I really liked the Galaxy Z Fold 6 , but it was some distance from a perfect device. The outer screen may have been slightly wider than before, but it was still strangely narrow, the phone was also pretty thick, and compared to rivals, the cameras felt a bit outdated – especially that awful under-display selfie camera.
Now, though, Samsung has unveiled its latest foldables, and the Z Fold 7 fixes nearly every issue I had with the predecessor. Without a doubt, it’s shaping up to be the brand’s greatest foldable to date.
I spent around 15 minutes using the Galaxy Z Fold 7 during a Samsung hands-on session ahead of the phone’s launch, so these are my initial impressions of the device.
Find out where to buy the Galaxy Z Fold 7 to get the best deal . More interested in the Z Flip? Read our full Z Flip 7 review .
Slimmer, lighter and …bigger?
Let’s start with the dimensions, as they’re certainly the first thing you’ll notice. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is now wildly slim. It measures just 8.9mm thick when folded and 4.2mm unfolded. For those keeping score, it’s supposedly 0.1mm thicker than Honor’s Magic V5 , but you’d have a hard time telling. This feels like just as much of an accomplishment, and it’s a gigantic leap in the right direction from last year’s chonker.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
It’s not only slim though, it’s also impossibly lightweight. It tips the scales at just 215g, which means it’s lighter than the Galaxy S25 Ultra . And, crucially, it’s 2g lighter than Honor’s latest effort.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Despite the low weight, Samsung has also managed to make the cover screen significantly wider, and it now has a more traditional-feeling 21:9 aspect ratio. As a result, the interior screen is much bigger, too. It’s now an 8-inch panel, which Samsung says is 11% larger than the Z Fold 6’s folding screen.
This folding screen is apparently more durable as well. It has a new titanium lattice under the display, a new waterdrop-style hinge designed to evenly disperse stress, an improved coating with new adhesives, and a significantly shallower crease to boot.
The difference in the crease is plain to see. It’s still present, of course, but it’s so much better than previous versions. However, there is a downside to this new design, and that’s the fact that it no longer supports the S Pen.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
According to Samsung, the new design is simply too thin to accommodate the layers required by the S Pen. I’m not much of a stylus guy, so it’s not really going to make an impact on me, but if you like to doodle on your folding phone, this could be a dealbreaker.
What else is new?
Of course, the Z Fold 7 also gets an upgrade to the Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, and as we’ve come to expect, it’s a special overclocked “For Galaxy” edition. I wasn’t able to put the performance to the test during my short hands-on session, but suffice it to say, this one’s gonna be quick. The question is, will that slim chassis be able to effectively dissipate the heat?
We also get the same 200MP main sensor as the S25 Ultra, which has been slimmed down so it doesn’t protrude quite as far on this model. Don’t get me wrong, these cameras still stick out a fair bit, but not to the same extent as the upcoming Honor Magic V5.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
The ultrawide has been upgraded, too, presumably also matching the Ultra. It now has macro-focusing capabilities, and while the ultrawide wouldn’t be my first choice for macro shooting, it’s great that we can finally shoot extreme close-ups with a Samsung foldable.
Samsung has also finally ditched the under-display selfie camera , and I couldn’t be happier with that decision. Yeah, there’s a small punch-hole to deal with, but you’ll actually get usable results when using the phone unfolded, and a much wider field of view, too.
Of course, I’ll need to take these cameras out into the real world to get a proper idea of how they perform, but on paper, it’s a pretty big upgrade. I can’t wait to test them fully.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
On the software front, there are a few new AI enhancements. Photo Assist will now detect and recommend objects/people to erase in your photos, and Audio Eraser has been enhanced, too. You can now tap an “auto” button to remove background noise without needing to manually dial in the levels yourself.
In addition, the AI features have been optimised for a larger screen, and you’ll be able to view your results in a variety of new layouts.
Gemini has also learned some new tricks, which are debuting here, but probably won’t stay exclusive for long. You can share your screen with Gemini Live , to get context-based responses, and you can also use Circle to Search while playing a game, in case you need a hint on a tricky boss battle.
What’s not so new?
Disappointingly, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 has the exact same battery capacity and charging speeds as its predecessor. It’s a 4400mAh pack which charges at 25W with a wire and 15W without. That said, given how much slimmer the device is, the fact that there hasn’t been a reduction in capacity could be chalked up as a win.
On the other hand, the Honor Magic V5 has almost identical dimensions and it manages to squeeze in a 5850mAh pack with 66W wired and 50W wireless charging. So as usual, Samsung isn’t leading the pack with battery tech. Is more than 25W really too much to ask for?
The 10MP cover screen camera and 10MP 3x telephoto remain unchanged, too. They’re not bad cameras, but 10MP feels very low-res in 2025, especially when we’re talking about one of the most expensive phones on the market.
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
What you need to know
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 goes up for pre-order today, and it’ll be landing with customers on 25 July. The phone comes with the exact same storage options as its predecessor, and pricing has remained the same, too. The only difference is that the 1TB model has an extra 2GB of RAM, which could be a nice upgrade for power users.
Here’s how the prices look:
- Galaxy Z Fold 7 12GB + 256GB: £1,799/$1,999
- Galaxy Z Fold 7 12GB + 512GB: £1,899/$2,119
- Galaxy Z Fold 7 16GB + 1TB: £2,149/$2,419
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is available in Jet Black, Silver Shadow and Blue Shadow colour options as standard. However, if you order from Samsung.com , you’ll be able to get your hands on a pretty nifty Mint version (though this exclusive colourway may have a hidden downside ).
We’ve also got early hands-on reviews of the 7 Flip 7 and the 7 Flip 7 FE , if you want to check out more of the new lineup.
Author: Luke Baker, Contributor, Tech Advisor
Luke is a freelance journalist who has been working in consumer electronics for over a decade. Previously Features Editor at Pocket-lint, Luke can now be found contributing reviews and features to a variety of publications, as well as running a YouTube channel called Neon Airship in his spare time. Luke loves anything that takes pictures, whether it’s a smartphone, camera or drone, and he also gets very excited about the latest VR and AR tech.
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