I wanted to love the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 — here’s why I’m holding back

I was excited about the launch of the Galaxy Z Flip 7. Samsung finally understood the assignment, and it appeared we were getting the clamshell foldable we’ve always wanted from the company.

In many respects, that’s still true. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 is a significant improvement over its predecessors, and I’ve enjoyed using it quite a bit.

However, looks can be deceiving. While the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is a worthy smartphone and Samsung’s best Galaxy Z Flip effort to date, the company made some bizarre choices.

It has me more conflicted than ever because it’s not the slam dunk it should’ve been. Samsung had me on the hook, but I’m not as excited as I once was. Here’s why.

Battery life needs to improve even more

Samsung didn’t go far enough

I appreciate that Samsung fitted the Galaxy Z Flip 7 with a larger 4,300mAh battery for 2025, but the company didn’t go far enough.

Battery life is still a concern, and while I typically make it through an entire day with mixed use, there have been some close calls. If you’re a heavy user, chances are you’re not considering a Galaxy Z Flip 7.

However, I’d like to make it comfortably into a second day on a single charge, especially when I’m not taxing the phone for anything more than some Instagram scrolls and a little Pokémon GO.

It wouldn’t be a physical limitation for Samsung to fit a larger battery into the Galaxy Z Flip 7. Motorola managed to squeeze a 4,700mAh cell into the Razr Ultra, and you can notice the difference.

Paired with the power-efficient Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, my Razr Ultra consistently makes it into a second day of use on a single charge.

It’s important, and I’m disappointed Samsung wasn’t able to make a bigger leap in battery performance in 2025.

I didn’t realize battery life and camera upgrades were mutually exclusive

Samsung only chose one

In the promotional videos for the Galaxy Z Flip 7, Samsung highlighted its improvements in battery life for the clamshell foldable, while focusing on the camera system for the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

I don’t know why the two would be mutually exclusive, but Samsung made a mistake. Yes, we needed a bigger battery in the Galaxy Z Flip 7, but you need to consider who buys clamshell foldables.

Casual users are more drawn to the form factor, and clamshell foldables are more attainable thanks to their lower pricing compared to book-style folding phones.

Samsung’s image processing is improved for 2025, but the company didn’t make many changes to the hardware.

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 still features a 50MP primary lens and a 12MP ultrawide sensor. The phone produces fine photos, but it struggles with low-light photography.

Meanwhile, the Motorola Razr Ultra features a pair of 50MP sensors.

The physical lens is only half the battle, but the Moto does better with nighttime photography. I don’t understand why Samsung couldn’t have improved both, and it is a missed opportunity.

The cover screen is larger, but that’s about it

Samsung needs to do away with Good Lock

I was genuinely excited when Samsung increased the cover screen size on the Galaxy Z Flip 7. I was hoping against hope that the company would follow up with an improved software experience on the outer display — I was wrong.

Good Lock and Multistar are still required to set up additional apps on the cover screen.

I understand that enthusiasts don’t have an issue with it, and it takes only a few minutes, but it’s an inelegant solution. The setup isn’t intuitive, and there’s no reason to have two tiles devoted to apps.

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 is also in limbo with the price. Motorola’s Razr Ultra is often on sale for $1,100 or less, and with its improved specs, it’s worth consideration.

You’ll deal with less software support, and some buyers are going to prefer Samsung’s One UI, but for everyone else, you get so much more with the Razr Ultra.

Close, but not quite there yet

I don’t want to confuse anyone. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 is a solid smartphone. If you’re a fan of the previous generations, you’re going to love what the company has done this year.

However, it’s not the home run it could’ve been.

While I appreciate the external upgrades Samsung made, there were definite missed opportunities for improvements under the hood and to the user experience.

Still, it’s a step in the right direction, and while I’m not blown away this year, Samsung has plenty to build on.