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Android Authority
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Android Authority
Wallpaper Wednesday: More great phone wallpapers for all to share (July 16)
C. Scott Brown / Android Authority Welcome to Wallpaper Wednesday! In this weekly roundup, we'll give you a handful of Android wallpapers you can download and use on your phone, tablet, or even your laptop/PC. The images will come from folks here at Android Authority as well as our readers. All are free to use and come without watermarks. File formats are JPG and PNG, and we'll provide images in both landscape and portrait modes, so they'll be optimized for various screens. For the newest walls as well as all the ones from previous weeks, check out this Drive link. Want to submit your own? Head to the bottom of this article. Wallpaper Wednesday: July 16, 2025 Another week, another set of awesome Android wallpapers for you to share! Remember that we are always looking for submissions from our readers. Head to the bottom of this article to find out how you could have one of your images featured in an upcoming Wallpaper Wednesday! With that in mind, we've got six awesome images from our readers that would look great on your phone, tablet, or PC. As usual, we also have three images from the Android Authority team. First, we have a terrific photo of our lunar neighbor, the moon, from reader Sambit Vatsyayan. Sambit used a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra for that one! After that, we have an absolutely astounding photo of Lake Tahoe from reader (and frequent contributor) Justin Dufrene. Justin used a OnePlus 13 to capture that, if you can believe it! Next, we have a cool shot of Dubai from a boat. That comes from reader Harshit Agarwal. After that, we have a very peaceful photo of Laramie River in Wyoming. That comes from reader Jonathan Centifanto, who used a Samsung Galaxy S24 Plus for the capture! Next, we have an incredible shot of Calligrapha bicolorata, also known as a Parthenium beetle. That comes from reader Arkadeep Banerjee, and was captured with a Google Pixel 8! Finally, we have a nice shot of Handroanthus impetiginosus, also known as the pink ipê tree. That one comes from reader Harlley Sathler. Thanks so much for your submissions, all! From the Android Authority team, we have a great photo of a beautiful skylight from Adamya Sharma. We also have a pic of a very interesting wall from Rita El Khoury. Finally, we have a beautiful photo of a coastline from Bogdan Petrovan. Be sure to download these photos in their high resolutions from this Drive link! How to submit your own Android wallpapers We are very excited to see your own contributions to our Wallpaper Wednesdays project. Before submitting, here are the rules: Your submissions should be your own creation. That means photos you took, digital art you created, etc. Please don't submit other people's work — that's just not cool. Also, please don't send images purely created with AI . They will not be accepted. Images you created and then augmented with AI tools are OK. . They will not be accepted. Images you created and then augmented with AI tools are OK. You must agree to let Android Authority share your Android wallpapers for free with anyone who wants them. We will not accept watermarked images. You will, however, get a credit and a link in the article itself. We can link to your social media account only. Ready to submit? Fill out the form below. You'll need to include the highest-resolution version of the image you can provide, your name, and a brief description of what the image is. If you want us to link to a social media page you own in your credit, please provide that, too, but that's optional.
Android Authority
09-07-2025
- Android Authority
5 reasons I'd buy the Galaxy Z Flip 7 over the Fold 7
Samsung's new foldables may look like minor upgrades on the surface, but give them a closer look and the changes add up — enough to finally catch up with what Oppo and OnePlus have already been doing design-wise. Thankfully, Samsung's finally in the same league again. And of the two foldables they've launched, I'm leaning strongly toward the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7. To be honest, I haven't been a fan of the Galaxy Z Flip lineup so far — it always felt like it was trying too hard to milk nostalgia without fully embracing what a modern foldable should be. But the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is the first one in the series that actually delivers on the idea of being a compact, usable, foldable phone. It took six generations to get here, but it's finally here. And that makes the bigger Fold 7 a hard pass for me. Which Samsung foldable phone would you pick? 0 votes Galaxy Z Flip 7 NaN % Galaxy Z Fold 7 NaN % Still not sold on foldables NaN % Just give me a regular phone NaN % Here's why I'm picking the Galaxy Z Flip 7 over the Fold 7: 1. My wrist gets a say now C. Scott Brown / Android Authority I like to call it writer's wrist. Mine rings better, but the actual term is ulnar tunnel syndrome — the lesser-known cousin of carpal tunnel syndrome. It messes with one of the two nerves in your wrist, and the last thing it needs is a heavy phone resting on your pinky. When foldables first started showing up, I imagined them as lighter, more ergonomic versions of regular phones, and not mini tablets trying to pass off as phones. The Z Flip 7 finally fits that vision. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 may be thinner, but it's still a large, heavy phone — one that's jacket-pocket friendly rather than being meant for jeans pockets. The Flip 7, on the other hand, feels just right — lighter, smaller, and far more comfortable to carry and use one-handed. And no, I'm not picking form over function. The Flip is now functional, too. 2. That outer screen is all I need — most of the time C. Scott Brown / Android Authority Last year's Flip had a clunky cover display that was bigger but quite off-putting to look at, thanks to its awkward shape. This year, the FlexWindow is not only bigger, but it also extends edge-to-edge — like what we saw on the Moto Razr 60 Ultra. It's much more pleasing to look at and all I need for glancing at WhatsApp messages to decide whether to reply, controlling music on YouTube Music, picking Gemini Live's brain on random facts about the cosmos, and even checking Now Brief to glance at my day — something Samsung introduced with the Galaxy S25 series. It genuinely feels like a chore to flip open the phone now, unless I need the big screen for media or an app that still doesn't play nice with the square screen. And there's a nice side effect too — the smaller screen keeps me from doomscrolling. That tiny display puts a soft limit on how much time I waste, which means I actually use my phone more as a tool and less as an endless feed machine. 3. Lighter on my pocket, too Hadlee Simons / Android Authority Foldables are expensive, and this year, even more so. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 now costs a full two grand — that's the price of two Pro-grade phones. And no, having two screens doesn't justify that. The Z Flip 7 starts at $1,100. Still not cheap, but far more reasonable, and it pleases both my wrist and wallet. I still get the perks of a foldable, but in a better form: a normal-sized phone that folds in half to take up less space, not a tablet forced into a phone's body. I need my phone to do phone things — not pretend to be a tablet, especially not at double the price. For the same money as the Fold 7, I could just get a Galaxy Tab S10 Plus and a Flip 7. 4. Snapping it shut to end calls is cool AF C. Scott Brown / Android Authority Call me old school, but there's something incredibly satisfying about ending a call by flipping the phone shut. Even if I'm alone in the room, I get the feel of those smug glasses dropping on my eyes in slow-mo — like I'm part of the meme world. The Fold doesn't take me to the original Motorola Razr era. I'd be hanging up calls like a regular phone user. And I can't be like all the other billions of people with a boring rectangle, can I? A few million Flip users? That I can live with. 5. Battery life and cameras are finally good enough C. Scott Brown / Android Authority Early Flip models were easy to skip just for the battery life alone. But the Flip 7 now packs a 4,300mAh battery — not huge on paper, but surprisingly solid in daily use, especially because I spend most of my time on the smaller outer screen. It lasts me a full day easily if I'm not pushing it, which I usually don't. Cameras sure aren't top-notch, and yes, I do miss the telephoto lens from the Fold. But honestly, I'll take the comfort and price of the Flip over an extra zoom lens any day. The trade-off feels worth it. Between the two, I'm going with the Flip — not just because it's cheaper, but because it finally feels like the foldable I always wanted. In the Galaxy Z Flip 7 vs Fold 7 battle, the winner is obvious to me. Between the two, I'm going with the Flip — not just because it's cheaper, but because it finally feels like the foldable I always wanted. Lighter, smarter, easier to carry, and way more fun to use. And if $1,100 still feels too steep, Samsung's also made an FE version of the Flip this year at $899 — though it comes with last year's design. If you're okay with that, it's a great entry point into the world of foldables, though you could still find a brand-new Flip 6 if you look around online.
Android Authority
09-07-2025
- Android Authority
I've seen the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 and 8 Classic I don't hate the squircle redesign
Samsung's Galaxy Watches have looked almost identical since the brand returned to Wear OS with the Galaxy Watch 4 in 2021, with the exception of last year's Galaxy Watch Ultra. Now the rest of the Galaxy Watch line-up is changing to match their Ultra cousin with a new shape and strap mechanism that makes the Watch 8 series the biggest redesign in Samsung's wearable history. I had some brief hands-on time with the Galaxy Watch 8 and 8 Classic, and they could be Samsung's best, despite the quirky looks. Galaxy Watch 8 design Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority The Galaxy Watch 8 has adopted a similar design to the Watch Ultra, placing the circular display within a squircle frame. It's certainly a divisive move, but I think it looks great in person — far better than it looks in any of Samsung's press images. Samsung says the design change was made to make the watch more comfortable, and I have to agree. The Watch 8 is thinner than its predecessors, and the wider footprint makes it sit on my wrist without the curve of the housing digging into my skin. The metal lugs that the strap attaches to are gone, replaced with the same mechanism that's used for the watch bands on the Galaxy Watch Ultra, as you can see illustrated by the side-by-side with my Galaxy Watch 6. The upside is the increased comfort I already mentioned, and what Samsung says is a big improvement in health sensor accuracy, thanks to the watch sitting more evenly on your wrist. The downside, of course, is that the watch bands from old Galaxy Watches and all the standard 20mm bands on Amazon won't work here — you'll need to buy straps designed to use Samsung's new system. The Watch 8 comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes in either silver or graphite, with either Wi-Fi/Bluetooth only or an LTE variants available. Galaxy Watch 8 Classic design Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority The Classic model returns this year, also with the new design, and I'm pleased to report that it returns that rotating bezel from previous models. Unlike the regular Galaxy Watch 8, which is made of Armor Aluminum, the Classic is made from stainless steel, and it looks fantastic. The rotating bezel feels solid and satisfying, thanks to a mechanical click with each degree of rotation. Sure, it's the same functionality as the touch bezel on the non-Classic models, but this is more satisfying to use. Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority The Classic differentiates itself with more than just a rotating bezel and larger size (46mm) this year, thanks to a hand-me-down from the Galaxy Watch Ultra. The Quick Button sits between the buttons we're used to, and can be remapped to a plethora of different functions, like starting a specific workout, a timer, water lock mode, and more. The specs C. Scott Brown / Android Authority The specs table below shows just how similar these two watches are, with the only real differences being display/battery sizes, materials used for the body, and the storage, which is doubled for the Watch 8 Classic. Galaxy Watch 8 Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Dimensions and weight Galaxy Watch 8 40mm: 40.4 x 42.7 x 8.6mm 30 g 44mm: 43.7 x 46 x 8.6mm 34 g Galaxy Watch 8 Classic 46mm: 46.4mm x 46mm x 10.6t 63.5g Materials Galaxy Watch 8 Case: Aluminum Armor Front: Sapphire Crystal Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Case: Aluminum Armor Front: Sapphire Crystal Display Galaxy Watch 8 40mm: 1.34-inch Super AMOLED, Full color, Always On Display 438 x 438 resolution 44mm: 1.47-inch Super AMOLED, Full color, Always On Display 480×480 resolution 3,000 nits peak Galaxy Watch 8 Classic 1.34-inch Super AMOLED, Full color, Always On Display 438×438 resolution 3,000 nits peak Processor Galaxy Watch 8 Exynos W1000 5 cores 3nm process Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Exynos W1000 5 cores 3nm process RAM Galaxy Watch 8 2GB Galaxy Watch 8 Classic 2GB Storage Galaxy Watch 8 32GB Galaxy Watch 8 Classic 64GB Battery Galaxy Watch 8 40mm: 325mAh 44mm: 435mAh WPC-based wireless charging Galaxy Watch 8 Classic 445mAh WPC-based wireless charging Connectivity Galaxy Watch 8 Bluetooth 5.3 LTE Wi-Fi (2.4 & 5GHz) NFC GPS dual frequency (L1+L5) Glonass Beidou Galileo Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Bluetooth 5.3 LTE Wi-Fi (2.4 & 5GHz) NFC GPS dual frequency (L1+L5) Glonass Beidou Galileo OS Galaxy Watch 8 Wear OS 6 One UI 8 Watch Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Wear OS 6 One UI 8 Watch Sensors Galaxy Watch 8 Samsung BioActive sensor (Optical Bio-signal sensor, Electrical Heart Signal, Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis) Temperature sensor Accelerometer Barometer Gyro sensor Geomagnetic sensor Light sensor Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Samsung BioActive sensor (Optical Bio-signal sensor, Electrical Heart Signal, Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis) Temperature sensor Accelerometer Barometer Gyro sensor Geomagnetic sensor Light sensor Durability Galaxy Watch 8 5ATM IP68 MID-STD-810H Galaxy Watch 8 Classic 5ATM IP68 MID-STD-810H Compatibility Galaxy Watch 8 Compatible with Android 12.0 or later with more than 1.5GB of memory No iOS support Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Compatible with Android 12.0 or later with more than 1.5GB of memory No iOS support Colors Galaxy Watch 8 Graphite, Silver Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Black, White Software and features Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority If you're familiar with the One UI 8 Watch beta for the Galaxy Watch 7 family, there isn't much more to see here. One UI 8 Watch is here out of the box for the Watch 8 series, and there's a lot to like. The app drawer is easier to parse and has a new list mode, tiles can be arranged in multiple lists for better organisation, and the Now Bar from Samsung's One UI 7 for phones makes an appearance and is easily the highlight of this version. New features for the Watch 8 series are health-focused. Sleep Apnea tracking is coming to the UK and EU with the Watch 8 series, and later, older models back to the Galaxy Watch 4, something I look forward to testing as someone who suffers from the condition. The Galaxy Watch 8 and 8 Classic are all about fitness and health tracking, with almost no other features to talk about Sleep tracking is enhanced by the ability to measure vascular load, which will allow the Watch 8 to determine how hard your heart is working while you sleep. Finally, there's the antioxidant index. By holding your finger to the same sensor that performs the body composition scan, the Watch 8 and 8 Classic can tell you what your antioxidant levels are and how to increase them. How useful this and other new health metrics are remains to be seen, as does their accuracy. Are they any good? Zac Kew-Denniss / Android Authority I could only spend about half an hour with these watches, so performance and battery life metrics will have to wait until our full review. What I can say is that they feel like watches I want to upgrade to from my Watch 6. The new design may look weird in a photo, but in person, it looks fantastic and feels even better when you wear it. The thinner profile makes them less likely to snag on anything, and the squircle metal frame will take the brunt of any impacts that do occur instead of the display. The wider footprint felt good to me, but that might not be the case for those with smaller wrists, and the new strap mechanism, while cool, does mean we lose out on the vast watch band ecosystem that's been built up over the last few years. Overall, these feel like a solid step forward for Samsung's wearables, and fans are sure to be glad to see the return of the Classic model in all its rotating bezel glory. Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Bright display • Powerful health features • Gemini built-in MSRP: $349.99 Brighter display, better battery life The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 offers a new 'squircle' look, with new band attachments, backed by new software, a 50% brighter display over last year's model, and a slightly larger battery. The watch is available in four configurations: a 40mm display in Wi-Fi or LTE and a 44mm display in Wi-Fi or LTE. See price at Samsung Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 44mm LTE See price at Amazon Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 40mm Wi-Fi Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Rotating bezel • Bright display • Best software features MSRP: $499.99 Going squircle, still Classic The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic continues the Classic lineage but with a squircle redesign. Available in Wi-Fi and LTE, with a 3,000 nit display and big 445mAh battery, enjoy all of the best Samsung smartwatch software experiences in style. See price at Samsung Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Wi-Fi See price at Amazon Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic Wi-Fi See price at Amazon Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic LTE
Android Authority
09-07-2025
- Android Authority
The Galaxy Watch 8 series is here, and this is the model I'd buy
Samsung's latest wearables have officially landed, sporting a unified look and smarter software. As expected, the launch doesn't reinvent the proverbial wheel, but this year, it does reshape it. The Galaxy Watch 8, Watch 8 Classic, and a subtly updated Galaxy Watch Ultra all adopt a cushiony squircle case design. They also introduce a refined One UI 8 Watch experience built on Wear OS 6, leaving shoppers to choose between the sleeker base model, the fan-favorite rotating bezel on the Classic, or the rugged ambition of the Ultra. For me, it's a close call between practicality and personality, and the bezel might just win again. Which new Samsung Galaxy Watch would you buy? 0 votes Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 NaN % Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 Classic NaN % Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra (refreshed) NaN % None NaN % New to the stable This year, Samsung's wearables have gone all in on the squircle. The cushion-shaped case introduced with the Galaxy Watch Ultra is now standard across the Watch 8 lineup, bringing a more cohesive visual identity. I've already voiced my skepticism around the shape, so I won't harp, but yeah, it was a choice. All three watches also feature an updated dynamic lug system, which Samsung claims should provide more comfort as well as accuracy. The Galaxy Watch 8 is now 11% thinner than last year's model, with a peak display brightness of 3,000 nits, and still comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes in Silver or Graphite. The Watch 8 Classic, meanwhile, is back in a single 46mm case (Black or White) and brings with it the beloved rotating bezel, which is still the most satisfying way to interact with a smartwatch UI. It also borrows the Quick Button from the Ultra, offering faster access to workouts or custom actions. C. Scott Brown / Android Authority Finally, the Galaxy Watch Ultra returns with some light touch-ups, namely a new Titanium Blue colorway, and a bump in storage to match the 64GB found on the 8 Classic. It remains the most rugged and feature-dense option in the lineup, with a large display, long battery life, 10ATM water resistance, dual-frequency GPS, and serious outdoor chops. At $649, though, it's a pricey pick if you don't need all the extras. All three models ship with One UI 8 Watch based on Wear OS 6, and the user experience is identical no matter which model you buy. The new Now Bar makes multitasking smoother, while stackable tiles and a refreshed apps folder help cut down on menu digging and endless swiping. All three models ship with One UI 8 Watch based on Wear OS 6. Samsung's health features also see meaningful updates this year. Sleep coaching now includes bedtime recommendations and passive heart rate tracking (after three nights of baseline data). A new Antioxidant Index gives a five-second reading of carotenoid levels, meant to inform dietary choices. Runners get a more intelligent coaching suite with real-time feedback and personalized training plans. Notably, in an era where others are locking features behind subscriptions, the whole platform is still free. The devices all launch with Gemini preloaded out of the box. Which one would I buy? Hadlee Simons / Android Authority The real question is which watch fits your wrist and your priorities. The Galaxy Watch Ultra is undeniably capable, with the largest battery, most durability, and outdoor-focused features like a siren, triathlon mode, and functional threshold power for cyclists. But it's also large, expensive, and this year, light on changes. Unless you need its rugged toolkit, it's hard to justify the price bump over the others. Honestly, I'd be tempted to snag last year's model at a discount. That leaves the Galaxy Watch 8 and Watch 8 Classic. The standard Watch 8 is thin, light, and comes in a size that better fits smaller wrists. I do wish it stayed circular, but the overall aesthetic is clean and modern. For a minimalist daily wearable, it's more than capable. I'd choose the Galaxy Watch 8 Classic for the most distinctive experience Samsung offers. Yet, the Classic wins my heart again. The rotating bezel remains unmatched for navigating Wear OS without smudging the display, and the added Quick Button now onboard only solidifies the device's user-friendly build. Yes, it's bigger and more expensive, but it's the one I'd wear every day. It's also the one that best separates itself from other Wear OS options, like the Google Pixel lineup. If you value simplicity and a smaller size, the base model is the smarter buy. If you want the most complete, distinctive experience Samsung offers this year, go with the Classic.
Android Authority
09-07-2025
- Android Authority
I love the look and feel of the Galaxy Z Flip 7, but the price confuses me
When Samsung launches new foldable phones, most people who read sites like Android Authority are only really interested in the Fold model — the ultra-expensive one that opens like a book. However, the foldable that sells the most is the Flip model — the smaller, cheaper design that opens like a clamshell. This year is no different, as the eyes of the internet seem to be exclusively on the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which got its first significant design refresh in years and is positioned to be competitive against Chinese-made foldables, finally. Don't let the Fold steal all the thunder, though. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 also launched today, and it similarly received a significant design refresh. It looks better than ever. Once again, this one will likely sell in numbers three times higher than the Galaxy Z Fold 7, so it's a very important phone for Samsung. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7: Hot or Not? 0 votes Hot NaN % Not: NaN % I had the opportunity to use the Galaxy Z Flip 7 for a bit during Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event in Brooklyn. While it was immediately obvious that this phone is the best-designed Flip that Samsung has ever made, some of the company's decisions surrounding it made me uneasy. Is Samsung taking this line in the right direction, or is it veering off the rails? Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 Largest ever Flex Window • 6.9-inch dynamic AMOLED 2X folding screen • 7 years of updates MSRP: $1,099.00 Melds Galaxy AI with the new edge-to-edge FlexWindow With a 6.9-inch main display and a 4.1-inch FlexWindow outer display, the Samsung Galaxy Flip 7 focuses on putting AI smarts in your pocket. Measuring just 13.74mm thick when folded, it's the slimmest Z Flip phone yet. Packed with a 50MP camera and a suite of AI tools, Samsung calls the Z Flip 7 a "pocket-sized selfie studio." See price at Samsung See price at Amazon This feels like peak Galaxy Z Flip design C. Scott Brown / Android Authority The cover display on Galaxy Z Flip phones — officially called the Flex Window — has always been a bit weird. Originally, it was just a small rectangle with the most basic of information and usability. Then Samsung made it slightly bigger, but it still felt like an add-on rather than a true display feature. Eventually, Samsung expanded it, making it a strange, folder-shaped display that was certainly more usable, but felt awkward, even on the most recent Galaxy Z Flip 6. While this progression was happening, competitors had jumped ahead and gone all out by making the entire top half of the phone a display (see the Motorola Razr Ultra for a great example of this). Samsung has finally made the cover display go edge-to-edge, and it looks and feels amazing. Well, Samsung has finally thrown caution to the wind and copied Motorola. The Galaxy Z Flip 7's cover display now goes edge-to-edge, with only the two exterior camera lenses obstructing the view. Honestly, I can't believe it took Samsung so long to do this. Was it waiting to see if Motorola faced pushback or durability complaints? I'm not really sure what the delay was for, but I'm glad we've made it to this point. Not only did Samsung make the cover display edge-to-edge, but it finally got with the times and brought a proper 120Hz refresh rate to it. Every previous Flip had a dismal 60Hz refresh rate, so this is a big step up. Using the Flex Window felt terrific. Swiping around felt nice and smooth, and the display was bright (it peaks out at 2,600 nits!), colorful, and gorgeous. The significant increase in display size also made things easier to read. Unfortunately, Samsung is still holding the cover display back from being everything it can be, which I'll touch on in the next section. Sticking with design, though, opening up the phone also presents a tangibly better display experience. The inner screen is now larger at 6.9 inches (the Galaxy Z Flip 6 display is 6.7 inches), thanks to noticeably slimmer bezels. Also, the display crease at the hinge is almost invisible. The photo below was the best I could get to show it. For all intents and purposes, it wasn't there. Granted, after 1,000 folds, it might be more visible, but every model I checked at the Unpacked event looked like this one. How far we've come with display creases! C. Scott Brown / Android Authority Besides the increase in size, Samsung didn't have much to tell us about anything new with the inner display. It still is a 1080p LTPO AMOLED screen and still has a 120Hz refresh rate. I've never had any complaints about the specs surrounding the inner display, so the fact that it's larger is more than enough for me. Once you get past the altered displays, the rest of the phone is pretty much the same as the previous few generations. The sides are totally flat, which we've had since the Galaxy Z Flip 6 (or even the Galaxy Z Flip 5, which only had subtle curvature on the edges). The cameras, flash, power button/fingerprint reader, volume keys, and pretty much all other aspects of the phone are just as they were last year. C. Scott Brown / Android Authority There are some new colors, though. This year, we have Blue Shadow, Coral Red, and Jet Black as the three colorways that most of the world will see. There's also a color exclusive to called Mint, which is a light green, as you'd expect. All the colors look great, but the blue is probably my favorite. Samsung always seems to do a great job with providing plenty of fun color options in the Flip series. I wish it took the same approach with its other phone models, but oh well. New software tricks that feel tangibly useful C. Scott Brown / Android Authority Although making the cover display larger is great and all, Samsung needs to do something with that new real estate. In some ways it has done that, and in other ways not so much. One of the best new features here is that Gemini works right from the cover display now. You trigger it in the usual way by holding down the power button, but you no longer need to be using the phone in an unfolded state for it to work. Once triggered, you can type out a question or just speak your query out loud. Gemini Live is also supported, so you can have a full-on conversation with Gemini without ever needing to unfold your phone. Gemini support on the cover display is a big deal, as accessing the digital assistant will no longer require a needless unfolding of the phone. On top of this, you can also share your camera feed with Gemini from the cover display. This would allow you to, for example, show Gemini what you're wearing and get a critique on the outfit. You could also show Gemini something in your hand and ask about it. The sky's the limit here. The only caveat is that the camera is always facing you, so if you want to chat with Gemini about what's going on in front of you, you'll either need to awkwardly turn the phone around or just unfold it and use Gemini on the main display. Hadlee Simons / Android Authority Now Brief is also available on the cover display now. This useful little widget that debuted on the lock screens of the Galaxy S25 series will give you information about what's going on when you need it. Flight information will show when you're about to head to the airport, sports scores will be updated when your favorite team is playing, and weather reports will appear periodically to let you know if you need a raincoat or sunscreen. Samsung has also promised that it is working with more partners to make Now Brief even more useful. It didn't have much else to tell us on this front, but it's clear Now Brief is successful and will only get better over time, so it appearing right on the Galaxy Z Flip 7 cover display is great news. Now Brief is available on the cover display and you can also easily use zoom features when taking selfies from the Flex Window. There's one other cool cover display update, and it involves taking selfies. When you fire up the camera while the phone is folded, your viewfinder will now allow you to digitally zoom in or out on yourself using a convenient slider that appears on the left side of the screen. Additionally, One UI will automatically zoom in or out based on what it sees in the viewfinder, which could be helpful (or annoying — I didn't have enough time with it to come to a conclusion there, but it did work as expected). C. Scott Brown / Android Authority While these are all terrific updates for the cover display, there's one thing that Samsung still isn't offering: full app support. As with all other Flip models, if you want to launch any app on the cover display, you'll still need to use Good Lock to do it. While it's nice that there's a workaround to get it working, it is high time Samsung stopped keeping this tucked away there. The introduction of an edge-to-edge cover display was the perfect time to allow full app support, but Samsung let that opportunity pass by. C. Scott Brown / Android Authority Outside of cover display updates, though, there is one other major new software tweak for the Galaxy Z Flip 7, and that is full DeX support. Finally! Samsung leaving DeX support off the Flip series has been so bizarre, considering there has been nothing preventing it from offering it (hardware-wise, I mean). This omission has been rectified at last, as not only is DeX support here for the Galaxy Z Flip 7, but it's also activated by default. Nice move, Sammy. Finally, Samsung is offering the expected seven years of support for the Galaxy Z Flip 7. That means seven Android upgrades and seven years of security patches. Considering this phone comes with Android 16 out of the box (one of the first globally available smartphones to do so), you'll be good all the way until Android 23. The Exynos elephant in the room C. Scott Brown / Android Authority OK, so I've gotten through all of the cool things going on with the Galaxy Z Flip 7. Now, we need to have a frank discussion about the elephant in the room, which is that under the hood in every area of the world, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 will have the Exynos 2500 processor. Yes, even here in the United States. Thankfully, this fate did not befall the Galaxy Z Fold 7 — that phone has the expected Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite. Traditionally, though, the two phones have had the same chipset, making all Galaxy Z phones and all non-FE devices in the Galaxy S series part of the overall flagship family. This year, though, Samsung is letting that tradition fade and knocking the Flip model down a peg. The Exynos 2500 will power the Galaxy Z Flip 7. And that's everywhere, including here in the US. To be clear, the Exynos 2500 is almost certainly a good chipset. It's built on a 3nm process, just like the Snapdragon 8 Elite. It has a strong core setup, a great modem, and powerful NPU capabilities. On paper, it will be more than enough power for pretty much every Galaxy Z Flip 7 customer. But I can confidently say it will be no match for the Snapdragon 8 Elite. Although we have no benchmarks or other data to show for it yet, based on what we know so far (and over a decade of history to examine), the 8 Elite will trounce the Exynos 2500 by almost every metric. This is a disappointing development for the Flip series. We'll certainly do the tests to confirm this, though, when we have our own review units. C. Scott Brown / Android Authority Another elephant in the room is the camera hardware. You'll notice I haven't said anything about that yet. Well, that's because there have been no significant upgrades in that department. The main sensor is still a 50MP deal, the ultrawide stays at 12MP, and the selfie camera in the display cutout of the inner screen is still 10MP. There is still no telephoto lens, as usual. Samsung also neglected to bring any tangible hardware upgrades to the cameras this year. Thankfully, Samsung did bring us one hardware upgrade: the battery. It's about 7% larger in the Galaxy Z Flip 7 versus the Galaxy Z Flip 6 (4,300mAh vs 4,000mAh). Any battery capacity increase is welcome, obviously, but it's unclear how much battery life will actually be extended once you factor in the larger cover display and its higher refresh rate. We'll find out when we do our usual review testing. So really, what we have here is a phone with a fresh new design, a slightly larger battery, and some very welcome new software features. But, in exchange, we have a processor that does not befit a flagship offering from Samsung and no tangible camera upgrades. If Samsung left the pricing the same, this would be fine. But it didn't. No, sir, it did not. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 impressions: Why is this more expensive? C. Scott Brown / Android Authority Let me give you a little pricing history for the Galaxy Z Flip series. The very first Flip model cost $1,380. The quick follow-up — the Galaxy Z Flip 5G — cost a whopping $1,449. Shortly thereafter, Samsung dropped the 5G model's price to $1,199. With the launch of the Galaxy Z Flip 3, though, Samsung brought it down to $999 — and there it's stayed through every generation since. Today, though, Samsung is launching the Galaxy Z Flip 7 at an increased price of $1,099. That's for the model with 256GB of non-expandable storage. Samsung is increasing the price of the Galaxy Z Flip 7 by $100, despite downgrading the processor and offering few hardware upgrades. I'll be completely blunt here: Samsung has not justified this price increase. As far as the product goes, the phone has a bigger cover display, sure, and the inner display's bezels shrank. The battery is also a little bigger. Outside of those perks, though, nothing else about the hardware has been substantially upgraded. In fact, the Exynos 2500 chipset, combined with foldable technology becoming cheaper as the years have passed, should mean that this phone would be less expensive, not more. Perhaps the price increase is due to US tariffs and other geopolitical developments. Perhaps materials have increased in cost and Samsung had no choice but to raise the price to compensate. Whatever it might be, during Galaxy Unpacked, Samsung didn't make a strong enough argument for why this model costs $100 more than last year's model. Regardless, this price increase becomes all the more worrisome when you look at the competition. Motorola is the biggest threat to Samsung in this department, and its pricing strategy puts Samsung's to shame. The entry-tier 2025 Motorola Razr ($699.99 at Amazon) starts at $400 less (!!) than the Galaxy Z Flip 7. This year's upgraded Motorola Razr Plus ($999.99 at Amazon) has the same $999 price tag as previous Galaxy Z Flip phones. And, if you want to go all out, the brand new Motorola Razr Ultra ($1299.99 at Amazon) is more expensive, but comes with the Snapdragon 8 Elite, a 1TB option, a larger battery, a larger internal display with a higher resolution, more RAM, and so much more than I'm going to bother listing here. Simply put, Samsung's latest Flip offering is asking too much for too little. Apparently, the company thinks that offering the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE ($899 at Samsung) — which also launched today — will be a nice consolation for cash-strapped buyers. But that phone feels even more awkward than this, as it's basically the same as the year-old Galaxy Z Flip 6 ($1099.99 at Samsung), which can be found for deep discounts on account of its age. So why bother with the FE? As I mentioned earlier, Samsung has dropped pricing for Flip phones in the past, so maybe it will see that asking $1,099 for this is probably not going to fly with fans. But, until then, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 feels like a design win that a lot of people won't get to enjoy simply because it's not priced competitively. What do you think? Let me know in the comments below, and be sure to answer our poll at the beginning of this article!
