Samsung’s annual foldable refresh features a trio of units this 12 months. Whilst the Z Fold 7 comes with a top-tier processor and cameras, the Z Turn 7 carries over many technical main points from its predecessor. In reality, essentially the most vital improve this 12 months is a extra expansive entrance show, or Flex Window, as the corporate prefers to name it.
Samsung has additionally, someway, added a fair larger battery to a slimmer foldable, which is technically spectacular. Alternatively, the corporate made minimum tool additions and modest enhancements in puts. The upgrades are just right, however are there sufficient of them?
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Samsung has stuck as much as certainly one of its few foldable opponents by way of considerably expanding the entrance show from 3.4 inches to 4.1 inches. The 2 digital camera cutouts are the one issues interrupting this vibrant, bright show.
Regardless of larger monitors (and battery), the Turn 7 could also be thinner than closing 12 months’s type. It measures 6.4mm (0.25 inches) thick, down from 6.9mm (0.27 inches). That is equivalent to the Galaxy S25 edge, the place the main promoting level is its thinness. I shouldn’t have to mention this, however that thickness doubles while you fold it away: Samsung says it’s 13.7mm (0.54 inches) when closed. Alternatively you measure it, that is the thinnest Turn but.
Billy Steele for Engadget
The Z Turn 7 has respectable battery lifestyles, larger monitors and extra AI smarts. Alternatively, the cameras are dated and Samsung isn’t providing sufficient application in this foldable’s 2d display.
- Larger entrance display
- Higher battery lifestyles
- Slimmer design
- Cameras are dated
- Entrance display application remains to be restricted
- Slow fee velocity
The Flex Window now has a 120Hz refresh fee, can succeed in height brightness ranges of two,600 nits (matching the S25 Extremely) and contours the thinnest bezel but (1.25mm) of any Samsung smartphone show. The brightness build up is a an important improve on a display that’s used basically to look at your software from throughout a table or out of doors in daylight. Samsung stated it was once in a position to additional lengthen the show to the sides by way of making use of a water resistant coating on elements underneath the AMOLED show. This intended much less bezel is wanted across the display’s perimeter.
Samsung additionally expanded the foldable’s primary display to six.9 inches — a notable step up from the former type’s 6.4 inches. The corporate additionally properly shifted nearer to a extra conventional smartphone show ratio of 21:9. Whilst it’s now not fairly the similar as, say, the Galaxy S25 or iPhone 16, video content material now suits higher.
Earlier Z Flips had extra elongated monitors, making it laborious to achieve the higher corners when the use of one hand. Whilst the Z Turn 7 has a greater facet ratio, it’s additionally larger, which sadly method it has the similar factor. If Samsung had modified the facet ratio whilst retaining the display dimension, it will have struck the ergonomic candy spot.
Now not for the primary time, Samsung says it’s additional reinforced the Turn’s hinge mechanism. Whilst I will’t attest to its longevity, the Turn 7 does shut with a beefier ‘thunk’ than its predecessors.
I really like that it takes somewhat bit extra energy to open as it makes the entire software really feel extra forged. For those who’re hoping that is the 12 months the place the show crease disappears, I’m afraid that isn’t going down. For individuals who have by no means owned a foldable regardless that, the Turn 7’s crease is in large part unnoticeable.
The cameras
The tale of this 12 months’s Turn’s cameras? Extra of the similar. The Turn 7 has the similar 50-megapixel f/1.8 number one setup with optical symbol stabilization (OIS) and a 12MP ultra-wide lens with a 123-degree box of view. There’s a 10MP digital camera at the inside of, too, however with the Turn’s advanced entrance display, you in reality must be the use of the principle digital camera duo.
The most efficient photographs come from well-lit scenes. Samsung’s Night time Mode is somewhat competitive, nevertheless it’s nonetheless nice for middle of the night photographs, even supposing it leaves an over-processed glance on pores and skin tones and faces. The Turn 7 defaults to twelve.5-megapixel photographs, however you’ll be able to transfer to 50MP stills if you wish to have all of the element — and you have got a gentle hand. There’s no devoted telephoto digital camera, because of this the zoom is proscribed to a 2x crop, hindering the Z Turn 7’s versatility. As soon as once more: if you wish to have a foldable with the most efficient cameras, you’ll have to move with the Fold sequence.
In regard to video seize, the Turn 7 can document video in 10-bit HDR, up from 8-bit, for extra colour accuracy and element. And you’ll be able to nonetheless cling the Z Turn 7 like a unfashionable camcorder, which stays way more stress-free than it must be.
Tool
Regardless of the larger display, Samsung hasn’t in reality developed its Flex Window’s tool this 12 months. There are a couple of enhancements, regardless that. When the use of the entrance show to take selfies and movies, interface icons and mode buttons will glide across the show to get out of the best way of what it detects you’re looking to take footage of. For those who’re taking a look to make use of a distinct clear out in your photographs, the Z Turn 7 can display a reside preview of every clear out earlier than you practice them.
Two different tool additions to the Turn sequence are the Now Bar and Now Temporary, presented on this 12 months’s S25 sequence. The Now Bar is Samsung’s spin at the iPhone’s Dynamic Island, showing pertinent ongoing or time-sensitive data that isn’t fairly a notification, however one thing you may need to learn about. This contains health metrics, climate or reside updates from ride-share apps like Uber.
You’ll faucet into the Now Bar with out opening the telephone, and you will not must spread it for those who’re taking a look to have interaction with Google’s Gemini Reside both. It’s any other Android characteristic that turns out well-suited to foldables, as you’ll be able to communicate to Gemini with minimum bodily interplay at the Z Turn 7.
To make use of maximum different apps, you’ll nonetheless wish to set up the Multistar launcher (which is made by way of Samsung) with a view to view and use fundamental tool like Gmail and Chrome. That is the workaround for now, as Samsung hasn’t expanded the licensed listing of six apps which are allowed to run at the Z Turn 7’s Flex Window — a brief listing which bafflingly contains Netflix.
Battery lifestyles and function
Regardless of being even slimmer than closing 12 months’s type, the Turn 7 has a 4,300mAh battery that’s 300mAh better than its predecessor’s. That, at the side of a brand new processor (its home made 3nm Exynos 2500), has resulted in a jump in longevity.
In our usual battery rundown checks, the Turn 7 performed steady video for 18 and a part hours. That’s a large soar from the 13-hour rundown I were given from the Turn 6. I used to be so shocked I ran the take a look at two extra occasions to substantiate and were given equivalent effects.
The brand new chip by no means felt in particular gradual, both, whether or not I used to be gaming, the use of Galaxy AI options or finishing different taxing actions. That stated, the telephone would get heat, each in my hand and in my pocket, all over digital camera trying out and location-based duties, like the use of Google Maps and CityMapper.
In my daily use, with heavy trying out, I’d get thru a forged day and a part earlier than I needed to take into accounts recharging. Sadly, the Galaxy Z Turn 7’s stressed charging speeds nonetheless peak out at 25W, which Samsung has the gall to name Tremendous Rapid Charging. It’s the similar velocity because the Z Turn 6 (and the bottom S25), but if different telephones are the use of 45W fee speeds (or upper), it’s somewhat underwhelming, particularly on a top class software like this.
Wrap-up
By means of refreshing the design and additional slimming down the Z Turn, Samsung has made its smaller foldable more uncomplicated to care for. On the similar time, it’s achieved an engineering wonder by way of squeezing in better monitors and a extra considerable battery. Alternatively, sure sides of the Turn 7 are missing, maximum particularly the cameras, which haven’t been modified since closing 12 months.
Samsung should also put extra paintings into its Flex Window. Whilst the facility to make use of maximum apps at the smaller entrance show is right here, it’s nonetheless a fussy implementation and maximum of them aren’t adapted for the tinier display. There’s untapped doable right here and the Z Turn 7 doesn’t push its class of foldables ahead by way of a lot.
