From 17.1 Millimeters to eight.9 Millimeters: The Journey Behind a 48% Discount in Thickness
Unveiled at Galaxy Unpacked 2025 in New York on July 9, the Galaxy Z Fold7 is 48% thinner than the unique Galaxy Fold. Whereas total thickness1 declined by 29% throughout the primary six generations — from the Galaxy Fold in 2019 to the Galaxy Z Fold6 in 2024 — a big 26% discount was achieved in simply the previous 12 months. This streamlined design displays Samsung Electronics’ continued developments in hinge engineering and product design, delivering a extra refined consumer expertise.
To spotlight this milestone, Samsung Newsroom explores how the Galaxy Z Fold collection has redefined thinness in foldable smartphones from 2019 to in the present day.
Making its debut in 2019, the Galaxy Fold was Samsung’s first system to introduce the idea of foldable smartphones. With a most folded thickness2 of 17.1 mm and a most unfolded thickness of seven.6 mm, the system supplied the general public its first take a look at foldable show expertise. This revolutionary kind issue ushered in a brand new cellular expertise, permitting customers to get pleasure from a widescreen show from the palm of their hand.
Launched in 2020, the Galaxy Z Fold2 featured the Hideaway Hinge — consisting of greater than 60 inside parts for smoother, extra versatile folding. The precision-engineered hinge built-in seamlessly into the system’s physique, decreasing the utmost folded thickness to 16.8mm and a most unfolded thickness to six.9 mm.
In 2021, the Galaxy Z Fold3 grew to become much more compact — measuring a most thickness of 16.0 mm when folded and 6.4 mm when unfolded — whereas additionally introducing assist for the S Pen and IPX8-rated water resistance, each firsts for the collection. Armor Aluminum was utilized all through the system to spice up sturdiness, and the upgraded Sweeper expertise helped stop mud and international particles from getting into the hinge. These enhancements enabled a thinner, sturdier design with out compromising usability.
Launched in 2022, the Galaxy Z Fold4 introduced notable enhancements in each weight and thickness. The gear-based hinge was changed with a linear motion mechanism, decreasing inside parts and leading to a most folded thickness of 15.8 mm and an unfolded thickness of 6.3 mm. This redesign supplied a sleeker profile and improved ergonomics whereas sustaining the system’s strong efficiency.
In 2023, the Galaxy Z Fold5 launched the Flex Hinge, an revolutionary hinge mechanism with 4 drive shafts that enabled the show to curve inward in a water-drop form, changing the normal Hideaway Hinge. This development enabled the 2 halves of the telephone to shut extra evenly, minimizing the display crease and eliminating the hole when folded. The outcome was a extra compact kind issue, with a folded thickness of 13.4 mm and an unfolded thickness of 6.1 mm.
Unveiled in 2024, the Galaxy Z Fold6 delivered an excellent slimmer silhouette — simply 12.1 mm when folded and 5.6 mm when unfolded. That includes a refined construction and design of a symmetrical twin rail hinge, the system could possibly be folded flat or opened to numerous angles between 75 and 115 levels for larger versatility. This streamlined construct additional enhanced portability and on a regular basis usability.
Now the thinnest Galaxy smartphone ever, the Galaxy Z Fold7 embodies years of design evolution. With a folded thickness of simply 8.9 mm and an unfolded thickness of 4.2 mm, the system units a brand new commonplace for slender foldables. On the core is the Armor FlexHinge — a brand new structural innovation that fuses superior supplies with an optimized design for superior sturdiness and compactness. Whereas the duvet show of the Galaxy Z Fold6 measures 6.3 inches (158.9 mm), the Galaxy Z Fold7’s cowl show extends to six.5 inches (164.8 mm) to extend usability when the system is folded. The principle show3 additionally spans 8.0 inches (203.1 mm) when unfolded, providing an 11% bigger display space than its predecessor — the largest within the Z Fold collection to this point.
With every new era, the Galaxy Z Fold collection has superior in each kind and performance — decreasing thickness whereas increasing what’s attainable in a cellular system. On the coronary heart of this progress is Samsung’s steady innovation in hinge expertise. Because the Galaxy Z Fold collection pushes the boundaries of smartphone design, Samsung stays dedicated to unlocking transformative experiences with next-generation engineering and a foldable kind issue like by no means earlier than.
1 Unfolded thickness is measured from the principle show to the rear glass. Folded thickness is measured from the duvet show to the rear glass.
2 Most folded thickness refers back to the thickest level of the system when it’s folded shut, which is at its hinge.
3 Measured diagonally, the Galaxy Z Fold7’s important show dimension is 203.1 mm within the full rectangle; precise viewable space is much less as a result of rounded corners.
