Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 review: The best foldable phone

At a look

Skilled’s Ranking

Professionals

• Extremely slim and light-weight
• Upgraded cameras
• Much less noticeable crease
• Glorious software program

Cons

• No S Pen help
• No battery or charging upgrades
• Can throttle whereas gaming

Our Verdict

With an extremely slim and light-weight design, higher cameras and a sooner chip inside, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 might be one of the best foldable cellphone you should purchase proper now. Nonetheless, it’s not excellent; sustained gaming efficiency could possibly be higher, and the battery and charging speeds aren’t something to shout about. With extra foldable launches on the horizon, it stays to be seen how lengthy the Z Fold 7 can keep on prime.

Value When Reviewed

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Finest Pricing In the present day

Finest Costs In the present day: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7

Samsung was one of many first manufacturers to launch a foldable cellphone, however regardless of being a pioneer of the shape issue, its latest releases have grow to be a little bit stale. Sure, they’re nonetheless a few of our favourites, however the variations between generations had been so slight that you simply actually needed to search for them.

With the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 7, that adjustments. Slightly than an incremental step, Samsung has taken a dramatic leap, bringing us one of many slimmest and lightest foldables available on the market, whereas concurrently growing the display sizes. It’s precisely what foldable followers have been hoping for.

After all, it’s not with out competitors. The Honor Magic V5 is in scorching rivalry for the title of slimmest folding cellphone, and Oppo and Huawei aren’t far off, both. So, is that this the foldable to purchase in 2025? I’ve been dwelling with it for the previous week in an try to search out out.

Design & Construct

• Solely 4.2mm thick (unfolded)
• 215g, Superior Armor Aluminum
• IP48 rated

There’s no mistaking the Z Fold 7 for its predecessor. Whereas the general design language is comparable, this cellphone looks like a unique beast completely. It’s insanely slim, in accordance the the spec sheets, it’s 0.1mm thicker than the Honor Magic V5, however you’d have to get the callipers out to note, as a result of it feels only a slim within the hand.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

It’s 26% slimmer than the Z Fold 6, and the result’s a cellphone that not looks like a folding cellphone. It’s straightforward to mistake this for a typical candybar design, and what’s much more spectacular is that it weighs lower than present flagships just like the S25 Extremely and iPhone 16 Professional Max.

Regardless of the slim dimensions and the burden slicing, each screens are actually bigger. Samsung has lastly embraced the everyday 21:9 type issue on the outer show, and the knock-on impact is that the folding display is way greater, too. You now get a large 6.5-inch panel on the surface and an enormous 8-inch panel on the within.

Given the slim and lightweight nature of the handset, you may be involved about sturdiness, however you needn’t be. It feels rock stable, and it’s supposedly the strongest Z Fold up to now. It makes use of Samsung’s newest Superior Armor Aluminum housing, together with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the rear, Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 on the display, and a brand new Armor Flex Hinge reengineered to cut back stress on the display.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

It’s nonetheless IP48 rated, identical to the Fold 6, and it stays one of many solely folding telephones to come back with a ranking for mud resistance (although the Pixel 10 Professional Fold would possibly get IP68). Certain, it’s not a excessive ranking, but it surely’s a ranking nonetheless. As well as, there’s a brand new titanium lattice construction beneath the folding display and a thicker coating on prime, with new adhesives. In order that folding display must be stronger than ever.

The Z Fold 7 is available in three colors as customary, Jet Black, Silver Shadow and Blue Shadow. When you order from Samsung.com, you will get an unique Mint variant, which I believe appears notably fetching.

I’ve the Blue Shadow model in for testing, and I’m a giant fan of this color choice, too. It has an virtually metallic sheen to it, and it shifts between totally different shades of darkish blue relying on the lighting. The again isn’t too smudge-prone once you’re utilizing it and not using a case, and regardless of the graceful end, it isn’t too slippery within the hand, both.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

The brand new hinge feels strong and confidence-inspiring. It nonetheless helps free-angle adjustment, so you should utilize the cellphone in “flex mode”, however I really feel prefer it has extra of a bent to spring open or shut at excessive angles. It’s not a problem for me, however value noting in the event you like to make use of the hinge as a makeshift tripod.

Display & Audio system

• Outer: 6.5-inch, 1080 x 2520, AMOLED, 120Hz
• Interior: 8-inch, 1968 x 2184, AMOLED, 120Hz
• Stereo audio system

I’ve already talked about the change in measurement for each shows, and that definitely makes the most important distinction in comparison with the older mannequin. Other than a slight distinction within the decision of every panel, the specs stay largely unchanged.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Which means each screens are 120Hz LTPO AMOLED shows with a peak brightness of 2600 nits. And as we’ve come to count on from Samsung’s flagship units, they give the impression of being gorgeous. The colors are correct and vibrant, the black ranges are excellent, and the movement is buttery easy.

Whereas I might have liked to see brighter shows, the 2600-nit output is greater than sufficient for snug outside use. That stated, the Fold 7 will throttle the brightness when the cellphone heats up, and it does so extra readily than competing units.

With the latest spate of scorching climate we’ve been having within the UK, I regularly discovered the shows dimming in direct daylight. It may be fairly irritating once you’re making an attempt to navigate with Google Maps or body a photograph, so these dwelling in scorching climates may be in for a tough time.

Luke Baker

All folding telephones have some stage of creasing, however Samsung has made an enormous step in the fitting route with this launch. The Fold 6 crease appears just like the Grand Canyon by comparability, whereas the Fold 7’s groove is barely noticeable in use.

That stated, sure lighting situations could make the crease look worse than it’s. It’s because Samsung makes use of a really reflective and shiny display protector on the folding show. It’s a double-edged sword, as a result of on one hand, it makes the cellphone much less prone to fingerprint smudges, and there’s much less friction than extra matte shows, however on the opposite, you may have reflections to cope with.

One other large change is that the under-display digital camera is gone, and there’s now a conventional punch-hole digital camera on the internal display. I’ll speak extra in regards to the digital camera efficiency in a while, however in the event you actually appreciated that uninterrupted view, you seemingly received’t be too happy.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Personally, I believed the under-display digital camera was terrible, and the low-pixel density protecting it was simply as distracting, if no more so, than a little bit cutout for a digital camera. So I’m very a lot in favour of this modification. Nonetheless, I do want that Samsung had positioned it out of the best way within the upper-right, as this one cuts into full-screen 16:9 content material, and that would have been prevented.

It’s additionally value mentioning that the digitiser has been faraway from this panel, so it not works with the S Pen. I’m certain some individuals used the S Pen with their fold, but it surely’s not one thing that has ever appealed to me, particularly with a crease working down the center of the display. Personally, I couldn’t care much less, however S Pen lovers may not be too eager on this mannequin.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

There doesn’t appear to be something new with the audio system, however I preferred the audio system on the Z Fold 6, and these sound nice, too. They aren’t the loudest audio system you’ll discover, however there’s loads of readability and a bit extra low-end grunt than a number of the competitors. Contemplating the scale constraints this time round, I believe Samsung has finished a superb job.

Specs & Efficiency

• Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
• 12GB / 16GB RAM
• 256GB / 512GB / 1TB storage

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite, and it’s a particular overclocked “for Galaxy” version, which ought to give it a slight efficiency bump in comparison with different 8 Elite telephones. The 256GB and 512GB fashions pair this with 12GB of RAM, whereas the top-of-the-line 1TB mannequin will get 16GB. I’ve the bottom mannequin in for testing, however aside from heavy multitasking, all three choices ought to carry out very equally.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

As anticipated, the Z Fold 7 manages increased scores than its predecessor throughout our regular suite of benchmark checks, not by an enormous margin, however increased nonetheless. The older mannequin was already tremendous fast, and the alternatives to push this chip to the restrict are few and much between.

We already knew the Snapdragon 8 Elite was a monster, although. What’s of extra concern is the thermals. This thinner chassis doesn’t depart a whole lot of room for cooling, and sadly, that does make a distinction.

Luke Baker

I seen some throttling and slowdowns when taking part in Wuthering Waves at 60fps with the graphics maxed out. In equity, it’s one of the crucial difficult video games to run, but it surely’s a problem that the S25 Extremely takes in its stride. Regardless of having the identical chip inside, the Z Fold 7 can’t maintain tempo.

I confirmed this by working 3DMark’s Wildlife Excessive Stress Check, and the Z Fold 7 scored simply 52% for stability. I even noticed a rating as little as 22% when the ambient temperatures had been increased. Basically, the cellphone has to throttle rapidly to maintain the temperatures down, and it really works; The cellphone doesn’t get too scorching, however the efficiency suffers.

Luke Baker

You’ll solely actually discover this in the event you’re into graphically demanding video games or intensive video modifying in your cellphone. For probably the most half, the cellphone is lightning fast, it doesn’t matter what you’re doing. Hardcore avid gamers would possibly discover this one misses the mark, although.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 benchmarks

Cameras

• 200 Mp f/1.7 major digital camera
• 10 Mp f/2.4 3x telephoto
• 12 Mp, f/2.2 ultrawide
• 10 Mp, f/2.2 selfie digital camera x2

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 has adopted the identical major digital camera as Samsung’s most superior digital camera cellphone, the Galaxy S25 Extremely. It’s a 1/1.3-inch sensor with a 200Mp decision, an enormous improve from the earlier mannequin, which has a 1/1.56-inch sensor and a 50Mp decision.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

Samsung says it has reworked the lens module to permit the massive sensor to suit right into a smaller housing. In spite of everything, there’s not as a lot room on this svelte chassis. Nonetheless, as a photographer, that’s a little bit of a crimson flag. Smaller optics have a tendency to come back with compromises, and there are seemingly shortcomings in comparison with the full-size S25 Extremely major digital camera.

As well as, the ultrawide has gained autofocusing capabilities and may now be used for macro photographs. And the under-display selfie digital camera has been changed with a extra conventional unit, with a a lot increased decision and a wider discipline of view. The 3x telephoto is unchanged, which is a little bit of a disgrace (however the identical is true for the S25 Extremely). That stated, it nonetheless performs properly; It’s only a very grainy sensor in low mild situations.

General, I’ve been very happy with the photographs from the Z Fold 7. Within the majority of conditions, photographs from this cellphone and the S25 Extremely are virtually indistinguishable. After all, it doesn’t deal with longer zooms fairly as properly with out the 5x telephoto, however the color tuning and sharpness are virtually an identical, and that’s an excellent factor.

The ultrawide is way more versatile now that it has autofocus, and whereas the ultrawide wouldn’t be my first selection for macro images, I used to be stunned how a lot I preferred the close-ups I shot with it. It’s a smaller sensor and a decrease decision than the S25 Extremely’s ultrawide, so it’s not fairly pretty much as good in low mild situations, but it surely’s nonetheless a lower above your common ultrawide, and I discovered it very helpful.

The 200Mp major sensor may be very acquainted to Extremely customers, and it continues to impress right here. The bigger sensor and wider aperture create a little bit extra bokeh and topic separation than the Z Fold 6’s major digital camera, and that provides some good depth to the photographs. The one draw back in comparison with the full-fat S25 Extremely model is that the minimal focus distance appears to have elevated barely; in any other case, the efficiency may be very related.

Video efficiency is powerful, too. Samsung continues to have a number of the finest microphones out there on an Android system, and body fee stability is a lower above many of the competitors. The wonderful LOG profile that was launched with the S25 collection is on the market right here, too, which makes it a reasonably highly effective instrument for content material creators.

Battery Life & Charging

• 4400mAh battery
• 25W wired charging
• 15W wi-fi charging

Sadly, we don’t get any battery or charging upgrades this 12 months; the Z Fold 7 nonetheless has the identical 4400mAh capability, with underwhelming 25W wired charging and 15W wi-fi charging. As with all Samsung flagships, there’s no charger within the field, only a USB-C cable.

On paper, none of those figures are very spectacular, particularly when in comparison with a number of the foldable competitors popping out of China. Honor’s newest is simply as slim, however nonetheless crams in a 5820mAh cell, for instance.

Nonetheless, numbers are solely a part of the story. I lately examined the Poco F7, which has an enormous 6500mAh battery inside, however the precise battery life was fairly unimpressive. Software program makes simply as a lot of an impression, and that’s one thing Samsung does very properly.

Luke Baker

Sadly, after a number of makes an attempt, our regular PC Mark Battery Drain check didn’t run appropriately. So I can’t examine apples to apples. Anecdotally, although, the Z Fold 7 felt prefer it lasted for about the identical period of time because the Z Fold 6. Contemplating it has bigger shows to energy, that’s fairly spectacular. 

Like its predecessor, the Z Fold 7 by no means didn’t get me to the tip of the day, but it surely regularly lower it shut. You’ll most likely wish to maintain a superb energy financial institution on the prepared in the event you’re on an extended journey.

In the case of charging, the cellphone matched Samsung’s claims of a 50% cost in half an hour precisely. It’s not stunningly fast, but it surely’s not a foul displaying both. Sadly, the opposite 50% will take longer to refill, and I used to be ready properly over an hour for a full cost.

The 15W wi-fi charging is, in fact, even slower. However hey, in the event you’re gonna be sitting at your desk for some time, or if in case you have a charging pad within the automobile, it’s nonetheless very handy.

Software program & Apps

• One UI 8, based mostly on Android 16
• 7 years of software program and safety updates
• New AI options

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is the primary cellphone I’ve examined that runs Android 16 out of the field. You would possibly assume meaning large adjustments, however the actuality is much more delicate. For probably the most half, One UI 8 appears and acts precisely the identical as One UI 7.

To be clear, that’s not a problem. Samsung is famend for its software program, and this model feels simply as polished and speedy because the variations that got here earlier than it.

Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry

One of many large promoting factors for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is Galaxy AI, and all of the options from the S25 collection telephones make an look on the Z Fold, too. There are some new additions debuting with the Z-series, however I’d classify them as comparatively minor.

As an example, a brand new characteristic known as Photograph Help will now counsel objects/individuals to take away out of your photographs. Which could possibly be helpful, however doesn’t add a lot utility over the AI eraser that we already had entry to. In an analogous vein, the audio eraser now has an “auto” button, so you’ll be able to take away background noise with no need to manually alter sliders.

There have additionally been some UI tweaks that make higher use of the folding show. As an example, you’ll be able to view your picture edits side-by-side to see the enhancements you’ve made, and it’s also possible to drag and drop AI search outcomes or picture generations between apps when utilizing split-screen multi-window.

Google can also be debuting a few of its AI options with this system. Circle to Search now works when you’re taking part in a recreation, so in the event you get caught, you’ll be able to circle the issue to get immediate hints and suggestions. It’s also possible to share your digital camera feed or share your display with Gemini Dwell to get context-based solutions. 

Luke Baker

I discovered Circle to Search whereas gaming to be fairly helpful, however I simply didn’t actually find yourself utilizing the opposite options an excessive amount of. Regardless, Samsung already had one of the crucial strong AI choices available on the market, and the providing continues to develop with every launch.

As well as, you’ll be able to count on one of many longest help home windows available on the market. Similar to different Samsung flagships, the Z Fold 7 will proceed to get Android OS upgrades and safety patches for the subsequent 7 years.

Value & Availability

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 begins at £1,799 within the UK, the very same worth as its predecessor. Nonetheless, within the US and Europe, there was a worth enhance; it begins at $1,999 / €2,099, whereas the Z Fold 6 was $1,899/€1,999.

The 12GB+512GB mannequin goes for £1,899/ $2,119/€2,119 whereas the 16GB+1TB mannequin will price you a hefty £2,099/$2,419/€2,359.

It’s a dear cellphone, however that’s to be anticipated with a large-format foldable, and the competitors instructions equally excessive worth tags. One of many large advantages of this system is that it’s available in most areas throughout the globe, whereas most Chinese language foldables keep away from the US market completely.

When you’re within the UK, you’ll be able to double your storage totally free by pre-ordering on Samsung.com earlier than 24 July.

It’s additionally out there on contract via all the foremost networks and you may learn our Z Fold 7 shopping for information for one of the best costs and offers on free upgrades and extras. 

Do you have to purchase the Galaxy Z Fold 7?

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is an enormous improve over its predecessor. It’s now so slim and light-weight that you may simply mistake it for a bar cellphone. Utilizing it folded down feels extremely pure, and unfolding it provides you an opulent, tablet-like expertise with exceptionally slim bezels.

The crease is way, a lot shallower, it’s faster, and the cameras have had a wholesome improve, too. Mixed with Samsung’s slick, speedy OS and superior AI instruments, it’s a powerhouse for cellular productiveness and content material creation.

That stated, there’s nonetheless room for enchancment. The sustained efficiency isn’t nice for intense gaming, and the battery capability and charging speeds are removed from spectacular. I nonetheless assume they’re enough, however the competitors is leagues forward in that division.

It’s value mentioning that the Honor Magic V5 is anticipated to launch internationally quickly, and Google’s subsequent Pixel foldable shouldn’t be far behind, both. Proper now, I believe the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is one of the best folding cellphone that you would be able to purchase globally (of the book-style), however how lengthy it might maintain maintain of that title stays to be seen.

Specs

• One UI 8, based mostly on Android 16
• Outer: 6.5-inch, 1080 x 2520, OLED, 120Hz
• Interior: 8-inch, 1968 x 2184, OLED, 120Hz
• Energy-button fingerprint sensor
• Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
• 12GB /16GB RAM
• 256GB / 512GB / 1TB storage
• Cameras:
  • 200Mp major sensor
  • 12Mp ultrawide (macro)
  • 10Mp 3x telephoto
  • Twin 10Mp selfie digital camera
  • As much as 8K30 / 4K60 rear video
• Stereo audio system
• Twin-SIM and eSIM
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6e/7
• Bluetooth 5.4
• 4400mAh battery
• 25W wired charging
• 15W wi-fi charging
• 158.4 x 72.8 x 8.9 mm (folded)
• IP48 licensed
• 215g
• Colors: Blue Shadow, Silver Shadow, Jet Black, Mint (On-line unique)