Final week, I went with a good friend who’s seeking to lease an condominium, and we met three or 4 native property sellers. All of them had Samsung Galaxy Z Folds. I needed to ask what made them select the Fold over different smartphones. I noticed a publish on Reddit asking the identical query. Clearly, I wasn’t the one one interested in why Delhi property sellers are so fascinated with the Galaxy Z Fold.
Foldables might goal a distinct segment section, however I used to be a bit shocked at how the Galaxy Z Fold is more and more turning into fashionable amongst this sub-group, particularly in a market like India. Though I nonetheless can’t discover a precise reply as to why actual property brokers and property sellers favor the Galaxy Z Fold, my guess is it’s a mixture of wanting to indicate success when assembly purchasers and the enchantment of a bigger display screen, particularly since lots of them now run YouTube channels.
It’s an important perspective to have: understanding each the product and its potential market, particularly when you’ve gotten been utilizing the newest Galaxy Z Fold 7 since its launch in New York earlier this month. I’ve used the Galaxy Z Fold previously, however this time, the foldable feels very totally different. It nearly looks as if it’s been designed to imitate a conventional bar-style smartphone. Precisely what I’ve been badly needed from a foldable telephone.
Whereas the value would possibly initially appear costly, there’s clearly a marketplace for it. I believe it’s now honest to say that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 might be a severe risk to high-end, conventional bar-style smartphones: the form of telephones we have now all recognized and beloved. On the identical time, a tool like this has the potential to create its personal “fold-verse” which Samsung has been aiming to construct for a very long time.
Right here’s my evaluation of the brand new Galaxy Z Fold 7.
What: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7| Value: Rs 1,74,999 onwards
Seems and looks like a ‘regular’ telephone
Ever since foldables entered the market, I’ve had one main criticism. I’ve heard the identical from colleagues within the tech business: folding telephones have at all times regarded and felt an excessive amount of like experimental units, far faraway from conventional bar-style telephones just like the Galaxy S25 and the iPhone.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is an extremely high-end smartphone, and it’s not for everybody. (Picture credit score: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Specific)
With the Galaxy Z Fold 7, nevertheless, Samsung has lastly addressed these issues. The system is simply 8.9mm thick when closed and 4.2mm when open. It additionally seems remarkably much like a bar telephone. Meaning the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is roughly the identical dimension and weight because the Galaxy S25 Extremely, eliminating the additional bulk. For comparability, final 12 months’s Z Fold 6 was 12.1mm thick when closed and 5.6mm when open. The Google Pixel 9 Professional, one other main flagship available on the market, measures 10.5mm thick when folded, 5.1mm when unfolded, and weighs 257 grams.
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The Galaxy Z Fold 7 felt noticeably lighter in my hand (it weighs 215 grams; the truth is, it’s truly lighter than the iPhone 16 Professional Max, which weighs 227 grams), and I may really feel the distinction. Every single day, I am going for a morning stroll, and I’ve a behavior of holding my telephone in my hand. Over the previous week, whereas utilizing the Galaxy Z Fold 7, it genuinely felt like I used to be holding a daily telephone, not a foldable, which generally comes with added weight. It is a constructive signal and will assist change the notion many shoppers have about foldables being cumbersome.
Not solely is the Galaxy Z Fold 7 slim and light-weight, nevertheless it additionally has streamlined dimensions. I anticipated the distinction in really feel to be imperceptible nevertheless it was instantly noticeable. Anybody upgrading from a previous-generation Fold or experiencing a foldable for the primary time will discover it, too.
The IP48 ranking for mud and water resistance (which may deal with submersion as much as 5 ft for half-hour), together with Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 on the entrance and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the again, makes the Galaxy Z Fold 7 each sturdy and durable. The Z Fold 7 has all of the qualities of a high-end flagship telephone. Its metallic and glass building is completed with a effective matte texture, and the telephone feels rock-solid.
The 6.5-inch cowl display screen makes scrolling and WhatsApp (ing) feels extra pure. (Picture credit score: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Specific)
The hinge has improved, it’s thinner and lighter, and the aluminum design provides further sturdiness. I couldn’t bend the telephone, whether or not open or closed. Even when making use of power, the Z Fold 7 remained rock stable. The system opens and closes flawlessly, and there’s no hole when it’s totally folded. My blue-coloured Galaxy Z Fold 7 seems completely top-notch, as if it have been made for a C-level govt.
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Whereas I preferred the super-thin design and sleekness of the Galaxy Z Fold 7, unfolding the system is usually a little difficult. As a result of the thickness of the Z Fold 7 has been lowered additional, opening the telephone requires a bit of additional effort. Nevertheless, snapping the telephone shut is satisfying.
Twin display screen magic
The Galaxy Z Fold 7, like its predecessors, follows the identical type issue as earlier than: a foldable telephone that opens like a e book to turn out to be a pill of types. That hasn’t modified, although I might say the brand new Z Fold 7 is significantly better to make use of: each as a telephone and as a pill.
The interior 8-inch display screen is concept for watching movies and multitasking. (Picture credit score: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Specific)
The Z Fold 7’s cowl display screen spans 6.5 inches, barely bigger than earlier than, with narrower bezels, making it simpler to make use of one-handed and eliminating the cramped feeling. Total, it feels simply nearly as good and purposeful as a conventional smartphone. It’s additionally wider now and has thinner bezels, which improves usability even additional. I spent as a lot as 75 per cent of my time utilizing the exterior cowl display screen, primarily for WhatsApp chats, shopping, and scrolling by way of LinkedIn and Instagram. The 120Hz, 6.5-inch show is likely one of the greatest elements of the Z Fold 7. Whereas it could not look like an enormous improve on paper, it positively looks like a large leap over final 12 months’s Z Fold 6. I like to recommend attempting the system at your native Samsung retailer earlier than and see the distinction your self.
Unfolded into pill mode, the Z Fold 7 turns into a remarkably skinny and light-weight pill with slim show borders. At 8 inches, the pill show is expansive, and its 2,600-nit peak brightness makes it simple to view content material open air. There’s additionally new expertise that improves visibility whereas sporting polarised sun shades.
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The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is tremendous slim and skinny foldable smartphone. (Picture credit score: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Specific)
Whereas my iPhone 16 Professional can’t run two apps facet by facet, and the 13-inch iPad Air is simply too cumbersome to hold in all places, particularly on long-haul flights, the place holding it for hours turns into uncomfortable: the Z Fold 7 turns out to be useful. I may carry it in all places, even throughout my morning stroll, and watch a soothing meditation session with ease.
Throughout a latest Metro experience from Janakpuri to Saket, I used the Z Fold 7 to learn a protracted chapter of a e book I had began, whereas additionally keeping track of Google Maps to trace my location. And since the display screen is now considerably bigger (11 per cent larger than the Z Fold 6’s), it’s attainable to open and use three apps directly.
I’ve used it to look at YouTube movies whereas catching up on the information, all with my to-do record open for the day. I may do all of it on the identical time and that’s what units foldables aside from common smartphones. With the Z Fold 7, I can open apps from the exterior cowl display screen and easily launch one or a number of apps on the interior 8-inch show with none hiccups.
Just like the iPad, you’ll be able to break up the keyboard on the Z Fold 7 into two smaller panels, making it simpler to sort with each thumbs on the bigger display screen. Whereas I wouldn’t say typing on the 8-inch display screen is totally easy, even for somebody with larger palms, it positively takes some getting used to, particularly if you’re accustomed to typing on a narrower telephone just like the iPhone 16 Professional. That stated, it’s nonetheless way more snug to sort on than the iPad mini, due to the Z Fold 7’s lighter weight and compact design, which makes it simpler to carry in only one hand.
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Most apps work effective on a foldable telephone, although sure apps like Instagram aren’t totally optimised for the 8-inch display screen. Nevertheless, Google’s personal apps work flawlessly on the Z Fold 7. As I discussed earlier, the 8-inch display screen is great for productivity-focused use circumstances. Images, movies, video games, eBooks, and different sorts of content material actually shine, permitting you to see extra element.
It’s additionally useful for extra complicated duties like trying to find a foldable chair on your residence and sharing the small print on WhatsApp the place a daily telephone display screen would possibly really feel cramped and restricted. In such situations, the Z Fold 7 turns into a much more helpful system. I additionally actually like how the Fold 7’s display screen can bend at a 90-degree angle to indicate a YouTube video on the highest portion, whereas conserving playback controls and video info on the underside portion. One other approach I used the Z Fold 7 steadily was for studying eBooks on the Kindle app. Whereas it’s not a brand new technique to get pleasure from eBooks on foldables, I’ve at all times discovered this use case to really feel extra private than the rest.
Passable efficiency
The Z Fold 7 is powered by the flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, with a alternative of both 12GB or 16GB of RAM, and storage choices of 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB. The chip additionally permits many Galaxy AI options (extra on that later), in addition to Gemini integration. I’ve examined a number of flagship units with the 8 Elite chip, and the efficiency is simply as robust as some other high-end Android smartphone. There’s no perceivable distinction when working apps or taking part in video games on the Z Fold 7 in comparison with the Galaxy S25 Extremely and Galaxy S25 Edge, which I reviewed not too long ago. It comes out of the field with Android 16 and One UI 8, and Samsung guarantees seven years of OS and safety updates.
I additionally managed to pair a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse with the Z Fold 7 and used it as an alternative choice to a laptop computer. Though I wouldn’t say it totally changed my laptop computer, I used to be in a position to comfortably write a brief 400-word copy. Due to the 8-inch display screen, which is massive sufficient to show a number of tabs, it nearly looks like utilizing a transportable laptop computer. It’s not one thing I might advocate for each day productiveness however as an experiment, it was surprisingly enjoyable.
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The crease is barely seen after some extent. (Picture credit score: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Specific)
Whereas the Z Fold 7’s 4,400mAh battery is similar dimension as its predecessor’s, you’ll discover barely improved battery life due to the processor’s enhanced energy effectivity. The system lasted me over a day with common shopping, texting, and WhatsApp use. Battery life largely will depend on which show you utilize extra: the quilt display screen or the bigger interior show. Sadly, Samsung remains to be sticking with wired charging capped at 25 watts, which I’d say is somewhat gradual in comparison with different flagship smartphones.
It’s attainable to open three apps on the identical time on the Z Fold 7. (Picture credit score: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Specific)
Samsung has additionally packed the Z Fold 7 with its personal Galaxy AI options, together with loads of Google-powered AI capabilities. Some are nice, whereas others nonetheless really feel a bit underwhelming. Gemini Dwell, for instance, is a hands-free AI characteristic that now permits display screen sharing and digicam entry, so you’ll be able to ask questions primarily based on real-time context. The Now Bar and stay notifications which show ongoing duties similar to music taking part in on Spotify are particularly useful, showing each on the lock display screen and within the taskbar on the house display screen.
Cameras: Nice for pictures and video, too
The triple digicam system on the Z Fold 7 is headlined by a 200-megapixel foremost sensor, accompanied by a 12-megapixel ultrawide and a 10-megapixel telephoto digicam. There are additionally 10-megapixel selfie cameras on each the quilt and foremost shows.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 digicam samples. Picture resized for net
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 digicam samples. Picture resized for net
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 digicam samples. Picture resized for net
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 digicam samples. Picture resized for net
The addition of the 200-megapixel digicam is a primary for foldables. Prior to now, many shoppers have criticised foldable units for his or her lackluster digicam methods, so that is Samsung’s approach of bringing the Z Fold sequence on par with its mainline S-series flagships by way of digicam efficiency.
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The S Pen assist is gone, and it’s a bit dissapointing. (Picture credit score: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Specific)
I preferred the Z Fold 7’s digicam system. The principle digicam captures high-quality pictures with glorious dynamic vary, lighting, distinction, depth, and wealthy, pure colors on par with Samsung’s personal Galaxy S25 Extremely. It additionally performs higher in low-light situations, producing sharper and extra detailed photographs indoors and in different dim environments. The video recording capabilities have additionally improved considerably, narrowing the hole between Samsung Galaxy telephones and Apple’s top-end Professional iPhones. There are additionally a few AI options to strive as properly centered across the digicam like Generative Edit and Audio Eraser. A should strive is the selfie digicam on the Z Fold 7 which now has a wider 100-degree subject of view, excellent for group photographs.
Statement
On the Z Fold 7, Samsung gave up on the controversial under-display interior selfie digicam and as an alternative positioned a 10-megapixel sensor behind a small hole-punch cutout, similar to some other Android smartphone. Nevertheless, I didn’t like that Samsung eliminated S Pen assist from the Z Fold 7. Together with it will have made the system a real productiveness haven and extra helpful. For my part, scaling again S Pen assist on the Z Fold 7 is a controversial transfer.
So…do you have to purchase it?
To grasp the Galaxy Z Fold 7, one should hand over the overall impressions they’ve about foldables. It is advisable to have a look at the Z Fold 7 from a brand new perspective, and a tool like this deserves that. After all, the Z Fold isn’t excellent (and no smartphone is), and its value of Rs 174,999 (round $2000 within the US) makes it an extremely high-end smartphone. It’s nonetheless not a mass-market system, and I don’t assume Samsung is advertising it that approach both.
After reviewing the Z Fold 7, I used to be jogged my memory of the assembly with the actual property brokers and the Z Fold 6 (if I’m not mistaken). I couldn’t ignore the Z Fold 6 of their palms, and perhaps those that have purchased or need to purchase a foldable have this psychology in thoughts: a show-off. That’s positively a part of it, little doubt.
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However as a tech reviewer, I really feel foldables are genuinely helpful: the shape issue the Z Fold 7 presents permits stuff you merely can’t do on a conventional smartphone. That is one thing I’ve highlighted earlier than and proceed to spotlight with the Z Fold 7. Not everybody needs a book-style foldable, however I suppose extra features and options naturally imply increased price. That ought to come as no shock. It in all probability received’t be for most individuals (and that’s okay!), however I do wish to level out that loads of that price is probably going tied to aspiration worth. The Z Fold 7 is just a beast – and the head in smartphone type issue.