Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 review: The foldable we deserve, but not the one we can afford

Samsung's new flagship foldable is a huge improvement over last year's model.

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[SojournerDeer]

Hoping for a comparison against Oppo Find N5 though I understand the found is not available in US.

 

[Baenwort]

Unique? The Moto G Stylus has a fine stylus at 20% (<15% for a 2023/2024) the cost of this folder.

Except that isn't an active stylus.

 

[whquaint]

If you think thin equals low battery life, get a battery case. Nice and thick the way you like it.

 

[tipsy.trex]

There's no doubt that the Fold 7 is a marvel of engineering, but it's still not solving one of the top problems of foldables. What good does the huge foldable screen do if a 16:9 video is nearly the same size with giant letterboxes as it is on the external display? No, video isn't the only use of a larger display, but it's ubiquitous. Everyone watches video, but not everyone is running 3 apps at a time (which I would argue is still better on a widescreen).

The tri-fold phones are on the right track, but a company being "brave" and making a short, wide external display and a widescreen internal display would go a long way.

I think the goal is to allow for tent/laptop mode to offer a "top" screen that's the same size (roughly) as the external. From what I've seen and from my own personal use case (flip 6/7), using the phone in laptop mode to have the top half of the screen upright and aimed at the viewer is likely in the top 3 use cases for foldable owners.

Unique? The Moto G Stylus has a fine stylus at 20% (<15% for a 2023/2024) the cost of this folder.

The moto g stylus is a finger substitute with a pop up menu. The S-Pen is a wacom digital pen with 4K layers of pressure, Bluetooth remote functions when Samsung feels like it, the fancier ones have tilt support, etc. The loss of the S-Pen is not just losing a plastic finger extender, it is a sophisticated and unique tool who's closest competitor would be the apple pencil.

 

[Me Myself And I1]

I have yet to see a foldable that haven't developed a 'seam' at the folding line.

 

[Boskone]

Especially now with linking phone and tablet. The integration beween my wife's Pixel phone and tablet is pretty good, and I've always been of the view that an 8 inch tablet screen is really too small to be of serious use.

I used a Nexus 7 for years, and it was a spectacular tablet. Meaningfully larger than a phone, allowing for better viewing and reading; small enough to still be pretty easy to carry.

A comparable device with EMR and decently long support would probably be an immediate buy for me.

 

[BobbyBobberson]

I just can't get over how fragile it looks. Bend-gate, more like snap-gate.

 

[TTSPuncher]

The way I see it, these foldables solve a real problem - but for the phone companies, not the user.

The problem, of course, is that with the smartphone market slowing down and no real innovation in a decade, people have started keeping their old phones for longer. They even, gasp, expect 7 years of software updates these days. Any regular slab phone will last you for a better part of a decade if you don’t drop it too much and don’t fall for the yearly new model FOMO. But the line needs to go up, and it needs to go up more than last quarter, so that simply won’t do.

Enter the foldable phone! It’s trendy, it’s bendy, it costs as much as 3 regular phones, it’ll be unusable in 2-3 years! A single grain of sand that gets in the hinge or between the soft screens will destroy it - but don’t worry, it’s not like you’ve ever had a bit of sand in your pocket, right?

It really feels to me like the one major innovation of these things isn’t that they fold open - it’s that by design they’re way more fragile and don’t last as long, making you buy more phones.

 

[torp]

And when I'm just around town and decide to stop for coffee or a quick bite to eat or something, I'm not carrying a bag around with a tablet in it so the bigger screen is great.

The small phone screen doesn't bother me when I'm out. But then I'm not out a lot, i even work from home most days.

Even at home, I've always found that when I've bought tablets they just never get used because they are never next to me when I want them and if I have to get up to go get it, I'll just go sit down at the computer or on the couch where I've got the TV.

My tablet waits on the nightstand because I read in bed mostly. Unless I have a really good book ongoing in which case it's easy to carry it with me everywhere in the house. Other times yes, as you said, I use whatever's closest.

 

[comadose]

Good walkthrough of the phone from front to back (heh).

I'm likely to still punt on this though, as I'm still very happy with my Fold 6. I do want to add that having used Folds as my daily driver since the Fold 2 (and 3, 5, and 6), most of the compromises of the early days were gone by the Fold 6. The continuing frustrations for me have been charging (though having not had faster-charging phones at least I haven't had to step down in this regard) and camera quality.

Personally, I really have not understood for quite some time the insistence that shaving a few millimeters off of a phone's bulk is revolutionary, or that the slightly-slimmer aspect ratio of the past cover screens made them utterly unusable. I have to wonder if some of this comes from a reviewer's perspective, where you're necessarily having to flit between different designs and will naturally be comparing each device's best against every other's.

Me, I've been very happy with my foldables for a long time now. I'm glad they exist, and beyond the obvious "power user" profile they're great as a replacement for both a phone and tablet (particularly since unifying the devices simplifies things like file and settings sync-- you don't have to!).

The rising prices remain hard to swallow though, even with favorable trade-in deals.

I just wish they would design these things with a bit more thought into how they can reduce the cost. For example, it doesn't need two selfie cameras and holes in the screens. The rear camera can be used with the front screen when opened out flat. That would save a lot of money and complexity, and most people would be fine with it.

 

[limeos]

Without a pen the big display becomes much less interessting.

 

[zogus]

Because it's not an actual concern for anyone that uses them.

Yes. The plastic covering is soft enough to be marked - but it just isn't reality in regular daily use. And I say that as someone that has had 8 different foldables (and my Fold 7 will coincidentally be arriving later today). With all of those devices, I've not yet had a screen failure or other permanent damage (though given the cost of the devices, I have purchased insurance for every one of them).

With all due respect, a durability testimony from someone who’s churned through 8 foldables in 6.5 years (foldables only having been available since early 2019) is not terribly reassuring.

 

[BrangdonJ]

Exactly. I am notoriously hard on phones. I'm not even entirely sure how, or why, but I always end up with scratches everywhere and I always crack screen protectors regardless of my case choice. I've even broken a USB-C port. The idea of buying a significantly less resilient device that costs more than twice what I usually pay is so absurd it isn't even laughable - it's simply never been a consideration. Even if I got one for free, why would I carry a daily necessity that's less likely to be usable when I need it?

I think the soft screen was the inside one, and the softness was related to it needing to be flexible to fold. The outer screen is presumably as robust as for a normal phone. If that's the case, the inner screen should rarely get scratched because it is protected by the phone being closed when not in use. (I would be concerned about grit getting inside between the two halves of the screen when it is folded, but maybe that is prevented with a case.)

Tri-folds have a better aspect ratio, but because they fold concertina (or Z) they also have the problem that one third of the screen is on the outside where it is unprotected. What's worse, one of the folds is on an outside edge of the device, where it is crying out to be scuffed.

 

[Rirere]

In my 10 years of experience with Samsung phones I say this really leads to a blown-out, washed-out looking overexposure on Automatic mode with colors that don't look nearly as good as real life, nor that match what I can get fiddling amateurishly with Pro mode by changing the aperture and choosing a lower ISO setting. Which means if I want to take a really decent-looking picture, I have to drop to Pro mode. It still leaves a lot of color saturation on the table compared to what I see with my naked eyes, but at least it's less faded.

Anyway, what's the 3rd party case situation for a foldable like this? The camera bump seems to make it more necessary to protect the lenses and keep the bezels from snagging on a pocket when being taken out.

I forgot to respond to this, but SPIEGEN used to be the main game in town for actually good cases (by which I mean cases that protected the hinge as well as both halves of the phone-- a shocking number of cases slap panels onto the front and back and call it a day). On the Fold 6, though, their stylus-holding entry was beyond awful. I wound up swapping to another brand (BERFY) after an intermediate stop at another 'random' manufacturer and am extremely happy with where I've landed.

Now that the S-pen is no longer a thing, I imagine SPIEGEN will be back in fine form. Their cases also lacked a built-in screen protector, so you could fit one of your choosing (and without any risk of rainbows) to the cover display, which is a plus. That said, it's been a long time since they were the only game in town in terms of integrated hinge protection.

 

[ghostofchristmas]

I've had Samsung phones for years because all told they're pretty decent -- a bit boring, a bit uninspired, the AI is total junk, but they're ok. I can't imagine though dropping 2 grand on one though. They're all a bit desperate to find the next form factor after the Monoblock of the iPhone which is nearly 20 years old, but foldable screens aren't it.

I disagree. The long term future really is "carrying a full fledged computer that can do everything, when you want it" in your pocket. Larger screens is a big hurdle to that, and foldables is probably the best way to get that.

The problem is coming up with a solution that feels bulletproof along the seam of the fold that is somewhat price-aware.

 

[antiayn]

I don't have the know-how to answer this, but why stop so close to 180 degrees? I assume that 1-2 degrees is an engineering decision?

 

[Ubersoldat19]

I just can't get over how fragile it looks. Bend-gate, more like snap-gate.

Enter the foldable phone! It’s trendy, it’s bendy, it costs as much as 3 regular phones, it’ll be unusable in 2-3 years! A single grain of sand that gets in the hinge or between the soft screens will destroy it - but don’t worry, it’s not like you’ve ever had a bit of sand in your pocket, right?

Here's a good video for you guys to watch:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hgg4YEdPak

 

[accantant]

I don't have the know-how to answer this, but why stop so close to 180 degrees? I assume that 1-2 degrees is an engineering decision?

It can actually go the full 180 if you leave it open for a while, or unfold it a few times (or bend it backwards if you're brave). Supposedly it's because the adhesive bonding the inner display needs a bit of time to "stretch" if you've left it closed for a while.

I don't know if the adhesive thing is the real reason, but I can definitely attest that it flattens out after having it open for a while (or even if I just open it a second time), which takes a minute or two.

I've also noticed that you can hear whether it unfolded properly flat when you open it - it makes a pretty clear "snap" noise when it unfolds fully. (From the two halves of the phone colliding at the hinge)

 

[S-T-R]

You kind of misunderstood. They don't have a flagship since the Note 9. That was the last to have literally everything a Samsung phone can offer in one package. If we count the support for the optional keyboard accessory, then the Note 8.

Nope. Literally addressed that. There isn't a market for a phone with every feature Samsung has on every phone in their entire lineup, so it's segmented by form factor.

That Samsung once sold a weird case that had tactile buttons is an odd example. I'm not sure what you think that proves. Are you upset that 2025 Samsung models don't have every feature ever sold on any Samsung phone? Am I supposed to lament the loss of MicroUSB or TDMA support? Is it because they don't sell that type of case anymore?

No phone has 1st party cases like that now. If you need a physical keyboard (or a mouse, or even an external display), Android supports Bluetooth and USB inputs at the OS level, and there's 3rd party options out there, even keyboard cases.

 

[rthonpm]

A toy for people with more money than sense. You can get an iphone and an ipad (plus keyboard) for the same price. --- that's a whole lot more power +battery + powerful software.

Also a pain for frequent travellers. We bought a few Folds for some of our Project Managers that travel often. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Nothing like being able to to make notes and other markups or actually read a document in real time on the large screen while talking to teammates or clients on the same device.

It's one device to carry as opposed to two and a laptop. When you're on the road or in the air for a few tens of thousands of miles a year the convenience wins out.

 

[SexyBeets]

Quantum Leap

...flagship foldable is a huge improvement over last year's model

So is it a quantum leap, or a huge improvement?

 

[cheesecakegood]

How is typing on these? Does the hinge wiggle in your hand, and are the sides of the split keyboard awkward to hold or reach?

 

[ropo153]

I can’t get over the screen surface being “softer than your fingernails”. I’m not generally a reckless user of my devices, but I would accidentally scratch that thing on the first day. I don’t know how that isn’t an automatic disqualifier for more people.

In practice, it's not that serious. You have to either intentionally press your nails into it, or be extremely careless to make an impression in the screen.

 

[boydwaters]

Does Samsung still support a Dex (desktop) mode? Because this thing costs more than mainstream laptops.

Android 16 has a Terminal app built in? Which I would expect to result in Samsung shipping the Android built in Terminal, also Termux, and their own half-baked take on the feature.

I haven't been following mobile phones all that closely, as I'm still quite happy with my 2020 setup.

 

[accantant]

Does Samsung still support a Dex (desktop) mode? Because this thing costs more than mainstream laptops.

Android 16 has a Terminal app built in? Which I would expect to result in Samsung shipping the Android built in Terminal, also Termux, and their own half-baked take on the feature.

I haven't been following mobile phones all that closely, as I'm still quite happy with my 2020 setup.

Still has Dex, yes. And no custom Samsung terminal that I could find. (The Android terminal is behind a developer setting labeled "Experimental", regardless.)

The phone actually warned me that several Samsung apps had been replaced with Google ones when I switched from the Fold2, though other than the SMS app I couldn't tell you which, as most of both Samsung and Google's junk is either disabled/uninstalled or hidden in folders for me.

How is typing on these? Does the hinge wiggle in your hand, and are the sides of the split keyboard awkward to hold or reach?

The hinge is locked in the open position with some springs, it won't move unless you want it to (as with all previous Folds). You can move and resize the split keyboard however you wish, so it's easy to make sure everything is in reach in a way you're comfortable holding. (I have mine slightly smaller and moved up and inwards to let me reach all the buttons without shifting my grip.) It's probably the nicest touchscreen typing experience I've tried to date (well, it's the same as the Fold2 before this, maybe a bit nicer because it's thinner and lighter).

 

[Mustachioed Copy Cat]

Fun fact: I could either have five of these or a new roof.

 

[HuntingManatees]

In my 10 years of experience with Samsung phones I say this really leads to a blown-out, washed-out looking overexposure on Automatic mode with colors that don't look nearly as good as real life, nor that match what I can get fiddling amateurishly with Pro mode by changing the aperture and choosing a lower ISO setting. Which means if I want to take a really decent-looking picture, I have to drop to Pro mode. It still leaves a lot of color saturation on the table compared to what I see with my naked eyes, but at least it's less faded.

I kind of understand the logic?

Overexposing a digital image slightly and then compensating in editing will theoretically allow for more color information in regions that become shadow once the picture gets adjusted. But I think all of my Samsung phones over the years seemingly have forgotten that crucial step of bringing the final image back down to a correctly displayed range of tone.

Samsung's exposure priorities confuse me here too, as "better grainy than blurry" has been the rule of thumb ever since cameras first shrunk down enough to come off tripods -- and doubly so now with how good noise reduction has gotten. My favorite related quirk of my current S9's camera is its habit of keeping the shutter open longer to expose for the background in flash-enabled pictures, but then just turning everything into a white blob since the camera app seems to treat a quarter second momentary LED flashlight as a millisecond long action-freezing strobe.

It's like a cursed grab bag of incompatible traditional and phone-specific approaches to photography or something.

 

[mikner]

So, instead of a giant leap now, they could have passed some of the current type of upgrades to their previous foldables but they believed this way they would earned them more money, customers be damned. They were probably wrong because if they were not, they would continue the previous trend... customers be damned of course.
For the mediocre cameras the narrative was that they could not fit the good ones to such slim bodies as the z folds and yet the z7 is 2/3 the thickness of z5 and they've managed to fit it. Bravo!!! Samsung the magician? Not really of course, just Samsung cooking profits to the best of their abilties.
The pricing went up as if it was not preposterous already and the battery capacity remained ridiculous for such big device.
But all in all now their costumers have the foldable they deserved four generations ago, which I guess is a good thing.

 

[Ubersoldat19]

So, instead of a giant leap now, they could have passed some of the current type of upgrades to their previous foldables but they believed this way they would earned them more money, customers be damned. They were probably wrong because if they were not, they would continue the previous trend... customers be damned of course.
For the mediocre cameras the narrative was that they could not fit the good ones to such slim bodies as the z folds and yet the z7 is 2/3 the thickness of z5 and they've managed to fit it. Bravo!!! Samsung the magician? Not really of course, just Samsung cooking profits to the best of their abilties.
The pricing went up as if it was not preposterous already and the battery capacity remained ridiculous for such big device.
But all in all now their costumers have the foldable they deserved four generations ago, which I guess is a good thing.

This is some really weird logic. It's not like the previous Fold phones were bad, but how is it screwing over consumers to release a new phone with upgrades?

Also, the battery is totally fine. There's enough of an efficiency upgrade with the hardware that it gets noticeably better battery life than the Fold 6 with exactly the same size battery. My last foldable phone (Pixel Fold) had significantly worse battery performance with a larger battery.

 

[Rival Vector Plot]

I appreciate early adopters, as they allow new tech and products to move forward. I’ll personally wait a few more years for folding phones to become more reliable and cheaper. Especially cheaper.

 

[Chris FOM]

View attachment 114831

Cute, but if we’re being pedantic I’ll point out that the phrase “quantum leap” doesn’t mean moving forward one quanta (as you point out, the smallest possible movement) but rather the huge advancement in our understanding of the universe that the discovery of quantum physics led to.

 

[Erbium168]

Cute, but if we’re being pedantic I’ll point out that the phrase “quantum leap” doesn’t mean moving forward one quanta (as you point out, the smallest possible movement) but rather the huge advancement in our understanding of the universe that the discovery of quantum physics led to.

Quantum jump or leap is neither. It's the energy quantum (Latin "how much") of the photon emitted when an electron jumps from one energy level to another around the atom. It has nothing to do with distance.
The fact that every scientific or engineering term is promptly misused by non-STEM people is neither here nor there when they are networking and interfacing in the hope of identifying the next big quantum leap in the marketing of detergent.