For an eccentric phone class, Samsung’s book-style Z Fold line has been rather conservative in recent times. That changes with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, the first major advance in years.
The big bang among modern foldables took place in 2019. Looking back, it’s clear that there has been tremendous progress. However, this improvement has been uneven in certain years. After a sort of prototype in the form of the Galaxy Fold, Samsung has proven to be an avid refiner, with prices remaining remarkably stable (read: high) and there always being a chink in the armour that can scare off would-be foldable buyers.
If we were to be a little unkind, we could say the same is also true this year. But we’re well disposed towards the Galaxy Z Fold 7, even though the starting price on paper is higher than before. It is officially priced at €2,099 (currently available from Samsung with a Watch Ultra 2025), but in practice you can find a 256GB model for less than €1,500 (at least here in the Netherlands, anyway).
It couldn’t be any thinner
Samsung, like other smartphone manufacturers, is cautious with major innovations year on year. Nevertheless, we are currently seeing a trend among the foldable Flip and Fold siblings from the South Korean manufacturer. Every year, there is room for one major step forward, either with the Flip or the Fold. This year, the focus has been entirely on the Fold 7, resulting in a significantly better camera, a sleek design, and a more usable aspect ratio.
We must emphasize that a thinner design than this is almost physically impossible without saying goodbye to the USB-C port (or indeed the SIM tray). In fact, when folded, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is still a relatively thin phone (8.9 mm, barely thicker than the 8.2 mm S25 Ultra). When unfolded, the 4.2 mm thickness is something you have to see and feel to fully appreciate. Reportedly, the same applies to the S25 Edge (5.8 mm thick), which underwent the same thinning optimization process.
There is still room for a 4,400 mAh battery. Granted, it struggles when asked to endure a full day of action, especially when multiple apps running simultaneously on the larger inner screen. We’ve said it before: users of large foldables will be eager to do this – after all, why not buy a premium “slab” phone if you’re not going to be multitasking here? The displays, at any rate, are 6.5 inches (front screen, 21:9 ratio, just like regular phones) and 8.0 inches (max 2,600 nits). In other words, they are larger and wider than ever before. The Z Fold 7 comes in at 215 grams, with the S25 Ultra exceeding this by 3 grams. Once again, an impressive feat of industrial design.
The eternal quest for an Ultra-foldable
For the first time, the camera system on board the Z Fold matches its price tag. Like the Galaxy S25 Ultra, the regular wide camera is a 200MP sensor, with the same impressive results. The 12MP ultra-wide angle and 10MP telephoto lens (3x zoom) are a bit weaker than the non-foldable Ultra phone. The selfie cameras are 10MP and are capable enough for their limited purposes.
The 2-in-1 luxury of the Z Fold 7 becomes apparent every time you need just a little more screen space than a regular phone can offer. The thin device now feels like a premium model in every respect, with no noticeable compromises. Where we once had to squint at a screen that was far too narrow or couldn’t ignore the seam in the middle of the unfolded display, both of these aspects are now extremely practical in everyday use, with pleasant ergonomics and flexibility.
We already mentioned that the battery was a bit disappointing in everyday use. This is the only major complaint we encountered, so what follows should not be taken too harshly. Namely, another weak point is the charging time. Since it only supports 25W wired and 15W wireless charging, it takes quite a while to reach 100 percent. Place the device on a table while charging and its extremely wobbly nature becomes apparent. The camera system is comparably mountaineous with such a thin body otherwise. And to complete the list of complaints: due to this thin design, there is no room for the S-Pen hardware.
A selection of our photos taken during the test period with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7:
Conclusion: the right priorities
Last year, we were unsure about Samsung’s priorities for the larger Fold compared to the confidently improved Flip 6. Although the former was thinner, stronger, and even more refined than the Fold 5, no one with the previous year’s device (or a Fold 4) needed to think about an early upgrade or would even be somewhat irked about missing out on some novel features. Now, the real progress can be felt, seen, and emphasized.
Although the battery is a pretty major sore point, partly due to Samsung’s cautious approach to new battery technologies (still good old lithium ion here), the rest of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 experience is extremely pleasant. To touch on a few final points: Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, USB-C 3.2, 5G reception, and audio quality are all welcome features and well executed.
Only even better secondary cameras, an anti-reflective coating like the S24/25 Ultra has, and a jump to new battery tech are areas for improvement for next year. Judging by Samsung’s rhetoric, only the move away from lithium-ion will be difficult to implement. The rest will likely, hopefully, land on the Fold 8 – or the 9, if the Flip gets the revolutionary treatment in 2026.
Read also: Review: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 – stagnation means decline