Leaked Galaxy Z Fold 7 renders show off the Samsung foldable you’ve been waiting for

It’s been a disappointing few months for US-based foldable fans. Last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 got completely outshined by Samsung’s own region-limited Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition, a thinner, lighter device that delivered on a much-needed redesign. Then, just a couple of weeks ago, we learned OnePlus wouldn’t be bringing Oppo’s ultra-thin Find N5 to the US, a decision Oppo echoed over the weekend within Europe. Finally, though, foldable fans are in luck, as this morning delivered our first real glimpse at the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

These CAD renders come courtesy of OnLeaks and Android Hardware, painting a very promising photo for what’s to come this summer. On its face, none of these renders look particularly out of place with the Fold lineage thus far. A relatively tall outer display with a boxy design and a vertical triple-lens array? That sure sounds like the Galaxy Z Fold 6, doesn’t it? It’s not until you pair these images with some leaked specs that these images really start to look appealing, though.

Samsung’s finally making some pretty big changes

But this still won’t be the slimmest foldable money can buy

First off, this device seems to have a lot more in common with the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition. With an 8.2-inch main panel and a 6.5-inch external screen, this phone sounds significantly larger than its 7.6-inch predecessor. And as Android Hardware observed, its leaked unfolded dimensions — 158.4 x 143.1 x 4.5mm — point towards a significantly wider and thinner handset than that’s come before. Whether that’s enough of a difference to make the outer screen feel more comfortable to type on remains to be seen.

Oh, but let’s not skip over that 4.5mm number. That’s a pretty impressively slim foldable, just shy of the Find N5’s nigh-unbeatable 4.2mm. When folded, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 should be around 9mm in total (and 9.5mm when adjusting for the camera bump). That’s a huge improvement over the 12.1mm chassis seen on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 last year, one that felt pretty dated compared to the (identical, but generation-old) OnePlus Open and the 10.5mm Pixel 9 Pro Fold. It obviously won’t hit the sub-9mm number of Oppo’s device when folded, but it’s much closer than previous Samsung foldables.

It seems pretty likely Samsung is using the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition as its building blocks here. Previous rumors indicated the Z Fold 7 would ditch its digitizer support, just as the China/South Korea-exclusive model did last year, to help bring its size back to Earth. Reportedly, the phone would still support an optional S Pen, with the tech built into the stylus itself rather than the panel, though we’ll have to wait for future rumors to find out whether that’s actually true.

On the inside, a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset — likely with its for Galaxy branding — should come as no surprise, and it sounds like the 200MP sensor seen on Samsung’s Special Edition foldable is making its way to a global debut. But unfortunately, Samsung’s penchant for conservative battery sizes continues this year, with the same 4,400mAh cell dating back to the Galaxy Z Fold 3 making its fifth appearance in a row. Compared to the 4,650mAh battery in the Pixel 9 Pro Fold — to say nothing of the 5,600mAh silicon cell in the Oppo Find N5 — it’s a pretty paltry offering.

Samsung’s expected to debut the Galaxy Z Fold 7 alongside the upcoming Flip 7 at an Unpacked event later this year. Earlier today, we heard the company’s first tri-fold device could arrive alongside both phones, with a budget-friendly Flip FE also rumored to be waiting in the wings. That could make 2025 the most exciting year for Samsung’s Z-series since it arrived on the scene in 2019. With one less competitor to deal with throughout vast parts of the world, look for this summer’s Unpacked to be one for the ages.