Two reasons I love the Galaxy Z Flip 7 cover display, and one reason I don't

The Galaxy Z Flip 7’s biggest upgrade, at least for me, is the cover display. It’s the largest one Samsung has ever used on a Flip, and because it stretches from edge to edge, everything feels more spacious. Apps are easier to use, UI elements are easier to tap, and you simply see more of what’s happening on the screen.

And that’s where my two favorite things about this phone come in, and one thing I don't appreciate.

Dog owners know how hard it is to capture those cute, random moments. By the time you unlock your phone and open the camera, the moment has usually passed.

It’s even worse when you want a selfie with your dog, because switching to the front camera takes a second or two, and that’s enough for the dog to stop doing the adorable thing you wanted to photograph.

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 solves this in the simplest way. When the phone is closed, the camera uses the cover display as a viewfinder. Since the screen and cameras are already facing you, you can take a selfie almost instantly. Want a selfie video instead? Just swipe left on the cover screen and it switches to video mode.

The bigger cover display also makes the viewfinder easier to see, so framing your shots becomes much easier. And because you’re using the rear cameras, you get better-quality selfies too, something previous Galaxy Z Flips also offer, but the Flip 7’s larger screen makes the experience far more comfortable.

The other reason I love the Flip 7’s cover display is how easy it makes checking my Samsung Health activity stats. The cover screen supports widgets, and I keep the Activity widget right at the start. All I have to do is tap it, and the large cover display shows my step count, active time, and other stats clearly and instantly.

It ends up being the perfect middle ground between glancing at the tiny display on my watch and fully opening Samsung Health on the main screen. The widget gives me more detail than a watch can show, but without the extra steps of unfolding and unlocking the phone and opening the app. The big cover screen gives the widget plenty of space, so the stats are easy to read at a quick glance.

What I don’t like about the cover display is also tied to widgets. You can’t add or edit widgets directly on the cover screen, you can only rearrange or remove them. With all the space Samsung has given this display, there really shouldn’t be any reason we can’t customize it without unfolding the phone.

And sadly, I don’t expect this to change anytime soon. Samsung has been very consistent about holding back foldable-related software improvements until it launches a new Galaxy Z Flip or Fold. So if more widget control is coming, it will probably arrive with the next Flip, not through an update for the Flip 7.