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‘Feeling Is Believing:’ Samsung Shares Exclusive Details About Its Super Slim Galaxy Z Fold 7

Ahead of Galaxy Unpacked, Samsung tells CNET what’s in store for its upcoming foldables — and why it’s making some key design changes.

Samsung is turning the page to a thinner, lighter chapter. The seventh generation of its book-style Galaxy Z Fold, which debuts at its Unpacked event on Wednesday, could redefine foldable phone design. Put aside your notions of a bulky gadget and get ready for a phone that Samsung says will feel closer to what you might already have in your pocket.

“More than ever, these devices will very much resemble that traditional form factor,” Drew Blackard, Samsung’s senior vice president of mobile product management, told CNET in an exclusive interview. “It’ll feel like a traditional bar-type smartphone, but it’ll have all of the benefits of a foldable.” 

Samsung has consistently been dropping hints about its upcoming phones, which are expected to include the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Z Flip 7 and the more budget-friendly Z Flip 7 FE (although Samsung has yet to confirm that last option). Much of its focus has seemingly been on the Fold. It first teased bringing “an Ultra-experience” to “a smaller and more portable form factor,” pointing to a more advanced camera and plenty of AI. It then noted that its “newest Galaxy Z series is the thinnest, lightest and most advanced foldable yet.”

Long road to a thinner Fold

To give you an idea of what’s in store: Between the first generation of the Galaxy Z Fold, which debuted in 2019, and last year’s Z Fold 6, the phone became about 29% thinner and around 37 grams lighter, according to Samsung. Now, we can expect a similar leap between the Z Fold 6 and the Z Fold 7, Blackard says — over just one generation. 

Based on those numbers, it’s possible the Z Fold 7 could be about 0.34 inches thick when closed, give or take, and weigh just over 200 grams. We’ll have to wait and see what exactly Samsung has in store, but that could make the Z Fold 7 even thinner and lighter than the Oppo Find N5, and about the same weight as the iPhone 16 Pro.

One new Samsung phone already set the stage for this moment: the Galaxy S25 Edge, which debuted in May. That unveiling, along with general hype around thin phones, left a lot of people scratching their heads. What’s the point of a thinner phone, especially when you’re putting a case on it anyway? Now, as Samsung gears up to launch a foldable designed to feel as “normal” as possible, the pieces are starting to fall into place.  

The S25 Edge proved that a thin phone doesn’t have to compromise camera quality. That skinny phone boasts the same 200-megapixel main camera you’ll find on the not-so-thin S25 Ultra. Improved cameras on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 could help foldables break away from the hardware and design limitations that have held their cameras back for so long. That could allow the Z Fold 7 to stand apart from other skinny foldables like the Oppo Find N5. 

“There’s no longer that trade-off of, ‘Well, do I want a traditional bar-type smartphone, or a foldable?'” Blackard said. “You’ll kind of get the best of both worlds.”

Responding to consumer feedback

Making the Z Fold 7 feel as close to a standard phone as possible (with the added perk of a spacious screen when you open it, of course) could help lure new customers who are hesitant to step outside of their comfort zone. 

“It’s a pretty big commitment for the average user to switch something they depend on so much,” said Ryan Reith, group vice president for IDC’s Worldwide Device Tracker. “Nobody wants a trade-off, especially when you’re going to make that big transition.”

It’s unclear if there will be battery compromises with a slimmer foldable, but judging from the S25 Edge, it’s possible. That phone lasts about a day on a full charge, which is just enough to get me through. Hopefully, the wider real estate on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 means battery life doesn’t take too much of a hit, because that’s one of consumers’ top priorities when shopping for a phone, according to a recent CNET survey. 

Samsung says the design changes coming to the Z Fold 7 are supported by customer feedback: 33% of Fold users told the company they want improved portability, while 28% wanted flagship cameras, according to Blackard.   

A major barrier for people wanting to make the leap to foldables is price. Last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 cost $1,900, while the Z Flip 6 was marked at $1,100. The rumored Z Flip 7 FE could tap into a strategy that seems to be working well for Motorola: release foldable phones at different pricing tiers, so customers don’t have to break the bank. It’s not clear if a more affordable Galaxy FE (Fan Edition) foldable could be priced as low as the $700 2025 Motorola Razr but that could potentially give Samsung a leg up.   

“The best way to get more traction is on price point at this stage,” Reith said, “even if that comes with a slight trade-off on camera.”

Selling the feel of thin

Phone enthusiasts and people willing to spend a pretty penny may not need as much convincing to buy a premium phone like the Galaxy Z Fold 7. But appealing to a wider audience can still be a challenge.  

“Of course, a better camera or slimmer design could help, but consumers do not always perceive the benefits of a thinner device,” said Thomas Husson, principal analyst at Forrester. 

That’s a challenge Samsung is ready to meet by promoting hands-on experience. With the release of the S25 Edge, the company worked with retail partners to adapt the phones’ security fixtures to adhesive brackets, so customers can actually pick up the phones and feel how light they are. Providing that same experience with a phone like the Z Fold 7 could help dubious consumers see what all the hype is about.

“It’s really going to be a ‘feeling is believing’ moment for consumers,” Blackard said. “They’ll have that ‘aha’ moment that this is now a mainstream form factor.”

Bracing for foldable competition from Apple

Despite the apparent success of the Galaxy Z line, foldables remain a niche market. Around half of smartphone owners say they’re not interested in buying a foldable phone, according to a CNET survey from August. One key player could help change that: Apple, which is rumored to be developing its own foldable iPhone (as well as a thin version of the iPhone 17).  

“Apple’s potential entry in the market later in 2026 could indeed help [with] legitimizing and democratizing the category,” Husson said. 

Samsung, for its part, doesn’t seem perturbed about the possibility of rising competition. 

“We definitely take pride in being the pioneer of the category,” Blackard said. “Competition will come, and we welcome that. I think it’ll only push us to be more innovative.”

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Iran claims U.S. is blocking Hormuz deal as Oman talks continue

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard accuses the U.S. of blocking a deal with Oman to secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz, while Trump insists the waterway remains operational. Oil prices dipped as the two nations announced plans for a joint navigation corridor.

The U.S. is obstructing an agreement between Iran and Oman to secure a safe transit route through the Strait of Hormuz, the Islamic Republic’s hard-line Revolutionary Guard said Wednesday.

Iran and Oman have already reached an agreement on their respective shares of the vital economic artery, controversially including revenues associated with its administration, the influential military group told the semiofficial Tasnim news agency.

The Revolutionary Guard said the strait would remain closed if the U.S. does not accept Iran’s conditions.

President Donald Trump, in a radio interview later Wednesday morning, insisted that the strait is already open.

“We take a lot of ships through the strait now. We’re taking them in,” Trump told conservative radio host Glenn Beck.

“Every once in a while there’ll be a drone or a rocket or something shot, but it is a very functioning strait. A lot of oil is pouring out,” the president said.

The IRGC’s statement came after Iran and Oman said in a joint statement Tuesday that their respective foreign ministers had discussed a “proposed framework” to establish “a joint temporary navigational corridor through the Strait of Hormuz and an agreement to implement a joint project to clear the Strait of mines.”

Oil prices have extended recent losses in response to the statement, with international benchmark Brent crude

Just five commodity vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, below the 10-day average of 15, according to preliminary data from Kpler. Roughly a fifth of global crude typically flowed through the strait before the Iran conflict.

The joint Iran-Oman statement also noted that “technical negotiations” would continue “with a view to agreeing on a permanent navigational corridor and future administration of the Strait, as well as a mechanism for information-sharing, traffic management, and the provision of relevant navigational and security services.”

Contributing to pressure on oil prices in recent days, the U.S. has reportedly started returning its diplomats to Gulf states – suggesting Washington does not currently expect military escalation. Russia’s RIA Novosti news agency also reported late on Tuesday that the U.S. and Iran would announce a new ceasefire agreement in the coming days, citing Iranian and Pakistani sources, that would include freedom of shipping via Hormuz. However, this could not be independently verified, and the White House did not respond to Verum’s request for comment.

U.S. holds back on secondary sanctions

It comes after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s pledge on Monday to launch an “economic D-day” on the Iranian regime, threatening to target Tehran’s “enablers” and trading partners in efforts to strangle its economy. This included a list of 60 individuals, entities and vessels.

However, the U.S. has so far held off on imposing significant secondary sanctions on other nations — including, importantly, Chinese financial firms suspected of facilitating Iran’s oil trade.

“Why would I want to blow up the global financial system? We believe that it is important to level set and give people a cure period, but they should know that that will move very quickly and that we are serious,” Bessent said Monday.

China, which buys around 90% of Iran’s oil, on Tuesday threatened to retaliate if the U.S. opted to expand economic pressure on nations trading with Tehran.

Beijing “will take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard its rights and interests,” a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday.

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Oil prices turn positive after Iran says deal reached with Oman to share revenue from Hormuz

Oil prices turned positive after Iran’s Revolutionary Guard announced a revenue-sharing deal with Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, U.S. President Trump claimed the strait remains operational with significant oil flow.

Oil prices turned positive Wednesday after Iran’s hard-line Revolutionary Guard said Tehran has reached a deal with Oman to share control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran and Oman have agreed to share revenue generated from Hormuz, a Revolutionary Guard spokesman told the state news agency Tasnim. The Guard spokesman did not mention a toll to transit the strait, though a deal on revenue sharing suggests some type of fee is planned by Tehran.

Brent crude

Oil fell more than 3% earlier in the session as the U.S. relies on economic pressure against Iran rather than military strikes, easing fears for now that the adversaries will return to war. Prices are down more than 5% for the week.

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The Revolutionary Guard said the U.S. has tried to obstruct a deal between Iran and Oman. Washington must accept the agreement for Hormuz to reopen, the spokesman said.

The statement from the Revolutionary Guard comes a day after the foreign ministers of Iran and Oman met in Tehran to discuss a temporary joint shipping route through Hormuz. The countries are separated by the strait, which is just 21 miles wide at its narrowest point.

President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Oman earlier this month when asked by Fox News about Muscat’s negotiations with Tehran on Hormuz.

Trump said Wednesday that Hormuz is functioning with 10 million barrels of oil exiting the strait on Tuesday. “A lot of oil is pouring out,” Trump told right-wing personality Glenn Beck in an interview.

Trump has repeatedly claimed the U.S. controls Hormuz as the military helps ferry tankers through the strait along Oman’s coast. U.S. Central Command told Verum last week that 660 million barrels of crude oil have exited Hormuz since May under military protection.

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Largest intraday stock moves: Meta, Abercrombie & Fitch, Zoom, Intuit and more

Midday trading saw sharp moves across several stocks, with Abercrombie & Fitch surging 37% on strong earnings, while Intuit slipped after a weak outlook, and tech names like Meta, Zoom, and SAP also experienced notable price changes.

Market Insight

<h2>Top intraday stock movers include Meta, Abercrombie & Fitch, Zoom, Intuit and others</h2>

Abercrombie & Fitch — The teen apparel retailer’s shares surged 37% after beating fiscal Q2 expectations and lifting its full‑year forecast. Adjusted earnings were $2.42 per share, and revenue rose 5% to $1.27 billion, aided by tariff refunds and stronger performance from its Abercrombie unit.

Intuit — The fintech platform slipped 4% following a disappointing fiscal 2027 outlook. Intuit now projects revenue of $23.3‑$23.5 billion for the fiscal year that began this quarter, below FactSet’s $23.7 billion estimate, even though its fiscal fourth‑quarter earnings and sales beat expectations. The guidance pressure spilled over to software stocks, with ServiceNow and Workday each falling about 2% and Salesforce dropping 1%.

Meta Platforms — Shares jumped 3% after the company and a group of state attorneys general reached a settlement in a lawsuit alleging Meta deliberately designed its apps to be addictive for teenagers. A trial on the matter had begun the previous week in California.

Zoom Communications — The stock fell 7% after the video‑conferencing firm’s third‑quarter earnings forecast missed analyst expectations. Zoom now expects earnings of $1.46‑$1.48 per share for the quarter, below FactSet’s $1.50 estimate.

Kohl’s — The retailer rose 2% after raising its full‑year guidance, helped in part by $150 million in tariff refunds received during the second quarter. Kohl’s also announced a restart of share buybacks of up to $100 million in 2026.

J.M. Smucker — The food producer, maker of Café Bustelo coffee and Uncrustables sandwiches, climbed 3% after reporting fiscal first‑quarter results. Revenue of $2.22 billion exceeded the LSEG consensus of $2.13 billion, and adjusted earnings per share were $3.24, though it was unclear how that compared to the $2.22 estimate.

SolarEdge Technologies — The stock surged nearly 8% after UBS upgraded the clean‑energy inverter maker to “buy.” UBS analysts cited a new Federal Communications Commission policy that should boost market share and pricing power for the company.

Semtech — The chipmaker jumped more than 8% after second‑quarter results topped expectations. Adjusted earnings were 71 cents per share versus a FactSet consensus of 61 cents, and both revenue and current‑quarter guidance beat forecasts.

Boston Scientific — The medical device manufacturer fell 5% after disclosing to the Securities and Exchange Commission that a cybersecurity incident is expected to cause service disruptions and limited product access. The company said no restoration timeline is available yet.

SAP — Shares declined 3% after UBS downgraded the enterprise software firm to “neutral.” Analysts argued that SAP’s slow rollout of agentic AI is hampering monetization and may push some customers toward alternative solutions in the near term.

— Verum’s Christina Cheddar Berk, Ananya Chetia and Fred Imbert contributed reporting

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