Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Ultimate Review: Thinner, Faster, More Expensive

Since Unpacked, you’ve likely heard several times that “Samsung has finally caught up to the Chinese”. And what that means is that Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 is finally competitive with the foldables coming out of China like the OPPO Find N5, HONOR Magic V5, and a few others. And it’s true. For quite a while, Samsung had been stuck making very small changes to its foldable phone. But this year, it’s a huge change.

I’ve reviewed every single Galaxy Fold since the original one, and typically, I’ve switched away from it being my daily driver before even finishing the review. However, with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, that’s not the case. Here we are, nearly two weeks later, and my main eSIM is still inside the Galaxy Z Fold 7 – to be clear, it doesn’t need to be, as Samsung does provide us with a T-Mobile SIM card to use for a few weeks. Which is pretty telling, especially considering Samsung’s software is not my favorite.

Samsung has solved almost every complaint I had with the Galaxy Z Fold series. But the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is not perfect. With the price increase to now $1,999, is the Galaxy Z Fold 7 worth buying right now? Let’s find out in our Galaxy Z Fold 7 review.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Ultimate Review: Design and Build Quality

Samsung went from having the thickest book-style foldable, to being tied for the thinnest book-style foldable in just one generation. Now that is pretty impressive. There was a lot of talk about the HONOR Magic V5 being thinner, but in actuality, it’s not thinner. Which puts the Galaxy Z Fold 7 (and OPPO Find N5) up there as the thinnest book-style foldables on the market today, which is really nice.

While many aren’t too keen on thinner phones, for foldables, it’s definitely necessary. Making the Galaxy Z Fold 7 about the same size and almost as thin as a traditional slab phone, makes it much easier to carry around than a slab phone. Because it doesn’t feel like a brick in your hand. Samsung did a really great job on that front, because most of the time I don’t even open the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Though that’s not 100% due to the thickness of the Galaxy Z Fold 7. It also comes down to that wider front display here.

Unfortunately, in order to make the Galaxy Z Fold 7 this thin, Samsung did have to make a few trade-offs. One of those being the S Pen. You see, the S Pen, unlike other styluses, uses a digitizer under the display, which does make the device thicker. Samsung opted to get rid of it, as the company says most Galaxy Z Fold users did not buy the S Pen or the S Pen case to use with the Galaxy Z Fold devices. And these users also wanted a thinner phone.

However, it’s not all bad news, because of the digitizer being removed, Samsung was able to increase the thickness of the ultra thin glass layer, making it more durable. And it also improved the hinge by removing parts, and allowing the hinge to fold the display better, all but eliminating that crease.

Holding the Galaxy Z Fold 7 in the hand, it feels ultra-thin, and it feels great. Of course, I’ve been using the OPPO Find N5 for the last few months, so I’m sort of used to an ultra-thin foldable device, but for some reason the Galaxy Z Fold 7 does feel more comfortable in the hand over the Find N5. I think it comes down to the more boxy look and feel, and also the back material.

The front of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is almost all screen. There are some bezels there that are thicker than I’d like, but it’s perfectly fine if I’m being honest. On the back is the new 200-megapixel camera, and the 10-megapixel telephoto and 12-megapixel ultrawide. Unfortunately, Samsung only upgraded the primary camera this year, hopefully, the telephoto gets its much needed upgrade next year. But because the device is so thin now, that camera bump really jets out. It’s almost impossible to use this device on a table without a case, and even some cases don’t make the camera module flush.

Finally, let’s talk colors. Typically these more expensive devices do get some pretty boring colors, and that’s the case again this year with the Galaxy Z Fold 7. However, Samsung did release it in this stunning Blue Shadow color, which I absolutely love. Samsung has been using different shades of blue as their hero colors for all of their devices this year, and I absolutely love it. This blue shadow is a bit darker than the Navy blue on the Galaxy S25 and S25 Plus from earlier in the year.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Ultimate Review: Displays

By far the biggest update on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 this year, even bigger than the thinness of the device, is that cover display. Since the original Galaxy Fold, Samsung has been using a pretty skinny front display, which was pretty tough to use. Each year, Samsung has made that cover display a tiny bit wider, but even on the Galaxy Z Fold 6, it was still pretty hard to use. but with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Samsung made it much wider, bringing it to a 21:9 aspect ratio. Still a bit taller than most slab phones, but close enough to make it usable.

Because of this change, I rarely open up the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and use the inner display. Because 90% of what I want to do on this phone, I can do on that outer display. Which is a huge change. Samsung also made both displays much brighter this year, at 2,600 nits of peak brightness, making it great to use outdoors.

The inner display is now a 8-inch display, and it has a 90% screen-to-body ratio. Which is pretty impressive for a foldable, as those bezels are typically still quite thick. The biggest change to this inner display is going to be the removal of the under display camera, which was crap anyways, so great to see Samsung go back to a regular 10-megapixel hole-punch camera. It also has a much less noticeable crease.

The crease this year is a bit weird, to be quite honest. It’s still noticeable in the right lighting, and still looks pretty huge. But when you’re using the device, you can barely notice the crease. The crease has gotten dramatically shallower, because of the new wingplate that Samsung is using, this allows it to open wider and deliver a flatter and cleaner screen for a more premium viewing experience. On previous Samsung foldables, that crease really did bother me quite a bit. But this time around, I hardly ever notice it. That’s a huge improvement.

Now as far as brightness goes, both screens do go up to 2,600 nits of peak brightness. And when you’re outdoors in direct sunlight, there’s no problems viewing the displays. However, the problem comes from the heat. It’s been pretty hot since I received my review unit, so there’s been times where I’m using it outdoors and the display does dim quite a bit, making it almost impossible to see. This is something we’re going to talk about a bit later, but that’s because of the lack of a cooling system in the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

Otherwise, these screens do look amazing, and it’s one of the reasons that it’s hard to put the Galaxy Z Fold 7 down.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Ultimate Review: Performance

The performance on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is top-notch, as you would expect from a $2,000 smartphone. Internally, we have the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy – this is a slightly overclocked version of the Snapdragon 8 Elite – along with 12GB of RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of storage. Samsung is selling a 1TB storage model, which also bumps up the RAM to 16GB. And honestly, if you’re planning to keep this device for several years, I’d say splurge for that top-end storage model, as that extra RAM will come in handy with all of the future AI features that are coming our way.

Currently, 12GB of RAM is enough for all of the Gemini and Galaxy AI features, but that might not be the case in a year or two. It’s really puzzling why Samsung has decided not to include 16GB of RAM on the Galaxy S25 Ultra and now the Galaxy Z Fold 7, while Google is doing it on the Pixel 9 Pro, Pro XL and Pro Fold, last year.

As far as performance goes, I’ve had no real problems. Even with multiple apps open, in multi-window, pop-up window and even in picture-in-picture, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 doesn’t miss a beat. There hasn’t been a single time where the phone slowed down, though it does tend to get warm.

As mentioned already in the display section, when using this outdoors in the summer heat, it does get quite toasty, and the screen does tend to dim quite a bit. However, it’s not too hot to handle, like we’ve seen on some other devices. The reason for this, is likely the lack of a cooling system. Which is strange, since Samsung did add one last year to the Galaxy Z Fold 6, and now it’s been removed – likely in the quest to make it as thin as possible. However, OPPO was able to fit a pretty large vapor chamber in the Find N5, so there’s really no reason why Samsung couldn’t. Hopefully they’re saving that for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 next year.

That said, the phone hasn’t heated up all that often with me in the past 11-12 days of using the device. So I’m not sure it’s all that big of an issue. Of course, if you live in hotter regions like India, then it’s likely a bigger deal.

Benchmarks

Let’s talk about those benchmarks. Benchmarking the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a bit of an odd thing this time around. You see, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 took four tests on Geekbench before it got a score that I felt it should have had. I was expecting to see a single-core score close to 3k, and a multi-core score around 8-10k. The first three tests on Geekbench, were lower than the Galaxy Z Fold 6. Luckily, on the fourth try, I was able to get the results I was expecting. Which is why it’s important to always do the benchmarks more than once.

For these benchmarks, we are comparing the Galaxy Z Fold 7, to last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 (Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy), the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold (Tensor G4), and the OPPO Find N5 (Snapdragon 8 Elite, 7-core). Here’s how those devices stacked up.

So as we can see from this test, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is about 40% faster than the Galaxy Z Fold 6 in the CPU tests, and about 35% faster in the GPU. Which does back up Samsung’s claims pretty nicely. Now compared to the OPPO Find N5, we are seeing some pretty minimal gains, which really shows how well the 7-core Snapdragon 8 Elite performs in the Find N5 with a vapor chamber. Then there’s the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which is just sad.

The next benchmark we run is AnTuTu. This tests just about every component of the Galaxy Z Fold 7, and the results shaped up basically how we expected them to.

Finally, we run the 3D Mark Wildlife Extreme Stress Test, which is also a thermal test for us. This test really pushes the Galaxy Z Fold 7 to its limit, and shows us how much throttling Samsung is actually doing. And we can tell that there is some throttling here, unfortunately. So the Best Loop was 5,913 with a Lowest Loop of 3,269 and that brought us a Stability percentage of 55.3%. Most devices that we’ve run this test on score in the upper 60s and 70s for the stability, unless it has an incredible cooling system like the OnePlus 13 which had over 80%. So there is some throttling here, but as we said already, this likely won’t affect you in day-to-day usage.

Thermals

Now, let’s talk thermals. This is actually more important than ever on the Galaxy Z Fold 7, since it doesn’t have that cooling system. But, we do run three different tests on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 for thermal testing. The first is that 3D Mark Wildlife Extreme Stress Test, which is the hottest we’ll ever see a device get. On these tests, we measure the whole device and record the hottest temperature. Obviously, the section near the camera usually is the hottest, as that is where the chipset is.

From this test, it’s easy to see how much of a difference the vapor chambers in the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the OPPO Find N5 make. Hell, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 was hotter than even the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which is known for running pretty hot.

The next test that we run is with Genshin Impact. We play this game at max brightness and max graphics settings for an hour, and then measure the results. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 did perform better here, beating out the Pixel 9 Pro Fold by a few degrees. But still considerably warmer than the other two foldables with vapor chambers.

Finally, we do a camera test. In this test, we are recording at 4K60 for 10 minutes, taking in temperatures at 5 minutes and at 10 minutes, to see how the devices react. And again, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 did better, having manageable temperatures. For this test, typically anything under 100 degrees at 10 minutes is good.

You probably noticed here the crazy low temps on the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and that likely comes down to how optimized Google’s cameras are on its devices. But otherwise, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 performed quite well, even beating out the OPPO Find N5.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Ultimate Review: Battery life and Charging

Before reading this review, you likely looked at the spec sheet and saw that Samsung is still using a 4,400mAh capacity battery in the Galaxy Z Fold 7. It is unfortunate, but that is not the whole story. Just as was the case with the Galaxy S25 Ultra and its 5,000mAh battery pretty much beating out the OnePlus 13 and its 6,000mAh battery, optimization is key here.

I’ve been using the Galaxy Z Fold 7 for the past 12 days or so, and have been unplugging it around 6 or 7am, and using it until about 11pm with around 5-7 hours of screen on time. Typically when I plug it back in at night, it’s under 10%. Meaning it can get me through a full day, but not much more than that, to be honest.

It can get me through a full day, but not much more than that, to be honest.

This is okay. It actually surpassed my expectations for this battery capacity. I was expecting to only get about 3-4 maybe 5 hours of screen on time. My conclusion on battery life here is that it is okay, even good, but it’s not the best. For me, the best battery life on a foldable is still the OPPO Find N5, which can get me 10 hours of screen on time pretty consistently.

Charging is quite slow, I do wish that Samsung would up the Galaxy Z Fold charging speed from 25W to at least 45W to match the Galaxy S25 Plus and Ultra. But where I am mostly charging overnight, it’s not that big of a deal. And we do still have wireless and reverse wireless charging available here.

Benchmarks

We also run benchmarks on the battery and charging for each device. For batteries, we fully charge the device, and let it sit fully charged for about an hour to ensure it is actually fully charged. Then load up a 24-hour long YouTube video and play it at around 200 nits (that’s close to full brightness on most devices), and unplug it. Letting it play until it hits 1%. Here’s how the Galaxy Z Fold 7 stacked up.

What this shows us is, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 does have quite a jump over the Galaxy Z Fold 6, and almost matches the OPPO Find N5. This leads me to believe that Samsung has really optimized this device for video playback.

And then on the charging side, it shows that the charging speed has been optimized as well, shaving off a little over 2 minutes from its time from last year. Despite having the same capacity and charging speed. Of course, the OPPO Find N5 is a bit of an outlier here since it does support 80W charging, albeit over USB-A.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Ultimate Review: Software

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is the first smartphone to launch with Android 16 and One UI 8. This is actually quite different for Samsung, as usually the latest version of Android launches after Samsung’s foldables are released. But this year, that’s not the case, and surprisingly, One UI 8 feels very polished, despite having very few betas compared to One UI 7.

Just like the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and other recent Samsung flagships, Samsung promises 7 years of updates for the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Currently, only Samsung and Google are promising 7 years of updates.

When it comes to software, Samsung has arguably the best foldable software on the market today. And it really comes down to optimization, which is really important when you’re using a display that’s a very different aspect ratio from most smartphones. Samsung does a great job of forcing apps to use the whole screen, particularly on the inner 8-inch display. Though, it’s not perfect. As a lot of apps zoom in quite a bit, so you’re actually getting less content on that inner display versus the 6.5-inch cover display. A lot of Android apps are just not made for tablet-sized displays, which is something Google has been trying to work on for quite some time.

Samsung makes it super easy to jump into multi-window and even use pop-up windows for apps. Just swipe down from the right and you’ll jump into a pop-up window for the app you’re currently in. Or, swipe in from the left or right to start multi-window. While this gesture is helpful, I do think that OPPO’s gesture on Boundless View is a bit better. Where you just swipe down in the middle of the screen, to split it. It also makes a bit more sense.

Of course, we can’t talk about software without mentioning AI. Gemini is here, and there’s not a lot new on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 with Gemini, most of the new-ness is on the Flip 7, but Gemini Live works, and so does the power button shortcut. Circle to Search however, has gotten a few updates. Where you can now get tips from within the game you’re playing.

Galaxy AI has been updated, and appears to run a bit faster than it did on the Galaxy S25 Ultra from earlier this year. I still believe that Samsung has some of the best AI features on smartphones today. These are features that just work, versus being in the way and just being there for the “AI” buzzword.

One UI 8 runs very smoothly on the Galaxy Z Fold 7, with virtually no issues. There were a couple of times where I opened the YouTube app and it stuttered a little, but I believe that was more due to the heat versus the software itself.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Ultimate Review: Camera

Cameras have always been a bit of a let down with foldables, especially compared to bar phones. I recently received the Huawei Pura 80 Ultra to review, and that camera setup is pretty insane compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which did get a few camera upgrades this year.

First off, the main sensor is now a 200-megapixel sensor. This is the same camera from the Galaxy S25 Ultra and Galaxy S25 Edge. It’s a decent sensor, but it doesn’t hold a candle to some of the wild phones we see in China. Unfortunately, the 3x 10MP telephoto sensor is still here, as is the 12MP ultrawide. Though, thankfully the ultrawide now has autofocus, making macro shots a lot easier.

Let’s talk about the primary sensor, to start. It’s good. It’s not the best, but it’ll get the job done. In most conditions, it’ll provide a pretty good looking photo, though it does tend to fall apart in lower-lighting conditions.

The 3x telephoto is really not that great. Again, in great lighting, you’re going to get a great picture, but if that lighting is any bit of a challenge, it’s going to result in a worse picture unfortunately. And honestly, I feel that this sensor is not really needed, as the 200-megapixel sensor is definitely capable of sensor-cropping to 3x.

The 200MP sensor is decent, but it doesn’t hold a candle to some of the wild phones we see in China.

Though, when you remember that this is a 10-megapixel sensor, the 10x and even 30x shots are actually pretty impressive. They still lose a lot of detail, unfortunately, but this is only 10-megapixels and digital zooming. Below, you can see a shot at 3x, 10x and 30x.

The zooming capabilities do leave a bit to be desired, but here are a number of zoomed in shots I’ve taken. Mostly at 3x.

Now, let’s talk about editing. Or specifically Generative Edit. Now these features are not actually new, they’ve been around for a bit, and are actually really impressive on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and the same goes for the Galaxy Z Fold 7. You’re able to do things like remove people and objects and do it quite well. You can also enlarge objects, move them around, and much more. The pictures below are a before and after of a photo I took, and removed all the cars that were parallel parked on the street. It’s still pretty amazing how well this works.

My final thoughts on the camera is that it’s better. It’s not the best, but it is better. The main sensor is on-par with the OPPO Find N5, though the Find N5’s telephoto is quite a bit better. I’m really hoping that Samsung will upgrade its telephoto sensor next year, as it is quite small at 1/3.94″ and only 10-megapixels. Where Samsung typically updates one camera each year on the Galaxy S Ultra models, we’re expecting the same here on the Galaxy Z Fold.

Should you buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7?

Every time I pick up a new foldable to review, it becomes my daily driver. However, typically within a week or so, I’m back to my iPhone. There’s a couple of apps that I use constantly on my iPhone, and the battery life is typically better, plus the weight is a plus too. But with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, I just can’t go back to my iPhone. And believe me, I’ve tried. A couple times already, and keep coming back to the Galaxy Z Fold 7. That’s just how good it is this year. Samsung did a fantastic job here, while still leaving room for improvement next year.

But, with the price increase now making this $1,999 to start, that does make it a bit of a bigger pill to swallow. So should you buy it? If you’ve been wanting to check out a folding phone, and have something to trade in, go ahead. You can get the Galaxy Z Fold 7 for incredibly cheap right now with trade-ins. But if you’re paying the full price, that’s a harder answer. I’d say no, unless you know that a foldable is right for you.

The lack of S Pen support will turn off many, but for me, it doesn’t really matter. I hardly used it on my Galaxy S25 Ultra, so I’m not missing it here on the Galaxy Z Fold 7.

It took 7 generations, but Samsung has finally given us what we’ve always wanted from a foldable.

You should buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 if:

• You want a thin foldable, with great software.
• You want the best foldable in the US.
• You want the only new foldable with Android 16 (for now).

You should not buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 if:

• You use the S Pen constantly.
• You want the best battery life on a foldable.