Latest news with #S25Ultra
Irish Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge test: nobody asked for thinner phone but is it unwelcome
Samsung has delivered an ultra-thin 5.8mm version of its flagship S25 Ultra smartphone that it has called S25 Edge. It is not to be confused with previous Edge-branded phones that came with curved screens, and for context this year's ultra-premium flagship, Galaxy S25 Ultra, was 8.2mm thick. Foldable smartphone fans will doubtless have hoped this superslim device pointed the way towards a less blocky and bulky next generation of Z Fold handsets. READ MORE: Microsoft Surface Laptop 13in review: the best everyday ultra-portable notebook I've tested in 2025 READ MORE: Ugreen Nexode Retractable Chargers review: ideal power bank for festivals such as All Together Now Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge everyday use The rear of Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge (Image: Mark Kavanagh) I've enjoyed using the lightweight 162.5g S25 Edge. I was pleasantly surprised by the impressive battery life for such a slim device and for its robust build quality. It's a delight to hold and use. The IP68-certified device has a tough-as-nails titanium frame and the latest Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 protection for its dazzling 6.7in 120Hz LTPO OLED display. That display, as with all the firm's handsets, is one of its strongest features. It is excellent for outdoor use and is visible even in direct sunlight with decent wide viewing angles. The phone is powered by the highest-end Android chip, Snapdragon 8 Elite and is one of the fastest I've tested in 2025 in terms of benchmark scores and real world use. S25 Edge breezes through everything you care to throw at it and runs Android 15 and One UI 7 out of the box. S2 Edge comes packed with plenty of Google and Samsung's most advanced AI tools such as Gemini. I love the useful Now bar and the live notifications which show ongoing activities (such as music playing on the lock screen) in the task bar and on the home screen. The dual rear camera system on Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge (Image: Mark Kavanagh) The key compromises with S25 Edge concern the dual rear camera system. The device is capable of the image and video quality as the other Galaxy S25 devices, but space limitations mean it lacks a telephoto lens so it may only be suitable for users who don't often use the zoom. However, do note that the primary lens is a superb 200MP shooter that is similar to the S25 Ultra camera. It captures consistently pleasing photos and videos in a range of lighting conditions. And it can deliver sharp 2x in-sensor zoom shots. The camera app and overall shooting experience is up there with the likes of Pixel 9 Pro, iPhone 16 and of course the S25 Ultra. Galaxy S25 Edge other features Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge (Image: Mark Kavanagh) The maximum recharging speed is just 25W, so to refuel the 3,900mAh power pack takes an hour and a half. On the upside, I was surprised to regularly get a full day of use out of such a relatively small battery. However, battery stamina depends very much on how you use the phone and ardent gamers might be better off looking elsewhere. S25 Edge comes with the promise of seven years of operating system upgrades and security updates. The phone comes with 5G, USB-C data transfer speeds of 480Mbps, NFC, the latest Bluetooth 5.4 and Wifi 7, an ultra-wideband chip for precision location tracking and GNSS. And you get a fast and reliable fingerprint sensor. Galaxy S25 Edge verdict The superslim S25 Edge and its protruding camera module (Image: Mark Kavanagh) If you want all the latest and greatest tech on a phone, the S25 Ultra is still the device to go for. But if you want a slim and stylish alternative and are not fussed by the lack of zoom and the slow charging then the S25 Edge makes sense. It feels so much lighter in my hand, pocket and bag yet it still has the large high quality screen that I crave in a smartphone. Galaxy S25 Edge pricing and availability Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge costs €1269 from Harvey Norman and Samsung. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Tom's Guide
3 hours ago
- Business
- Tom's Guide
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 — top plans and offers in Australia
The wait is over — the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is available from today (August 1) in Australia. While the pre-order period has wrapped up, there are still plenty of opportunities to snag the best deals from top retailers and telcos across the country. The South Korean electronics giant unveiled the new device at its Galaxy Unpacked July 2025 event, and it's the company's lightest and thinnest Fold yet. When folded, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is only 8.9mm thick — only 0.7mm thicker than the S25 Ultra — and when unfolded, it's just 4.2mm thick. When you consider that the ultra-slim Galaxy S25 Edge has a thickness of 5.8mm, that's seriously impressive. Add to this a weight of just 215g (3g lighter than the S25 Ultra), and it's clear that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a true feat of engineering. But what really pushes the Galaxy Z Fold 7 into true flagship territory is its upgraded camera, which now boasts the same 200MP main sensor as the S25 Ultra. Throw in that phone's Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, and the Galaxy Z Fold 7 could arguably be considered Samsung's most premium smartphone ever. With the release of the Galaxy Z Fold 7, many of the telco and retailer deals that were previously available have disappeared. That said, there are still some good offers and plans available for those looking to get the most bang for their buck. To make things easier for you, we've compiled the best Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 plans and offers currently in Australia. Samsung: Bonus AU$200 Instant Eco-Voucher + exclusive colour and 30% off select wearables When you buy the Galaxy Z Fold 7 directly from Samsung, you'll receive a bonus AU$200 Eco-Voucher to spend on anything in Samsung's online store, like Galaxy Buds, tablets, watches or rings. On top of that, you can enjoy a 30% discount on wearables and earbuds, including the Galaxy Watch 8 Series, Galaxy Watch Ultra and Galaxy Buds 3. Optus: Get AU$800 in Samsung eStore credit with purchase of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 Purchase the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 at Optus on an eligible plan and receive an AU$800 credit to spend on Samsung's online store. A great option for those thinking of picking up the new Galaxy Watch 8 or a new set of Galaxy Buds. This offer ends on August 3, 2025. Vodafone: Save up to AU$300 when preordering the Galaxy Z Fold 7 on a plan If you're planning on getting the Galaxy Z Fold 7 on plan, you may want to consider this offer: purchase the Z Fold 7 with a qualifying 24 or 36-month Vodafone plan, and you'll save AU$300 over your repayment period. Additionally, you can get up to AU$500 in bonus trade-in value for your old handset. Chip Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Cover Display 6.3 inches OLED (2376 x 968, 120Hz) Main display 7.6 inches OLED (2160 x 1856, 120Hz) RAM 12GB Storage 256GB, 512GB, 1TB Rear cameras 50MP wide (f/1.8), 12MP ultra wide (f/2.2, 123°), 10MP 3x telephoto (f/2.4) Front camera 10MP (f/2.2, FOV: 85°) Under display camera 4MP (f/1.8, 85°) Battery 4,400 mAh Charging 25W wired, 10-15W wireless Colors Silver Shadow, Pink, Navy, Crafted Black, White Size Folded: 153.5 x 68.1 x 12.1mm; Unfolded: 153.5 x 132.6 x 5.6mm Weight 239g
Tom's Guide
a day ago
- Tom's Guide
I shot 200+ photos with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra — here's the winner
Picking between the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Galaxy S25 Ultra would be a difficult decision for anyone with the option to buy either. And a likely deciding factor could be how these two very expensive phones perform when it comes to taking photos. While the Galaxy Z Fold 7 has the same number of cameras as the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and shares some of the same sensors, the position and type of cameras used differ significantly. The practical difference here isn't obvious, unlike pricing, battery life and, of course, the foldability of these two devices. After hundreds of photos and detailed analysis, I've got some interesting comparisons between the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy S25 Ultra cameras. You wouldn't have expected the two best Samsung phones to be so different, and yet you're about to see just how far these two phones diverge in image quality as well as form factor. Both of these phones can take up to 200MP photos with their main cameras, but this shot of a tree and a path is set at the default 12MP resolution, the one you'll want to stick with for most of your photos. It was a bright and sunny day when I headed out to capture these photos, and the Galaxy Z Fold 7 clearly shows that off. It's less obvious from the Galaxy S25 Ultra's image, which has attempted to balance the light level throughout the image. The result is less dramatic shadows, but enhanced detail from Samsung's non-folding flagship. The impact of the Galaxy Z Fold 7's lower-res 12MP sensor is visible in this photo of a converted stablehouse though it's not evident in terms of detail. Rather, it's a matter of lower light levels. The pixel-binned 50MP ultrawide camera of the S25 Ultra creates a much brighter image. The S25 Ultra's shot also gives better HDR, which is especially visible in the brighter portions of the clock tower on top of the building. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. In the first of our zoom comparisons, we look across a park at the old mansion house at its center. Both phones have a dedicated 3x 10MP telephoto camera, so that's what we're using here. The image taken by the Galaxy S25 Ultra is brighter, with better HDR overall. However, I do like the Z Fold 7's higher level of detail on the building itself. Here, the Galaxy S25 Ultra's second telephoto camera can flex its muscles, while the Z Fold 7 has to rely on digital zoom from its 3x camera. Understandably, the Z Fold 7's image is on the darker side, and is less detailed to boot. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S25 Ultra deals with this zoom level with no problem at all, and can even shoot at up to 50MP at this level if you want it to. In our final zoom comparison, we see just how soft the Galaxy Z Fold 7's image has become at its highest magnification level — a 30x zoom. You can still make out the main details of the roof and chimneys of the mansion, and there's still a reasonable amount of color to appreciate too. But the S25 Ultra's able to handle this zoom level far more competently, thanks to its higher optical magnification and higher resolution sensor. 30x is the highest you can zoom in with the Z Fold 7. But as a bonus, here is the S25 Ultra's 100x zoom maximum for the same shot. It's a bit muddy, but you can still understand what is in the image. Looking over these formal gardens, we have perhaps the closest comparison between the two phones so far. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is slightly brighter overall, while the S25 Ultra has given us a darker, shadow-ier look. I like both photos, but they are subtly different. The microfoam on top of this coffee can help us see the HDR capabilities of these two phones — their ability to balance extreme light and dark in the same image. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 doesn't do a bad job, showing the dark bubbles in the coffee clearly, but in doing so, it has to sacrifice some detail from the white of the latte art. On the S25 Ultra shot, we can see the glossy sheen of the frothed milk that is present in real life, although perhaps too aggressively for some people's liking. Approaching subjects, such as this flower, activates both phones' macro modes, uses the ultrawide lens on either phone to allow you to get in close to grab all those details. In the Galaxy S25 Ultra's image, we can see more of the veins in the petals, but it's also a bit dark in places. It's the opposite on the Z Fold 7's version, which is brighter overall. Using the front-facing cameras — in the case of the Galaxy Z Fold 7, that's the 10MP camera on the phone's cover — I tried a pair of portrait mode selfies. Both phones do a fine job with the bokeh effect, but the Galaxy S25 Ultra's image gives me a warmer skin tone, compared to a less exaggerated one on the Z Fold 7. The last shot in this comparison takes us back to the main cameras, and a shot of a wooden die on a table in a darkened room. The grain of the wood appears in much sharper relief on the S25 Ultra shot. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 flattens a lot of the detail in the die, even if it gets the color of the image mostly the same. Now that we've been through all these different scenarios, we can see how differently these two Samsung phones interpret what you put in front of the lens. That said, the only real place the Galaxy Z Fold 7 lags behind compared to the Galaxy S25 Ultra is on telephoto performance above 3x magnification. Granted, the Galaxy S25 Ultra demonstrates superior HDR and better light control across multiple shot types, which keeps it in the top spot on our best camera phones guide. But I think the Z Fold 7's performance is good enough for someone with a generous budget weighing up Samsung's best foldable phone and best slab phone not to regret picking the Z Fold over the Galaxy S Ultra.
Economic Times
2 days ago
- Economic Times
Galaxy S26 leak reveals major shake-up — Samsung's new lineup isn't what you're expecting
Reuters Leaked Galaxy S26 Ultra design confirms Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chip, 60W charging, and major rebranding with no base model — Samsung's premium flagship lineup for 2026 is set for a bold upgrade. Samsung's next big phone release is the Galaxy S26 series, following its recent foldable launches. Rumors now say Samsung won't have a basic 'Galaxy S26' model at all. Instead of the usual S26, Plus, and Ultra, the lineup could include: Galaxy S26 Pro, Galaxy S26 Edge, and Galaxy S26 leaks used codenames NP1, NP2, and NP3 for the S26 series, with 'NP' standing for Next Paradigm. But now, new One UI 8 firmware shows three new codenames: M1, M2, and M3 — these are believed to be for: M1 = S26 Pro, M2 = S26 Edge, and M3 = S26 Ultra. In past lineups, the '1' model was the basic one — but here, M1 is now for the Pro version, not the regular. That suggests there may be no basic or 'vanilla' Galaxy S26 at all — no signs of M0 or M4 in the code either, as per the report by Android move could mean Samsung wants to go more premium with its lineup — starting from 'Pro' could also mean a price hike. The older 'Plus' model might be replaced by the new 'Edge' variant, while Ultra stays as the top-tier beast.A well-known leaker, Yogesh Brar, had hinted earlier at Samsung planning a name change — and this new info supports that idea. A leaked One UI 8.5 firmware confirmed that the Galaxy S26 Ultra will use Qualcomm's next-gen chip, likely called Snapdragon 8 Elite 2. The firmware also confirms that the S26 Ultra will support 60W fast charging, a big step up from the S25 Ultra's 45W, as per the report by capacity stays the same at 5,000mAh, but the faster charging could make fans happy. A user @erenylmaz075 on X also confirmed the 60W charging from digging into the READ: England and Wales see record population surge in 2024 driven by immigration, says ONS Samsung is reportedly working to make the S26 Ultra thinner and lighter, under 7mm thick and weighing less than the S25 Ultra. Camera upgrades are expected too — including a new main camera sensor, a new 3x telephoto lens, and a new 5x periscope zoom S26 Ultra will ship with One UI 8.5, based on Android 16. Samsung is reportedly testing the software now, as the firmware was found on Samsung's own server. The firmware serial PMK8850 strongly hints at using Qualcomm's next-gen chip, as per the report by GSMArena. The S25 Ultra used Snapdragon 8 Elite (8750), so it's likely the S26 Ultra continues with Snapdragon. But not all models may get Snapdragon — the S26 Pro and S26 Edge could use Samsung's own Exynos 2600 chip, which promises improved CPU, GPU, and better this info comes from leaks, firmware, and insiders — so it's not 100% official, but all signs show Samsung is changing everything for the S26 lineup. Samsung hasn't confirmed anything yet — but fans should expect a major rebranding and higher specs in early 2026, as per the reports. Q1. Is Samsung removing the base Galaxy S26 model in 2026? Yes, leaks suggest Samsung may replace the base model with a Galaxy S26 Pro, skipping the standard version completely. Q2. What new features will the Galaxy S26 Ultra have? The Galaxy S26 Ultra may feature 60W fast charging, Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chip, and upgraded cameras, according to leaked firmware.
Tom's Guide
2 days ago
- Tom's Guide
I put the Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra through a 7-round face-off — here's the winner
The No. 1 question many people have when they look at the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is whether it's good enough to beat the Galaxy S25 Ultra. In my Galaxy Z Fold 7 review, I really loved the super thin and lightweight design and huge 8-inch display, plus the upgraded 200MP main camera. In fact, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is even lighter than the S25 Ultra. But as you'll see in my Galaxy S25 Ultra review, this big-screen phone has some advantages, including a much cheaper starting price, a bigger battery and S Pen support. So which Samsung flagship is right for you? I put the Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra side by side to help you pick the best phone for you. Galaxy Z Fold 7 Galaxy S25 Ultra Price From $1,999 / £1,799 / AU$2,899 From $1,299/ £1,249 / AU$2,149 Main display 8 inches AMOLED (2184 x 1968, 1-120Hz) 6.9 inches (3120 x 1440, 1-120Hz) Cover display 6.5 inches AMOLED (2520 x 1080, 1-120Hz) N/A Chipset Snapdragon 8 Elite Snapdragon 8 Elite RAM 12GB (16GB for 1TB) 12GB Storage 256GB/512GB/1TB 256GB/512GB/1TB Rear cameras 200MP wide (f/1.7), 12MP ultra-wide (f/2.2), 10MP telephoto (f/2.4, 3x optical, 30x space zoom) 200MP wide (f/1.7), 50MP ultra-wide (f/1.9), 50MP telephoto (5x optical, f/3.4), 10MP telephoto (f/2.4, 3x zoom, 100x space zoom) Front camera 10MP (f/2.2) 12MP (f/2.2) Main display camera 10MP (f/2.2) N/A Charging 25W 45W Battery 4,400 mAh 5,000 mAh Dimensions 158.4 x 72.8 x 8.9 mm (6.24 x 2.87 x 0.35 inches) folded, 143.2 x 158.4 x 4.2 mm (5.64 x 6.24 x 0.17 inches) unfolded 162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2 mm Weight 215 grams (7.5 ounces) 218 grams (7.,7 ounces) IP Rating IP48 (water) IP68 (water, dust) S Pen support No Yes Colors Blue Shadow, Silver Shadow, Jet-black, Mint Titanium Silverblue, Black, Whitesilver, Gray This one is an easy round for the S25 Ultra. The Galaxy S25 Ultra starts at $1,299/ £1,249 / AU$2,149 for 256GB of storage, while the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is super premium at $1,999 / £1,799 / AU$2,899 for 256GB. Buy your Galaxy S25 Ultra via Best Buy and you'll get it for just $1,024. That's a whopping $275 off for a phone with a bright and colorful 6.9-inch display, powerful camera system with 100x Space Zoom and built-in S Pen. So the Galaxy S25 Ultra is a good $700 less than the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Of course, there are plenty of Galaxy Z Fold 7 deals, and the same goes for S25 Ultra deals, so you won't have to pay full price. Galaxy Z Fold 7: up to $1,000 off w/ trade-in @ SamsungSamsung is knocking up to $1,000 off its Galaxy Z Fold 7 when you trade-in an older phone. The phone features an 8-inch AMOLED (2184 x 1968) 120Hz main display, 6.5-inch AMOLED (2520 x 1080) 120Hz cover display, Snapdragon 8 Elite CPU, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. In the rear, you get a 200MP f/1.7 main wide-angle lens, 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide lens, and 10MP f/2.4 telephoto lens. Selfie cams include a 10MP f/2.2 main display and cover camera. In our Galaxy Z Fold 7 review, we called it the first foldable we'd want to carry and use all day. But it's worth noting that you could get the 1TB version of the Galaxy S25 Ultra for $1,659, which is still $340 less than the entry-level Z Fold 7. Winner: Galaxy S25 Ultra The funny thing about going back to using the Galaxy S25 Ultra after using the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is how chunky it feels. I'm not saying it's a brick, but the Z Fold 7 looks and feels more like the future. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 measures 158.4 x 72.8 x 8.9 mm when folded and 143.2 x 158.4 x 4.2 mm when unfolded. Compare that to the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which is 162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2 mm. So unfolded the Fold 7 is thinner than the S25 Ultra, and it's only a smidge thicker when it's closed up. The Z Fold 7 is somehow lighter than the S25 Ultra, weighing 215 grams (7.5 ounces) vs 218 (7.7 ounces) for the S25 Ultra. And while that might seem light a big difference, I notice it when putting both of these phones in my pockets. In terms of colors, the S25 Ultra options are somewhat subdued with Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Whitesilver, Titanium Gray and Titanium Black. The Z Fold 7 has a bolder Blue Shadow option along with the more mundane Silver Shadow and Jet Black. And there's a exclusive color in Mint. The S25 Ultra pulls ahead in durability, though. It's IP68 rated for water and dust resistance. The Z Fold 7 is rated only IP48 for water resistance, so I would not bring this flagship to the beach. It's definitely worth noting that only the S25 Ultra has a built-in S Pen. The Z Fold 7 dropped support for the accessory for the sake of thinness, and I think it's a worthy trade-off. But others do not agree! Winner: Galaxy Z Fold 7 The Galaxy Z Fold 7 enters this round with a built-in advantage in that it packs dual displays. There's a 6.5-inch OLED panel up front and a whopping 8-inch screen on the inside. The Galaxy S25 Ultra has a 6.9-inch screen, which is by no means small. But here's where you'll really notice the difference. Hint: it's not when watching videos. Because of the Z Fold 7's aspect ratio, watching movies gives you about the same size window on the S25 Ultra. You can zoom in on the former, but you'll lose some detail on either side of the frame. Brightness (Nits, HDR) Color (DCI-P3) Accuracy (Delta-E) Galaxy Z Fold 7 2,310 96%/105.2% (Natural/Vivid) 0.22/0.28 (Natural/Vivid) Galaxy S25 Ultra 1,860 90.8%/107.3% (Natural/Vivid) 0.24/0.25 (Natural/Vivid) However, the Z Fold 7's extra real estate definitely comes in handy for apps like Google Sheets. I can see a lot more rows and columns at once. And in apps like Chrome, I can easily switch between tabs right up top. Plus, in apps like Gmail you get a handy dual-pane view so you can see your messages on the left and their content on the right. Games are particularly more immersive on the Z Fold 7, especially when playing console-like titles with top-notch graphics like Wuthering Waves. In our labs, the Galaxy Z Fold 7's main display delivered higher brightness scores, but the color reproduction and accuracy were quite similar between the two phones. So what about the crease on the Fold 7? Samsung has worked pretty hard to minimize it, to the point where it's barely noticeable. So it's not a reason to skip this phone at all. More noticeable is the punch hole camera on the Z Fold 7's interior display. It's no longer hidden like the under display camera on the Z Fold 6. But the pay-off is a higher resolution one (10MP vs 4MP). Winner: Galaxy Z Fold 7 The Galaxy Z Fold 7 steps up to Ultra-level status with its 200MP main wide camera, matching the Galaxy S25 Ultra. However, the S25 Ultra still has a couple of advantages. For one, the Galaxy S25 Ultra has two zoom lenses with a 50MP 5x telephoto and 10MP 3x lens, and it has a max digital zoom of 100x. The Z Fold 7 maxes out at 30x digital zoom with its 10MP 3x telephoto lens. The S25 Ultra also benefits from a sharper 50MP ultra-wide shooter, compared to 12MP for the Z Fold 7, though at least the latter now has autofocus and can capture macro shots. So how about the image quality? In this first Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra comparison, I slightly prefer the Z Fold 7's shot as the water up top looks sharper. But both cameras do an excellent job bringing out the details in the fountain while keeping the flowers in focus. I'm kind of torn by this ultra-wide shot of Bryant Park. The buildings have more detail in the Z Fold 7 photo, but the S25 Ultra delivers a brighter pic overall and the grass in particular looks more vibrant. I give the edge to the Galaxy S25 Ultra in this portrait. It's a brighter overall image, and I pop more off of the background. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 image if a bit too dim and it's not something I'd be keen to share. To test the zoom of these camera phones I pointed them at a building across the street at 30x zoom, and it's not even close. The figure on the Z Fold 7 is downright blurry, while the S25 Ultra provides more detail around the head and back and shoulder muscles. It's not close. Both the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy S25 Ultra deliver an exceptional macro shot of this Rose of Sharon flower. You can make out even fine particles of pollen around the stamen. But thanks to the Ultra's sharper 50MP ultra-wide lens, you can make out even more detail in the petals. In low light the Galaxy Z Fold 7 shines as evidenced by this pic of a checkered lamp in near darkness. The images from both phones are almost equally bright, but the S25 Ultra does a better job rendering the light from the faux candle. Because the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy S25 Ultra have the same powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and 12GB of RAM, it's not a surprise that the turned in very similar results on our lab tests. Geekbench Adobe Premiere Rush 3DMark Solar Bay Unlimited Galaxy Z Fold 7 3,052 / 9,735 52 seconds 41.2 fps / 10,812 Galaxy S25 Ultra 3,031 / 9,829 52 seconds 42.4 fps / 11,140 On Geekbench, which measures overall performance, the Fold 7 turned in scores on the single- and multi-core portion of the test that are nearly identical to the S25 Ultra. We saw the same thing on our video editing test using Adobe Premiere Rush, with both phones needing 52 seconds to transcode a 4K video to 1080p. The S25 Ultra had a slightly higher graphics score on 3DMark, but not enough to be significant. Where the Z Fold 7 pulls ahead is multitasking, as you can run three apps on screen at once. The S25 Ultra can run only two apps at once via its split screen view. Winner: Draw Here comes the bad news. The Galaxy Z Fold 7's battery life is way behind the S25 Ultra based on our testing. Anecdotally, I could get through a full work day with the Fold 7 and still have 40% juice left, but the S25 Ultra has a lot more endurance due to the size of it's battery and the fact that it has a smaller screen to power. Battery size (mAh) Battery life (hrs:mins) Galaxy Z Fold 7 4,400 mAh 10:55 Galaxy S25 Ultra 5,000 mAh 17:14 On the Tom's Guide Battery Test, which involves continuous web surfing at 150 nits of screen brightness, the Galaxy Z Fold 7's 4,400 mAh battery lasted 10 hours and 55 minutes on T-Mobile's 5G networks. The Galaxy S25 Ultra's beefier 5,000 mAh battery lasted for a much longer 17 hours and 14 minutes, landing it a spot on our best phone battery life list. The charging picture doesn't get much better. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 has a charging speed of 25W, allowing it to get to 54% charge in 30 minutes. The S25 Ultra reached 71% in the same time span. Winner: Galaxy S25 Ultra As you might expect, AI is front and center on both of these phones, but the Z Fold 7 goes a bit further than the S25 Ultra. For example, with Samsung's One UI 8 software, you can load Gemini in a floating window on the Z Fold 7's bigger display without covering up much other content. The S25 Ultra simply doesn't have that kind of real estate. But you can certainly do a lot with Gemini Live on both of these phones. Just long press the side key and you can enjoy multi-modal AI advice on the fly. You can speak to Gemini, show it your live camera view or even share your screen and ask questions in real time. You can also perform cross-app actions with AI on these two flagships. So, for example, you can ask about nearby steakhouses, send them to a friend via text and create a calendar reminder for your night out with one command. The Z Fold 7 is a bit more versatile, though. You can see the before and after of what happens when you remove people or objects from an image with Photo Assist. And you can drag and drop AI images you generate from one window into another. For now only the Galaxy Z Fold 7 runs the latest Android 16, which delivers new features like live updates for ride-share and food delivery apps. And you get grouped notifications from a single app. But the S25 Ultra should be getting this update soon. Speaking of updates, both the Z Fold 7 and S25 Ultra get 7 years of OS and security updates. This might sound surprising but I actually like the Galaxy Z Fold 7 more than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, at least for my needs. You get a compact phone when you want it and a big-screen tablet in one device — without the usual compromise of carrying around a thick and heavy device. The Z Fold 7 is a marvel of engineering, and it's backed by smart software that's is well suited to the form factor. I really like, for example, that I can run three apps at once, look at spreadsheets without going blind and get side-by-side comparisons of before and after edits on my photos. However, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is the more practical choice. It not only costs hundreds of dollars less, it delivers much longer battery life and an S Pen for those who want it. And while the Z Fold 7 and S25 Ultra both share a 200MP main camera, the S25 Ultra pulls ahead with its more robust zoom and sharper ultra-wide shooter. So I personally prefer the Z Fold 7 as a multitasker who likes the idea of leaving my laptop behind more often. But if you prefer a more traditional phone design, the S25 Ultra is a more well-rounded flagship. 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.
