The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is (officially, finally) around the corner, and all of the most recent leaks have pointed to a pretty substantial upgrade. That’s a big change for Samsung, who have allowed its lead in the foldable race to diminish fairly rapidly since, say, the days of the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

While companies like Oppo, Huawei, OnePlus, and Google showed off some pretty impressive hardware in just one or two generations, Samsung has languished with minor revisions year after year. Eliminating the gap between halves, delivering a more comfortably usable front display, improving its camera system — these are all things the company could’ve opted to improve in a single generation. Instead, it’s been several iterative updates year after year, leaving Samsung occasionally feeling like an also-ran in a market it invented.

But hold tight, One UI fans — things are finally about to change. With some surprisingly impressive upgrades seemingly on the way, Samsung is queued to strike the foldable market right as its closest competitors are resting on their respective laurels. Google and OnePlus are spending 2025 either sticking to the status quo or skipping out on a foldable generation entirely.

If foldables are a story of the tortoise and the hare, Samsung might be on the verge of proving it had the right strategy after all.

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A video screenshot of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 next to a dummy Galaxy Z Fold 7.

This year’s list of Galaxy Z Fold rumors reads like a wishlist from the company’s biggest critics: larger displays that should compare more favorably to something like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, a significantly slimmer chassis that combines the refined Galaxy Z Fold 6 design with Samsung’s Korea-and-China-exclusive Galaxy Z Fold SE, and a 200MP main sensor that teases a reworking of the company’s entire photography approach. Previous generations might’ve required us to wait three or four years to see all of these changes, but they’re seemingly headed our way in just a couple of short weeks.

To be clear, none of this is groundbreaking — in fact, a lot of these rumored Z Fold 7 changes see Samsung working to catch up to the competition. We’ve seen more impressive photos from the likes of OnePlus and Oppo. We’ve seen larger, more comfortable displays from brands like Google. We’ve seen slimmer chassis from… Well, pretty much everyone but Samsung at this point.

But in a year where said competition, particularly in North America, is taking a breather, that leaves Samsung an opening to seriously wow customers with this new foldable.

This year’s Oppo Find N5 next to the OnePlus Open.

The OnePlus Open 2, for example, is one of my biggest disappointments of the year, thanks to it, you know, not actually existing. OnePlus in general hasn’t been particularly focused on the US this year, with devices like the pocket-friendly 13T skipping out on North America entirely, much to my chagrin. The brand took an even larger step with the Open 2, though, choosing not to adapt Oppo’s excellent Find N5 into a OnePlus-branded smartphone, as it had with its predecessor. Hope isn’t dead for a proper Open successor, but any momentum built on the good word of mouth surrounding its 2023 foldable certainly is.

Google is in a better position for foldable success in 2025 than OnePlus, simply through its apparent decision to actually release new hardware. But every Pixel 10 Pro Fold leak so far points to a near-identical device when compared to last year, and I certainly wouldn’t call the Pixel 9 Pro Fold above reproach. It’s heavier than the competition, its design is — to my eyes, at least — far more anonymous than even the Pixel 9a, and the camera system, while certainly acceptable, could use something of an overhaul.

Even Google’s big-screen Android experience still falls short compared to One UI or OxygenOS. Yes, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold might be the first foldable to achieve IP68 water and dust resistance, if a recent (and fairly surprising) rumor is to be believed, but that’s the kind of slim change Samsung has been skating by on for the past few generations.

The Galaxy Z Fold 6 next to the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

In comparison, Samsung appears to have done everything it needs to do in order to compete — not just with the limited amount of foldables in North America, but with foldables on a global level. While I don’t expect the Fold 7 to be the thinnest or lightest folding phone around, its rumored specs appear leagues ahead of previous generations. Unlike last year, Google is about to look like the company re-issuing a smartphone without much more than a spec bump to show for it. Samsung, for the first time in years, appears to be the one foldable brand actually going for it.

If you’re feeling as optimistic as I am, reservations are now open for Samsung’s upcoming crop of gadgets, including the Galaxy Z Fold 7. As usual, there’s no obligation or cash involved — just hand over your email to Samsung, and you’ll receive a $50 credit to use on “ecosystem purchases,” including accessories and other new devices. Reservations close on July 8th, one day before Unpacked kicks off, so don’t wait.