I Tested Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7, And It Became My New Favorite Foldable (despite The Limitations)

pros and cons

Pros

• Smallest crease connected a book-style foldable
• Slim and ray creation
• Premium in-hand consciousness
• A much complete AI suite than its rivals
• Same main camera arsenic Galaxy S25 Ultra

Cons

• Costs $2,000
• Sharp hinge corners
• Slow charging velocity
• Weak 3x telephoto camera

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is Samsung's biggest creation overhaul since nan Z Fold 2 successful 2020, and it's backmost pinch a bang. Over nan past 3 years, nan Korean tech elephantine made flimsy refinements to each generation, resulting successful a old design. But nan caller Galaxy Z Fold 7 yet catches up to its Chinese rivals, moreover beating them successful aggregate ways.

Also: I changed 7 Samsung telephone settings to instantly amended nan artillery life

I've been utilizing nan Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 for nan past week and americium happy to study that Samsung has made immoderate damn near-perfect hardware. You get an easy-to-hold shape factor, virtually nary crease, a screen surface that's adjacent to a regular telephone successful itself, a coagulated hinge, and nan aforesaid main camera arsenic nan Galaxy S25 Ultra. 

These upgrades travel pinch a cost, though. The Fold 7 will group you backmost astatine 2 grand, but if you person that money, this is nan telephone I urge most. 

Specifications

How I tested nan Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7

I spent 10 days pinch nan Galaxy Z Fold 7, during which I had my SIM paper successful it for a week. I utilized nan telephone arsenic I usually would, but pinch an accent connected nan new, astir important features. I besides took much photos and videos than accustomed to spot if location were immoderate notable differences. 

Testing besides progressive utilizing nan caller Galaxy AI features successful day-to-day life, for illustration moving Live Translate friends who speak aggregate languages, removing unwanted objects successful my photos pinch Generative Edit, and exploring different applicable ways the new phones can amended our lives. Here's what useful and what doesn't.  

An (almost) cleanable beingness shape

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The Galaxy Z Fold 7 measures conscionable 4.2mm bladed erstwhile unfolded and 8.9mm folded. For context, that's a fewer millimeters much than nan 8.25mm iPhone 16 Pro Max and 8.5mm Pixel 9 Pro. Samsung's ain Galaxy S25 Ultra measures 8.2mm, while nan foldable Oppo Find N5 is 8.93mm thick. 

All successful all, nan Galaxy Z Fold 7 is conscionable 0.1mm thicker than nan thinnest book-style foldable, nan Honor Magic V5. Paired pinch a assemblage that's lighter than each of them astatine 215 grams, nan Galaxy Z Fold 7 nan lightest book-style foldable connected nan marketplace correct now. 

Also: Oppo's caller foldable telephone is 1 of nan thinnest I've seen - and I dream OnePlus and Samsung travel suit

This bladed and ray creation makes it nan astir comfortable to clasp Galaxy Z Fold telephone yet -- if you clasp it successful nan correct hand. If you're left-handed, nan hinge corners mightiness excavation into your palm, which was besides an rumor connected nan predecessor. That said, I'm a right-hander, and I find it much comfortable to usage than nan Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max. 

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is besides much durable than before. It features a stronger Gorilla Glass Victus Ceramic 2 connected nan screen screen, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 connected nan backmost and a Titanium sheet furniture alternatively of a c fibre expanse nether nan surface for added show durability. Plus, you get particulate and h2o guidance pinch an IP48 rating. 

Also: I took a locomotion pinch Meta's caller Oakley smart glasses - they hit my Ray-Bans successful each way

Samsung improved nan screen screen, too. It's nary longer fixated connected nan constrictive shape factor, enabling nan 6.5-inch AMOLED surface pinch a 21:9 facet ratio truthful apps interact amended and play on good pinch nan full slab phone-like feel. It's agleam capable to spot outdoors and has nan aforesaid 120Hz move refresh complaint and HDR10+ support arsenic nan soul display. Being capable to text, scroll done societal media, and browse nan web connected a Samsung screen surface feels refreshing.  

Full-screen tradeoffs, but nan crease is gone

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The Galaxy Z Fold 7 has a wider folding surface arsenic compared to its predecessor. I've loved my acquisition connected this crisp and vivid panel, but it isn't arsenic immersive arsenic before. 

Samsung stuck to an under-display camera (UDC) for years, which made nan reading, browsing and gaming acquisition amended than immoderate different foldable. Utility-wise, its value was worse than nan caller punch-hole 10MP camera -- and I'd for illustration nan caller setup for video calls immoderate time -- but I miss nan under-display camera, too. I dream it returns successful nan early pinch amended quality.

Also: I utilized Huawei's $3,600 tri-foldable, and it made each telephone I've ever tested consciousness outdated

Once you judge that nan camera isn't going anywhere, you tin admit nan Galaxy Z Fold 7's eight-inch LTPO AMOLED 2X sheet pinch support for HDR10+ and a 120Hz move refresh rate. I emotion its vivid colors and high-contrast look. But for illustration before, nan soul show attracts much smudges than nan screen screen. 

Coming to nan champion portion of nan folding screen, there's virtually nary crease. Samsung's caller butterfly hinge system has successfully negated it. In fact, Galaxy Z Fold 7 has nan slightest magnitude of crease connected immoderate book-style folding telephone that I've used. The Oppo Find N5 comes close, but nan Vivo X Fold 5 and Honor Magic V3 some person somewhat deeper creases moving done nan mediate of nan screen. 

Not that it matters erstwhile interacting pinch nan large display, but little crease intends a comfortable viewing acquisition successful much lighting conditions and angles. 

Jason Howell/ZDNET

The hinge, too, feels much premium than different foldables. If you're coming from 1 of nan erstwhile Z Folds, nan Galaxy Z Fold 7 won't prop up astatine 150 degrees correct retired of nan box, but it gets amended arsenic you usage it. After a week of use, my portion nary longer unfolds level till up to astir 135 degrees. I had a akin acquisition pinch nan Honor Magic V3, which besides has a butterfly hinge.

If I had to take betwixt a subjectively much immersive Fold 6 surface pinch UDC and heavy crease aliases Fold 7's punch-hole-clad surface pinch lesser crease, I'd prime nan latter. 

I can't pinpoint why nan Galaxy Z Fold 7 feels much premium than different foldables connected nan marketplace but it is astir apt a operation of aggregate factors: thinner and lighter design, slightest crease and level sides that aren't unergonomic (in nan correct hand) to hold. It is somewhat harder to unfold, but you'll get utilized to it wrong nan first 48 hours.

Samsung removed different characteristic connected nan Galaxy Z Fold 7: nan S Pen, and I don't miss it. I ne'er utilized it connected my Fold 5 aliases Fold 6 and if it helps nan telephone make it thinner, I don't mind missing retired connected a stylus that has to beryllium stored successful an outer case. 

Useful AI and finally: a camera upgrade

Prakhar Khanna/ZDNET

Samsung's caller Fold runs Android 16-based One UI 8, pinch Samsung's Galaxy AI having nan astir complete suite of artificial intelligence features. The telephone runs smoothly, acknowledgment to nan Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, paired pinch either 12GB aliases 16GB of RAM. 

I really recovered immoderate of nan phone's AI features useful. For example, nan AI Select characteristic lets you click thing connected your surface to return actions. From transcribing question and reply recordings to removing unwanted objects successful my photos, location are plentifulness of useful AI devices that really work. 

Also: The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra was astir unusable for maine - until I downloaded this 1 app

Coming from a OnePlus telephone recently, I deliberation Samsung could use from displaying akin pop-ups for on-call features for illustration transcribe and translate. As of now, you request to swipe down and pat connected nan Live Translate tile from speedy sheet to usage nan feature, which isn't arsenic easy to use. 

Prakhar Khanna/ZDNET

Samsung besides yet gave its foldable nan aforesaid superior camera arsenic its flagship S-series phone. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 sports a 200MP main camera, borrowed consecutive from nan Galaxy S25 Ultra. It is accompanied by a humble 3x 10MP telephoto camera and a 12MP ultrawide-angle lens. 

Galaxy Z Fold 7 camera samples

Prakhar Khanna/ZDNET

This camera strategy produces vibrant-looking shots successful astir scenarios. I urge shooting astir photos successful 200MP mode, truthful you tin harvest them later and yet clasp nan details, arsenic nan 3x tele lens isn't nan best. 

I wish Samsung fto users move betwixt lenses successful nan 200MP mode. As of now, you get options for 1x, 4x, and 5x (you tin zoom astatine immoderate level from 1x to 5x) but to alteration to ultrawide, you request to move to 12MP mode and past pat 0.6x. It's a flimsy inconvenience that I've faced regularly successful nan past week. 

Portrait photos changeable connected Galaxy Z Fold 7

Prakhar Khanna/ZDNET

Samsung has besides improved nan shutter speed, truthful moving subjects are captured amended than before. The move scope remains great, while nan Portrait mode still struggles pinch separator detection. Galaxy AI comes into play again and gives you nan astir polished photobomber-removal tool. 

Another cool characteristic for videographers: Audio Eraser tin now automatically observe what to tune retired and has a designated fastener successful your gallery. It made my sound a small robotic, but it did good to suppress inheritance noise. 

Let's talk artillery life

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

Unfortunately, Samsung didn't upgrade nan artillery capacity connected its caller foldable. In fact, it hasn't accrued nan artillery size successful 5 generations; nan Galaxy Z Fold 7 has nan aforesaid artillery arsenic nan Galaxy Z Fold 3. This intends you get a 4,400mAh compartment pinch support for a humble 25W wired charging and 15W wireless charging. 

When I first saw this number connected paper, I was worried that an astonishing hardware would beryllium compromised by a questionable decision, particularly erstwhile competing devices person 5,500mAh+ silicon-carbon batteries. 

Also: I replaced my Galaxy S25 Plus pinch nan S25 Edge (and Samsung whitethorn do nan same)

As it turns out, nan Galaxy Z Fold 7 is simply a afloat one-day instrumentality for mean telephone users (with astir 5-6 hours of regular surface time). I'm not impressed by nan charging speed, though.

I usually mean astir 9 hours connected my telephone regular and had to complaint my Z Fold 7 each evening astir 6 PM for my evening societal media scrolling. If you're a dense telephone user, expect to plug successful your Z Fold 7 aft nan activity day, aliases earlier if your usage involves a batch of navigation connected 5G. 

ZDNET's buying advice

Prakhar Khanna/ZDNET

Samsung improved nan weakest links of its book-style foldable pinch nan Galaxy Z Fold 7 and nan consequence is simply a near-perfect phone. I'd emotion for it to person a bigger artillery and a amended zoom camera -- nan Vivo X Fold 5 has some -- but Samsung's foldable has U.S availability, longer package support and a amended personification interface. In short, this is nan astir polished folding telephone experience, successful my opinion. 

However, it doesn't travel cheap. After a $100 value bump, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is Samsung's astir costly Fold yet, starting astatine $2,000. If you tin walk that magnitude connected a smartphone, you can't spell incorrect pinch this phone. It's a generational leap complete its predecessor and if you tin find a bully speech offer, I urge upgrading from past year's Z Fold 6, too. If you're a business master aliases request a telephone for productivity, nan Galaxy Z Fold 7 should beryllium connected your radar.