard for foldable phones, here's how the Pixel 10 Pro Fold can answer back. Galaxy Z Fold 7: from $799 w/ trade-in @ SamsungSamsung is knocking up to $1,150 off Galaxy Z Fold 7 preorders when you trade-in an older phone. Additionally, you'll get a free storage upgrade with your preorder. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 features an 8-inch AMOLED (2184 x 1968) 120Hz main display, 6.5-inch AMOLED (2520 x 1080) 120Hz cover display, Snapdragon 8 Elite CPU, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. On the rear you get a 200MP f/1.7 main wide-angle lens, 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide lens, and 10MP f/2.4 telephoto lens. Selfie cams include a 10MP f/2.2 main display and cover Deal Why the Galaxy Z Fold 7 stands out To understand exactly what the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is up against, let's first look a little closer at what the Galaxy Z Fold 7 gets so right. And a lot of it comes down to the phone's design. We can argue about what foldable is the thinnest in the world when it's opened up — Samsung's latest or a couple of foldable phones largely available only in China. But the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is certainly in the conversation. An opened Z Fold 7 is 4.2mm thin, and even when snapped shut the 8.9mm profile isn't that much thicker than conventional phones. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is light, too, tipping the scales at a mere 7.5 ounces. For context, that's lighter than the Galaxy S25 Ultra (a shade under 7.7 ounces) and iPhone 16 Pro Max (8 ounces). It's definitely lighter than the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which is 1.5 ounces heavier than Samsung's latest. We've heard the Pixel 10 Pro Fold will slim down the size of the hinge compared to the current model, but it's unclear how that would translate to the new phone's dimensions. Even so, Google would have to shave nearly a millimeter off the 5.1mm Pixel 9 Pro Fold to make its new model as thin as an opened Galaxy Z Fold 7. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 ushers in other improvements, particularly to the cameras — long a strength of Google's phones. You get a 200MP main camera with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, along with a much improved 10MP selfie cam on the phone's interior display. Throw in an improved ProVisual Engine, and the new Fold produced detailed, colorful photos in our testing. Samsung also tweaked its Galaxy AI features to take better advantage of the Galaxy Z Fold 7's unique design, from accessing the Now Brief and Gemini Live features from the phone's larger cover display to side-by-side comparisons of generative AI edits on the super-sized 8-inch main screen. How the Pixel 10 Pro Fold responds That last area — AI capabilities — gives Google an in with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. While Samsung's Galaxy AI features certainly impress, Google's no stranger to developing on-device AI features of its own, as evidenced by the company's win in our recent AI phone face-off. Besides, as great as Samsung's use of Gemini is, let's not forget that's Google's assistant will be very present on the new Pixel 10 models coming out, the Fold included. While Google may have a hard time out-designing the Galaxy Z Fold 7, there are apparently other steps the phone maker can take to make the Pixel 10 Pro Fold stand out. One of those ways apparently involves increased durability, as leaked Pixel 10 Pro Fold specs suggest that the phone will boast a dust-and-water resistance rating of IP68 — a first for foldable phones. The higher rating means that Google's new foldable will not only be able to survive a dunk in water but keep out dust as well. That's been a challenge for other foldable phones, as the moving parts leave plenty of areas for finer particles to get inside the device. As durable as the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is, for example, it still offers an IP48 rating, as it's not graded to repel smaller dust particles. There's one other area where Samsung has left the door open for other foldable phone makers to challenge the Galaxy Z Fold 7 — battery life. While the new Samsung phone lasts longer than its predecessor, it's only a slight gain and barely ahead of the average battery life for phones that we test. That's likely a reflection of the fact that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 features the same size battery as the Galaxy Z Fold 6. That's not a mistake Google sounds like it's going to make with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. According to those leaked specs, the new foldable Pixel could offer a 5,015 mAh battery, which would be a fairly noteworthy step up from the Pixel 9 Pro Fold's 4,650 mAh cell. Assuming that's accurate, we'd expect the new model to improve up the Pixel 9 Pro Fold's 11.5-plus hour result on our battery test, especially if the Tensor G5 chipset likely to power the Pixel 10 Pro Fold proves to be more power efficient. Pixel 10 Pro outlook Any phone that takes on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is going to have its work cut for it, given all the positive changes Samsung has introduced to this year's model. But focusing on AI features, durability and longevity would give Google an in for making a splash with the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button. More from Tom's Guide Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs. Fold 6 camera face-off 24 hours with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 — what I liked and what I didn't Galaxy Z Fold 7 pre-order deals: Save on Samsung's new phone

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store