The Galaxy Z Flip’s outer screen stinks, but I have hope for the Flip 7

When I first reviewed Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 6, it surprised me — not because it completely changed the game for flip phones, but because it was good enough overall that it didn’t have to. It won me over with reliable cameras, good enough battery life, and a steadily shrinking display crease. However, the one thing I count on more than anything else on a flip phone — the cover screen experience — still felt unfinished. I thought the Flex Window required too much setup for brand-new Galaxy Z Flip users, and I was disappointed that early leaks of the Galaxy Z Flip 7 pointed to more of the same, but newer reports give me fresh hope. Here’s why.

My main issue with Samsung’s Flex Window has never been its shape. Sure, I initially expressed disappointment in the folder-like display, especially in the face of Motorola’s edge-to-edge panel, which is brighter and sharper, but it grew on me over time. I came to appreciate that I wasn’t rearranging apps around the camera cutouts, and I always felt like I could hold the Galaxy Z Flip 6 comfortably without accidentally tapping on the sides of its outer display.

However, I’ve also come to associate the unusually shaped display with Samsung’s half-baked approach to flip phone software. I’ve spent two years unboxing and setting up Galaxy Z Flip devices, ogling at their much larger Flex Windows (at least when compared to the likes of the Galaxy Z Flip 4), and then finding out I’d have to install Good Lock to use 90% of the apps on my phone. At first, I thought it would be a one-year solution, implemented just to get the Galaxy Z Flip 5 off the factory floor, so I didn’t want to give it too much grief. Then, the One UI plus Good Lock plus Multi-Star setup came back for the Galaxy Z Flip 6, and I had to reread my own guide to remember just how I’d set it up the last time.

And now, with the Galaxy Z Flip 7 reportedly swapping from its folder-shaped Flex Window to a larger square display, I have fresh hope. I mean, when Motorola switched from the tiny cover screen on its first few Razrs to the much bigger display on the Razr Plus (2023), it completely changed how its widgets worked. It opened the door for just about any app on your phone to use that space; no extra software needed. So, if Samsung is about to do the same, I’m optimistic that it’ll rethink its cover screen software, too.

Sure, Samsung already had its display nailed down with widgets that worked well on the folder-shaped window, but if that’s changing, then the apps can, too. There would still be space for a Now Bar-like notification interface along the bottom edge next to the cameras, but the apps themselves could stretch closer to the top and bottom edges of the small, square display. At the very least, there might be some widget redesigns and new wrinkles to come along with One UI 7, but I’d like to see Samsung try to give Motorola’s software experience more of a chase.

Of course, if there’s anything that Samsung seems comfortable with, it’s not fixing what isn’t broken. So right now, the rumors suggest that Samsung will update the 50MP and 12MP camera duo that calls the Galaxy Z Flip series home, maybe slim down the overall profile a bit, and, well, that’s kind of it — the battery will stay about the same, as will the expected charging options. If that’s the case, then it will only let Motorola further develop its cover screen experience, cementing the Razr as my preferred flip phone. Otherwise, I assume that Samsung’s main upgrades will be the Galaxy AI features.

At this point, it feels like a safe bet that many of the Galaxy Z Flip 7’s upgrades will come in the form of new Galaxy AI features. I mean, that’s precisely what we saw Samsung do with the Galaxy S25 series: slightly tweaking the frames of its smaller devices, blue-ing up the color options, and then calling it a day to focus on new software features. So, I won’t be surprised if the Galaxy Z Flip 7 lands touting improvements to Auto Zoom, two-way interpreter mode, and the ability to activate Gemini through the power button. And honestly, those are all good things to have. I like them on the Galaxy S25 series, and I’ll be happy to have them on the Flip.

However, I very much want to believe that the new Galaxy AI features aren’t all that Samsung has in mind. Yes, I know we’ll get a new Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset, which will bump up the Galaxy Z Flip 7’s performance numbers, but the performance is never what was broken. We’ll also get a guarantee of several years of new updates, but that was never really my issue with Samsung’s top-tier foldable phones, either. I’d even bet money that we get an appearance from Sydney Sweeney at some point during Unpacked, and I can only hope it’s because she’s showing off a new Flex Window.

The problem, to me, is that Samsung wants to show off its impressive Galaxy AI chops without fixing the features that people will use every day. You can easily pull your Galaxy Z Flip 6 out of your pocket and go about your day without touching Galaxy AI. Maybe you’ll need Photo Assist or one of the camera features here and there, but it’s not guaranteed — it’s much tougher to say the same about the Flex Window. Samsung’s small, folder-shaped cover display is the first thing you’ll see every time you pick up its Galaxy Z Flip, and I want it to feel like a display that I can use with ease. For my sake, I hope the new leaks are true because they mean I’ll be at least a little bit excited about the Galaxy Z Flip 7 when it comes out.

But hey, if they don’t turn out to be true, then Samsung is making it that much easier to grab a current Galaxy Z Flip 6 — which you can do below.