BTTR Roundup #49: Samsung knows when to fold 'em

After seven generations, I think 2025 might be the year that Samsung achieves its foldable phone ambitions. Both the Fold7 and the Flip7 seem to have made design changes that fix the issues I had with its folding phones for the past couple of years.

For a start, the Fold7 has a wider external screen, while making the overall device thinner. It makes it more like a normal phone that just so happens to unfold into tablet mode.

The catch here is that these phones are not cheap. The Fold7 starts at $2,899. That's a huge amount for a phone, and a $150 price premium over the Fold6's launch price, and $300 more than the Fold5's initial starting price.

While there are plenty of compelling reasons to get one, that price alone makes it unachievable for a lot of people.

I've got my hands on the Fold7 right now to test, so stay tuned for the full review soon.

This week's new tech news

• Samsung held its "Unpacked" event this week in New York, showing off its 2025 foldables and updated wearables. Here's what was announced:
  • The big hitter is the Galaxy Fold7, which has made some nice user-friendly over last year's Fold6. For a start it's only 8.9mm thick when folded, and has a larger 6.5-inch cover display that isn't as narrow as previous generations, making it feel more like a regular phone when folded. Opened up, the 8-inch main display offers 2,600 nits of peak brightness, so you can see it easily in full sun. Stronger glass, a better hinge and the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor for Galaxy promise to make this the best Fold yet. On sale 1 August, with pricing from $2,899 for 256 GB. [Samsung]
  • The Flip7 has also had a big update over last year's Flip6. The external "FlexWindow" display is now 4.1 inches, with up to 2,600 nits of peak brightness and a 120 Hz refresh rate. Samsung has also slimmed the phone down to just 13.7mm when folded and 188 grams, with the internal screen larger at 6.9 inches. The phone has a 50MP wide and a 12MP ultra-wide lens, and is designed to make taking selfies from the external display simple. Hits stores 1 August, with RRP from $1,799 for 256 GB. [Samsung]
  • Samsung got in early with its foldable Fan Edition this year. The Flip7 FE has a smaller 3.4-inch external display and a 6.7-inch main display. It has the same 50MP wide and a 12MP ultra-wide camera array on the outside, though its internal camera is slightly lower spec. Pricing starts at $1,499 for the Flip7 FE for 128 GB. [Samsung]
  • The annual smartwatch iteration also took place this week. The Galaxy Watch8 and Watch8 Classic refine the design of Samsung's smartwatch products, offering a thinner design and a "dynamic lug system" which should help improve stability and comfort. Samsung has also overhauled its software to offer more detailed health insights, including an "Antioxidant index" to measure carotenoid levels and make sure you're eating enough vegetables, though whether you trust that information is another thing entirely. Watch8 Price starts at $649 (40mm BT), while Watch8 Classic starts at $899 (46mm BT). Both on sale 1 August. [Samsung]
• Ninja has launched its 14-in-1 Combi multicooker into Australia. It's a bit of a beast, capable of cooking rice, steaming vegetables, grilling and air-frying, dehydrating, slow cooking and toasting. I got to give it a test-run this week at an event with Ninja ambassador Matt Moran, and we barely touched the surface of the appliance's features. It's available now for $499 RRP. [Ninja]
• DJI last week launched its Power 2000, but this week it updated the Power 1000 to the secend generation. The Power 1000 V2 has a continuous 2,600W output, and has a faster recharge time than the original. Available now for $1,199 RRP. [DJI]
• Sony has a new shotgun microphone for content creators. The ECM-778 (catchy name!) is just 17.6 cm long and weighs just 102 grams, and uses a brass acoustic tube and a specifically designed circuit board for superior sound quality. Available in August for $1,999 RRP. [Sony]
• Hisense has just dropped its biggest TVs in Australia. The 2025 UX collection includes a $39,999 116-inch RGB-MiniLED model and a $22,999 100-inch RGB-MiniLED model. Aside from the monstrous size, you get impressive colour and brightness (up to 8,000 nits), in a panel that's still less than 4cm thick. They'll hit store shelves in September.

This week's review

Oclean X Pro Digital review: 30 seconds more

With its brushing score, the Oclean X Pro Digital is a great way to get you to brush better. But sometimes it makes doing the job harder than it should be.

BTTR ReviewsNick Broughall

Check out my Prime Day picks

Amazon Prime Day 2025: The best deals in the massive sale

Amazon Prime Day is here, so we’ve rounded up all the best deals for Australian customers, from tech to appliances and more.

BTTR ReviewsNick Broughall

If I'm honest, I'm a bit underwhelmed by the offerings in this year's Prime Day sales. There are some good discounts on robot vacuums and Lego, but otherwise it seems like the scope of deals is a bit underwhelming.

Or maybe it's just that Amazon sells so much junk these days that it's difficult to find discounts on good products.

Either way, I spent several hours looking through pages of sales to highlight the discounts I thought were good value. Let me know what you think.