The Galaxy Z series has set the standard for foldable phones from its very first launch, with a new release every year. Now in its seventh chapter, the latest design revisits where it all started. The Galaxy Z Fold7 and Z Flip7 are the result of refinements made over each year of innovation. Samsung Newsroom spoke with Hubert Lee, Head of the Design Team and Huichul Yang, Head of the UX (User eXperience) Team, both part of the Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung Electronics, to discover the story behind the products and the designers’ persistent pursuit of incredible design.

* Content images simulated for illustrative purposes only and may differ from the actual product. Product specifications may vary by country, region, model and carrier.

Since joining as Head of the MX Design Team in late 2022, Lee has overseen the design direction for all MX product launches. With the launch of the new Galaxy Z Fold7 and Z Flip7, Lee showcases Galaxy’s ultimate pursuit of ultra-sleek and modern design.

Since joining Samsung in 2005, Yang has played a pivotal role in advancing mobile UX innovation as an HCI (Human Computer Interaction) expert. Since late 2023, Yang has led the UX Team in the MX Business, crafting the mobile experiences powered by Galaxy AI.

Among the products I’ve designed at Samsung, the Galaxy Z Fold7 stands out as the one I am most proud of. Most people said, “Wow!” as soon as they saw it. It’s the thinnest, lightest Galaxy Z Fold series model yet. I believe it captures the essence of what a foldable phone can be. It’s only just been unveiled at Galaxy Unpacked 2025 in New York, but I’m confident that customers will understand its true value as they see it up close and get a feel for it in their hands.

Alongside the Galaxy Z Fold7 and Z Flip7, we also introduced One UI 8, an interface optimized for the AI experience. I believe that a sleek, modern design — paired with an intuitive interface — can really resonate with users seeking a more elevated mobile experience in this age of AI.

The Galaxy Z series marked the very beginning of foldable phones. To solidify that symbolism, we knew we had to create a product that felt truly impressive to anyone who saw it. There was a shared understanding within the team that simply repeating what we had done in the past wouldn’t be enough to meet customer expectations. Change wasn’t a choice; it was a must. That’s why with the seventh models of the Galaxy Z series, we didn’t approach it as a refinement — we approached it as a redesign from the ground up. We approached it as if we were starting completely from scratch.

We design lifestyle products. To be part of people’s daily lives, portability is essential and reducing weight was key to achieving that. Our mobile R&D office put in a huge amount of effort in that respect. The nature of the hardware meant there was a certain weight we had to carry, but we kept wondering if we could make it just a little bit lighter. That led to a lot of research and testing. As it became lighter, it became thinner and the display larger, until we arrived at the sleek, modern form we had envisioned. The product you see is the result of countless hours of deliberation, passion and engineering.

Since One UI 6, we’ve been introducing a range of AI features as an AI companion. With One UI 8, we focused on meaningful productivity. We took advantage of the Galaxy Z Fold7’s large-screen form factor to enable users to easily compare original and AI-generated content side by side and move it seamlessly between apps.

One of the standout features of the Z Flip7 is its full-front FlexWindow. Gemini is now optimized for the FlexWindow, enabling quick and seamless interaction with AI — anytime you need it. It’s our new take on an AI companion — one that unfolds right in the palm of your hand. Notably, the form factor is such that the main camera faces you when folded, so now you can launch Gemini Live from the FlexWindow and ask about everyday things, like if your outfit is appropriate for the weather or your schedule for the day.

* This background image has been created by generative AI (Macnific AI, Midjourney).

I love them all but if I had to choose one, it would have to be Silver Shadow. It’s the most straightforward and simple one, but I think it represents Galaxy’s “Ultra Sleek, Ultra Modern” concept really well.

When customers buy premium products like the Galaxy Z Fold7, they tend to prefer values that feel timeless, so we really took that into consideration when choosing the colors for this series. We leveraged the metallic material to bring the colors to life in a way that expresses our design intent and complements the foldable form factor. One of the standout colors of this series is Blue Shadow. As you move the product around, the shine and sophistication are noticeable from all angles.

Wallpaper design is where we really tend to collaborate closely. We work together to make sure the message the Design team wants to convey is properly communicated through the wallpaper, the face of the product. For One UI 7, we aligned the product’s corner radius with the One UI icon geometry. We’ll continue to align the GUI (Graphic user interface) with the underlying style of the product for future releases, too.

we need to break silos and grow together.”

 — Hubert Lee, EVP, Samsung Electronics

Q. How do the team members collaborate?

Lee: The Design team holds a session called Design Clinic. Group leaders and managers come together to share ongoing projects and insights. It’s not a formal meeting, but rather a relaxed gathering to share ideas over coffee and dessert. It’s an open discussion where even criticism is seen as a way to make our products better and support each other. In the MX Business’s Design team, we cover everything from smartphones and wearables to PCs, tablets, CMF (Color, material and finish) and packaging, each item with its own functions. The Design Clinic helps us gain insights from other fields or discover early-stage ideas.

Q. How do you encourage synergy between designers on the team?

Lee: I often emphasize the phrase, “Let’s Design Together.” Rather than just holding onto what they’ve been assigned, I encourage the team to think collectively about what we’re making and how we can improve it. If feedback or advice isn’t sincere, it just leads to silos between teams. Designing together as one team with an authentic, shared mindset is what I emphasize most within the organization.

Q. Aside from designers’ intuition, sensibilities and qualitative insights, do you also incorporate user testing or quantitative validation during the design planning phase?

Lee: The Design team has established a Galaxy Design principle called “Essential Design,” aimed at focusing on core value and removing unnecessary elements. It’s based on three key elements: Simple, Impactful and Emotive. We believe that when these three elements come together in harmony, they create a truly aspirational product. We use the principle and its key elements as evaluation tools during the design planning stage; through a process we call Design Analytics. We conduct evaluations with internal employees to make sure our design intent is being communicated to users effectively. We use the data and insights from this to refine current designs and even identify future products. It’s how we strengthen our design identity, and it’s an integral part of the Galaxy design process.

Q. Do you use AI in your work?

Yang: We refer to AI tools during the testing process. We’ve observed that results from AI-based virtual user testing are fairly close to tests done by recruiting actual users. This leads us to expect that AI can play a significant role in UX evaluation going forward. We’re also experimenting with AI in other ways, like testing multiple versions of motion or animation effects, or turning 2D assets into 3D or animated formats. In this way, we’re continuously learning more about how to enhance our designs with AI.

“Amid the momentum of AI, the ability to direct design will become one of the most valuable assets in making your work truly meaningful.”

 — Huichul Yang, VP, Samsung Electronics

Q. The age we live in is constantly changing. What kind of mindset and vision should guide designers today?

Yang: AI is a new momentum for designers. There are more and more of us thinking about how to use AI to make our work more meaningful. I believe those who show interest in how the world is changing and make new tools their own will be the ones leading in the age of AI. Some say designers will fade away as AI advances, but I see it differently. Design direction, the ability to guide AI creations and enrich them, is bound to become even more essential.

Lee: When it comes to new devices like foldable products, we’re not designing features. We’re designing the entire experience. I believe it’s our role as designers to deeply consider why a device folds, why it unfolds and what kind of value and convenience those actions should provide. That’s because we’re not just product designers, we’re lifestyle designers, and in the end, the user is the most important part of all. We have to read the trends constantly and keep asking ourselves what users truly need. To me, design that makes their lives better is design that’s truly meaningful.

For more information about Samsung Electronics’ design, please visit the Samsung Design website.