Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs Galaxy Z Fold 6: These are the biggest expected upgrades

Samsung makes some of the best foldable phones around, but they're also some of the priciest handsets you can buy. And with new models coming later this year, a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6 comparison can help you see whether the rumored changes tipped for the new phone can help justify that hefty price tag.

After all, last year's Galaxy Z Fold 6 saw a $100 price increase. And while the phone delivered a lighter, thinner design that was also more durable than past models, battery life only improved slightly and nothing really changed with the cameras. Apart from the more portable design, there wasn't a lot to tempt anyone to upgrade to a foldable device.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 sounds like its going to continue Samsung's focus on thinness, at least if rumors are anything to go by. But some other changes may be in the works that could deliver key upgrades over the Galaxy Z Fold 6.

While nothing's official yet, there are enough rumors out there to help us lay out the likely changes in a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs. Galaxy Z Fold 6 comparison. Read on to find out what Samsung could be working on for this year's foldable upgrade.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs Galaxy Z Fold 6: Specs

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs Galaxy Z Fold 6: Price and availability

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 debuted at $1,899, making it one of the most expensive phones you can buy — especially since that's $100 more than Galaxy Z Fold 5 it replaced.

There's little indication that Samsung's going to adjust the price of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 when it arrives later this year. Pricing rumors tend to emerge as we get closer to the device's launch, though.

Speaking of launches, Samsung hasn't indicated when it plans to hold an Unpacked event. While the Galaxy Z Fold 6 arrived earlier than usual last year ‚— Samsung wanted to launch the phone ahead of 2024 Olympics in Paris — foldable Samsung phones tend to debut in the second half of the year. We'd expect the Galaxy Z Fold 7 to return to that launch schedule.

When it does appear, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 may be in shorter supply than previous releases. Rumors indicate that Samsung is planning to cut the production numbers for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 to reflect consumer demand for its foldables.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs Galaxy Z Fold 6: Design and display

Samsung put a major focus on the design of the Galaxy Z Fold 6, shrinking down the thickness of the phone to 12.1mm when folded shut. (The Galaxy Z Fold 5 was 13.5mm thin.) That also helped lower the weight of the phone to 8.43 ounces, which is about what a larger phone with a more conventional design might weigh.

Apparently, Samsung wants to make the Galaxy Z Fold 7 even thinner, with rumors suggesting the phone will be as thin as the Galaxy S24 Ultra when folded. That would mean that it could be as thin as 8.6mm, or about 0.34 inches — a 30% drop from the Galaxy Z Fold 6.

Other design differences could include the removal of the Galaxy Z Fold 6's sharp corners, as the Galaxy Z Fold 7 turns to more rounded edges like those featured on this year's Galaxy S25 Ultra.

In fact, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 could take many cues from the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Special Edition, which only launched in Korea and China last year. That includes the display sizes, which would be bigger than what the standard Galaxy Z Fold 6 offered.

Specifically, Samsung's upcoming phone would have an 8-inch inner display and a 6.5-inch outer display if it were to mimic the Special Edition's specs. That compares to the 7.6-inch main screen and 6.3-inch cover display on the Galaxy Z Fold 6. While it wouldn't be the biggest increase, it’s enough to be noticeable when watching your favourite streaming shows and playing games.

There might be some other good news on the display front. The Samsung Display division showed off a foldable panel with no visible crease in March. That would be quite an improvement from past Galaxy Z Fold models, but the innovation may not appear on this year's phone.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs Galaxy Z Fold 6: Cameras

Apart from using a larger sensor in its ultrawide camera to let in more light, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 didn't feature any big camera changes. On the one hand, that wasn't a big deal, as the cameras generally perform well. But given what Samsung charges for the Fold, you'd expect a more premium camera offering along the lines of the Galaxy S25 Ultra.

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 Special Edition offers a clue as to one possible improvement. It featured a 200MP camera like Samsung's Ultra flagship. That would be a big upgrade from the 50MP sensor the Galaxy Z Fold 6 used for its main camera.

Indeed, Dutch site Galaxy Club reports that's exactly what will happen with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, with a claim that the new phone will adopt a 200MP main camera to go with the 12MP ultrawide, 10MP 3x telephoto, 10MP front selfie, and 4MP under-display shooter.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs Galaxy Z Fold 6: Performance and software

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 launched with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the same silicon found in the Galaxy S24 series that had arrived earlier in the year. That particular system-on-chip delivered a performance boost over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, and we're hoping to see a similar upgrade with the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

Specifically, the upcoming foldable would be in line to get the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset that powers the Galaxy S25 lineup. As you can see in the chart below, that chip outperforms the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered Galaxy Z Fold 6, using the numbers we got from the Galaxy S25 Ultra in the Geekbench test that measures CPU performance.

You'd imagine that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 would be in line to get the Snapdragon 8 Elite as well, since Samsung's foldables usually adopt the same chipset found in the Galaxy S models released that same year. There is a rumor that the Galaxy Z Flip 7 expected to appear alongside the Fold will use an Exynos 2500 chip raising the possibility that the Fold might do the same. Samsung could also vary which phones get Qualcomm and Exynos chipsets depending on where they're released — something it's done in the past with Galaxy S models.

When it comes to software, we would expect that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 will ship with the One UI 7 OS. That means that the phone will feature the improved Galaxy AI features that appeared on the Galaxy S25, including the Now Brief that uses your preferences and activities to surface relevant information about your day. (The Galaxy Z Fold 6 still doesn’t have access to the update, although it is planned for April.)

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 did introduce some new AI features when it arrived, such as Sketch to image and Portrait Studio. It's possible Samsung could unveil additional AI capabilities as part of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 launch, though nothing's been rumored as of yet.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs Galaxy Z Fold 6: Battery life and charging

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 featured the same-sized battery as the Galaxy Z Fold 5, and as a result, its time on our battery test was essentially unchanged.

No rumors have emerged about the Galaxy Z Fold 7, making it seem likely that phone will once again use that 4,400 mAh battery. Charging speeds of 25W wired and 15W wireless seem like they'll be the same, too.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs Galaxy Z Fold 6: Outlook

From the sound of the rumors so far, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 isn't expected to be that much different from the Galaxy Z Fold 6. Then again, at this point in the life cycle of Samsung foldables, it really doesn't need to be.

Besides the usual improvements like new software features and a more up-to-date chipset, Samsung seems to be focused on fine-tuning its foldable, with a focus on making the device even thinner and lighter than before. That said, the rumored boost to the main camera on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 would be a welcome addition, given the lack of changes on last year's phone.

We'll see what Samsung has to offer soon enough, as we get closer to the likely summer launch date for this year's model.

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