REVIEW: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold line has travelled a long road since the original model launched in 2019. Early versions were impressive from a technical point of view but carried obvious compromises around thickness, durability and everyday usability.

The Galaxy Z Fold7 arrives as the latest refinement of that idea, and it is best understood not as a radical rethink, but as a careful polishing of nearly every weak point that came before. This is still very much a premium, niche device, but it is also the most complete and least compromised Fold Samsung has produced to date.

Design & Build Quality

The most immediate change with the Galaxy Z Fold7 is how thin and light it feels. Foldables have gradually been getting slimmer, but the Fold7 is the first model that no longer feels bulky compared to a conventional large phone.

At around 215g, it is actually lighter than some traditional flagship slab phones, including Samsung’s own Ultra models. In daily use, that reduction in weight makes a genuine difference, particularly when the phone is used one handed in its folded state.

Samsung has also finally addressed the long criticised cover display. The outer screen now uses a wider 21:9 aspect ratio, making it feel like a normal smartphone rather than a cramped secondary panel. Typing messages, browsing and using apps without unfolding the phone is now comfortable, which reduces the need to constantly open the device for quick tasks.

Both the outer and inner displays are bright, sharp and support adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz. Visibility outdoors is excellent, although the phone does rein in peak brightness when it gets hot, which can happen quickly in direct sunlight.

The inner display crease has been significantly reduced. While it is still faintly visible at certain angles, it is almost impossible to feel when swiping across the screen, which is a meaningful improvement over earlier generations.

One downside of the new thin design is stability on a flat surface. The large, off centre camera module causes noticeable wobble when the phone is placed on a table. Using a case largely solves this, and the Fold7 is thin enough that adding a case does not make it unwieldy.

Software Features

The Galaxy Z Fold7 runs One UI 8 on top of Android 16, and this is one of Samsung’s most polished software releases to date. The interface is colourful and clearly styled, which will appeal to some users more than others, but it feels cohesive and well optimised for the Fold’s large inner display. Multitasking remains one of the Fold’s strongest advantages, with split screen and floating window options that genuinely make use of the extra screen space.

Samsung continues to push DeX as a differentiator, allowing the Fold7 to act as a desktop style computer when connected to a display. This is not something every buyer will use, but it remains a unique and surprisingly capable feature for productivity focused users.

AI tools are integrated throughout the system, particularly in the photo gallery. Object removal and generative editing work reliably, and the Fold7 benefits from layouts that show original and edited images side by side on the larger screen. Google’s Gemini assistant is also tightly integrated, including support for live interactions while sharing the screen or using the camera. These features are useful, but they are best seen as incremental conveniences rather than reasons to buy the phone on their own.

Performance

Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, the Fold7 delivers flagship level performance. Everyday tasks are handled effortlessly, and the phone feels fast and responsive across the interface. App loading times are short, animations are smooth, and multitasking does not cause slowdowns in normal use.

Under sustained heavy workloads such as long gaming sessions or extended video processing, the Fold7 does throttle performance to manage heat. This is not unusual for a device with such a thin profile, and the behaviour is broadly similar to what is seen on other ultra thin flagships. While it does not quite match the sustained performance of thicker phones with larger cooling systems, it remains more than powerful enough for the vast majority of users.

Cameras

Camera performance has been a weak point for earlier Fold models, particularly given their price. The Fold7 addresses this directly by adopting the 200MP main sensor found in Samsung’s top tier Ultra phones. In practice, this brings the Fold’s main camera output in line with Samsung’s best, with detailed images, strong dynamic range and reliable colour reproduction.

The 10MP 3x telephoto camera performs well at its native zoom level, producing clean and usable images. However, there is no longer range periscope lens, so image quality drops off quickly beyond 3x zoom.

This is a noticeable limitation when compared with Samsung’s Ultra phones. The updated 12MP ultra wide camera is solid, with no major issues, though it does not stand out in a crowded flagship market. Overall, the Fold7’s camera system is finally appropriate for its price, even if it does not offer the absolute best zoom capabilities available.

Battery

The Fold7 retains a 4400mAh battery, the same capacity as its predecessor. On paper, this looks modest, especially when compared with some competitors using newer battery technologies. In real world use, the phone is generally capable of lasting a full day, even with heavy use of the large inner display. Battery life is not exceptional, but it is consistent and predictable.

Charging remains limited to 25W, which feels outdated in a device at this price point. Wireless charging is included, but those looking for very fast top ups will be disappointed. Battery performance is unlikely to be a deal breaker, but it is an area where Samsung has room to improve in future models.

Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 is the most refined Fold yet, addressing long standing complaints around thickness, weight, screen usability and camera quality. It delivers a well balanced combination of premium hardware and mature software, with fewer compromises than ever before.

At the same time, it remains an expensive and specialised device that will not suit everyone. Battery charging speeds and long range zoom performance lag behind some rivals, and the price puts it firmly in luxury territory.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 Pricing & Availability

The Galaxy Z Fold7 has a starting recommended retail price of €2,149 for the 256GB model. It is available in Ireland from retailers such as Harvey Norman and Currys, as well as through the usual network providers. For buyers who specifically want a foldable phone that feels genuinely usable as both a phone and a tablet, the Fold7 makes a strong, if costly, case for itself.