Galaxy Z Fold 7 Makes Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition Not So Special

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It’s been almost six years since Samsung introduced the original Galaxy Fold. Since then, the company has put in the hard yards refining the foldable form factor. The changes aren’t always obvious until you place the devices side by side or stack them on top of each other.

Galaxy Z Fold 7 makes Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition fall behind

Last year, Samsung quietly rolled out the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition. It was only available in South Korea and China under a different name, but it gave a solid hint at where Samsung’s foldables were heading. Many saw it as the high-water mark of Samsung’s foldable tech, making it hard to imagine anything better on the horizon.

But Samsung is never one to rest on its laurels. Enter the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which is shaping up to put its spiritual predecessor to shame. The Special Edition was already slim at 10.6mm thick, but the Fold 7 slims things down even more to just 8.9mm. When you compare the two, it’s clear Samsung has been pushing the envelope on making foldables thinner and easier to handle.

It’s not just thinner, but also lighter. The Z Fold SE carries a weight of 236 grams, while the Z Fold 7 slims that down to just 215 grams. On paper, 21 grams doesn’t seem like much, but it makes a big difference in your hands and in your pocket on a daily basis.

Foldable Evolution

The improvements go beyond just thickness and weight as well. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 brings tweaks to the hinge, display durability, and overall design that help Samsung inch closer to a foldable phone that feels as natural as a traditional smartphone. Indeed, the Z Fold 7 features a much smoother hinge than the Z Fold SE. Opening and closing the Z Fold 7 feels natural and not nearly as stiff as previous generations.

In the crowded foldable market, Samsung is still setting the pace. While the Special Edition gave us a sneak peek at the future, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 delivers on Samsung’s promise to lead innovation in this product category. If Samsung keeps this momentum, foldables might finally go from niche novelty to mainstream staple. We might even see Galaxy Z sales overtake the Galaxy S series down the road.

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Written by

Jeff Springer

Jeff Springer is the Founder and Managing Editor at SammyGuru. Pursuing his passion for mobile tech, he started covering Samsung and Android on his Youtube channel in 2014 and continues to post daily Samsung tutorial videos. As a past staff writer at XDA Developers and Android Police, Jeff has a wealth of experience managing written content as well. In 2023, Jeff started SammyGuru to offer a different type of Samsung news site. He firmly believes that providing great value to readers is the core mission of our coverage. Jeff lives in Phoenix, AZ with his wife and two kids. In his small amount of free time, he collects fountain pens, stationery, and Pokémon cards.

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