Samsung's latest foldables are already making quite a statement, beyond their bold new designs -- or maybe because of them.
The phone-maker said in a newsroom post Thursday that the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which is its thinnest foldable yet, racked up more preorders "than any previous Z Fold device in US history." It added that both the Z Fold 7 and the Z Flip 7 saw a more than 25% hike in total preorders compared with last year's handsets.
Carriers also saw an uptick in sales. Samsung says there was a nearly 60% jump in preorders for both phones cumulatively, compared with last year. In a statement, it added, "In-store shoppers are taking advantage of getting their hands on the devices, with thin, light and compact designs, as well as camera improvements being among the top interest drivers."
Watch this: Galaxy Z Fold 7 Review: Samsung Finally Nailed the Foldable 07:14
A CNET survey from June found that 30% of people list the camera as a top consideration when upgrading their phone. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 packs an impressive 200-megapixel main camera, which can serve up images on par with those from the top-of-the-line Galaxy S25 Ultra. It's a significant milestone for Samsung, but also for foldable and thin phones overall, since cameras tend to take a hit due to hardware limitations. But Samsung worked around that by developing smaller, more advanced components for both the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and its skinny predecessor, the Galaxy S25 Edge, which came out in May.
Not surprisingly, another top consideration when buying a new phone, according to CNET's survey, is price. The $2,000 sticker on the Z Fold 7, which is $100 higher than last year's model, is likely to be a deterrent for many shoppers -- though it clearly hasn't stopped the phone from breaking early sales records. The Z Flip 7 also comes at a rather hefty $1,100, though this year Samsung also introduced the slightly cheaper Z Fold 7 FE, which starts at $900.
It's not just preorders for the Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 that saw a spike. Even after general availability for the phones kicked off on July 25, Samsung says, "momentum for both devices remain strong, with orders continuing to outpace the previous generation by more than 25%." The Z Fold 7 is also outperforming sales of last year's model by around 50% since it hit store shelves, according to the company.
A fresh form factor brings fresh excitement
The sleeker build of both foldables, particularly the Z Fold 7, can help entice new buyers who are hesitant about switching to a new form factor. In another CNET survey from earlier this month, 15% of respondents who don't own a foldable say it's because they're too bulky.
The Z Fold 7 helps to remedy that with its slim profile, which measures 8.9mm thick when closed and 4.2mm when open. That, along with a wider 6.5-inch cover screen, makes it feel as close to a standard slate phone as possible and places it in the same camp as other thin foldables from Chinese companies like Honor, Oppo and Huawei.
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