Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, Flip 7 and new watches: first look, Australian pricing
A tech giant has unveiled powerful new super thin new folding phones along with watches that will tell you when you are not eating enough fruit and vegetables or when you need to go to bed.
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When I reviewed the first Samsung Galaxy Fold six years ago, my initial thoughts were this is cool, but would I actually switch to it as my main phone?
The answer was no because it was just too big, too bulky and I couldn’t see the real benefits of it.
Reviewing last year’s Fold 6, I was definitely tempted to switch. The versatility of having a phone which could fold out to a tablet size was great for viewing and editing photos, and even watching streaming content when I hadn’t won the battle for who had the TV.
This year, Samsung is making the temptation even greater, especially when you consider how thin and lightweight its flagship productivity tool is.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is thinner, smarter, faster, has a bigger display and a battery offering a day of video playback time.
In many ways it promises to have addressed some of the pain points of its most loyal fans.
“This is the Fold that people have been waiting for,’’ Nathan Rigger, Head of Product, Mobile eXperience at Samsung Australia says.
He says it delivers for Australians who want better cameras, larger screens, new ways to create and communicate as well as the benefits that come with AI.
“The Galaxy Z Fold 7 combines Galaxy AI with powerful hardware to deliver our most advanced smartphone experience yet,” TM Roh, President and Acting Head of the Device eXperience (DX) Division at Samsung Electronics said.
“This next chapter of foldables brings together design and engineering, with AI built specifically for the foldable form. It gives people the ultra experience they want — powerful, immersive, intelligent, and portable all in one.”
Incredibly the phone is 8.9mm thick compared to 12.1mm in the Fold 6.
That makes it almost as thin as the S25 Ultra, despite it being a foldable. Say goodbye to any pocket bulge.
When unfolded, it is 4.2mm thick – about the thickness of a Type C port and it actually weighs less than the S25 Ultra at 215 grams.
The new Fold 7 has a 6.5 inch front display, up from 6.3 inch, to improve typing accuracy – responding to one of the bigger complaints of users, particularly those with large fingers like me
Unfolded, it offers an 8 inch display, a great platform for writing, editing, creating with generative AI, surfing the web and watching YouTube which still being able to see the comments below.
As someone who loves taking photos and video, being able to view back what you have captured on a bigger screen is definitely a plus.
Samsung says the new FlexHinge has an enhanced multi-rail structure design that creates a smoother fold.
The cover display is made with Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2, a strong glass ceramic to increase protection. Armour Aluminium in the frame provides a strong exterior.
The glass is 50 per cent thicker while there are also new adhesive materials.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is powered by the super quick Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor and features a 4400mAh battery, offering one hour longer video playback time of its predecessor.
The camera set up includes the addition of the superior 200MP wide camera in the S25 Ultra, a 12MP autofocus lens with a larger pixel, and a wider field of view for the selfie camera.
One of the benefits of the Fold in photo editing is being able to have side-by-side variations of a photo you are optimising.
The camera promises next generation lowlight night photography as well as the ability to shoot in 10 bit HDR video, giving videos more detail and a larger range of colour.
Audio Eraser now proactively detects and removes unwanted background noise like wind or traffic from video recordings, while there’s a new toggle to access it more easily in Gallery.
Importantly, Fold 7 come with the latest One UI 8 software straight out of the box.
Gemini Live will provide real-time captions of conversations you are having which you may be struggling to hear.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 will be available for pre-order in Australia starting July 10 and will start selling from August 1 2025. It comes in Blue Shadow, Silver Shadow, Jet-black, and Mint (online exclusive) colour options.
SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FLIP 7 AND Z FLIP 7FE
Samsung has also unveiled two new smaller flip phones, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and the more affordable Z Flip 7 FE (Fan Edition).
The new Flip 7 will deliver a bigger 4.1 inch flex window display, up from 3.4 inches, with a 120HZ refresh rate and 2600 nit brightness for the great outdoors.
The main screen now offers a 6.9 inch display, compared to the 6.7 inch in the Flip 6.
The phone is ideal for a video chat with friends given you prop it up and you can even have a conversation with Gemini Live on the flex window.
The Now Bar and Now Brief – which can display live notifications, music, or a personalised briefing of selected content that updates throughout the day has been added to flex window.
There’s also auto-curated wallpapers and galleries.
The Z Flip 7 doesn’t feature any big camera upgrades but instead better AI powered features including enhanced portraits, adapting to lighting for natural selfies. There are also real-time filters and a sliding zoom on the flex window.
The new Galaxy Z Flip 7FE is the first model offering a more affordable option in the range. It comes with largely the same features as the Flip 6 which will no longer be sold.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 will start at $1799 and includes a nice looking coral red colour. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip FE will retail start at $1499.
NEW SAMSUNG GALAXY WATCHES
When Samsung unveiled its Galaxy Watch Ultra last year, some immediately suggested it looked similar to Apple’s high end watch.
People won’t be saying the same thing about the new designs which are more circular than square.
The Watch 8 promises to be more comfortable, super slim and fit flatter on the wrist, ensuring more accurate measurements.
The Watch 8 Classic has a rotating bezel as well as an action button. It is also more stable on the wrist, ensuring a more consistent measurement of things like heart rate.
It features a better battery to power 3000 nit brightness, as well as better sleep measurements and suggestions, including TGA approved sleep apnoea monitoring.
One of the big software updates includes better bed time guidance based on three days of sleep analysis, which will result in prompts on the ideal time you should be going to bed.
It also looks at things like vascular load, heart disease and now has a feature where you can measure the antioxidants on your skin by putting your thumb on the back of the watch to see if you are eating enough fruit and vegetables.
Running Coach calculates your fitness level from 1 to 10 and develops a tailored training plan complete with real-time guidance and motivational insights.
With the updated Together feature, which now supports running, you can gamify your fitness journey by challenging friends and family.
With Mindfulness Tracker, you can record your mood and receive guidance on breathing exercises to relieve your stress.
The AI-powered Energy Score gives you a snapshot of your energy level, combining physical and mental energy metrics so you can have a healthier day, every day.
Samsung says it will be the first of its smart watches with Gemini on it, allowing you to create a playlist, find the best nearby gym and message it to a friend.
You will also be able to pin the apps you use most often as well as use the now bar and customisable tiles
The Galaxy Watch Ultra (2025) is available in four titanium finishes including the new Titanium Blue. It offers the longest battery life and the most robust performance in the line-up.
AUSTRALIAN PRICING FOR SAMSUNG GALAXY FOLD, FLIP AND WATCHES
Galaxy Z Fold 7 $2,899 (256GB)
$3,099 (512GB)
$3,549 (1TB)
Galaxy Z Flip 7 $1,799 (256GB)
$1,999 (512GB)
Galaxy Z Flip7 FE $1,499 (128GB)
$1,599 (256GB)
Galaxy Watch8 Classic $899 (46mm BT)
$999 (46mm LTE)
Galaxy Watch8 $649 (40mm BT)
$699 (44mm BT)
$749 (40mm LTE)
$799 (44mm LTE)
Galaxy Watch Ultra 2025 $1299 (47mm LTE)
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Originally published as Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, Flip 7 and new watches: first look, Australian pricing
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