Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: Unfolding The Future By Reinventing The Hinge

It struck me one evening at Fort City Brewing in the Hauz Khas market in South Delhi. A couple of folks were trying to open Samsung’s brand-new Galaxy Z Fold 7 that I had with me. Alongside this, I also had Vivo’s X Fold5. While my friends struggled with the Samsung book-style foldable, they easily unfolded the X Fold5. That, in my opinion, is a testament to just how far Samsung has come.

Yes, Samsung is playing catch-up to the best-in-class foldable smartphones from Chinese manufacturers (read: Oppo, OnePlus, Vivo and others), but the generational leap from the Galaxy Z Fold 6 to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 cannot be understated.

Samsung’s new butterfly hinge mechanism has completely changed the game for the global leader (thanks to the smartphone being universally available unlike its Chinese counterparts) in folding (Flip and Fold) smartphones. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 also has the least amount of crease I have ever seen on any book-style folding smartphone. Yes, it’s visible at certain angles, but, if you’re using the smartphone and seeing it head-on, it’s almost invisible.

But, let’s come back to the hinge for a moment. It’s one of the strongest (quite, literally) features of the Galaxy Z Fold 7. The fact that you can’t just ‘flip’ it open is something I appreciate. Yes, I know a few people who ‘broke’ the hinge of their Galaxy Z Fold devices (previous generations). But, with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, it’s much harder to do. The hinge is sturdy, solid, and feels like it can withstand massive amounts of folds and unfolds.

Just the other day, JerryRigEverything (Zack Nelson), a famous YouTuber, posted his durability test. With just an IP48 dust and water-resistance rating, the Z Fold 7 was set up for failure. It is slimmer, and lighter than before, and features new backplate materials, but can it pass the ultimate test?

The answer is a resounding yes. Nelson opens and closes the hinge several times and inserts dirt and gravel into the hinge. Unlike the Galaxy Z Fold 6 which had an annoying grinding sound, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 mostly avoids this. That speaks to the sheer work that has gone on behind the scenes with respect to Samsung’s engineers. The Z Fold series has come a long way and the Z Fold 7 deserves all the praise and more.

The Armor FlexHinge, as Samsung is calling it this time, can withstand up to 500,000 folds and unfolds, and this is one time I can actually believe the company’s claims.

The Galaxy S25 Edge Paved the Way for the Galaxy Z Fold 7

Quite clearly, ultra-thin is the theme for smartphones in 2025 with Samsung leading the brigade. While the Galaxy S25 Edge was far from perfect (battery life being the most underwhelming feature), it did represent a shift in the R&D department and consumer sentiment. Samsung finally strayed away from stagnation. It was something all of us technology journalists and consumers alike were craving for from the company.

Well, Samsung did it again, with the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Yes, we’re all surprised. When unfolded, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is thinner than the Galaxy S25 Edge - 4.2mm thick vs 5.8mm thick.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 also managed to get a larger battery - 4,400mAh vs 3,900mAh.

All said and done, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 does feel like an engineering marvel, even if it is only playing catch-up and not revolutionising the folding-smartphone category.

The Removal of the S Pen

Something I can get on board is the removal of the S Pen. Yes, I’ve used all generations of the Galaxy Z Fold series, and I hardly used the S Pen. Furthermore, with the Galaxy Z Fold, one had to buy an external case to store the S Pen. Yes, it wasn’t at all convenient. But, one major reason for the removal of the S Pen, according to Samsung, is that it helped make the smartphone thinner (other than the fact that their research suggested that hardly any customers were using it).

If that’s the case, then I’m all in for this.

The Extreme Wobble

While I can praise the sturdy hinge for days, weeks, months, and years, I can’t bear the extreme wobble when the phone is folded and kept on a flat surface. Thanks to the upgraded camera system (that primary 200MP sensor is really good), and an ultra-thin chassis, the table wobble for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 has gotten worse. Yes, it may not be a dealbreaker, and it doesn’t feature on other book-style foldables on the market, but it’s something to keep in mind when purchasing the quite expensive (yes, Samsung has given it a price bump vis-a-vis the previous generation) foldable smartphone.

One just can’t use the phone while it’s flat on a table. You have to pick up the phone to use it. Something that isn’t the case with most traditional clamshell smartphones. Samsung made sure they retained their brand identity (the vertical camera bump on the top-left of the back panel) rather than prioritising functionality. Maybe having the cameras in the middle of the back panel would have solved the problem. Or maybe even a horizontal or circular housing would have worked.

Nonetheless, you’ll most likely be itching to purchase a case to use with this smartphone, which will add to the weight, unfortunately.

This is not a full review

Yes, these are just some initial thoughts I’ve had after using the Galaxy Z Fold 7 for a few weeks now. I just wanted to highlight the fact that Samsung has finally acknowledged all of us technology journalists (or you can say, tech reviewers), and consumers alike and come out of the woodwork with sometihng that is new, refreshing, and strays away from the previous generations (except for that darned battery capacity).

While you wait for my full review in a few days, I’ll leave you with this. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 from Samsung is a breath of fresh air (especially for those markets that haven’t tasted the goodness of Chinese manufacturers' folding-smartphones) in today’s stagnant smartphone industry..