The moment we picked up the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, it was hard to believe this sleek device was the direct successor to the bulky foldable we reviewed last year. The transformation is striking. Samsung has made a series of hardware refinements that reshape the entire experience, giving the Z Fold 7 a slimmer body while expanding its panels for a more natural feel. Much of this is thanks to Samsung’s new Armor FlexHinge, but the difference goes beyond a single hinge — this phone looks almost unrecognizable compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 6, which we know well.
When folded, the Z Fold 7 measures just 8.9mm thick, an impressive reduction that brings it closer to the 5.8mm-thick Galaxy S25 Edge. This newfound thinness, however, makes the already-large camera bump stand out more dramatically than before — a curious design trade-off that some might find polarizing. Aesthetically, though, Samsung nailed the color choices: the phone comes in Blue Shadow, Jet Black, Silver Shadow, and an online-exclusive Mint that looked even better in person.
Beyond the redesign, the Z Fold 7 delivers the kind of performance and polish we expected from Samsung’s premium foldable. Watching the trailer for James Gunn’s upcoming Superman film, the reds and blues of David Corenswet’s suit appeared vivid and accurate on the massive 8-inch AMOLED display. Multitasking was smooth and seamless — we split the screen between the trailer and an article about our favorite portable chargers, and everything responded instantly. The more time we spent with that sprawling display, the more we understood why Samsung keeps pushing larger screens on its tablets like the Galaxy Tab S10 FE+ — smaller tablets are rapidly losing their place.
Samsung has also sprinkled in a bit of generative AI. While we’re generally skeptical of AI features in modern gadgets, we were impressed when Gemini AI produced a comic-style image of a basketball-playing French bulldog. It took slightly longer to generate than expected, but otherwise, the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip kept everything fast and fluid. Samsung estimates the 4,400mAh battery can stream video for up to 24 hours—though that’s based on 720p playback, not the 4K clips we use for testing.
The price, unfortunately, climbs $100 higher than last year’s model. While the design leap partly justifies it, the camera system leaves room for frustration. Yes, Samsung upgraded the main sensor from 50MP to 200MP, while retaining a 12MP ultrawide and 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom. But given that the Z Fold 7 costs $700 more than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, it should match the Ultra’s 50MP ultrawide camera and add a 10MP 5x telephoto as well. Even the 10MP selfie camera feels underwhelming next to the Ultra’s 12MP front sensor.
The Z Fold 7 is undeniably Samsung’s most elegant foldable yet — thinner, faster, and more immersive than ever. But for this price, it still falls just short of perfection.