Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Review: Foldable Phone Nirvana (for A Price)

After respective generations of iterative updates, it feels for illustration Samsung tossed nan Galaxy Z Fold 7 into a Hyperbolic Time Chamber to create a stunning instrumentality that's leaner, stronger and much powerful than before. The champion portion though is nan telephone looks and functions conscionable for illustration a regular handset now that there’s little bulk to lug around. But astatine a moment's notice, it tin spell Super Saiyan by opening up to uncover an moreover larger 8-inch show to go a existent multimedia Raidboss. Unfortunately, it's still highly costly astatine $2,000. Though if you tin grip nan price, successful a batch of ways, Samsung has yet achieved foldable telephone nirvana pinch nan Galaxy Z Fold 7.

Design: Chef's kiss

When Samsung debuted its updated ace sleek creation connection connected nan Galaxy S25 Edge, it felt for illustration a caller measurement to reimagine nan S25+ arsenic a much engaging device. But erstwhile nan institution gave nan aforesaid curen to nan Z Fold 7, that engineering became thing genuinely transformative. Compared to its predecessor, Samsung's large foldable for 2025 is 10 percent lighter astatine conscionable 215 grams. The bigger driblet comes successful thickness pinch Galaxy Z Fold 7 measuring a whopping 26 percent thinner (just 8.9mm erstwhile folded). This represents nan biggest generation-over-generation alteration for nan full Z Fold line, which is benignant of shocking considering it's happening 7 years in. The consequence is simply a foldable that is fundamentally nan aforesaid size and weight arsenic nan Galaxy S25 Ultra (it's really a small narrower), which is nary mean feat for a people of gadgets that has been plagued by other heft since they first came out.

What mightiness beryllium conscionable arsenic awesome is that Samsung hasn't really trim corners to present nan Z Fold 7's streamlined dimensions. You still get an IP48 standing for particulate and h2o guidance (which tin grip submersions of up to 5 feet for 30 minutes) on pinch Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 successful beforehand and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 successful back. Samsung besides wholly re-engineered its Armor FlexHinge, which glides unfastened and closed for illustration a dream. Samsung moreover says that Z Fold 7's ultra-thin solid is 50 percent thicker than earlier while besides sporting a caller titanium lattice that adds further support and durability to nan phone's elastic display.

Inside, Samsung has switched distant from nan under-display sensor utilized connected erstwhile models successful favour of a much accepted hole-punch camera. This is simply a spot of a shame arsenic it adds a mini blemish to that different gorgeous screen. However, pinch nan sheet now measuring 8 inches crossed (up from 7.6 connected nan Z Fold 6), there's much of it to bask moreover aft you relationship for nan mini cutout. Plus, nan move to a higher-res 10-megapixel sensor for this camera results successful importantly amended image value than immoderate of Samsung's under-display modules.

The 1 mini creation quirk is that sometimes nan telephone doesn't unfold each nan way, often stopping conscionable short astatine 179 degrees — overmuch for illustration nan original Pixel Fold. That said, you tin ever make it spell afloat level pinch a spot of other pressure, though astir of nan clip I don't moreover fuss because this is nan benignant of point that you don't really announcement unless you're specifically looking for it.

Displays: Now moreover bigger, some wrong and out

As for brightness and image quality, Samsung's panels are still unmatched. In summation to a larger main display, nan Z Fold 7's exterior Cover Screen is somewhat bigger astatine 6.5 inches. More importantly, it's noticeably wider excessively while sporting moreover thinner bezels, which makes nan full telephone consciousness much usable. The emotion of holding a skinny baton I sewage connected erstwhile models is wholly gone. Both screens besides support a 120Hz refresh complaint and tin deed a highest brightness of 2,600 nits. And erstwhile compared to rivals for illustration nan Pixel 9 Pro Fold, nan Fold 7's displays conscionable popular a touch much acknowledgment to somewhat richer colors and saturation.

After introducing S Pen integration connected nan Z Fold 3, Samsung has removed stylus support for this exemplary — a large downgrade that whitethorn anger longtime Z Fold fans. The institution claims it made this determination aft seeing "very low" S Pen usage connected erstwhile generations, which frankly isn't each that surprising. But, arsenic 1 of nan item features that separated Samsung's large foldables from practically each of its rivals, it's still sad to spot it go.

Performance and software: The fastest large foldable phone

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 unquestionably packs top-tier performance. It's powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy spot on pinch 12GB aliases 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. Everything feels accelerated and snappy while OneUI 8 and Android 16 bring app optimizations that thief make nan astir of nan phone's large display.

The biggest eye-opener for maine was erstwhile I compared really agelong it took nan Z Fold 7 to motorboat my existent favourite mobile game, Sword of Convallaria, against nan Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Even pinch nan accrued capacity of Google's caller Tensor chips, Samsung's foldable loaded nan crippled successful 13 seconds compared to 18 seconds for nan Pixel. That mightiness not sound for illustration a ton, but it’s astir 25 percent faster and erstwhile it's thing you do aggregate times a day, shaving disconnected moreover a fewer seconds adds up fast..

Cameras: A awesome solution bump

While nan Z Fold 7's ultrawide and 3x telephoto cameras are mostly unchanged, nan telephone features a large photograph upgrade acknowledgment to a caller 200MP sensor for its main camera. This is fundamentally nan aforesaid constituent Samsung utilized successful nan S25 Ultra and S25 Edge, and it delivers a much-needed bump successful image quality.

In agleam light, nan Z Fold 7 easy keeps gait pinch nan Pixel 9 Pro Fold. In definite situations for illustration erstwhile snapping pics of food, immoderate whitethorn for illustration its shots acknowledgment to Samsung's warmer colour profile. The telephone still tends to oversharpen things, but colors are vibrant. For those who want to maximize resolution, you tin prime nan phone's afloat 200MP mode (images are captured astatine 12MP by default). At night, nan Fold 7's shots remained amazingly sharp. I still for illustration nan Pixel 9 Pro Fold owed to its much meticulous achromatic equilibrium and often sharper focus, though Samsung's telephone isn't acold behind.

Potentially nan biggest shortcoming connected nan Fold 7 is that its 3x optical zoom can't rather lucifer nan 5x telephoto cam connected nan Pixel 9 Pro Fold. But for fans of group shots, Samsung added a caller selfie camera pinch a wider 100-degree section of view.

Battery life and charging: Solid longevity, but still only Qi 2 ready

While nan Z Fold 7's 4,400mAh artillery is nan aforesaid size arsenic its predecessor, you will get somewhat accrued longevity owed to improved powerfulness ratio from its processor. In our section video rundown test, nan Z Fold 7 lasted 20 hours and 50 minutes erstwhile utilizing its main 8-inch show and 26 hours and 22 minutes pinch its exterior screen. Depending connected which show you use, that's betwixt 45 minutes and an hr longer than what we sewage from nan erstwhile model, which is bully to spot considering artillery life was already beautiful solid.

Sadly, Samsung hasn't changed overmuch erstwhile it comes to recharging. The Z Fold 7 supports wired charging astatine up to 25 watts — which is alternatively mean for a modern flagship — alongside 15 watt wireless charging. And for illustration nan remainder of nan 2025 premium Galaxy line, this telephone is simply Qi 2 ready, which intends there's nary built-in attachment strategy for magnetic accessories for illustration charging pucks, paper holders and artillery packs. So if you want to usage peripherals for illustration those, you'll request to get a lawsuit pinch afloat support for Qi 2.

Wrap-up

I've ever said that Samsung is astatine its champion erstwhile it focuses connected hardware design, and nan Galaxy Z Fold 7 whitethorn beryllium 1 of nan champion examples of that. With its latest flagship foldable, Samsung has removed 1 of nan remaining barriers preventing group from trying retired nan caller breed of phones: excessive size and weight.

By widening its screen display, nan Z Fold 7 looks and acts conscionable for illustration a regular smartphone, which is awesome for checking messages, looking up directions aliases snapping a photo. When you want to get really immersed successful a show, movie aliases game, you tin unfastened up that beautiful elastic display, which is now moreover larger for your viewing pleasure. The phone’s higher-res main camera besides brings upgraded image value while its Snapdragon 8 Elite spot gives it a capacity separator complete rivals for illustration nan Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

I don't emotion really Samsung is backtracking connected features by removing S Pen support and reverting to an old-school camera cutout alternatively of an under-display sensor for its main display. But astatine slightest successful nan lawsuit of nan latter, that alteration comes pinch overmuch improved image quality, which is simply a large upgrade for video calls.

With nan Galaxy Z Fold 7, you really do get nan champion of some worlds. Its caller creation is conscionable arsenic sleek arsenic comparable accepted flagships while hiding a larger show that makes nan request for mini tablets obsolete. Unfortunately, pinch a starting value of $2,000, Samsung hasn't addressed nan past roadblock stopping group from trying retired a instrumentality that mightiness wholly alteration nan measurement they usage their phone.