Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 vs Galaxy Z Flip 6: Expected differences
Intro
Samsung is gearing up to announce its next flip phone series—the Galaxy Z Flip 7. The competition in the flip field is now fierce, and Motorola is gaining ground fast with its Razr models, so Samsung needs to act fast and decisively with the next Galaxy Z Flip to stay competitive.
What better way to see all the upgrades and changes that the Z Flip 7 will inevitably bring than to pit it against its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Flip 6? That's what we're going to do today, and bear in mind that the Z Flip 7 hasn't been announced, so the information is based on rumors at this point.
What better way to see all the upgrades and changes that the Z Flip 7 will inevitably bring than to pit it against its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Flip 6? That's what we're going to do today, and bear in mind that the Z Flip 7 hasn't been announced, so the information is based on rumors at this point.
Galaxy Z Flip 7 vs Galaxy Z Flip 6 differences:
| Galaxy Z Flip 7* | Galaxy Z Flip 6 |
|---|---|
| Same overall design, slightly bigger footprint | A tad more compact device |
| Same camera housing redesigned cover screen | Cover screen doesn't extend to the edges |
| The same dual camera setup | One 50MP main camera and one 12MP ultrawide |
| 1-120Hz AMOLED main display | 120Hz AMOLED as well, same brightness |
| Slightly bigger display at 6.85 inches, lower pixel density | 6.7-inch display, 1080 x 2640 pixels resolution |
| Bigger 4-inch cover screen with 120Hz refresh rate | 3.4-inch cover screen, 60Hz refresh rate |
| Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite platform | One generation older Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset |
| 12GB of RAM | 12GB of RAM |
| The same camera setup, including the 10MP selfie camera | 50MP main camera and 12MP ultrawide |
| Bigger 4174 potentially better battery life | 4000 mAh battery |
| The same charging speeds | 25W wired, 15W wireless charging |
Table of Contents:
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Design and Size
More of the same
We don't expect huge differences between these two phones when it comes to the overall design. We will most likely see the same sleek look with flat edges. There's a rumor that Samsung will try to do something about the crease, as many competitors now offer less prominent one in their foldable devices.
In terms of size and weight, there are talks about an increase in size, mainly due to the slightly bigger cover screen. This will inevitably lead to a wider device, and probably add to the weight as well. Here's a quick preliminary size and weight comparison.
| Galaxy Z Flip 7* | Galaxy Z Flip 6 |
|---|---|
| Thickness Unfolded: 6.9 mm Folded: N/A | Thickness Unfolded: 6.9 mm Folded: 14.9 mm |
| Dimensions Unfolded: 166.6 x 75.2 | Dimensions Unfolded: 165.1 x 71.9 Folded: 85.1 x 71.9 |
| Weight N/A | Weight 187 grams |
As we've already mentioned, there are no huge swings expected in the design department in any direction whatsoever. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 will closely follow in the footsteps of its predecessor.
In terms of build materials, we expect the same glass back (probably a Gorilla Glass of some kind—there are rumors that the phone will feature Gorilla Glass Victus Ceramic) and an Armor Aluminum frame, just like the Galaxy Z Flip 6.
Now, when it comes to colors, not much is known at this point, but there's some information about a Coral Red variant, as well as other shades that more or less mimic the ones on the predecessor.
In terms of build materials, we expect the same glass back (probably a Gorilla Glass of some kind—there are rumors that the phone will feature Gorilla Glass Victus Ceramic) and an Armor Aluminum frame, just like the Galaxy Z Flip 6.
| Galaxy Z Flip 7* | Galaxy Z Flip 6 |
|---|---|
| White/Cream | White |
| Gray/Silver | Silver Shadow |
| Blue | Blue |
| Green | Mint |
| Black | Black |
| Coral Red | Peach |
*rumored
Display Differences
A bigger inner screen and a redesigned cover screen
When it comes to the screen, we've already seen some early speculations circulate online. The Z Flip 7 appears to have a somewhat bigger main and also cover displays than its predecessor.
The inner screen is expected to be 6.85 inches, up from 6.7 inches on the Z Flip 6, and the cover screen is also expected to grow in size from 3.4 to around 4 inches.
These changes might be down to slimmer bezels, and in the case of the cover screen, some of the size increase can be attributed to the screen wrapping around the camera system—Motorola Razr-style.
The inner screen is expected to be 6.85 inches, up from 6.7 inches on the Z Flip 6, and the cover screen is also expected to grow in size from 3.4 to around 4 inches.
These changes might be down to slimmer bezels, and in the case of the cover screen, some of the size increase can be attributed to the screen wrapping around the camera system—Motorola Razr-style.
| Galaxy Z Flip 7* | Galaxy Z Flip 6 |
|---|---|
| Size Main screen: 6.85" Cover screen: 4" | Size Main screen: 6.7" Cover screen: 3.4" |
| Brightness 2600 nits (peak) | Brightness 2600 nits (peak) |
In terms of brightness, there's no information about a potential upgrade, so we expect the same 2600 nits of peak brightness as advertised for the Galaxy Z Flip 6. Speaking of which, it managed around 1200 nits at 100% APL, so not bad at all.
The cover screen refresh rate is expected to be 120Hz, up from the 60Hz we have on the Galaxy Z Flip 6, but the main screen remains an LTPO 1-120Hz panel so no huge change in this department there.
Performance and Software
The usual Elite suspect
Nothing surprising in this department, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is expected to have the latest Qualcomm silicon, which happens to be the Snapdragon 8 Elite. Due to the release cycle of the Samsung Z Flip series, the models just miss out on the next flagship Qualcomm chip.
The same applies here—Qualcomm is expected to release the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 in September, while the Galaxy Z Flip 7 will arrive in July. Nevertheless, the generational jump between the Gen 3 on the Z Flip 6 and the Elite on the new model will be more than enough to justify an upgrade.
| Galaxy Z Flip 7* | Galaxy Z Flip 6 |
|---|---|
| Chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite | Chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
| Process 3nm | Process 4nm |
| RAM 12GB | RAM 12GB |
The RAM situation is expected to be very similar—the Galaxy Z Flip 6 launched with 12GB of RAM, and we think the same will happen with the Galaxy Z Flip 7. This should be enough for all Galaxy AI tricks on board, which leads us to the software part of the section.
The Galaxy Z Flip 7 is expected to launch with OneUI 8 out of the box over Android 15. In contrast, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 was announced with OneUI 6 and Android 14 but was brought up to the latest OS with a subsequent update.
Speaking of updates, the seven-year software support cycle applies to both the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and the new Galaxy Z Flip 7, which means that the newer model will outlive its predecessor by exactly one year.
Stay tuned for a detailed rundown of all the features, as well as some performance benchmarks, soon.
Speaking of updates, the seven-year software support cycle applies to both the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and the new Galaxy Z Flip 7, which means that the newer model will outlive its predecessor by exactly one year.
Stay tuned for a detailed rundown of all the features, as well as some performance benchmarks, soon.
Camera
Exactly the same?
Sadly, we don't expect any upgrades to the camera system of the Galaxy Z Flip 7, at least not in a hardware sense. The same 50MP sensor will most likely be on duty under the 23mm lens of the main camera, and the same 12MP ultrawide will be carried over to from the Galaxy Z Flip 6 as well.
| Galaxy Z Flip 7* | Galaxy Z Flip 6 |
|---|---|
| Main 50 MP f/1.8 23 mm (wide) 1/1.57" | Main 50 MP f/1.8 23 mm (wide) 1/1.57" |
| Ultrawide 12 MP f/2.2 13 mm (ultrawide) 123 FOV | Ultrawide 12 MP f/2.2 13 mm (ultrawide) 123 FOV |
The Galaxy Z Flip 6 managed a camera score of 137 overall (current best is 158) in our test, so it will be interesting to see how the new phone performs with this identical hardware. That being said...
We shouldn't rely on hardware alone, as software post-processing algorithms are doing some heavy lifting in smartphone photography, so we will need to test these to side-by-side and see if the identical hardware produces identical results.
Battery Life and Charging
A slight increase?
The Galaxy Z Flip 6 have a 4000 mAh battery inside (there are two cells due to the foldable nature of the phone) which is not that huge of a capacity nowadays. The phone managed an overall battery score of 6h 45m which ranks it #69 for phones tested in the past 2 years.
Now, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is expected to bring a slight upgrade in that department - the rumored battery capacity of the new phone is 4174 mAh. While not huge, this upgrade will potentially help the phone to climb up the battery test ladder.
| Galaxy Z Flip 7* | Galaxy Z Flip 6 |
|---|---|
| Battery capacity 4174 mAh | Battery capacity 5000 mAh |
Charging speeds 25W wired 15W wireless charging USB-C | Charging speeds 25W wired 15W wireless charging USB-C |
*rumored
There are no expected upgrades to the charging speeds, though. We expect the same 25W wired charging (we won't even call it fast charging) to be carried over from the predecessor, and the same goes for the wireless charging support.
Of course, we need to do our battery and charging tests to evaluate the Galaxy Z Flip 7 scientifically, so stay tuned for some hard numbers when the phone goes official.
Specs Comparison
Here's a quick specs comparison between the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and the Galaxy Z Flip 6:
| Galaxy Z Flip 7* | Galaxy Z Flip 6 |
|---|---|
| Size, weight 166.6 x 75.2 x 6.9 mm TBA | Size, weight 165.1 x 71.9 x 6.9 mm 187 g |
| Screen Main: 6.85" AMOLED 1-120Hz 2600 nits peak Cover: 4" 120Hz | Screen Main: 6.7" AMOLED 1-120Hz 2600 nits peak Cover: 3.4" 60Hz |
| Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite 3nm | Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 4nm |
| Versions: 12/128GB 12/256GB 12/512GB LPDDR5 | Versions: 12/128GB 12/256GB 12/512GB LPDDR5 |
| Cameras: 50MP main 12MP ultrawide 10MP front | Cameras: 50MP main 12MP ultrawide 10MP front |
| Battery: 4174 mAh | Battery: 4000 mAh |
| Charging: USB-C 25W wired 15W wireless charging | Charging: USB-C 25W wired 15W wireless charging |
*rumored
Summary
It seems that we should prepare ourselves for another incremental upgrade when it comes to the Galaxy Z Flip series. From the information available at the moment, we're looking at a slightly bigger main screen, a new edge-to-edge cover screen, a new and faster processor, and a slightly bigger battery.
This doesn't look like much compared to the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and most likely won't convince too many people to upgrade if they already rock the previous generation. For new adopters of the flip form factor, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 might offer a good enough package, but then again, there are great alternatives from Motorola and also from the Far East if you're willing to put some additional effort into getting the latter models.
The usual caveat applies here as well—we will update the comparison with tests, benchmarks, camera samples, and a final verdict once we get the Galaxy Z Flip 7.
This doesn't look like much compared to the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and most likely won't convince too many people to upgrade if they already rock the previous generation. For new adopters of the flip form factor, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 might offer a good enough package, but then again, there are great alternatives from Motorola and also from the Far East if you're willing to put some additional effort into getting the latter models.
The usual caveat applies here as well—we will update the comparison with tests, benchmarks, camera samples, and a final verdict once we get the Galaxy Z Flip 7.
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