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Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.

Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what’s in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways

Ah, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 smartphone. The Z Fold line and I have had a rocky past. While people have been praising Samsung for “good enough” with their foldable smartphone, I have been consistently screaming from the rooftops that the bare minimum for an extremely premium price is outrageous. I could never wrap my head around how, in six iterations, the Galaxy Fold was ages behind first-time foldables like the OnePlus Open, and we didn’t even touch on the OPPO Find or the Vivo X Fold lines.

But that brings us to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 foldable smartphone. When I heard the initial impressions from Joe here at CGMagazine, as well as from some creator friends online, I was skeptical, to say the least. However, I am here to tell you that, though it took seven tries, the company has finally found its groove with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7. Now, I won’t say it isn’t without an astronomical price, as it still starts at $1,999.99, but at least you are no longer sacrificing comfort and quality to get the Samsung name in your pocket.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 Smartphone Review

So what’s new? The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 is thinner, lighter, wider, with an overall bigger display. The dimensions are as follows: unfolded, 158.4 x 143.2 x 4.2 mm, folded, 158.4 x 72.8 x 8.9 mm. The Z Fold7 is 3.2mm thinner folded and 1.4mm thinner unfolded than the Z Fold6. It also beats out the OnePlus Open and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. I have to say, the Galaxy Z Fold7 feels great to hold; it’s light and didn’t give me that usual “pinky fatigue” I get with heavier smartphones.

“Though it took seven tries, the company has finally found its groove with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7.”

Samsung went with even thinner bezels on the Z Fold7, and for me, it was actually too thin. The inner screen features wildly thin bezels, and I found that—without a case—it was hard to hold the device without accidental presses to anything around the side or bottom of the screen. That being said, I would never recommend taking the Z Fold7 out without a case, it’s just too slippery and far too expensive to risk.

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The outer display on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 is 6.5” compared to the Fold6’s 6.3”, and the inner display is a whopping 8 inches, beating last year’s 7.6” and the Open’s 7.82”. The inner screen features a QHGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with 16 million colours and a maximum refresh rate of 120Hz. The outer screen is a 2520×1080 FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with 16 million colours as well.

It’s nice to see that Samsung didn’t skip one display in favour of the other. The crease is still present on the inner display, but it is by far the faintest I’ve seen it, especially on a Samsung device. Anyone complaining about it at this point is expecting the impossible from a foldable screen.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 Smartphone Review

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 is also only 215g compared to last year’s 239g, or even the S25 Ultra’s 218g. It is significantly lighter than both the OnePlus Open and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold as well—by a lot. Samsung is finally moving in the direction of innovation, and considering how long they have been making foldables, it’s about time.

As for how the displays perform, media and games look beautiful on either screen. That has never been an issue for me with Samsung. Their displays are always fluid, vibrant and smooth. I absolutely love watching trailers on the inner display. The form factor is just too nice to even bother watching videos on the outer display. I consume a lot more TikTok than I like to admit, and it’s going to hurt going back to a normal form factor smartphone. Editing in CapCut was great on the larger screen, and exporting was quick. All in all, I was really content working on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7.

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The device comes in three storage configurations: 256 GB with 12GB RAM, 512 GB/12GB and 1TB/16GB. Of course, those higher storage capacities will cost you. The web-exclusive 1TB is sitting at $2,859.99 CAD right now. At the time of writing, the 256GB and 512 GB are the same price on Amazon and Samsung.com, being $1,999.99 USD (the 512 is normally $2,119.99). The price is a tough pill to swallow. There is no getting around that, no matter how great the phone is.

There are four colour options available: the web-exclusive Mint, as well as Blue Shadow, Jet Black and Silver Shadow. We tested the Blue Shadow versions of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 and Z Flip7, and they’re truly stunning—though the Mint option is very appealing as well. The overall design of the device is beautiful, but in addition to the bezel issue mentioned earlier, the camera bump presents another design flaw. Because Samsung uses a long, narrow camera bump, the device becomes almost too wobbly to use when placed flat on a desk or table while using the outer display. You can see what I mean in the video below. Other devices with larger bumps may not sit flat either, but they don’t wobble like this.

“All in all, I was really content working on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7.”

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 smartphone hosts the latest Qualcomm chip, the Snapdragon 8 Elite and the Adreno 830, which both match the S25 Ultra. This combo is also found in games specifically designed for gaming, like the REDMAGIC 10 Pro. The Snapdragon 8 Elite (especially when paired with the 16GB of RAM, though 12GB works well too) allows for smooth gaming, as well as quick switches between apps. With the Motorola Razr this year, I noticed a considerable difference with the Mediatek Dimensity 7400X, and I am happy to be back to the Elite.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 Smartphone Review

The Z Fold7 also ships with Android 16 and promises up to seven major Android updates, which is always a plus. One thing I did notice, likely related to the phone’s components, is a consistent heating issue. Whether it was charging or just in use for a while—even during something as simple as doomscrolling—the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 would get noticeably warm around the camera bump. I never experienced any performance issues, but I can’t help but wonder if it could cause problems in the long run.

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Now, I am not the biggest mobile gamer; I am more of a “waiting in line” mobile gamer, playing things like BubblePop. That being said, running Civilization VI and Balatro was flawless, even during online multiplayer runs in Civ VI. Movement on screen was always steady, and I never found any lag or screentears, even when flying across the map in Civ. Games change orientation on the inner display—which almost looks like a square but isn’t—so they play in more of a 4:3 ratio rather than 3:4.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 Smartphone Review

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 Smartphone Review

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 Smartphone Review

One thing the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 didn’t upgrade is the battery. It still features a 4,400 mAh cell, which has remained consistent over the years. Even the S25 Ultra only includes a 5,000 mAh battery. That said, I was able to use the device from morning to night without issue. On heavier-use days—when taking photos, making phone calls, and scrolling—stretching it to bedtime came close, but I always made it. While Samsung’s website claims up to 24 hours of video playback, I wouldn’t say it reaches even half that.

Charging isn’t anything to write home about either, though this has long been an area where Samsung lags behind. It’s functional: charge it overnight and you’ll be fine. The 25-watt wired charging provides a full charge in approximately 1.5 hours when needed. The 15-watt wireless charging is really only practical if the phone is sitting on your desk or charging overnight—it’s quite slow.

In terms of features, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 includes Galaxy AI, which brings tools like Gemini, Circle to Search, Generative Edit and Audio Eraser. The Generative Edit tool works well and even adds the ability to move items instead of just erasing them. I was impressed by how accurately the device recognized the objects I circled. Even if your outline is loose, it does a solid job of detecting what you meant. The eraser also worked surprisingly well. Sketch to Image is fun to experiment with, and I’ve been sold on Samsung’s Portrait Studio since Samsung Unpacked last year.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 Smartphone Review

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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 Smartphone Review

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 Smartphone Review

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 Smartphone Review

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 Smartphone Review

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Perhaps the biggest upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 is its new 200 MP main camera. At last, the ultra-premium foldable has a camera that’s truly worth using. My daughter and I went on a nature walk to take some photos, and I was genuinely impressed with the colours the Z Fold7 can produce. Pinks and yellows were especially vibrant, and the main camera easily captured gradients of green and subtle shadows. What really surprised me was its ability to focus on tiny ants crawling across a flower.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 Smartphone Review

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 Smartphone Review

I wasn’t blown away by the photo quality in low light. I usually use my cat as a model, since we’re often snuggled up on the couch at night. The Z Fold7 couldn’t handle even slight movement in low light, and even when she was still, the detail wasn’t impressive. Not bad, but not great either. The phone also includes a 12 MP ultra-wide and a 10 MP telephoto lens—both unchanged from the Z Fold6. In fact, they’re the same as those on the Z Fold4 and technically a downgrade from the Z Fold3’s 12 MP telephoto—if you’re keeping score.

“All told, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 is a major leap forward from previous iterations.”

The two display cameras are both 10 MP, with the inner camera bumped up from 4 MP last year. While that’s still behind what other foldables offer, it’s fairly in line with what Samsung includes in its other devices. Personally, I don’t need my rushed selfies to be any more detailed, so I can’t say I’m complaining.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 Smartphone Review

All told, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 is a major leap forward from previous iterations. But does that make it the ultimate smartphone—or even the best foldable? That really depends on your budget and your battery needs. I love the new design, the AI features and the long-overdue camera upgrade, but that $2,000-plus price tag is still tough to swallow.

There are still areas for improvement, including battery performance and the long-requested addition of faster charging. Samsung is certainly headed in the right direction with the Galaxy Z Fold7, and I’d absolutely recommend it to those who can afford it—but I still want to see more.