There have been times when Samsung has been very prompt in adopting new trends, and there have been other times (arguably more) when the company has chosen to just stick to its guns and ignore what the other players are doing. That’s why I don’t really see Samsung as the company to stick with if you like the cutting edge.
I might have to temporarily eat my words if a new rumor proves to be true. Samsung was one of the first in the foldable industry, but Chinese OEMs have overtaken its devices on paper. This year might be different. It looks like Samsung could lock in and somehow jump over the competition to release the thinnest foldable smartphone in the world.
Samsung’s Upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 7 Could Potentially Be Thinner Than the Oppo Find N5
Samsung was the second company to enter the smartphone market with a book-style foldable (after the pioneering Royole Flexpai, of course). The company sat pretty comfortably in the market segment when there wasn’t much competition, but after several Chinese OEMs started to compete, the Z Fold series was easier to scrutinize in the light. Currently, Samsung doesn’t have the best foldable option (in my opinion).
However, if a rumor that comes from Ice Universe, a very reliable Samsung-related source, ends up being true, my opinion of Samsung’s foldables could change quite drastically. The rumor says that the upcoming foldable will be ultra-thin, measuring 8.9mm thick when closed. For full context, that matches the Oppo Find N5, which is currently the thinnest foldable that you can buy.
| Folded Thickness (mm) | Unfolded Thickness (mm) | |
| Galaxy Z Fold 7 (Rumored) | 8.9 | 3.9 |
| Galaxy Z Fold 6 | 12.1 | 5.6 |
| Oppo Find N5 | 8.9 | 4.2 |
| Honor Magic V3 | 9.2 | 4.35 |
| Vivo X Fold 3 | 10.2 | 4.7 |
Yet, it doesn’t stop there. When unfolded, the device is expected to measure 3.9mm, which would be enough to give it the crown of thinnest foldable in the world. For reference, the Find N5 is 4.2mm when unfolded. However, despite this coming from a reliable source, I will only believe it when I see it because, once lagging, Samsung rarely catches up this quickly.
Such Intense Slimming Could Likely Mean the Loss of S Pen Functionality
I think there’s a reason why Samsung might be able to get the next-generation Z Fold so thin so suddenly. Of course, this is pure conjecture, and I could end up very wrong, but it might be related to the removal of the S Pen digitizer.
The Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition proves that the South Korean OEM doesn’t mind releasing its foldable without S Pen support. It’s done it once, and to catch up with the rest of the crowd, I don’t doubt that the company could remove it from the Z Fold 7 entirely. I mean, how else will you shave over 3mm off the phone’s folded thickness in a single generation? Some other foldables still support styluses, though, such as:
- Oppo Find N5
- Honor Magic V3
- Tecno Phantom V Fold2
Generally speaking, we might be seeing the death of the S Pen overall. Bluetooth functionality is gone, and it might only be a matter of time before Samsung decides the S Pen isn’t worth the extra effort—the competition isn’t doing it, after all.
