Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Review: The Best Foldable Phone Yet – But at a High Price

After years of incremental improvements, Samsung seems to have unleashed the Galaxy Z Fold 7 into a whole new dimension of foldable phone evolution. This isn’t just another iterative update; it’s a stunning transformation. The Z Fold 7 boasts a sleeker, more durable, and undeniably more powerful design than ever before. The magic? It now feels like a “normal” smartphone in your hand, shedding the bulk that plagued previous generations. But at a moment’s notice, it can unfold to reveal a gorgeous 8-inch display, turning into a true mobile entertainment powerhouse. At $2,000, the price remains a significant barrier. However, for those who can stomach the cost, Samsung may have finally reached foldable phone nirvana with the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

Design: A Masterclass in Foldable Engineering

Samsung’s updated design language, first showcased on the Galaxy S25 Edge, felt like a creative reimagining of the S25+. But applying the same treatment to the Z Fold 7 unlocks its transformative potential. Samsung’s 2025 foldable flagship is 10% lighter than its predecessor, weighing in at a mere 215 grams. Even more impressive is the 26% reduction in thickness, measuring just 8.9mm when folded. This represents the most significant generation-over-generation slimming down for the entire Z Fold series – a feat considering this is its seventh iteration. The result is a foldable that boasts similar dimensions and weight to the Galaxy S25 Ultra (slightly narrower, in fact!), resolving the long-standing issue of extra heft that has plagued foldable phones since their inception.

What’s Impressive Design Features?

The Z Fold 7’s streamlined design doesn’t come at the expense of durability or features. It maintains an IP48 rating for dust and water resistance (capable of withstanding submersion up to 5 feet for 30 minutes), and features Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 on the front and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the back. Samsung has also completely re-engineered its Armor FlexHinge, resulting in a hinge mechanism that glides open and closed with unparalleled smoothness. The company has even reinforced the Z Fold 7’s ultra-thin glass, increasing its thickness by 50% and incorporating a new titanium lattice for added support and resilience to the flexible display.

Inside, Samsung has opted for a traditional hole-punch camera, moving away from the under-display sensor of previous models. While this adds a small visual blemish to the otherwise seamless display, the panel now spans an expansive 8 inches (up from 7.6 inches on the Z Fold 6), providing more screen real estate even after accounting for the camera cutout. The upgrade to a higher-resolution 10-megapixel sensor for the front-facing camera also results in significantly improved image quality compared to Samsung’s previous under-display modules.

The Z Fold 7’s cover screen is slightly larger than the previous model’s at 6.5 inches.

One minor design quirk is that the phone sometimes hesitates to unfold fully, stopping just short at 179 degrees, similar to the original Pixel Fold. While it can be forced fully flat with a bit of extra pressure, it’s often unnoticeable in everyday use.

Displays: Bigger and Brighter Than Ever

Samsung’s display technology remains unrivaled when it comes to brightness and image quality. In addition to the larger main display, the Z Fold 7’s Cover Screen is now 6.5 inches and noticeably wider, with even thinner bezels. This makes the entire phone feel far more usable, eliminating the feeling of holding a narrow baton that plagued previous generations. Both screens support a 120Hz refresh rate and can reach a peak brightness of 2,600 nits. Compared to competitors like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, the Fold 7’s displays offer slightly richer colors and saturation, resulting in a more visually striking experience.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7’s main display is even larger now at eight inches across, though its hole-punch interior camera is more of an eyesore compared to the under-display sensors used in previous models.

Despite introducing S Pen integration on the Z Fold 3, Samsung has removed stylus support for the Z Fold 7. This could be a major disappointment for longtime fans. The company claims it made this decision based on “very low” S Pen usage in previous generations, which, while understandable, removes a unique feature that distinguished Samsung’s foldables from the competition.

Performance and Software: The Undisputed Speed Champion

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 delivers unquestionable top-tier performance, powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip, accompanied by 12GB or 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. The result is a fast and fluid experience across the board. Paired with OneUI 8 and Android 16, the software is optimized to take full advantage of the phone’s expansive display.

When closed, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 measures just 8.9mm thick, a decreased of 26 percent compared to its predecessor.

In a head-to-head comparison against the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, the Z Fold 7 demonstrated a significant performance advantage in game loading times. Loading Sword of Convallaria, a popular mobile game, took just 13 seconds on the Z Fold 7 compared to 18 seconds on the Pixel. That might not seem like much, but this performance difference is a 25% increase and when playing multiple times, shaving off even a few seconds, adds up quickly.

Cameras: A Megapixel Powerhouse

While the Z Fold 7’s ultrawide and 3x telephoto cameras remain largely unchanged, the phone receives a substantial photography upgrade, thanks to a new 200MP sensor for its main camera. This is essentially the same component used in the Galaxy S25 Ultra and S25 Edge, delivering a much-needed boost in image quality.

The biggest upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7’s photography is a new 200MP sensor for its primary camera.

In bright lighting conditions, the Z Fold 7 easily keeps pace with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Some users may even prefer its warmer color profile, particularly when capturing food photos. While the phone still exhibits a tendency to oversharpen images, colors remain vibrant and appealing. For those seeking maximum resolution, a full 200MP mode is available (images are captured at 12MP by default). At night, the Fold 7’s shots remain surprisingly sharp. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold still has an edge, due to its more accurate white balance and often sharper focus, though Samsung’s foldable is close behind.

In this photo, the Z Fold 7’s photo features a warmer color tone along with better textures on the food and cutting board.

In bright light, both phones captured very vibrant and colorful images.

the Pixel 9 Pro Fold has an edge when taking long-range shots due to its 5x telephoto zoom.

Another low light shot in which the Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s pic features better white balance.

Both photos are close, but the Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s shot features much more accurate white balance.

In a very dark room, the Z Fold 7 struggled with focus, resulting in a blurrier photo.

The Z Fold 7’s shot has richer colors, but it can’t compete with the longer zoom of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.

Potentially the biggest camera drawback is the Z Fold 7’s 3x optical zoom which doesn’t quite match the 5x telephoto lens of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. However, for fans of group selfies, Samsung has added a new front-facing camera with a wider 100-degree field of view.

Battery Life and Charging: Long-Lasting, But Behind the Curve

While the Z Fold 7’s 4,400mAh battery is unchanged from its predecessor, improvements in processor power efficiency result in slightly longer battery life. In our local video rundown test, the Z Fold 7 lasted 20 hours and 50 minutes when using the main 8-inch display and 26 hours and 22 minutes with the exterior screen. Depending on which display you prefer, that’s between 45 minutes and an hour longer than the previous model.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7’s battery has the same 4,400mAh capacity as the previous model, though overall longevity has increased slightly thanks to a more power efficient processor.

Unfortunately, Samsung hasn’t made any significant strides in charging speeds. The Z Fold 7 supports wired charging at up to 25 watts – which is rather underwhelming for a modern flagship – alongside 15-watt wireless charging. Like the rest of the 2025 premium Galaxy line, this phone is merely Qi 2 ready, which means there’s no built-in attachment system for magnetic accessories. For magnetic accessories, you will need a Qi 2 compatible case.

Wrap-Up: A Foldable That Finally Delivers

Samsung truly excels when it prioritizes hardware design, and the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a prime example. It’s addressed one of the main concerns preventing wider adoption of foldable phones: excessive size and weight.

The widened cover display allows the Z Fold 7 to function seamlessly as a regular smartphone for everyday tasks like checking messages, navigating directions, or taking quick photos. When it’s time for immersive entertainment, the expansive flexible display unfolds to provide a tablet-like viewing experience. The higher-resolution main camera delivers improved image quality, and the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip provides a performance edge over rivals.

As before, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 still offers an IP48 rating for dust and water resistance.

However, Samsung’s decision to remove S Pen support and revert to a hole-punch camera cutout feels like a step backward. The improved image quality of the hole-punch camera, especially for video calls, offsets the loss of the under-display sensor somewhat.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 offers the best of both worlds: a sleek and pocketable design comparable to traditional flagships, concealing a larger display that potentially eliminates the need for a separate tablet. However, the $2,000 starting price remains a major obstacle, preventing more consumers from experiencing a device that could fundamentally change how they use their phones.