Samsung has started taking pre-orders for its new clamshell foldable phone. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 is one of the more significant upgrades yet for the series, bringing several meaningful changes that further elevate its status as the flip phone to beat.

If you're on the fence and not quite ready to open up your wallet just yet, you may want to consider the reasons that are driving the purchase decisions for other customers, myself included. I gave the Galaxy Z Flip 6 a pass last year and I would have done the same had Samsung not given me these 7 reasons to buy the Galaxy Z Flip 7.

1. Two words: Flex Window

The 4.1-inch Flex Window, aka the cover display, is as useful as it is beautiful. It's exceptionally bright, has a fluid 120Hz refresh rate, and the thinnest bezels of any Samsung phone display yet.

I know I'll be able to get so much more done without having to unfold the screen. Whether that's sending replies, controling music, navigating through maps or accessing all that Gemini has to offer. Everything's right there on a display that's worth the price tag.

2. A more natural-feeling inner display

Not only is the internal foldable display larger at 6.9-inch, it's also wider, with a more conventional aspect ratio. The display just feels more natural and like a bar-style phone.

This makes multi-tasking so much easier, the viewing experience becomes better, and one-handed use becomes effortless due to the more conventional screen aspect ratio. It's one of those things that you really have to experience to understand why this change is so meaningful.

3. Thin, light, and looks amazing

I've always loved Samsung's design ethos for the flip phone. It's not too outlandish, but a perfect mix of versatility and refinement. The company has doubled down on this and created something that looks truly amazing.

It doesn't hurt that this is one of the lightest and thinnest Galaxy Z Flip phones yet. Balance that with the sheer capabilities of this device and it instantly becomes a no-brainer purchase.

4. Samsung DeX is here, finally!

No of the models that came before the Galaxy Z Flip 7 supported Samsung DeX, the company's desktop-style interface that you can use when the phone is hooked up to an external display. It prevented the device from becoming a more serious productivity tool.

This shortcoming has thankfully been addressed with the new model. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 will let me access DeX whenever I need it, so I wouldn't need to carry a secondary device just in case I needed to get something done quickly.

5. With great power comes great battery life

The battery sizes on this phone have always been modest due to space constraints, but Samsung has gradually been expanding the capacity to provide the device with more longevity.

The other meaningful upgrade Samsung has made this year is the larger 4,300mAh battery. This means more juice to talk, text, browse, scroll, capture throughout the day without having to chase an outlet. The efficiency gains from the 3nm Exynos 2500 chipset will also help extract more hours from this battery.

6. Samsung's best software experience

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 is one of the first phones that Samsung is shipping with One UI 8 and Android 16 out of the box. This means you get access to all that One UI 8 has to offer without having to wait for its public release.

Samsung has also promised seven years of Android OS and as many years of security upgrades for the device, ensuring that I'll have access to new features if I decide to not upgrade my phone for a long period of time.

7. Unmatched AI capabilities

If you want to experience the best of mobile AI, you need to get a flagship Samsung phone. The company's top devices, including the Galaxy Z Flip 7, offer best-in-class AI capabilities.

These include the Galaxy AI suite that Samsung has developed, with features like writing assist, live translation, browsing assist, and more. Google's Gemini is deeply integrated in its software as well, and customers even get six months of free access to Advanced features.

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 is seriously one of the best Samsung phones on the market right now. I guess the only question that remains now is what color should you pick? Samsung had me at Blue Shadow.