Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Fold 7 on July 9 with availability beginning July 25. The new foldable is thinner and lighter than any previous Samsung foldable. It’s also $100 more expensive than last year’s model, starting at $1,999 for the 256GB version.

Thickness and weight matter in foldables. The original Galaxy Fold felt like a brick. Each generation has pushed toward a phone that feels normal when folded. The Z Fold 7 is 8.9mm thick when folded, 4.2mm when unfolded. It weighs 215 grams. That’s lighter than the S25 Ultra. For a phone with two screens and a hinge, that’s impressive engineering.

Specs and Features

The Z Fold 7 runs the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy and packs a 200MP main camera. Those specs are expected at this price point. The real question is whether the foldable mechanism works reliably. Samsung has improved the hinge. Fewer people report crease visibility on the inner screen. Durability remains to be seen over two years of use.

The phone comes in four colors: Blue Shadow, Silver Shadow, Jet Black, and Mint. Jet Black and Mint are Samsung.com exclusives. That strategy pushes people toward the online store. It works because people want specific colors and won’t buy an alternative.

The inner display is larger and more immersive than previous generations. Samsung widened the outer screen too. That means more usable real estate. You spend less time in the cramped phone view and more time with the full tablet experience.

The Price Increase

A $100 price bump in a single year is notable. Samsung is signaling confidence in the foldable market. They believe people will pay $1,999 for this form factor. That’s a bet on adoption. If foldables remain a niche, the price increase hurts sales. If the form factor is becoming mainstream, higher prices are fine.

Competitors exist now. The Pixel Fold works. The OnePlus Open exists. Samsung no longer has a monopoly. Price increases in competitive markets usually lose share. This suggests Samsung sees strong demand regardless of price.

Launch Timing

July 25 launch comes after six weeks of preorders. That’s intentional. Samsung builds hype with a July announcement, takes preorders for a month, then ships in late July or early August. By then, the next news cycle has moved on. But they’ve already captured the enthusiasts who wanted to order day one.

This also means existing foldable owners have time to decide. Do they upgrade? The weight and thickness improvements are real. Battery life likely improves. The camera is meaningful. For someone using a Z Fold 5 or 6, the upgrade is worth considering.

Looking Forward

Foldables are becoming a real category, not an experiment. Samsung shipping 215-gram foldables that feel like premium phones is the proof. Price remains high, but that’s typical for new form factors. As competition increases and manufacturing scales, prices will normalize. For now, Z Fold 7 is the foldable to beat.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 starts at $1,999 and launches July 25. If you want the thinnest, lightest foldable from Samsung, this is it. The price increase is real, but so are the improvements.