Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a major leap forward, but Pixel 9 Pro Fold was still the bigger upgrade
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Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a major leap forward, but Pixel 9 Pro Fold was still the bigger upgrade
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a major, overdue upgrade for Samsung’s foldable. Samsung deserves a lot of credit for the year-over-year upgrade it is delivering, but I think Google still deserves more credit for its work last year. The best foldables on the market for the past couple of years have been from the like of Oppo and Honor and, while they’re fantastic in their own right, their software experiences aren’t appealing for a huge number of people. Pre-orders for the Galaxy Z foldable, Flip 7, and Galaxy Watch 8 are now open through Samsung.com with up to $1,100 in trade-in values, plus an additional $50 in Samsung credit when you order through 9to5Google.com. See below for our in-depth coverage of our top stories of the week, including the launch of the Fold 7, the Flip 7 and the Watch 8 series, and the new “Canary” release.
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The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a major, overdue upgrade for Samsung’s foldable. It’s drastically thinner and now matches the best in the world, while addressing almost every other complaint from past generations. A better camera, a wider cover display, a bigger inner screen, etc. Save for the stagnant battery size, Galaxy Z Fold 7 is better in virtually every way.
And in my use of the device so far, I’m super excited about that.
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The best foldables on the market for the past couple of years have been from the like of Oppo and Honor and, while they’re fantastic in their own right, they’re not sold in large portions of the globe, and their software experiences certainly aren’t appealing for a huge number of people. That’s why the Pixel 9 Pro Fold has been my daily driver, because my alternatives were either iffy software from those brands, or underwhelming hardware from Samsung.
Samsung deserves a lot of credit for the year-over-year upgrade Fold 7 is delivering, but I think Google still deserves more credit for its work last year.
Moving from the original Pixel Fold to the the Pixel 9 Pro Fold was effectively like if Samsung had skipped directly from the Galaxy Z Fold 3 all the way to the Fold 7. Google’s first device was surprisingly good for a first attempt, but it had some clear downsides in that rough inner display, constant overheating issues, and the unorthodox form factor. Google addressed quite literally of that with the sequel, with Pixel 9 Pro Fold delivering the form factor everyone wanted with its big display, traditional cover screen aspect ratio, and improved chipset. Samsung is similarly addressing a ton of issues, but the issues on last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 6, and even the Fold 5 before that, weren’t nearly as impactful as the ones Google was dealing with.
To put it succinctly, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a device full of refinement, where Pixel 9 Pro Fold was a complete reinvention.
Is that to say Samsung’s upgrade is somehow bad or underwhelming? Not at all! As a customer, I’m thrilled, but I also want to acknowledge that Google, despite its inexperience, did more last time around.
That said, Google is preparing to launch Pixel 10 Pro Fold with little to no major improvements. I don’t think that matters much, really, as the Pixel and Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 will have enough differences to still give each other some healthy competition. Samsung has a more impressive form factor, but Google (probably) has a more affordable price. With $200 separating each other, these devices can absolutely coexist without stepping on each other’s toes. Of course, that wouldn’t be a problem anyway, considering we’re talking about a tiny portion of the smartphone market in the first place, and then talking about one of the smallest (but growing) players in that market.
What do you think?
Pre-orders for the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Flip 7, and Galaxy Watch 8 are now open through Samsung.com with up to $1,100 in trade-in values, plus an additional $50 in Samsung credit when you order through 9to5Google’s links below, but that credit only applies if you check out within 30 minutes.
This Week’s Top Stories
Samsung Unpacked
Samsung hosted its big Unpacked event this week, bringing with it the launch of Galaxy Z Fold 7, Flip 7, Flip 7 FE, and the Galaxy Watch 8 series. See below for our in-depth coverage.
Android gets new “Canary” releases
Google is changing up how new Android releases drop (again), with new “Canary” releases that will launch more frequently. They’re not as directly tied to a specific Android version, but they are bringing changes already.
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Here are the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 trade-in values, with big boosts for Notes
Samsung’s latest foldables are finally here, and in many ways, they’re the next-gen leaps we’ve been begging the company to make. From the ultra-thin — albeit not record-setting — Galaxy Z Fold 7 to the expansive cover screen found on the Galaxy Z Flip 7, it’s looking like a great year to upgrade. Thankfully, Samsung’s trade-in program is here to help you save some cash along the way. In addition to saving up to $1,000 in trade in value, you can score a free upgrade for free on both the Z foldables and the Galaxy Watch. The Samsung Galaxy Fold 7 and Flip 7 are now available to pre-order at Samsung.com, with shipping on July 25th and 28th, respectively. For more information on how to get your hands on the foldable devices, visit the Samsung website or visit 9to5Google.com/Samsung. The Galaxy Z foldable is now available for pre-orders at Samsung”s website.
I won’t sugarcoat it — on the whole, this year’s trade-in values aren’t quite as high as last year, topping out at a maximum of $1,000 back when purchasing a Fold 7 and just $600 back when upgrading to the Flip 7. Combined with a price hike on the Galaxy Z Fold 7, that MSRP can feel like an insurmountable barrier. Thankfully, these deals — plus 9to5Google’s links, which save an additional $50 on top of these values — should help you save some cash along the way.
Galaxy Z Fold 7 trade-in offers
If you’re picking up Samsung’s next-gen big-screen foldable, you can save up to $1,000 on your purchase with the right trade-in. Unsurprisingly, Galaxy Z Fold 6 users benefit the most here, as do Galaxy S25 Ultra owners. But if you’re rocking a Fold 4 or Fold 5, you can save nearly as much on a device that offers a massive leap forward in both power and design.
If you own an older Note device, you’re in for a tread. Galaxy Note 20 Ultra owners are particularly spoiled here; despite their device being nearly five years old, it’s worth just as much as 2023’s Galaxy S23 Ultra. But Note 10, Note 9, and Note 8 devices are also worth, at minimum, $300 — far more than you’d expect for smartphones dating back more than half a decade.
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Here’s a selection of Samsung’s trade-in values for various devices; check out the full product page for the entire list.
Trade-in for Galaxy Z Fold 7 at Samsung.com Galaxy Z Fold 6 $1,000 Galaxy Z Fold 5 $900 Galaxy Z Fold 4 $800 Galaxy S25 Ultra $1,000 Galaxy S24 Ultra $800 Galaxy S23 Ultra $600 Galaxy Note 20 Ultra $600 Galaxy S22 Ultra $500 iPhone 16 Pro Max $750 iPhone 15 Pro Max $550 iPhone 12 Pro Max $250 Galaxy Note 10+ 5G $300 Galaxy Note 9 $300 Galaxy Note 8 $300 Moto Razr Ultra $300 Pixel 8 Pro $250 Pixel Fold $200 Any Android smartphone $100
That $100 discount for any good condition Android phone — even if it’s not listed — isn’t too bad, though once again, it pales in comparison to the $300 offered last year.
Galaxy Z Flip 7 trade-in offers
As usual, Samsung’s offers towards its latest Flip model aren’t nearly as high as those rates you’ll get for the Fold 7, but you can still slash more than half off your final price with the right device.
Trade-in for Galaxy Z Flip 7 at Samsung.com Galaxy Z Flip 6 $600 Galaxy Z Flip 5 $500 Galaxy Z Flip 4 $400 Galaxy Z Flip 3 $300 Galaxy S24 Ultra $500 Galaxy S23 Ultra $400 Galaxy S25+ $500 Galaxy Note 20 Ultra $400 iPhone 16 Pro Max $600 iPhone 15 Pro Max $500 iPhone 12 Pro Max $250 Galaxy Note 10+ 5G $150 Galaxy Note 9 $100 Galaxy Note 8 $100 Moto Razr Ultra $300 Pixel 8 Pro $250 Pixel Fold $200 Any Android smartphone $50
Once again, those upgrading year over year get the best rates, with the Galaxy Z Flip 6 scoring $600 off that MSRP. It’s another round of good news for Galaxy Note 20 Ultra owners, too, with elevated rates up to $400. Plus, any functioning Android phone can save you $50 — every little bit helps.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Flip 7 are now available for pre-order at Samsung’s website. In addition to saving up to $1,000 in trade-in value, you can score a storage upgrade for free on both devices, and $50 in additional credit for using 9to5Google‘s links.
Samsung’s new foldables, alongside the budget-ish Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, and the Galaxy Watch 8 and 8 Classic, start shipping on July 25th.
Source: https://9to5google.com/2025/07/13/samsung-galaxy-z-fold-7-pixel-9-pro-fold-refinement-reinvention/