After a number of generations of iterative updates, it seems like Samsung tossed the Galaxy Z Fold 7 right into a Hyperbolic Time Chamber to create a shocking tool that is leaner, more potent and extra robust than sooner than. The most productive phase even though is the telephone appears to be like and purposes similar to an ordinary handset now that there’s much less bulk to lug round. However at a second’s realize, it will possibly pass Tremendous Saiyan through opening as much as divulge a good higher 8-inch show to grow to be a real multimedia Raidboss. Sadly, it is nonetheless extraordinarily dear at $2,000. Regardless that if you’ll be able to take care of the associated fee, in a large number of tactics, Samsung has in spite of everything accomplished foldable telephone nirvana with the Galaxy Z Fold 7.
Design: Chef’s kiss
When Samsung debuted its up to date tremendous swish design language at the Galaxy S25 Edge, it felt like a singular method to reimagine the S25+ as a extra enticing tool. But if the corporate gave the similar remedy to the Z Fold 7, that engineering changed into one thing actually transformative. In comparison to its predecessor, Samsung’s large foldable for 2025 is 10 p.c lighter at simply 215 grams. The larger drop is available in thickness with Galaxy Z Fold 7 measuring a whopping 26 p.c thinner (simply 8.9mm when folded). This represents the most important generation-over-generation lower for all of the Z Fold line, which is more or less surprising bearing in mind it is going down seven years in. The result’s a foldable this is principally the similar dimension and weight because the Galaxy S25 Extremely (it is if truth be told a little bit narrower), which is not any imply feat for a category of devices that has been plagued through additional heft since they first got here out.
Billy Steele for Engadget
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 has reached foldable telephone nirvana due to main discounts in its dimension and thickness. Regardless that at $2,000, it stays extraordinarily dear.
- Exquisitely skinny design
- Sleeker hinge
- Giant 200MP major digicam
- Better presentations
- Most sensible-tier efficiency
- Very dear
- No S Pen strengthen
- Mediocre charging speeds
What may well be simply as spectacular is that Samsung hasn’t in reality minimize corners to ship the Z Fold 7’s streamlined dimensions. You continue to get an IP48 score for mud and water resistance (which is able to take care of submersions of as much as 5 ft for half-hour) along side Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 in entrance and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 in again. Samsung additionally utterly re-engineered its Armor FlexHinge, which glides open and closed like a dream. Samsung even says that Z Fold 7’s ultra-thin glass is 50 p.c thicker than sooner than whilst additionally wearing a brand new titanium lattice that provides further strengthen and sturdiness to the telephone’s versatile show.
Within, Samsung has switched clear of the under-display sensor used on earlier fashions in choose of a extra conventional hole-punch digicam. It is a little bit of a disgrace because it provides a small blemish to that differently beautiful display screen. On the other hand, with the panel now measuring 8 inches throughout (up from 7.6 at the Z Fold 6), there is extra of it to revel in even after you account for the small cutout. Plus, the transfer to a higher-res 10-megapixel sensor for this digicam ends up in much better symbol high quality than any of Samsung’s under-display modules.
The only small design quirk is that once in a while the telephone does not spread all of the approach, continuously preventing simply quick at 179 levels — similar to the unique Pixel Fold. That stated, you’ll be able to all the time make it pass totally flat with slightly of additional force, even though more often than not I do not even trouble as a result of that is the type of factor that you do not in reality realize except you are particularly searching for it.
Presentations: Now even larger, each inside and outside
As for brightness and symbol high quality, Samsung’s panels are nonetheless unequalled. Along with a bigger major show, the Z Fold 7’s external Duvet Display screen is relatively larger at 6.5 inches. Extra importantly, it is noticeably wider too whilst wearing even thinner bezels, which makes the entire telephone really feel extra usable. The sensation of conserving a thin baton I were given on earlier fashions is totally long gone. Each monitors additionally strengthen a 120Hz refresh charge and will hit a top brightness of two,600 nits. And when in comparison to opponents just like the Pixel 9 Professional Fold, the Fold 7’s presentations simply pop a slightly extra due to relatively richer colours and saturation.
After introducing S Pen integration at the Z Fold 3, Samsung has got rid of stylus strengthen for this fashion — a large downgrade that can anger longtime Z Fold fanatics. The corporate claims it made this determination after seeing “very low” S Pen utilization on earlier generations, which frankly is not all that unexpected. However, as one of the vital spotlight options that separated Samsung’s large foldables from nearly all of its opponents, it is nonetheless unhappy to peer it pass.
Efficiency and instrument: The quickest large foldable telephone
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 without a doubt packs top-tier efficiency. It is powered through a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip along side 12GB or 16GB of RAM and as much as 1TB of garage. The whole lot feels rapid and snappy whilst OneUI 8 and Android 16 carry app optimizations that assist profit from the telephone’s large show.
The largest eye-opener for me used to be after I when compared how lengthy it took the Z Fold 7 to release my present favourite cellular sport, Sword of Convallaria, in opposition to the Pixel 9 Professional Fold. Even with the higher efficiency of Google’s fresh Tensor chips, Samsung’s foldable loaded the sport in 13 seconds in comparison to 18 seconds for the Pixel. That may no longer sound like a ton, however it’s round 25 p.c sooner and when it is one thing you do a couple of occasions an afternoon, shaving off even a couple of seconds provides up rapid..
Cameras: A significant answer bump
Whilst the Z Fold 7’s ultrawide and 3x telephoto cameras are in large part unchanged, the telephone options a large photograph improve due to a brand new 200MP sensor for its major digicam. That is necessarily the similar element Samsung used within the S25 Extremely and S25 Edge, and it delivers a much-needed bump in symbol high quality.
In vibrant gentle, the Z Fold 7 simply helps to keep tempo with the Pixel 9 Professional Fold. In positive scenarios like when snapping pics of meals, some might choose its photographs due to Samsung’s hotter colour profile. The telephone nonetheless has a tendency to oversharpen issues, however colours are colourful. For many who need to maximize answer, you’ll be able to make a choice the telephone’s complete 200MP mode (pictures are captured at 12MP through default). At evening, the Fold 7’s photographs remained strangely sharp. I nonetheless choose the Pixel 9 Professional Fold because of its extra correct white stability and continuously sharper center of attention, even though Samsung’s telephone is not a long way in the back of.
Doubtlessly the most important shortcoming at the Fold 7 is that its 3x optical zoom can not slightly fit the 5x telephoto cam at the Pixel 9 Professional Fold. However for fanatics of staff photographs, Samsung added a brand new selfie digicam with a much wider 100-degree box of view.
Battery existence and charging: Cast longevity, however nonetheless simplest Qi 2 in a position
Whilst the Z Fold 7’s 4,400mAh battery is identical dimension as its predecessor, you are going to get relatively higher longevity because of progressed energy potency from its processor. In our native video rundown take a look at, the Z Fold 7 lasted 20 hours and 50 mins when the use of its major 8-inch show and 26 hours and 22 mins with its external display screen. Relying on which show you employ, that is between 45 mins and an hour longer than what we were given from the former fashion, which is good to peer bearing in mind battery existence used to be already beautiful cast.
Unfortunately, Samsung hasn’t modified a lot in the case of recharging. The Z Fold 7 helps stressed out charging at as much as 25 watts — which is fairly reasonable for a contemporary flagship — along 15 watt wi-fi charging. And prefer the remainder of the 2025 top class Galaxy line, this telephone is simply Qi 2 in a position, because of this there is no integrated attachment machine for magnetic equipment like charging pucks, card holders and battery packs. So if you wish to use peripherals like the ones, you’ll be able to wish to get a case with complete strengthen for Qi 2.
Wrap-up
I have all the time stated that Samsung is at its best possible when it specializes in {hardware} design, and the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is also one of the vital best possible examples of that. With its newest flagship foldable, Samsung has got rid of one of the vital final obstacles fighting other people from testing the brand new breed of telephones: over the top dimension and weight.
Through widening its duvet show, the Z Fold 7 appears to be like and acts similar to an ordinary smartphone, which is superb for checking messages, having a look up instructions or snapping a photograph. When you wish to have to get in reality immersed in a display, film or sport, you’ll be able to open up that stunning versatile show, which is now even higher in your viewing excitement. The telephone’s higher-res major digicam additionally brings upgraded symbol high quality whilst its Snapdragon 8 Elite chip offers it a efficiency edge over opponents just like the Pixel 9 Professional Fold.
I do not love how Samsung is backtracking on options through putting off S Pen strengthen and reverting to an old-school digicam cutout as a substitute of an under-display sensor for its major show. However no less than on the subject of the latter, that vary comes with a lot progressed symbol high quality, which is a huge improve for video calls.
With the Galaxy Z Fold 7, you in reality do get the most efficient of each worlds. Its new design is solely as swish as related conventional flagships whilst hiding a bigger show that makes the desire for small pills out of date. Sadly, with a beginning worth of $2,000, Samsung hasn’t addressed the final roadblock preventing other people from testing a tool that may utterly trade the way in which they use their telephone.
