*Header image is referential and showcases a concept render of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. | Image credit — TT Technology
Every time I have discussed foldable smartphones the comments have been divided into two camps. One group of people claim that my standards for foldables are too high and the other group agrees with me. I was feeling the same way about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 until some very shocking news made its way to me.The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is 8.2 mm thick when folded according to a leak. This, despite the big complaint I have about foldables, was enough to pique my interest. Was Samsung about to wow the world with a sudden leap in foldable technology to rival its competitors? It sure seemed like it but it just isn’t happening. Some back story first, though.
My biggest gripe with foldable smartphones
The crease on the Galaxy Z Fold 6. | Image credit — PhoneArena
Don’t get me wrong: foldable phones are absolute marvels of engineering. When they first started going mainstream I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. How could a screen just…fold like that? But this wow factor was immediately diminished once I saw the sacrifice that was required for it: the crease.
I have always been very particular about displays. Even a single dead pixel on my monitor and I’m sending it right back and the same holds true for smartphones. It’s also why I severely dislike the notch and punch hole trends on modern smartphones and love what the RedMagic 10 Pro looks like. Now that’s a phone!So for me, personally, a giant crease running through the middle of the screen was a major disadvantage. I watch movies on my phone, binge YouTube and browse the internet to pass the time. It is absolutely unacceptable for there to be a crease distracting me at all times.
Yes, modern foldables have severely reduced the visibility of the crease but it’s just not good enough. It’s why I am much more intrigued by the idea of Samsung’s patented rollable phone instead.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 will not be 8.2 mm thick
The Oppo Find N5 is 8.93 mm thick when folded. | Image credit — PhoneArena
But a Galaxy foldable phone that’s 8.2 mm thick when folded? That caught my eye. I might not decide to watch movies on it but just the idea of unfolding a phone that’s already as thin as a traditional phone was really cool to pass up. This would have been even slightly thinner than the miraculous Oppo Find N5. If nothing else it at least gave me that initial feeling of awe when I heard about phones that could fold in half. For a very short time, at least.
Samsung is not known for pushing the envelope all too often nowadays. Chinese competitors offer thinner foldables, bigger and denser batteries on their flagship phones and more RAM for less money. Samsung likes to play it safe, partly why the company still hasn’t adopted newer battery tech. I guess the Galaxy Note 7 disaster is still fresh in the company’s mind.So I highly doubt that Samsung is suddenly going to release a foldable that beats Oppo’s feat of engineering. Especially during a year when the company is struggling while deciding between Snapdragon and Exynos for the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and focusing on a tri-foldable and the Galaxy S25 Edge.
But there’s also another reason that I’m almost certain that the Fold 7 won’t be 8.2 mm thick: a very credible new report. An industry insider with a spotless track record, especially when it comes to Samsung, has just now rejected the claim of 8.2 mm of thickness.
8.2mm In Reality No it’s Not.
— PandaFlash (@PandaFlashPro) May 3, 2025
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 — while probably an excellent phone — will not be as ridiculously thin as that previous report had claimed.
Here’s what I’m excited about
But foldable smartphones aren’t a lost cause for me. Phone manufacturers are working on a handful of improvements that may one day prompt me to finally give foldables a try.
The first is the aforementioned rollable phone. Such a phone would not only look insanely cool but it will also do away with a crease. So my first foldable daily driver might just be a rollable phone instead.
Other than that improvements to the crease visibility are always being made. The Galaxy Z Fold 7, for example, is going to feature a better crease even if Samsung’s upcoming tri-foldable will not.
Lastly I’m keeping my fingers crossed for that elusive foldable iPhone. This mythical device has been in and out of production countless times, or so it seems, but it may finally come out in 2027 for the 20th anniversary of the iPhone.
What excites me about the foldable iPhone is the fact that, according to many insider reports, Apple has taken this long because it is chasing perfection. The company wants its first foldable iPhone to feature a completely invisible crease. And while recent disappointments — Apple Intelligence comes to mind — make me wary, I admit I’d buy a foldable with no crease in a heartbeat.
