Samsung Z Fold 7 smartphone review: A leap forward

Irish Times

2 days ago

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
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Price
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€2149
Website
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Where To Buy
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Samsung
Samsung has noticeably stepped up its game with its latest folding phone. Everything about it feels like what the Fold was striving for over the last 6½ years.
The hinge is stronger, snappier. The phone itself is thinner, even when closed, and lighter than its predecessor. It even beats the S25 Ultra on weight by a few grammes, and is just a shade thicker than Samsung's flagship device when folded up.
That instantly makes it a much more attractive phone. The previous versions of the Fold felt slightly clunky to use as a standard phone. The Fold 7 doesn't feel any different from picking up the S25+ or Ultra. Unlike previous versions, the proportions don't feel off. You could be picking up any regular smartphone, with a high-quality 6.5-inch cover screen.
Unfolded, it is the thinnest tablet you have held in your hand. It is an impressive feat of engineering, one that doesn't feel flimsy.
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That thinness has a trade off, of course. Much like the
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge
, the Fold 7 comes with a prominent camera bump. That houses the 200 megapixel main camera, although the ultrawide is bumped down to 12 megapixels from the S25 Ultra's 50 megapixel resolution. You also get the 10MP 3x telephoto cameras, and two selfie cameras – one on the outside and one on the inner screen.
But the camera set-up does the job. The photos are clear and detailed, even when light levels drop below optimal. It is the typical Samsung camera – saturated, vivid colours – so if that doesn't suit you, perhaps you might be best looking elsewhere.
The main issue with the Fold 7 is that it is trying to do a lot
You can edit the photos easily on the extra space that inner screen gives. The new version bumps up the screen area from 7.6in to 8in, which is a decent-sized tablet even if the aspect ratio isn't quite suited to everything. I found it most effective by pinning two apps side by side – email and documents, for example – although you can add more if you are okay with working in smaller windows.
The other chief complaint about folding phones was the crease on the inner screen; on the Fold 7's Amoled screen, it is less noticeable than before, but like many things on this device, they become less noticeable over time.
The main issue with the Fold 7 is that it is trying to do a lot. In theory, it can replace three devices: your smartphone, your tablet and your laptop. In practice, the latter would need a full keyboard and monitor set up to be comfortable, which it is perfectly capable of doing thanks to the Dex functionality that Samsung builds in, but it will add to the extra costs.
And the Fold 7 is expensive. It starts at €2,149, and while most people will buy this on a contract from an operator, it will still add up to a sizeable investment.
Good
This is Samsung's best folding phone yet. It is not just an incremental upgrade, it feels like a whole new device. Closed, it looks similar to any of the Galaxy devices; open, it brings an 8-inch display to the mix. And it doesn't feel flimsy when open either, which is an impressive feat when you consider that it is only 4.2mm thick – fractionally bigger than the USB C port.
Bad
The camera bump is a little too prominent, but that is a niggle. Ditto for the placement of the under-screen selfie camera, which shows up on the right-hand side of the main screen.
The crease is still evident, but less defined than in previous versions of the phone, and over time you will notice it less in my experience.
Everything else
Capacity starts at 128GB, but you can bump it up to 1TB if you have the spare cash.
You get Samsung's latest UI8, which has all the AI-enabled features that are designed to make your life easier – AI-enabled writing tools search and photo editing among others.
The phone is IP48 rated – still not at the flagship S series level but on a par with the Fold 6. Best to keep it away from the beach, to avoid trapping sand in the crucial parts.
Battery life is decent, but below what you get with the S range. You should get a full day at least out of a full charge, and it supports wireless charging too.
The verdict
Folding phones are coming into their own, and Samsung's Z Fold 7 is making strides.