Kerry Wan/ZDNET
Samsung showed its latest crop of foldable devices earlier this month, with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 showing its worth at the top of the heap. It gets some notable improvements with a re-engineered hinge, a stronger interior display with ultra-thin glass and titanium reinforcement, and it's the lightest Fold yet.
Also: I spent a week in New York City with the Samsung Z Fold 7 - and it spoiled me big time
It's also the most expensive Z Fold in Samsung's catalog, and the company removed S Pen support, which is sure to disappoint hard-core stylus fans. If you were planning to pick up the Z Fold 7, you would be wise to consider a few of these alternatives before you click that buy button. Here are your best options on the market right now - and why.
1. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 (left) and Z Fold 6 (right). Kerry Wan/ZDNET
Samsung has perhaps the best alternative, especially if you'd like to stay inside its ecosystem, with last year's Galaxy Z Fold 6. You may miss the marginally slimmer hinge and improved interior display of this year's upgrade, but last year's model addressed one of my long-term complaints by bringing the cover screen into a more standard smartphone aspect ratio.
For stylus fans, you'll enjoy still having full S Pen Fold Edition support as well.
Also: 24 hours later with Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: Why I'm leaving the S25 Ultra behind
While last year's model isn't a huge discount when purchased through Samsung's store, it's likely that retailers will be interested in moving old inventory out to make room for the newest release, and with that may come some steep discounts.
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