The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold line has been treading water for a couple generations. However that’s converting in a large manner at these days’s Unpacked match with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 boasting a dramatically thinner design, new cameras and a fair higher versatile reveal.
For 2025, Samsung has considerably reduced its newest flagship foldable’s weight and thickness. In comparison to the former fashion, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is 26 % thinner, measuring simply 8.9mm when folded (or 4.2mm opened up) as opposed to 12.1mm for the Z Fold 6. In the meantime, the Fold 7’s heft has dropped to only 215 grams, which is down 24 grams from its predecessor.
Now I’ve mentioned prior to that the single-minded quest to make thinner telephones is somewhat unnecessary, however that’s most commonly with regards to usual candybar-style glass bricks. That’s as a result of for higher units, like the ones within the Z Fold line, extra streamlined dimensions could make a large distinction. And with the Z Fold 7, Samsung has created a tool that’s necessarily the similar weight and thickness because the Galaxy S25 Extremely (8.2mm and 218 grams), which can also be opened at second’s realize to show a large versatile reveal.
Talking of the Z Fold 7’s primary reveal, in spite of its newly streamlined design, Samsung controlled to extend its dimension from 7.6 inches to eight inches flat — which means that you get 5 % extra space for films, video games and multitasking. Granted, that may now not sound like a ton, but if the primary function of a system is to offer a large reveal that also suits to your pocket, that’s an overly welcome improve. And whilst its IP48 ranking for mud and water resistance is equal to prior to, Samsung claims it remodeled the telephone’s inner design to offer extra powerful coverage towards liquids.
In other places, the Z Fold 7 includes a redesigned Armor FlexHinge that’s noticeably sleeker than prior to with Samsung pronouncing it additionally disperses rigidity from opening and shutting the telephone extra frivolously. Moreover, the hinge has further room within to cut back the semblance of a crease, although it’s nonetheless there for those who glance intently or from acute angles. Sturdiness has additionally been progressed because the Z Fold 7 comes with Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 (which we first noticed at the S25 Edge) in entrance and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 round again.
The Z Fold 7 now has a number one 200-megapixel sensor very similar to the only used within the S25 Extremely and S25 Edge. Samsung says this will have to lend a hand ship “easiest in school symbol high quality,” although as a result of its 12MP ultra-wide cam is in large part unchanged and its 10MP telephoto cam remains to be restricted to a 3x optical zoom (as an alternative of the 5x like within the Pixel 9 Professional Fold), I’m going to attend till I will correctly take a look at issues out prior to making a last judgment.
That mentioned, most likely the most important alternate to the Z Fold 7’s picture toolkit is that Samsung has gotten rid of the under-display digital camera it’s been the use of for the reason that Z Fold 3 in choose of a extra conventional 10MP holepunch module. This represents a small retreat from what used to be as soon as noticed as a extra refined answer. However for somebody who often makes use of the internal digital camera for video calls and conferences, the enhanced symbol high quality is sort of indubitably definitely worth the small cutout within the telephone’s versatile reveal.
Inside of, the Z Fold 7 includes a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip, both 12GB or 16GB of RAM and as much as 1TB of garage. Some is also fairly disillusioned to look that the telephone’s battery capability is staying the similar at 4,400 mAh, although Samsung claims the greater energy potency of the brand new processor ends up in higher longevity total.
For longtime Fold lovers, essentially the most troubling downgrade is also that the 7 now not helps Samsung’s S Pen. The corporate says it made this variation as a result of information confirmed that the collection of house owners who used stylus integration used to be “very low” and that via eliminating the devoted digitizer layer from the Z Fold’s display, it used to be imaginable to make the telephone even thinner. This can be a dealbreaker for some, but it surely should not in point of fact come as a marvel. Present S Pen options have stagnated over a number of generations and after Samsung got rid of the devoted S Pen garage slot from the Galaxy S Extremely line, I believe just like the writing at the wall for the death of S Pen enhance.
However even with the lack of stylus integration, from what I’ve noticed thus far, the Z Fold 7 is a big improve over the 3 earlier fashions. Samsung has in the end made a giant flagship foldable that gained’t weigh you down in comparison to an identical glass brick just like the S25 Extremely. Its new primary digital camera sensor gives an enormous soar in answer whilst refinements like a sooner chip and its streamlined design give a contribution to a a lot more well-rounded bundle. The only factor is that beginning at $2,000, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 stays prohibitively pricey.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is to be had for pre-order these days, with professional gross sales slated to start out on July 25. It’ll be to be had in 3 primary colours: blue, silver and black, along side mint, which can be a web-based unique at Samsung.com.
