I repaired Samsung phones for a living — and the Galaxy Z Fold 7 looks like my nightmare come to life
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 shows off an impressive design that helps it stand out as one of the best foldables you can buy. However, this design comes with some downsides that, honestly, are going to make repairing the phone a lot more difficult than it should be.
I used to work at a Samsung repair store and usually, Samsung phones were simple enough to fix. Many people could do the base repairs themselves if they were brave enough. However, in a recent video, iFixit revealed the inner workings of the Z Fold 7 and even a seasoned repairman would balk at the process.
The new Z Fold is not a phone that the majority of people can fix at home. The complexity and, in some cases, danger of damage to the parts should dissuade anyone from attempting a repair.
For that reason it's imperative to know how to protect your new Galaxy Z Fold 7 to allow you to put off a repair for as long as possible.
What makes the Z Fold 7 so hard to repair?
Repairing a phone is, at its core, pretty simple when you know how to do it. However, it is also very easy to do something wrong and end up causing more damage to the device.
When it comes to the Z Fold 7, the two biggest risks are the batteries and the inner display.
The first thing that concerns me is the pair of lithium-ion batteries in the phone, split across both halves of the device. These batteries are impressively thin, but that comes with its own major risk when trying to remove them.
Firstly, Samsung appears confident that repairers can remove the batteries easily with the included tab pull system, but that's never really been the case. Even with a healthy amount of alcohol (for the glue, not you) it still requires a fair amount of force to pull them out.
This can lead to the battery bending in the process, which thicker batteries can usually take without too much issue. The thinner a battery is, the less durable it is, which leads to an increased chance of the inner layer being pierced or breached.
If this happens, then the chance of a fire is much higher. Battery fires are no joke. Not only are they difficult to put out, the speed at which they occur can take people by surprise.
Removing the battery is only one issue; the other is down to just how fragile the inner display is. As you can see in the video, removing the outer rim is a tedious process and will likely lead to damage to the phone's chassis.
This is bad enough, but the inner screen is by no means durable, so you can't just take a working one out and put it back in. Even if you do have a new screen, placing it in a damaged chassis is asking for issues, as any warping, dents or deep scratches would likely break the new screen.
As such, you may have to fully replace the chassis as well, adding further complexity and expense to the repair.
What can we do to protect the Galaxy Z Fold 7?
It is important to note that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 isn't without its strengths, and the phone is more durable than you would expect.
In his recent breakdown of the Z Fold 7, JerryRigEverything showed that the phone can take a surprising amount of punishment, and the outer display does match typical flagship phones when it comes to scratch resistance.
Not only that, Samsung has claimed that the phone can handle 500,000 folds before the hinge starts facing problems.
However, there are still some steps that you can take to keep your new phone safe and to make sure you avoid the repair shop for as long as possible.
First, up is something that I have always recommended: Make sure you get a case for your phone. We have a breakdown of some of the best Galaxy Z Fold 7 cases, with options for all tastes. This will help protect the outer display and the chassis from any damage that could impair the device.
You also want to make sure that you keep the battery healthy so that you avoid needing to have it replaced. The main thing to do is to avoid completely draining your phone or charging it fully every time.
Instead, you want to keep the power level between 20-80%, which you can enable through adaptive charging in the settings. It's equally important to be aware of extreme temperature changes, since being too hot or too cold can affect performance and cause damage over extended periods of time.
The inner display is slightly more difficult because it's softer than other screens and can show scratches from even a fingernail. Thankfully, the 6.3-inch outer display does mitigate this, with the increased size making it slightly more useful than on other Samsung foldables.
Really, though, the best thing you can do for the inner screen is just be careful when handling it, and keep the phone folded when not in use. Thankfully, if you do cause damage, Samsung does offer one free replacement of the inner screen protector, while subsequent replacements cost around $19.
Hopefully, these tips will help you keep your phone safe, but let us know if you've had any issues with your device. Alternatively, if you've already tried to repair the Galaxy Z Fold 7, let us know how it went and what your experience was.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
More from Tom's Guide
Google Pixel 10 arrives August 20 — here's the 7 biggest rumored upgrades
Thieves hate this iPhone feature — how to enable Stolen Device Protection
Pixel 10 telephoto camera rumor could mean big trouble for the iPhone 17 — here's why
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tom's Guide
11 minutes ago
- Tom's Guide
I test TVs for a living and I'd happily pay more for this one feature — but it isn't OLED
TVs have come so far in the last decade. These days, we've got OLED TVs with higher levels of brightness, Mini-LED backlights in budget LCD TVs, and companies like Samsung and Hisense pushing the boundaries with their new Micro RGB TVs. Unfortunately, despite all these advancements in display technology, TV makers are still skimping on internal speaker systems, leaving a lot to be desired in the audio department. It's one of the most common complaints we have in our TV reviews, even on some of the best TVs. It's a total shame. If you're already paying over $1,000 for a TV, audio performance should be just as important as picture performance. While some TV makers are putting in the effort, like Panasonic, Sony, and Hisense, more should follow suit. Before I complain too much, I want to at least acknowledge that there are some manufacturers who are upping the ante when it comes to their built-in speakers. Case in point is the brand new Panasonic Z95B OLED TV. Panasonic stripped away the internal design on its predecessor and reworked everything from heat ventilation to speaker placement so that the audio could truly perform at its peak. It's pretty ingenious when you look at its underlying design. The up-firing and side-firing speakers are positioned closer to the top of the frame and wider apart, allowing for a wider soundstage. It's also equipped with a 30W subwoofer, which isn't particularly common on most TVs, as they will usually add to the overall weight. While the Hisense U8QG is a definitive highlight for bombastic audio, last year's Hisense U9N Mini-LED TV is also a notable for its side-firing speakers built directly into the TV. Hisense also hasn't skimped on its audio design, adding punchy subwoofers to its displays. While the Hisense U8QG is a definitive highlight for bombastic audio, I think last year's Hisense U9N Mini-LED TV is also a notable entry here, not just for its subwoofer but also for its side-firing speakers built directly into the TV. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. These angled, side-mounted speakers not only look cool, but gives the TV punchy, realistic sound. The speakers are kitted with an aluminum bezel and positioned in such a way that allow sound to be emitted directly toward the viewer, showing that audio performance for Hisense is just as important as picture quality in the design of its displays. OK, now that we've talked about the innovators, let's talk about the problem with TV speakers: Most of the time, they're underpowered and sound awful. Manufacturers can do a lot with Digital Signal Processing (DSP) and beam-forming, but when the whole system is powered by two-inch 10W drivers, there's just not enough power there to drive immersive-sounding audio. Sure, these TVs can technically decode Dolby Atmos, but there's no way you're going to hear nuanced spatial audio with a two-channel 10W speaker setup. What's particularly egregious is when you see manufacturers slapping Dolby Atmos stickers on the boxes of their TVs with the 10W speakers. Sure, these TVs can technically decode Dolby Atmos (and hopefully pass it to a soundbar or AV receiver), but there's no way you're going to hear nuanced spatial audio with a two-channel 10W speaker setup. I'm not calling out anyone in particular here, but most budget QLED and QNED TVs fall into this category. I know, it sounds crazy, but hear me out. Sony makes some of the best OLED TVs, so it should come as no surprise that Sony has some great-sounding TVs, too. And that's largely due to their design, which uses a special feature called Acoustic Surface Audio+. Sony TVs with this feature, like the Bravia 8 II OLED, have special actuators placed behind the screen that vibrate the panel for added effects that are dynamically connected with what's visualized on the screen. They also are equipped with two subwoofers for even punchier, grittier audio that you can literally feel. Acoustic Surface Audio+ is the beating heart of what makes Sony TVs some of the best in terms of audio functionality. You can even connect compatible speaker systems, like the Sony Bravia Theater Quad, and use the TV as a center speaker, which is pretty neat. Not everyone needs to follow suit (Acoustic Surface Audio actually requires an OLED display to function properly) but Sony's showing that it's possible to think outside of the box to deliver great sound. So what's the downside of better audio in TVs? Unfortunately, the reason most manufacturers opt for low-quality speakers is to save on cost. And I get that. Picture quality should be the top priority. There are ways of amplifying the TV audio but there's no way to significantly boost picture quality once you've purchased your TV. If you're buying a TV that costs several thousand dollars, chances are that you're also buying (or already bought) one of the best AV receivers and paired it with compatible speakers and a subwoofer. That's the end-goal for AV enthusiasts. Unfortunately, in this economy, not everyone wants to spend several thousand dollars on this kind of setup. Even full soundbar systems can be pretty expensive. Our top-rated soundbar, the Sonos Arc Ultra, costs $1,000. Add that with a Sonos subwoofer and two Era 100 speakers, and you're looking at spending over $2,000 just on your amplified speaker array — about as much as a 65-inch Samsung S90F OLED TV on Amazon. This is exactly why I'm loving how TV brands like Panasonic and Hisense are thinking outside of the box when it comes to TV audio. TV speaker systems should compliment the display. Sound is, after all, an important facet to our entertainment. The compromise? Better-sounding built-in speakers that add a nominal cost. If it saves me having to spend over $500 on a discrete system (and time setting it all up, too), I'm more than willing to spend that extra cash for better TV audio.
Fast Company
11 minutes ago
- Fast Company
This free web timer puts your computer's Clock app to shame
For something as simple as setting a timer, the built-in apps on our computers can be awfully fiddly. Usually you have to open a Clock app first, then navigate to a separate tab for timers. After that you have to hit another button to create the timer, and only then can you finally set the time. You might even have to wade through a messy list of all the previous timers you've created. Fortunately, there's a faster way when time is of the essence. Even better, it's full of powerful features that don't detract from its up-front simplicity and delightfulness. A plain but powerful desktop timer The next time you find yourself with a timer-needing task, you can skip past all the cruft of your built-in Clock app by just opening your favorite web browser and visiting the appropriately named ➜ is a free web-based app for setting quick timers with simple keyboard commands. ⌚ Setting a timer takes just a few seconds. ✅ To set up a basic timer, try typing '5 minutes' or '5m' into the box on the landing page. This also works with other units of time, so you can type '3h48m15s' for a timer that runs for three hours, 48 minutes, and 15 seconds. When time expires, the site will play a tone and—with your permission—deliver a push notification to your device. To speed things up further, just include the time directly in URL. For instance, entering into your address bar will bypass the setup page and set a five-minute timer immediately. You can even bookmark your most-used timers for faster access in the future. I was chatting with my fellow Cool Tools writer JR Raphael about this, and he asked a valid question: Why use instead of, say, Google Search's built-in timer tool? To this I offer a few answers: supports more time formats. In addition to the hour-minute-second format I mentioned earlier, lets you input absolute times such as '4:56 pm' or 'August 10 2025 3pm.' It can also count down to holidays such as Mother's Day or New Year's. works offline. If you're using Chrome, click the little download icon in the top-right of the address bar to install Progressive Web App. Now you can launch a freestanding version of the site that works without an internet connection. supports the Pomodoro method. Beyond just individual timers, you can also set up sequences of consecutive timers. Try typing '25m/5m/25m' for a pair of 25-minute work sessions broken up by a five-minute break. is more fun. Beyond the basic black text on white background, the site offers a bunch of themes, including a digital clock, dot matrix, and—my personal favorite—one that looks like the Windows Blue Screen of Death. This only scratches the surface of what's possible. Check out the site's Help and Settings page for even more possibilities, such as adding labels to your timers and tweaking things like the default alarm sound. ☝️ One quick caveat: While technically works in any browser on any device, I've found that its alerts don't come through on mobile devices unless your screen is on and the site is open, so you're better off using it on desktop browsers only. Too bad, because the built-in Clock apps on our phones are just as fiddly as their desktop counterparts. is entirely web-based, though you can download it as a Progressive Web App if you would like. It is free to use and doesn't include any ads (unless you select the 'Ugly' theme which has fake ads on the page). doesn't ask for any personal information to use the service. Treat yourself to all sorts of geeky goodies like this with the free Cool Tools newsletter —starting with an instant introduction to an incredible audio app that'll tune up your days in truly delightful ways. The early-rate deadline for Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies Awards is Friday, September 5, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today.
The Verge
12 minutes ago
- The Verge
A first look at Google Translate's take on language learning.
Posted Aug 13, 2025 at 10:15 AM UTC Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates. Dominic Preston Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All by Dominic Preston Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All AI Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Apps Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Google Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. See All Tech
