The future is here, and it folds. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 review you are about to read is not just about another high-end phone. It is about a leap in how we interact with technology, consume content, and define what a smartphone can be. Foldable phones have always been fascinating, but most have felt like prototypes or showpieces. With the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Samsung has made its boldest pitch yet for a foldable that is ready for everyday life, not just for tech enthusiasts or CEOs.
From the moment you pick it up, it is clear this is not the bulky, delicate foldable of yesteryear. The Z Fold 7 is thinner, lighter, tougher, and more practical. It slips into your pocket almost as easily as a traditional flagship, yet, with a quick flip, it transforms into a mini tablet that can handle anything you throw at it. But all this innovation comes at a price, literally. The Fold 7 is a gadget for those willing to invest in the best, and its Rs 1,74,999 tag reflects that.
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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 review: Design and Display
Let’s start with the most immediate and important improvement: design. Samsung’s engineers have trimmed the Z Fold 7 down to a stunning 8.9mm thickness when closed. That is a 26 per cent drop from last year’s model. At just 215 grams, it is lighter than the iPhone 16 Pro Max and is as pocketable as any top-tier smartphone.
This year, Samsung has used Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 on the front, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the back, and reinforced the spine with a new titanium lattice for added durability. The metal and glass sandwich is topped with a matte finish that both looks and feels premium. Fingerprints do not stand a chance.
The new Armour FlexHinge is another highlight. For the first time, the hinge closes without a visible gap. This is not just a design flex; it is a practical upgrade. Dust, lint, and even small coins will find it harder to get inside and ruin your day. The hinge feels smoother, more robust, and closes with a deeply satisfying snap.
According to Samsung, the Z Fold 7 can withstand 500,000 folds. If you open and close your phone 100 times a day, that is nearly 14 years of use. I spent a week flipping it open for emails, YouTube, and multitasking, and the hinge felt just as solid on day seven as it did on day one.
IP48 dust and water resistance make this the first foldable you do not have to baby. Accidental drops, splashes, or even a kitchen disaster should not send you into a panic. We dropped our unit accidentally from about 3-4 feet high. It survived without a scratch, and we have no hesitation in saying this is the toughest foldable Samsung has ever built.
The Z Fold 7 is available in a range of colours, including a classy matte blue that looks as good in a boardroom as it does in your hand on the Metro. There are no flashy, gamer-style finishes, just sleek, executive appeal.
The real magic of the Z Fold 7 is in its displays. When closed, the phone behaves almost exactly like a regular smartphone. Flip it open, and you get a mini tablet that is brighter, bigger, and more versatile than ever.
The 6.5-inch Cover Screen is now wider and less cramped, with thinner bezels and a much more usable aspect ratio. Previous Folds felt like you were tapping away on a TV remote, but the Z Fold 7’s cover display feels natural for one-handed texting, WhatsApp, social media, and even quick photo snaps. For most day-to-day use, you might not even need to open the phone.
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Open the Z Fold 7, and you are greeted by a spectacular 8-inch AMOLED display. This panel is brighter than ever, with a peak brightness of 2,600 nits. It is easier to read outdoors, and we love it. Over that, the 120Hz refresh rate makes scrolling and gaming buttery smooth.
What sets this apart is the experience. Watching movies, editing photos, reading books, or juggling multiple apps on this display feels like using a premium tablet, not a phone. The main screen is 11 per cent larger than last year’s model, yet the phone itself is slimmer and lighter. It is simply more fun to use.
One of the Fold’s killer features is multitasking. You can run three apps side by side, drag and drop content, and split the keyboard for two-thumb typing. You can even pair a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and the Fold 7 becomes a surprisingly capable stand-in for a laptop for quick editing, emails, and research.
During our review, we found ourselves using the cover display for most quick tasks. But whenever we needed to get work done, editing a Google Doc, catching up on email, reading a book, or watching a show, the inner screen transformed our experience.
No phone is perfect. The punch-hole camera on the main display is a small visual interruption, but the photo quality improvement makes up for it. And while Samsung has dropped S Pen support for the Fold 7, this move has allowed for a thinner, lighter device. Only die-hard stylus fans will truly miss it.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Review: Performance And Cameras
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor, with either 12GB or 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. This phone is not just fast, it is top of the Android pile. For the review, we are testing the base variant with 12GB RAM and 256GB storage.
Apps on this device launch instantly, multitasking is fluid, and there is simply no lag. Whether you are gaming, streaming, editing photos, or hopping between dozens of tabs, the Z Fold 7 handles it with ease. In a side-by-side comparison, the Fold 7 loaded games and heavy apps up to 25 per cent faster than Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
We ran the Antutu benchmark on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, and it blew past the rest. Here are the results:
Samsung packs the Fold 7 with a full suite of AI features. Galaxy AI brings tools like real-time translation, automatic photo editing, and intelligent summaries. Google’s Gemini Live adds hands-free screen and camera context, so you can ask your phone to summarise, organise, or search with voice alone. Some features feel a bit early, but the potential is huge, especially for multitaskers and busy professionals.
Out of the box, you get Android 16 with One UI 8, Samsung’s best software yet. The interface is clean, polished, and packed with productivity tools. Best of all, Samsung promises seven years of OS and security updates. This is not just a flashy gadget; it is an investment that will not feel outdated next year.
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Foldables have traditionally lagged behind candy bar phones in camera tech. Not anymore. The Z Fold 7 is the first foldable to get a 200-megapixel main sensor, straight from the S25 Ultra. Alongside that, you get a 12MP ultrawide and a 10MP telephoto with 3x zoom. Both the cover and main displays have 10MP selfie cameras.
The main sensor delivers rich, punchy, detailed photos in all conditions. In bright light, colours are warm, textures are crisp, and dynamic range is excellent. Even at night, shots remain sharp and well-balanced. The only real challenger is the vivo X Fold 5, which still has the edge in white balance and low-light sharpness, but the Z Fold 7 is not far behind.
Video is smooth and stable, with good colour accuracy and sharp detail, which can be shot in 8K resolution. The 3x telephoto lens is handy for portraits and close-ups. For group selfies, the new 100-degree wide-angle front camera is a huge win. If you care about social media, the Fold 7 has you covered.
The Z Fold 7 packs a 4,400mAh battery, just like last year’s model. But improved efficiency means longer life. Also, they managed to fit in a slim frame, which is commendable. In our real-world tests, the Fold 7 lasted over 21 hours on the main display, and almost 27 hours if you stick to the cover screen. With a mix of browsing, messaging, gaming, and video streaming, we got through a full day, even with heavy use.
Charging is not revolutionary. You get 25W wired and 15W wireless capability. This is enough for most, but power users who are used to 65W or 100W charging speeds on rival phones will notice the difference. A 30-minute top-up brings the battery from zero to about 55 per cent. Qi 2 compatibility is built in, but you need a case for full magnetic accessory support.
Samsung’s One UI 8 is the most polished version yet. Most major apps, Google’s suite, Microsoft Office, Kindle, Netflix, and YouTube, work perfectly on both the cover and main screens. Split-screen, drag-and-drop, and app pairs make multitasking a joy.
There are still a few outliers, like Instagram, that do not scale perfectly to the 8-inch screen. Most users will not care, but perfectionists like us will notice. Typing on the split keyboard takes some getting used to, especially for smaller hands, but is far better than holding an iPad Mini in two hands.
Seven years of software updates means you will not need to upgrade soon. For professionals and enthusiasts, this is a foldable you can commit to.
Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is the first foldable phone that genuinely feels like it belongs in the flagship league. Samsung has solved the bulk and durability issues, packed in a best-in-class camera, and made multitasking more fun than ever. If you have been waiting for a foldable that is not just a tech demo but a practical, premium device, this is it.
It is not cheap, and it is not for everyone. But for power users, creators, entrepreneurs, and anyone who wants to turn heads, the Z Fold 7 is a conversation starter, productivity booster, and status symbol all in one. Samsung has finally built a foldable for the real world, and I can see why so many are ready to make the switch.
If your wallet can handle the price, the Z Fold 7 is easily the best foldable phone of 2025 and a genuine alternative to both your phone and your tablet.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Pros
- Incredibly slim, light design
- Stunning 8-inch main display, bright and vivid
- Wide, usable 6.5-inch cover screen
- 200MP main camera delivers excellent photos
- Snapdragon 8 Elite performance is best-in-class
- Durable build, IP48 rating, and tough hinge
- Seven years of OS and security updates
- Excellent productivity and multitasking features
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Cons
- Steep Price
- Charging speeds are average
- Some third-party apps are not fully optimised for a foldable screen
