Foldable phones. Remember the initial hype? Followed by the inevitable wave of disappointment? Creases, questionable durability, and software that felt…half-baked. So again, like many people, I wrote them off as expensive novelties. A solution looking for a problem. Something has changed and the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is evidence of that. This tech is more than a novelty at this point. So compelling that I find myself reconsidering every assumption I held about the future of smartphones.

Foldables Finally Good Enough Now?

If we’re being honest, the earliest generations of foldable phones were beta devices shipped at full MSRP. Durability was a major concern. You’d have to wear some sort of a hazmat suit to keep these things protected from dust. Samsung stuck with it. They rushed, changed course, pulled back, revised, and heard (or at least, pretended to hear) the outcry. The Z Flip 7 not only avoids making the mistake of that iPhone, it’s far from an incremental upgrade. It stands for years of tireless technical innovation, motivated by a passion for and belief in a wacky idea. At least they’ve managed to hold the line on that $1,099 starting price. This action undermines their competitors such as Motorola while providing a cherry on top of their damaging strategy.

DeX: The Sleeper Productivity Feature

Samsung DeX support on the Z Flip 7 is a game-changer. Think about it: you have a sleek, pocketable device that unfolds into a usable phone, but now, with DeX, it transforms into a desktop experience. This is unexpected, and frankly, brilliant.

Suddenly, the Z Flip 7 isn't just competing with other smartphones. It's encroaching on laptop territory. Want to quickly send a few emails from a bigger display while on the go? DeX. Need to make some last-minute edits to a presentation on the go without carrying your heavy laptop around? DeX. The potential is truly thrilling, particularly for enterprise IT and power users who appreciate the form factor and flexibility that comes with being mobile. I’m looking forward to seeing how this works out on my next trip.

This is where the "unexpected connection" comes in. The Z Flip 7, through DeX, is subtly challenging the traditional PC market. Certainly not a device that’s going to replace your workstation anytime soon, but one that does indeed provide an exciting taste of a potential alternative for productivity while mobile. That is a big deal.

Durability Concerns Are Still Valid

Okay, let's not get carried away. Foldable phones don’t just have an engineering problem, they have an image problem too, when it comes to their longevity. I still get nervous every time I try out foldable phones. I wouldn’t have the temerity to take one to the beach! Though the wrinkle remains to this day. While Samsung says they’ve strengthened the hinge and made the screen more durable, only time will tell if the devices can hold up long-term reliability. It’s a risk worth taking, make no mistake.

Samsung knows this. And they’re obviously putting some serious bucks behind these worries. The materials look and feel more substantial, and changes to the design itself indicate a shift in focus towards creating a more durable device. The Z Flip 7 has certainly grown up. While not without quirks, it does feel like a more stable foundation than its forbearers and I wouldn’t advise trying to hammer nails with it, though!

Innovation Drives Economic Competitiveness

The Z Flip 7 isn’t just a fun new toy for the tech crowd—it represents a new way of thinking. Innovation, in turn, is absolutely essential to economic competitiveness and I would even argue national security. Firms such as Samsung are motivated by an attitude of risk-taking. Together, they stretch the limits of what’s possible and ignite innovation.

Subsidies for R&D are vital. As far as Samsung is concerned, the Z Flip 7 is more than a product — it’s the culmination of several years worth of investment in R&D. It’s the power of innovation at work to create new markets, new jobs and new opportunities. By investing in these companies, we maximize our chances of maintaining our leadership position in the ever-evolving global technology landscape.

The larger screens, far better AI, and DeX support on the Z Flip 7 help it make an impressive leap forward. It’s not quite perfect. It’s an indication that Samsung’s big bet on foldable phones is finally starting to pay off. Whew that’s impressive and it’s really making me reconsider my opinion on foldables. If it’s capable of changing my mind, I have no doubt it could be changing the minds of many. Keep an eye on this space. Foldable is the future of smartphones, probably.