Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 pictured ahead of schedule amid rumours of titanium switch

Samsung is not expected to replace the Galaxy Z Fold6 (curr. $1,299 on Amazon) until the summer. Regardless, information about the next-generation continues to emerge online. For example, we can already discern from Geekbench that the Galaxy Z Fold7 will launch with a Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset paired with at least 12 GB of RAM. On top of that, Samsung is believed to have shaved another few millimetres off the thickness of its new foldable to undercut even last year's Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition.

Now, the first image of the Galaxy Z Fold7 has appeared online. Circulated by the likes of Shane Craig on YouTube, the image appears to only show the device's back panel rather a whole prototype. Regardless, it seems that Samsung will in fact take its regular Galaxy Z Fold line in the direction of the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition with a much wider design that should see the Galaxy Z Fold7 getting closer to the Oppo Find N5 and the Vivo X Fold3 Pro, among other recent foldables.

Likewise, the Galaxy Z Fold7 is expected to follow the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition with a titanium backplate between its hinge mechanism and inner display. There to support for the rest of the device, the titanium backplate is said to be thinner than the carbon fibre (CFRP) equivalents that Samsung has used inside the Galaxy Z Fold3 through to the Galaxy Z Fold6. The Elec suggests that the Galaxy Z Fold7 will mirror the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition by lacking an S Pen digitizer in a move that would save 0.6 mm in thickness when the device is folded. Nonetheless, there are rumours that Samsung is developing a new S Pen that will be compatible with the Galaxy Z Fold7 upon release.