The Galaxy Z Fold 7 might be Samsung’s best-selling foldable yet, and I think a tri-fold Galaxy is inevitable

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a hit, at least compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and every Fold that came before. Samsung says the “Galaxy Z Fold7 received the most preorders in Z Fold history in the U.S,” even though this is the most expensive phone I’ve ever seen at retail, with a $1,999 starting price. I’m not sure what spurred this interest in foldables, but I’m on board and hoping Samsung uses this momentum to push forward with a big Galaxy tri-fold next year.

It wasn’t just the Galaxy Z Fold 7 that was popular among early adopters. Samsung also says its Galaxy Z Flip 7 has been selling briskly, and the two models together combined achieved more than a 25% increase in preorders versus last year’s Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6.

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 costs about the same as last year’s Z Flip 6, depending on your region, but it comes with a much larger cover display, a sticking point that held previous Galaxy Z Flip phones back. The phone also uses a Samsung Exynos 2500 processor, instead of the bespoke Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset found in the rest of Samsung’s flagship phones.

Samsung says that preorders from mobile carriers in the US saw an even greater jump, with advanced sales up 60% over last year’s models. Right now, AT&T will give you a Galaxy Z Fold 7 for 55% off the full price if you pay for it on a 36-month payment plan. That means you’ll pay $25 per month until 2028 if you want to buy this big foldable. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 is available for free from all three major US carriers, with a new contract agreement.

How the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is better (and worse) than the Z Fold 6

It’s mindblowing that the expensive Galaxy Z Fold 7 is beating its predecessor so handily in early sales. Samsung says the Z Fold 7 is outpacing the Z Fold 6 by nearly 50% since it landed on store shelves on July 25.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 offers the same 200MP camera sensor as the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, one of our favorite camera phones. That bridges the camera divide that has separated foldable phones from flat phones, and finally makes the Galaxy Z Fold a serious contender among the best phones you can buy.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 also gives up the S Pen, a surprisingly anti-Ultra move by Samsung, but perhaps the right call. Previous Galaxy Z Fold phones could use a special version of the Samsung stylus, but it had to be the Z Fold edition of the S Pen or else it could scratch the delicate folding display inside.

I’ve reviewed and extensively used just about every Samsung Galaxy foldable phone for the past four years, and I’m rooting for the success of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 because, frankly, Samsung finally listened to me (and its customers).

After years of awkward designs and a cover display that looked more like a narrow bowling lane than a smartphone screen, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 design is a triumph. It looks and feels like a typical, compact smartphone when it’s closed, but it gives you an iPad mini-sized screen when it’s open.

Samsung’s success is because of… me? (and also all the other customers)

Samsung likewise attributes its success to listening to me (and its customers). Samsung VP Drew Blackard says, “we’ve addressed consumer feedback year after year and have arrived at the kind of experience you can’t get on any other device.” I’m guessing that feedback included ‘why is my phone so heavy’ and ‘why does the cover screen look so weird,’ because those are the big improvements this year versus last.

Or maybe it’s just time for foldable phones to have their moment. Let’s be real – AI features aren’t selling smartphones. Phone makers have needed a new hook to get people interested. It seemed like foldable displays could be that hook, but buyers hesitated, likely because they were afraid the phones weren’t durable, or weren’t worth the premium price tag.

The price has climbed higher, but so has the durability rating. Samsung’s IP48 rating means the phone still can’t handle dust and fine particles, but it’s totally water-resistant for a dip in the pool.

And the phone may be more durable than Samsung lets on. I’m not a fan of Jerry Rig Everything on YouTube – I question his unscientific testing and claims – but his inability to destroy or even crack the screen on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is one of the most compelling teardown videos I’ve seen. He bends the phone backward, and not only does it NOT crack – it doesn’t break at all! The inner display looks perfectly normal after his abuse.

Time for Samsung to unleash the foldable beast

Now I want to see Samsung unlock its foldable potential. I’ve been skeptical of Samsung’s foldables, mainly due to uncorrected mistakes – the narrow front screen on the Z Fold line and the small, useless cover display on the Z Flip phones. Those mistakes are gone, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that sales are higher than ever.

Samsung should launch its triple-folding phone as soon as possible. There have been rumors that Samsung has a Huawei Mate XT competitor in the works, and now is a great time to show the full force of Samsung’s design power. I would love to see Samsung capitalize on the Z Fold 7’s popularity and show up next July with a new Samsung G Fold, the rumored name for the triple-screen foldable.

It will cost a fortune, probably twice as much as today’s Z Fold 7. It will also be spectacular, with Samsung’s latest thin design and best-in-class productivity software. Maybe if it’s good enough, it will put an end to all of the fervor over AI features and get people excited about new hardware and phone designs again.

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• New Samsung tri-fold leaks may have revealed its launch window and official name
• Samsung explains why the Galaxy Z Fold 7 doesn’t have a bigger battery, but its reason isn’t entirely convincing
• Weeks testing the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 convinced me flip phones are the best phones – and I won’t be going back to flat