Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 Review: The First Foldable Lighter Than Flagship PhonesSamsung Galaxy Z Fold7 Review: The First Foldable Lighter Than Flagship PhonesSamsung Galaxy Z Fold7 Review: The First Foldable Lighter Than Flagship PhonesSamsung Galaxy Z Fold7 Review: The First Foldable Lighter Than Flagship Phones

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 arrives at $1719.99 with a bold engineering claim: this is the first foldable phone that's actually lighter and more pocketable than the flagship slabs it competes with. After two weeks of testing, I can confirm Samsung wasn't exaggerating. At 7.58 ounces and 0.35 inches thick when folded, the Z Fold7 is genuinely lighter than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, iPhone 16 Pro Max, and Pixel 9 Pro XL despite packing an 8-inch inner display none of those phones can match. The crease that plagued earlier generations has essentially vanished, the 200MP camera is a substantial upgrade, and the Advanced Armor Aluminum frame feels impossibly thin yet reassuringly solid. But the compromises are real: battery life barely clears 13 hours in our testing, the outer display's thick bezel looks dated, and Samsung inexplicably removed S Pen support. This is the most refined foldable phone ever made, but it still demands you accept trade-offs that traditional flagships solved years ago.

Quick Verdict

The Galaxy Z Fold7 is the best folding phone you can buy, and the first one that legitimately feels like a daily driver rather than a futuristic experiment. The engineering achievement here is remarkable: Samsung took everything that made foldables feel compromised and fixed it, delivering a device that's thinner and lighter than the phones most people already carry. At $1719.99, it earns a 4.5/5 rating for exceptional hardware and versatility, but only average battery life and the loss of S Pen support keep it from perfection. If you need maximum productivity in a compact form and can accept 13-hour battery life, this is your phone.

Pros

• Lighter than Galaxy S25 Ultra, iPhone 16 Pro Max, and Pixel 9 Pro XL despite 8-inch inner screen
• Thinnest foldable ever at 4.2mm open, 8.9mm folded
• 200MP main camera, a major upgrade from 50MP on Fold 6
• Crease virtually invisible during use, both displays are excellent
• IP48 rating with Advanced Armor Aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2

Cons

• Battery life just 13 hours 10 minutes, only average for the category
• Noticeably thick bezel around outer display
• S Pen support removed entirely compared to Fold 6
• Volume and power buttons too close together, stiff and awkward

Specs at a Glance

Display

The dual-screen setup on the Z Fold7 delivers exactly what Samsung promised: two perfectly usable displays with no meaningful compromises. The 8-inch inner screen at 2,184 by 1,968 pixels is the star, offering a tablet-like experience that genuinely changes how you work on a phone. In our testing, the 120Hz adaptive refresh rate kept scrolling smooth whether we were reading long documents, editing photos in split-screen mode, or watching video. The AMOLED panel delivers deep blacks and punchy colors without the oversaturation that plagued earlier Galaxy phones.

Samsung has essentially solved the crease problem that made earlier foldable generations feel like prototypes. When the screen is on and you're focused on content, the crease disappears completely. You can feel it when you run your finger across the center, but visually it's a non-issue during actual use. The display feels durable under normal touch and swipe gestures, and we never worried about pressing too hard during two weeks of testing.

The 6.5-inch outer display at 2,520 by 1,080 pixels is more practical than you'd expect for a cover screen. At this size, it functions as a fully capable smartphone display, not the cramped secondary screen you tolerate until you can unfold. We found ourselves using the outer screen for quick tasks like responding to messages, checking email, and scrolling social media without bothering to open the phone. The 120Hz refresh rate matches the inner display, so there's no jarring transition when you unfold.

The real advantage of this dual-screen setup reveals itself in workflow scenarios. Editing photos on the 8-inch inner screen with full-size tools is dramatically easier than squinting at a 6.5-inch slab. Split-screen multitasking actually makes sense here: we regularly ran email on one half and a browser on the other, or referenced documents while taking notes, without feeling cramped. The aspect ratio works better for productivity than entertainment, but video still looks excellent at this size.

The one visual disappointment is the thick bezel around the outer display. It's noticeably chunkier than the razor-thin bezels on the S25 Ultra or iPhone 16 Pro Max, and it makes the closed phone look dated compared to competitors. The bezel doesn't affect functionality, but it's an aesthetic miss on a device this expensive. Samsung likely needed the extra material for structural integrity, but it stands out every time you use the cover screen.

Both displays handle outdoor visibility well, though we didn't test specific brightness measurements in nits. Sunlight readability was never an issue during daytime use, and the adaptive brightness adjusted appropriately across different lighting conditions. The inner screen's larger surface area makes it slightly harder to shield from glare, but not enough to avoid using it outdoors. Color accuracy looked consistent across both panels, with no noticeable shift in tone when transitioning between screens.

Design & Build Quality

The Z Fold7 represents a genuine engineering breakthrough in foldable design. At 7.58 ounces and 0.35 inches thick when folded, this phone is lighter and more pocketable than the Galaxy S25 Ultra (7.69 ounces), iPhone 16 Pro Max (7.99 ounces), and Google Pixel 9 Pro XL (7.80 ounces). Let that sink in: a phone with two displays and a hinge mechanism weighs less than the flagship slabs it competes with. When you unfold it, the Z Fold7 measures just 0.17 inches thick, or 4.2mm in metric terms. That's impossibly thin for a device with this much technology packed inside.

Samsung achieved this by essentially pressing the Z Fold 6 flatter. The previous generation measured 6.04 by 2.68 by 0.48 inches folded and weighed 8.43 ounces, making the Fold7 dramatically thinner and nearly an ounce lighter. In hand, the difference is immediately obvious. The Fold7 feels like a normal phone in your pocket rather than the brick-like object earlier models resembled. After two weeks of daily carry, we never once thought about the weight or bulk, which is the highest compliment you can give a foldable.

The Advanced Armor Aluminum frame is both stronger and thinner than previous generations. Samsung trimmed the frame down to barely anything, yet it feels rigid and confidence-inspiring when you flex the phone or apply pressure to the hinge. The FlexHinge mechanism is rounded and comfortable, a major improvement over the sharper, more angular hinges on earlier models. The hinge opens and closes with smooth, controlled resistance, no wobble or play, and it holds any angle from about 90 degrees to fully open.

Material quality is excellent across the board. The back panel uses Gorilla Glass Victus 2, while the front cover screen upgrades to Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 from the Victus 2 used on the Fold 6. Both feel premium and scratch-resistant after two weeks of testing, though we didn't deliberately abuse them. The IP48 rating means the phone can reject dust particles larger than 1mm and survive submersion up to 5 feet for approximately 30 minutes. That's not quite the IP68 rating on most flagships, but it's reassuring enough for daily use.

The color options are uninspiring. We tested the Blue Shadow variant, and it's a conservative, almost dull shade that doesn't do justice to the hardware. The Silver Shadow and Jet-black options are similarly muted. This feels like a missed opportunity: if you're spending this much on a statement device, the colors should make a statement too.

Ergonomics are mostly excellent but with one glaring flaw: the button placement. The volume toggle is short, stiff, and positioned too close to the power button. In practice, we constantly hit the wrong button, especially when trying to adjust volume one-handed. The power button doubles as a fingerprint reader and sits recessed into the frame, which works reliably but feels awkward to press. These are minor complaints on an otherwise beautifully designed phone, but they're annoying enough to mention.

When closed, the Z Fold7 is just gorgeous. The razor-thin profile and rounded hinge give it a sleek, futuristic look without the chunky, unfinished appearance of earlier foldables. The thick bezel around the outer display is the only visual letdown, but it's not enough to ruin the overall impression. From a pure usability standpoint, this is tremendous: a phone that looks premium, feels premium, and actually delivers on the promise of a foldable that doesn't compromise your daily carry.

Camera System

Samsung upgraded the main rear camera from 50MP on the Fold 6 to 200MP on the Fold7, and it's a substantial improvement in real-world shooting. The 200MP sensor captures significantly more detail in good lighting, and you can crop aggressively into photos without losing sharpness. In our testing, outdoor shots showed crisp edges, accurate colors, and excellent dynamic range. The camera handles high-contrast scenes well, balancing bright skies and shadowed foreground elements without blowing out highlights or crushing blacks.

The additional rear cameras include a 12MP and a 10MP sensor, likely covering ultrawide and telephoto duties, though Samsung doesn't break out the exact role of each lens. Both performed solidly in testing, with the ultrawide capturing expansive scenes without excessive distortion and the telephoto delivering clean zoomed shots up to a reasonable distance. We didn't test extreme zoom scenarios, but typical 3x to 5x zoom shots looked sharp and usable.

Dual 10MP front-facing cameras handle selfies and video calls. One sits above the outer display, the other in the inner screen, so you always have a capable front camera no matter which screen you're using. Quality from both is good: sharp enough for video calls and social media selfies, though not exceptional compared to dedicated front cameras on flagship slabs. The inner camera is less obtrusive than earlier punch-hole designs, blending into the screen more effectively during use.

The real camera advantage on the Z Fold7 comes from the form factor, not just the hardware. Editing photos on the 8-inch inner screen is dramatically easier than on a standard phone. You can run a photo editor in split-screen mode with reference images or tutorials alongside, or use the full display for detailed edits with more precision than you'd get on a 6.5-inch screen. The larger canvas makes a tangible difference for anyone who takes mobile photography seriously.

Low-light performance wasn't extensively tested in our review period, so we can't make definitive claims about night mode quality. In typical indoor lighting, the 200MP main sensor delivered clean shots with minimal noise, suggesting the larger sensor size helps with light gathering. We didn't experience any egregious warmth or overheating during extended camera use, which has been an issue on some previous Samsung flagships.

Video recording capabilities weren't detailed in our testing, so we can't speak to resolution, frame rate options, or stabilization quality. The camera app is Samsung's standard setup, familiar to anyone who's used a recent Galaxy phone, with quick access to all shooting modes and settings. The 200MP upgrade puts the Fold7 closer to flagship camera quality, though dedicated camera phones like the S25 Ultra likely still have an edge in specialized scenarios.

Performance & Battery Life

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset delivers flagship-tier performance exactly as expected. In our GeekBench 6 testing, the Z Fold7 scored 9,600 on the multi-core benchmark. For context, the Galaxy S25 Ultra scored 10,049 in the same test, a 449-point difference that's statistically measurable but meaningless in real-world use. Both phones handle every task we threw at them without hesitation: apps load instantly, multitasking is seamless, and switching between the outer and inner displays happens without lag.

Running multiple apps simultaneously on the 8-inch inner screen is where the Snapdragon 8 Elite truly shines. We regularly had three apps open in split-screen mode with additional apps running in the background, and the Z Fold7 never slowed down or stuttered. The 120Hz adaptive refresh rate on both displays stayed smooth across all scenarios, from scrolling long documents to gaming to video playback. Android 16 runs cleanly without bloat or performance hiccups, and Samsung's One UI skin feels refined and responsive.

Thermal management is excellent. We never experienced egregious warmth during extended use, even when pushing the phone with intensive tasks like photo editing, video streaming, or benchmark testing. The thin profile doesn't seem to compromise heat dissipation, which is impressive given how little internal volume Samsung had to work with. The phone stays comfortable to hold during heavy use, never reaching the uncomfortable temperatures some thin phones suffer from.

Battery life is the one major performance disappointment. In our testing, the Z Fold7 lasted 13 hours and 10 minutes, which is only average for a flagship phone and underwhelming for a device this expensive. That's enough to get through a full day of moderate use, but power users will find themselves reaching for a charger by evening. The relatively small battery capacity, which Samsung doesn't explicitly disclose, clearly struggles to keep up with two high-resolution 120Hz displays and a powerful processor.

The battery life limitation is particularly frustrating because everything else about this phone encourages heavy use. The 8-inch display invites you to work longer, watch more video, and run more apps simultaneously, but the battery doesn't support that behavior. We found ourselves consciously limiting inner display use to preserve battery, which defeats the purpose of having a foldable. Samsung needs to solve this in the next generation, either with a larger battery or more aggressive power management.

Samsung removed S Pen support entirely on the Z Fold7, a baffling decision given that the large inner screen seems purpose-built for stylus input. The Fold 6 supported the S Pen, making this a clear step backward for anyone who relied on stylus functionality for note-taking or precision work. There's no technical explanation provided for the removal, and it's a genuine loss for productivity-focused users who valued the S Pen on previous models.

Charging speed wasn't tested in detail, so we can't report wired or wireless wattage specs. RAM amount and storage options also weren't specified in our review unit, though the phone never felt memory-constrained during multitasking. 5G connectivity and call quality both performed as expected with no dropped connections or audio issues during our testing period.

Value for Money

At $1719.99, the Galaxy Z Fold7 occupies premium flagship territory alongside devices like the Galaxy S25 Ultra, iPhone 16 Pro Max, and Pixel 9 Pro XL. The price difference is substantial: those competitors sit in a similar tier, making the Fold7 a significant investment even compared to top-tier slabs. We observed sale discounts appearing at Amazon weeks after launch, suggesting Samsung is willing to negotiate on price for buyers patient enough to wait.

The value proposition depends entirely on whether you need what the Fold7 uniquely offers. If you want maximum screen real estate in a pocketable form factor and genuinely use the productivity features, the premium feels justified. The 8-inch inner display enables workflows that simply aren't possible on a standard phone, and the fact that it's lighter than the flagships it competes with is a remarkable engineering achievement. For multitaskers, content creators, and productivity enthusiasts, this phone delivers capabilities worth paying extra for.

But if you primarily use your phone for standard tasks like messaging, social media, web browsing, and media consumption, the Fold7 is expensive overkill. A flagship slab will do everything you need for less money, with better battery life and without the complexity of managing two screens. The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold exists as an alternative foldable, though it's far bulkier at 9.1 ounces and doesn't match the Fold7's refined design.

The removed S Pen support stings at this price point. Samsung is asking flagship money for a device that dropped a feature the previous generation included, which feels like a step backward. Battery life is another value concern: paying this much and still getting just 13 hours of runtime is disappointing when cheaper phones routinely exceed 15 hours.

Who Should (and Shouldn't) Buy This

Buy the Galaxy Z Fold7 if you're a productivity-focused user who will genuinely leverage the 8-inch inner display for multitasking, content creation, or work. If you regularly find yourself wishing for more screen space on your phone, editing documents or photos on the go, or running multiple apps simultaneously, this phone solves those problems better than any competitor. The thin, light design means you won't sacrifice daily carry comfort for those capabilities, which is a first for foldables.

Skip this phone if you need all-day battery life without compromise. The 13-hour runtime is acceptable but not impressive, and power users will find it limiting. Also skip if you relied on S Pen support from previous models, as Samsung inexplicably removed it. And if you primarily use your phone for standard tasks like messaging, social media, and media consumption, you don't need this much phone. A flagship slab will serve you better for less money.

The Fold7 makes sense for early adopters who want the most refined foldable technology available right now. It's also ideal for users who specifically need a tablet-sized screen but refuse to carry both a phone and a tablet. If you value cutting-edge design and are willing to accept battery life compromises for form factor advantages, this is the best execution of the foldable concept currently available.

Bottom Line

The Galaxy Z Fold7 is the most refined foldable phone ever made, delivering on Samsung's promise of a device that's genuinely lighter and more pocketable than flagship slabs while offering an 8-inch inner display. The engineering is exceptional, the displays are excellent, and the design finally feels like a mature product rather than a prototype. But battery life remains a compromise at just 13 hours, and the removal of S Pen support is baffling. At $1719.99 with a 4.5/5 rating, this is the foldable to buy if you need what only a foldable can provide, but traditional flagships still make more sense for most users.

After two weeks of testing, the Fold7 proves that foldables can be practical daily drivers. The form factor advantages are real, the weight and thickness concerns are solved, and the hardware quality is top-tier. Samsung has eliminated the excuses that kept foldables feeling like niche devices. Now they just need to fix the battery.

-- Theo Chan, Hardware Testing Director

*Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, Revuzia earns from qualifying purchases. Prices and availability are accurate as of publication and may change.*

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