Galaxy Z Fold 7 assessment: Approaching greatness

Once I first held the Galaxy Z Fold 7 at Samsung Unpacked, I used to be immediately captivated. I’ve all the time discovered foldable phones fascinating, however I’ve by no means been genuinely impressed sufficient by one to make it my each day driver. After three weeks of utilizing the Fold 7, Samsung’s latest book-style foldable, I’ve by no means been extra bought on switching to a foldable telephone completely.

In comparison with the Fold 6, which was an incremental improve from the Fold 5, the Fold 7 represents essentially the most important leap ahead Samsung has made but with its Fold sequence. It is thinner, lighter, and extra highly effective than any earlier Z Fold mannequin.

However total, what makes the Fold 7 so compelling — and why I am struggling to place it down — is that it genuinely feels such as you’re utilizing a regular phone once you maintain it, one thing I’ve not skilled with another foldable telephone earlier than. For those who’ve all the time wished to attempt a foldable telephone, the Fold 7 is as compelling because it will get.

Galaxy Z Fold 7 worth, specs, and availability

The principle distinction between the Fold 7 and the Fold 6 is their dimension. The Fold 7 measures 2.87 x 6.24 x 0.35-inches (158.4 x 72.8 x 8.9mm) when folded, and 5.63 x 6.24 x 0.17-inches (158.4 x 143.2 x 4.2mm) when unfolded, weighing 7.58oz (215g). Compared, final yr’s Fold 6 is bulkier, measuring 5.6mm when unfolded (versus the Fold 7’s 4.2mm) and 12.1mm when folded (versus 8.9mm), and it weighs 8.43oz (239g). So the distinction in dimension between the Fold 7 and Fold 6 could be very noticeable. Once I held each gadgets at Unpacked, the distinction was night time and day.

Shifting on to the shows, the Fold 7 options bigger screens this yr. Its Cowl Show is a 6.5-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X with a decision of 2520 x 1080 pixels, up from the Fold 6’s 6.3-inch Cowl Show. The principle internal show measures 8-inches and has a Dynamic AMOLED 2X display screen with a decision of 2184 x 1968 pixels, up from the Fold 6’s 7.6-inch principal show. Each the Cowl Show and principal show have adaptive refresh charges of 1-120Hz.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, the identical chipset present in your entire Galaxy S25 lineup. The telephone is available in three storage variants: 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. The 256GB and 512GB fashions include 12GB of RAM, whereas the 1TB variant is supplied with 16GB of RAM.

Trying in the back of the Fold 7, the digital camera array is analogous however nonetheless improved from the Fold 6. It incorporates a 12-megapixel f/2.2 ultra-wide lens, a 200-megapixel f/1.8 extensive lens, and a 10-megapixel f/2.4 telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom. The important thing improve is the 200-megapixel extensive lens, a notable improve from the Fold 6’s 50-megapixel extensive lens. The Cowl Show incorporates a 10-megapixel selfie digital camera, and the primary show additionally has a 10-megapixel selfie digital camera.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is on the market now and begins at $2,000 for the 256GB mannequin. It is a $100 improve from the Fold 6, which launched at $1,900 for a similar quantity of storage. The 512GB Fold 7 prices $2,120, whereas the 1TB model is priced at $2,270. The telephone is on the market in three colorways: jet black, blue shadow, and silver shadow. A fourth coloration, mint, is on the market completely on Samsung’s net retailer.

Galaxy Z Fold 7 construct and design

It is skinny, however robust

The Fold 7 will get many issues proper, and I can not underscore sufficient simply how wonderful its skinny design is. It feels nice to carry in your hand, slip into your pocket, and unfold to disclose its massive display screen. Weeks into utilizing the telephone, I am nonetheless mesmerized by its dimension daily. When unfolded, it measures 4.2mm thick, which is about as skinny as it might get, because the thickness is the same as that of the USB-C port itself.

Regardless of its slim design, I discovered the Fold 7 to be fairly sturdy and light-weight, and I by no means as soon as felt that the gadget was flimsy or susceptible to bending throughout use. Since bendgate with the iPhone 6, there was a notion that skinny telephones aren’t robust, however Samsung has now dismissed that concept with each the Galaxy S25 Edge and the Fold 7.

Trying on the total design of the Fold 7, it bears a resemblance to the Fold 6, with its boxier look. That is evident when it is facet by facet with the Galaxy S25+. The corners of the telephone are rounded the place you open it to unfold, however in direction of the hinge, they’re virtually at a 90-degree angle. I had no points holding the telephone for an prolonged interval, both folded or unfolded, and located it fairly snug. On the load scale, it weighs 215g, barely lighter than Samsung’s S25 Extremely flagship at 218 grams — a exceptional feat.

Samsung states that the telephone is “wrapped in superior armored aluminum,” which is 10 % stronger than the Fold 6. Moreover, it options Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 on the Cowl Show and Victus 2 on the rear, which has made me much less anxious about by accident dropping it.

Opening and shutting the telephone stays simply as clean on the Fold 7 because it was on the Fold 6. Samsung has enhanced its hinge, referred to as the Armor FlexHinge, making it thinner and extra sturdy to deal with repeated opening and shutting. I by no means bought bored with unfolding the Fold 7, and any time I confirmed it off to somebody, they have been mystified by it. Turning to the telephone’s colours, I had an opportunity to see all of them at Unpacked, and whereas all of them seemed nice, the blue shadow colorway I used to be fortunate sufficient to check stole the present for me. I believe it is my favourite shade of blue I’ve ever seen on a smartphone.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 could also be slim, nevertheless it’s sturdy and has a really premium appear and feel, which you’d count on from a $2,000 smartphone. My greatest gripe concerning the design is that once you place it on a desk, it basically turns into a teeter-totter because of the telephone’s protruding digital camera bump.

Galaxy Z Fold 7 shows

The Cowl Show is extra usable this yr

Trying on the shows, Samsung has made them wider this yr, and I discovered myself utilizing the Cowl Show extra usually than I anticipated. Its 6.5-inch entrance display screen resembles a typical smartphone show, and whereas it is probably not as extensive because the 6.7-inch show on my Galaxy S25+, it is nonetheless fairly spectacular and helps promote the phantasm that you just’re not utilizing a foldable gadget when it is folded. For reference, the Fold 6 incorporates a 6.3-inch cowl display screen, so the Fold 7 represents a noticeable improve in dimension.

The 8-inch principal show is the place the Fold 7 actually excels, and I loved having the ability to unfold the gadget at any time when I wished a tablet-like display screen. I primarily use it for watching movies, enjoying video games, and doomscrolling social media. I discovered multitasking on the foldable display screen to be comparatively clean, and Samsung’s Multi Window function is simple to study for displaying a number of apps concurrently.

The crease line on the Fold 7 is much less noticeable than on the Fold 6, and I solely seen it from odd angles and beneath brilliant lighting circumstances, not when wanting straight at it. For essentially the most half, whereas utilizing the telephone, I forgot the crease was even there. You’ll be able to nonetheless really feel it once you contact the middle of the display screen, however I did not discover it distracting.

The most important flaw of the Fold 7’s show is that it now not helps the S Pen. So in case you’re used to utilizing Samsung’s stylus on different Galaxy gadgets and hoped to do the identical with the Fold 7, you will not have the ability to. At Unpacked, Samsung defined that to make the telephone as skinny as it’s, they needed to take away the “digitizer layer” that makes it suitable with the S Pen. Admittedly, I do not use Samsung’s S Pen. Nonetheless, I perceive the frustration of some customers who’ve used it on earlier generations of Samsung’s foldable gadgets and might now not achieve this.

Galaxy Z Fold 7 cameras

The 200-megapixel extensive lens is the star of the present

The Fold 7 retains the identical rear triple digital camera setup because the Fold 6, however with one key improve. The first extensive digital camera now incorporates a 200-megapixel lens, similar to the one on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. I discovered myself utilizing the 200-megapixel shooter most frequently for extensive panorama pictures, and I used to be impressed by the quantity of element it captured. Final yr, the Fold 6’s extensive lens was 50-megapixels, so it is a important bounce, and what you’d count on from a $2,000 telephone.

The opposite two rear cameras are a 12-megapixel ultra-wide and a 10-megapixel telephoto, the identical as on the Fold 6, so there’s little change there. Moreover, Samsung has eliminated the black digital camera rings from the Fold 7, which have been current on the Fold 6. I like this alteration, and I believe it makes the cameras look cleaner.

Trying on the selfie cameras, the Cowl Show options the identical 10-megapixel lens as final yr. What’s completely different is the selfie digital camera on the internal show, which has been upgraded to a 10-megapixel lens with a digital camera cutout. That is an enchancment over the Fold 6’s lackluster 4-megapixel under-display digital camera it has on its principal show.

General, I am happy with the photographs I took on the Fold 7. I went round my backyard and the seaside and took some pictures, and all of them seemed very vibrant. I like the colours in my photographs to pop, so the Z Fold 7 did not disappoint me. My solely grievance is that it might’ve been good if Samsung upgraded the ultra-wide lens to a 50-megapixel, just like the S25 Extremely has, quite than the 12-megapixel one we bought.

Galaxy Z Fold 7 efficiency

The Snapdragon 8 Elite proves its price once more

I used to be impressed by the Fold 7’s efficiency, which wasn’t a shock on condition that it makes use of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. I by no means skilled any lag whereas utilizing the gadget, whether or not gaming or multitasking, and I used to be by no means anxious about pushing it too laborious. General, the expertise has been very clean. If numbers are your factor, after I examined the Fold 7’s CPU with Geekbench 6, it scored 2,650 for single-core and eight,633 for multi-core efficiency.

Trying on the battery, the Fold 7 options the identical 4,400mAh battery because the Fold 6. I am glad Samsung did not decrease the battery capability because of the slimmer design. Nonetheless, it might’ve been good to see a much bigger cell. In comparison with different foldables available on the market, corresponding to these from Oppo and Huawei, Samsung nonetheless has some catching as much as do. I bought all-day battery life out of it simply positive, however its charging pace is noticeably slower than that of different smartphones, with solely 25W wired charging and 15W wi-fi charging. To place it into perspective, the S25 Extremely helps as much as 45W of wired charging, however has the identical 15W of wi-fi charging.

Galaxy Z Fold 7 software program

One UI 8 is a clean expertise with a number of AI

Out of the field, the Fold 7 ships with One UI 8 primarily based on Android 16. In comparison with One UI 7, which was Samsung’s main consumer interface replace for the Galaxy S25 sequence, there aren’t many important modifications right here. That stated, one of many small new options added with One UI 8 is dynamic wallpapers, the place the colour of your wallpaper modifications over time, which I assumed was fairly neat. On the Android 16 facet of issues, one of many new options is the 90:10 split-screen perform for multitasking, which is kind of useful, particularly with the Fold 7’s massive 8-inch principal show.

After all, it is 2025, so the Fold 7 options a number of AI capabilities as Samsung continues its AI push with Galaxy AI and Google Gemini. All of the Galaxy AI options you’d count on are right here, corresponding to Now Temporary, Interpret, Drawing Help, AI choose, and extra. My favourite Galaxy AI function is the Magic Eraser, which lets you edit out small particulars in photographs.

Google Gemini has a good bigger presence on the Fold 7, due to Gemini Live. You’ll be able to long-press the house button to share your display screen with Gemini and ask it questions on what you are seeing, and you may swap between completely different apps whereas doing so. I examined this whereas researching a future journey to Scotland, and it was truthfully fairly informative, serving to to summarize very detailed net pages and reply questions on native locations to go to. I am not the most important consumer of AI, however I can recognize its implementation right here, and it is unbelievable how far forward Samsung and Google are of Apple.

Do you have to purchase the Galaxy Z Fold 7?

My principal critique of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is its worth. The telephone begins at $2,000 for the 256GB mannequin, making it one of the vital costly telephones presently accessible within the US. Once I informed my good friend this, he summed it up completely by evaluating the fee to purchasing an iPhone 16 Professional and an iPad, and I could not argue with that logic.

Nonetheless, if you need a foldable telephone proper now, the Fold 7 is your best option due to its improved versatility, so long as you are snug with its $2,000 price ticket. For my part, it is the primary foldable that really is sensible as a substitute in your common smartphone, and I believe that is clear from the response it has acquired since its unveiling. That stated, in case you personal a Fold 4 or Fold 5 and are contemplating an improve, the Fold 7 is a strong possibility. However if in case you have a Fold 6, it is higher to attend.

General, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a strong, slim, light-weight, and sturdy gadget. If you’d like a foldable telephone and do not need to wait any longer for Apple to launch its personal foldable iPhone, you will not be disenchanted with the Fold 7. It isn’t flawless, nevertheless it’s as refined as foldables have ever been.

This gadget was supplied to Pocket-lint by Samsung.

Model

Samsung

SoC

Snapdragon 8 Elite

Show

6.5-inch 120Hz 2520 x 1080 Dynamic AMOLED 2X Cowl Show, 8-inch 120Hz 2184 x 1968 Dynamic OLED 2X Primary Show

RAM

12GB