After spending nearly a week with the Samsung Galaxy Z flip 7, I must admit it has been quite the challenge.
This marks my first experience with a clamshell foldable phone. While I appreciate its unique design, it feels somewhat too compact for my liking.
At 13.7mm thick, it's a bit cumbersome to fit in my pocket. Although I enjoy being able to hold it comfortably in one hand when closed, the thickness compromises its portability more than I'd hoped.
Another aspect that caught me off guard is how I feel about the phone's length. The device boasts a 6.9-inch display with a 21:9 aspect ratio on its Super AMOLED screen.
I anticipated enjoying the extra space for scrolling and navigating apps, but there’s an odd sensation that something isn’t quite right about it.
While I'm sure I'll adapt over time, I was initially disappointed by my reaction to the elongated display—until today changed everything.
The Thickness Dilemma
The Galaxy Z Flip 7 is indeed slimmer than its predecessor; however, at this thickness, it's still bulkier compared to traditional smartphones like the Galaxy S25 and even more so than the S25 Edge at just 6.4mm thick.
on a positive note, this model features improved durability thanks to its new Armor flex hinge design that enhances folding strength and an IP48 rating for better protection against water and dust (though I'm still skeptical about dust resistance—a common issue with foldable devices).
Despite these advancements in form factor and durability, I'm not yet convinced that I've fully embraced flip phones as part of my daily routine.
A turning point came when I decided to watch disney+'s new IronHeart series on this device today. The show was filmed in a cinematic 21:9 format but displayed in standard 16:9 on my phone—resulting in annoying black bars around the screen.
I zoomed into full-screen mode and experienced what felt like an entirely new viewing experience—the content fit perfectly within the Z Flip 7's display!
this moment genuinely impressed me; perhaps it's becuase I've never reviewed such a flip-style foldable before or maybe due to how well-suited this screen is for video content consumption compared to previous models like Z Flip 6 which had noticeable bezels around their displays—while not completely invisible now on Flip 7, thay are significantly thinner!
A Nostalgic Journey
The moment transported me back to reviewing LG's quirky BL40 Chocolate back in '09—a device known for being one of the first phones featuring a wide-screen ratio of 21:9!
This may sound harsh given how fluid smartphone designs were during those early days when brands were experimenting wildly (and let’s be honest—it wasn’t even classified as smartphone since it ran LG’s proprietary OS).
The BL40 had only a modestly sized four-inch screen but felt enormous at that time! Watching widescreen videos was such fun despite limited app support or video players available then—but somehow everything just clicked together beautifully!
If we compare that ancient gadget from over fifteen years ago (wow!) with today's sleek AMOLED display boasting remarkable specs like resolution up-to-1080 x2520 pixels along with peak brightness reaching up-to-2600 nits—it becomes clear why nostalgia hit hard while using this modern marvel!
I regret overlooking wider screens until now—I haven’t explored any recent Sony Xperia models either which also embrace similar ratios such as Xperia1 VI or10 VI! Sony seems committed towards catering filmmakers rather than everyday users through high-end tech offerings priced higher ($1399) compared against our beloved Flip7 ($300 less).
A Minor setback
however there remains one small annoyance regarding utilizing these expansive screens effectively—and samsung should address this promptly!
Diving into Ironheart made me constantly check if content remained true-to-formats since some scenes might switch between different filming styles leading fears of missing crucial action moments!
(This concern arises especially during IMAX shots where framing changes dramatically!).
If only Samsung could implement automatic recognition allowing seamless transitions between formats ensuring nothing gets lost along way—that would elevate user experience immensely! Perhaps they already have solutions available? Or maybe Disney+ needs improvement hear too? Netflix handles widescreen formats much better by auto-filling screens without black bars appearing everywhere unlike their competitor platform…
This aside though—the cinematic thrill offered via these wider displays shouldn’t be overlooked either! While flip-style smartphones may not suit everyone’s taste—they certainly cater well towards avid movie watchers who’ve invested heavily into premium streaming services offering rich visual experiences worth exploring further!
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