C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 doesn’t officially hit store shelves until later this month, but it’s already established itself as one of the most exciting foldable releases of the year. With its impressively thin and light design, larger screens, and better cameras, the Z Fold 7 makes a strong argument for being the folding phone to buy in 2025.
Although the US isn’t teeming with foldable handsets the way other markets are, there are still options to choose from. And as good as the Fold 7 looks, it’s worth considering those options before deciding that Samsung’s latest is the right fit for you.
So, before you click “Buy now” with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 in your online shopping cart, here are five alternatives I may recommend buying instead.
Which phone do you think is the best Galaxy Z Fold 7 alternative? 146 votes Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 10 % Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold 32 % OnePlus Open 18 % Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 26 % Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 6 % Other (let us know in the comments) 8 %
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
Alex Walker-Todd / Android Authority
Perhaps the most obvious alternative to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Fold 6. Samsung’s newest Fold is obviously the better of the two phones, with the most notable difference being the design. The Fold 7 is substantially thinner than the Fold 6 (8.9mm closed vs. 12.1mm) and much lighter, too (215g vs. 239g). That can make a pretty big difference in daily use, especially if you’ve typically found folding phones to be too bulky.
However, if you’re OK with the Fold 6 being a bit chunkier and heavier, it may be worth going with last year’s handset. While the Fold 7 has slightly larger displays, they’re not dramatically bigger than the ones on the Fold 6. The Fold 6’s 50MP primary camera may not sound as impressive as the 200MP one on the Fold 7, but it’s still a good, reliable sensor. And the Fold 6’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, while over a year old at this point, is still plenty fast for virtually any app or game.
More importantly, many aspects of the Fold 7 and Fold 6 are identical. Both phones have 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM for the base model, 4,400mAh batteries, 25W wired charging, a 10MP telephoto camera, and a 12MP ultrawide camera. The Fold 7 is a better phone, but it also has a lot in common with its older sibling.
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