Galaxy Z Fold 7 just proved the ‘thinnest foldable’ race doesn’t matter, so what’s next?

Ben Schoon | Jul 18 2025 - 5:05 am PT

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 marks an important point for the company’s foldable efforts. Not only is it quite literally half as thin as the original, but it’s also finally caught up to the competition. But this launch also means something else. The race for the “world’s thinnest foldable” is over at this point, and that means it’s time for Samsung and others to focus on something else in the post-Galaxy Z Fold 7 world.

Galaxy Z Fold 7 measures in at just 8.9mm thick when it is fully folded up. That’s down from over 12mm on the prior version, and also matches that of every other leading foldable.

The Oppo Find N5 is 8.93mm thick when closed, and Honor says that one variant of its Magic V5 is also 8.8mm thin, technically holding the crown. That comes with a grain of salt, though, as Honor admits that its measurement “does not include the inner and outer screen protective films.” In practice, it seems like Samsung’s device is actually a hair thinner as a video from Ice Universe pretty clearly demonstrates.

*Honor Magic V5 (left) vs Galaxy Z Fold 7 (right)*

While Samsung having the thinnest foldable is one takeaway, I think the far more important one is that, at this point, it doesn’t matter.

Advertisement - scroll for more content

Foldables – at least the book-style ones – have finally reached a point where thickness is no longer something to really consider, and we can now say that firmly because there are no obvious standouts. Honor and Oppo are in the same ballpark as Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7, and even Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold is just about 1.5mm thicker as what is now one of the thickest book-style foldables on the market. And that’s what really seals the deal. Where Honor, Oppo, and Samsung are impressively thin, Google’s device marks the point where you’re as thin as you really need to be. Over the past year, I’ve handed the Pixel 9 Pro Fold to a bunch of foldable skeptics, and they’ve been universally satisfied with its thickness.

So, if thickness is solved, what’s the next step for foldables?

I think there are a few obvious things to work on, starting with another aspect of the hardware. These things need to keep getting lighter. I’m not one to complain about a device being too heavy, but after switching to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, my Pixel 9 Pro Fold feels like a small brick. That’s something Google in particular needs to work on, as the rest of the foldable market has settled in at around 220g, give or take.

Something for everyone to work on is still the main issue, durability. Foldables are still more durable than people give them credit for, but someone needs to figure out dust resistance. There’s a rumor that Google, of all companies, might launch Pixel 10 Pro Fold with IP68 dust/water resistance, but I won’t fully believe that until I see it. Google has proven it’s better at building foldables than anyone gives them credit for, but this would be unprecedented and I just find it hard to believe that someone like Honor or Oppo wouldn’t have beaten Google to the punch.

*Pixel 9 Pro Fold* *is really not much thicker than Galaxy Z Fold 7*

Then, there’s battery life. The silicon-carbon batteries in devices from Oppo, Honor, and other brands have mostly figured this problem out, but Samsung and Google need to get on board next – not necessarily with silicon-carbon batteries, as there are good excuses to avoid that for now, but bigger capacities in general. Google, to its credit, is set to launch Pixel 10 Pro Fold with a bigger battery, but Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 has a pitiful 4,400 mAh setup that’s just not enough. Battery life in my testing so far has been acceptable, but this needs to be a core area of focus for Samsung next year. Making the “thinnest foldable” while also making a bigger battery is a tall order, but it needs to happen in one way or another.

Finally, there’s the pricing.

Every brand needs to start figuring out how to make these things cheaper. The hardware aspect of book-style foldables is effectively perfect at this point, but they’re still way too expensive. Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 looks great until you see its $2,000 price tag, and monthly installments, carrier deals, and trade-in values can only go so far in fixing that. No brand is immune to this, and that might be okay, but there needs to be a cheaper option at least. A $1,300 “mid-range” foldable with a step-down processor but similar overall hardware would be great, but no one seems interested in making it happen. Instead, we’re getting cheaper flip phones that are still way too expensive.

What do you think? What would you change or improve about book-style foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Pixel 9 Pro Fold? Let us know in the comments!