Foldable phones have been a part of the smartphone scene for more than half-a-decade now — long enough for there to be actual competition among the best foldable phones.
And yet, despite the fact that I regularly get the chance to test all sorts of phones, including foldable ones, I've never felt the urge to turn to one of these devices as my primary handset.
It's no reflection on the phones themselves, some of which I'd happily recommend if you are in the market for a foldable. For instance, I was impressed by the Motorola Razr 2023 back when I reviewed that phone; the Microsoft Surface Duo 2... less so.
It's just that I'm an inherently frugal person — some might say cheap — and I've not yet seen a reason to justify the higher costs that foldable phones command, particularly if we're looking at book-style foldables like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6.
Samsung has confirmed that its new foldable models are on the way — rumors suggest we could be seeing a launch event as soon as next month. And while i'm sure devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 could impress when they show up, I'm unlikely to change my stance about making a foldable phone my personal device.
Focused on the wrong things?
That's based on what Samsung has said publicly about its upcoming phones, with a series of teasers meant to generate interest about the next foldables.
By emphasizing the thinner and lighter design of the phone, I feel like Samsung's still fighting the last war when it comes to convincing people to grab one of its foldables.
While Samsung hasn't mentioned devices by name, it's very clearly talking about the Galaxy Z Fold 7 when it touts the "thinnest, lightest and most advanced foldable yet — meticulously crafted and built to last."
And that's all well and good. I don't think anyone's going to turn up their nose at a more portable Galaxy Z Fold, and it's always encouraging to hear that a fold you open and shut as a matter of course will be able to stand up to that kind of use. But by emphasizing the design of the phone, I feel like Samsung's still fighting the last war when it comes to convincing people to grab one of its foldables.
Come this summer, we'll be on our seventh iteration of the Galaxy Z Fold. The Galaxy Z Flip has been around for five years. And there are plenty of rival devices featuring similar designs to Samsung's foldables.
Could the phones be thinner and lighter? Sure, that's always a welcome improvement. But the Galaxy Z Fold 6 is currently 5.6mm thin when opened up, which is thinner than even the Galaxy S25 Edge. At 8.4 ounces, the Fold is heavier than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, but only by 0.8 ounces.
Making the device any thinner and lighter at this point may be just a marginal improvement, and possibly not worth it, if it requires limited battery improvements or a less capable S Pen — both of which have been rumored for the Galaxy Z Fold 7.
In other words, Samsung needs to shift away from trying to convince us that this is a viable design — I think most of us are on board with that claim. Instead, if foldable phones aren't going to drop in price — and every indication suggests that's not happening — the company needs to convince us why we need to pay more for phones like the Fold.
What Samsung should be talking about
I think Samsung needs to be playing up multitasking on foldables and getting more done on the go.
And to be fair, Samsung has put in some effort there, particularly when it comes to multitasking. You can run three apps simultaneously on the Fold's screen, and there's a handy taskbar for keeping frequently used apps close at hand.
But I feel like Samsung could be doing more to expand the multitasking features on its foldables. The Open Canvas feature used by the OnePlus Open takes a more dynamic approach, and that phone hasn't seen an update in nearly two years. Similarly, while some apps have been optimized to take advantage of larger foldable screens, I feel like there should be more available to make the Galaxy Z Fold feel more essential.
Then, there's the matter of AI. Last year's Galaxy Z Fold 6 release made some strides here, introducing new Galaxy AI capabilities like Sketch to Image, which uses generative AI to flesh out your sketch into a more polished graphic. Then again, Sketch to Image isn't necessarily foldable-specific as Samsung has introduced it to the Galaxy S25 lineup.
What I'd like to see is a Galaxy AI feature or two designed specifically for a foldable phone design. And I think Samsung would like to deliver that, too.
In one of its recent foldable phone teasers, the company talked up "seamless AI integration optimized for the foldable format." Maybe that's just a general pledge to continue to bring Galaxy AI capabilities to devices like the Fold and the Flip, but I like to think it means something more.
Galaxy Z Fold 7 outlook
I should acknowledge that there are other rumored additions to the upcoming foldables that should make them compelling options. In the case of the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Samsung has all but confirmed that the 200MP main camera found on the S25 Ultra and Edge models will be added, giving the camera setup on Samsung's premium foldable a big boost. Improve that under-display camera on the inside of the phone, and we could really be on to something.
But if you're going to charge in the neighborhood of $1,899 for a phone, you really have to deliver on all fronts. Thus far, past Galaxy Z Fold models haven't offered enough to make me think that lofty starting price is deserved. I'll certainly be watching to see if the Galaxy Z Fold 7 can make me change my tune.
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