Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Review: This Foldable has Levelled Up, and How

Samsung, being a global player and one of the most trusted companies in the smartphone industry, easily snapped up all of the market share when it launched its first folding smartphone (aka foldable), the Galaxy Fold, back in February of 2019. For years, Samsung enjoyed plenty of market share and didn’t really have to tinker much with its devices every generation. It was more of an iteration than something revolutionary.

Over the last few years, brands like Vivo, Oppo, OnePlus and Honour have doubled down and gone far beyond what Samsung was capable of. From being the de facto leader and the one foldable everyone recommends, Samsung’s position was slipping away from its grasp. The company was now in catch-up mode. Luckily for Samsung, some of the foldables were available only in China or had limited global releases. Come 2026, and Samsung’s hand was forced.

Yes, they had to slim down their foldable. Yes, they had to pack in flagship-worthy cameras. Yes, they had to make their foldable more durable.

Why am I mentioning all of this? It’s essential in the context of their latest foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Before I get into the nitty-gritty, let me just tell you this: The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is the best foldable Samsung has ever made, and it puts the company back as the frontrunner in the category. Yes, it’s not the best in every category (ie cameras and battery life). Still, it’s got so much right (including a global release strategy) that I can confidently recommend this smartphone to anyone and everyone who is looking to buy a foldable. I can say this confidently after using it for a couple of months now.

What has the Galaxy Z Fold 7 gotten right this time around?

1. Durability: When you’re buying a smartphone that is almost Rs 2,00,000, you’d like to use it for at least a few years without many issues. While previous generations of the Galaxy Z Fold were fragile, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 has doubled down on its durability. Sure, it’s slimmed down (more on that later), but the FlexHinge has gotten a considerable upgrade. Despite the sharp corners, the FlexHinge has been rounded off, making it more comfortable to hold. The frame uses Advanced Armour Aluminium, the back panel has Gorilla Glass Victus 2, and the cover screen has Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2. That combination makes the Galaxy Z Fold 7 one of the most durable foldables in the market today. Thanks to the new FlexHinge, the smartphone can be opened and positioned in many different ways. The hinge is so sturdy that neither I nor anyone I have handed the phone over to can unfold it with just one hand. The only thing that hasn’t gotten an improvement is the IP rating. It’s still stuck on IP48.

2. Weight: The Galaxy Z Fold 7 has slimmed down. By doing so, it’s more comfortable to hold, and can be put in any pocket without weighing you down. It weighs just 215g (a whopping 25g less than the Galaxy Z Fold 6), and is surprisingly lighter than the iPhone 16 Pro Max (which comes in at about 227g). Being as light as a clamshell smartphone is nothing short of incredible. With that said, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 isn’t the only lightweight foldable on the market. But, after a few years of playing catch-up in terms of design, Samsung is finally on par with the others.

3. Displays: One of my major gripes with Samsung’s foldables of the past has been the cover screen. It was either too narrow or too short to be used comfortably when folded. The cover screen on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 has gotten a considerable upgrade. The AMOLED (120Hz refresh rate) cover display is now larger at 6.55 inches. It’s also wider, and adopts a 21:9 aspect ratio, making it far easier to type, message, and the like. The inner display has now made the jump to a 7.98-inch display. Whether you’re charting your favourite stocks from the stock market or binge-watching the Indian cricket team, the main canvas is brilliant and handily passes the test. Brightness and viewing angles are excellent.

4. Multitasking prowess: The Galaxy Z Fold 7 doesn’t skimp on its processing power. It’s got Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, along with 12GB of RAM. That’s plenty of power for daily tasks, and even those games you’d love to play for hours on end.

5. One UI 8: The Galaxy Z Fold 7 runs One UI 8 (based on Android 16) out of the box. It may not be a radical change from the previous version of the software, but it’s well-rounded and optimised for the foldable. It’s got the Now Bar at the bottom of the lock screen, plenty of multitasking modes, and yes, you can have up to eight apps open simultaneously on the internal screen. Apps can be resized into any shape, and when partly folded, use the app on both halves. There’s also Samsung’s full suite of AI tools, including Circle to Search, transcription, audio editing tools, and more. Samsung has promised Android and security updates until 2032.

Where the Z Fold 7 falls slightly behind its rivals

1. Wobble: This one is just straight up annoying. Thanks to the large camera bump on the top left-hand side, the smartphone wobbles unlike anything you’ve seen before. Yes, you can buy a case and somewhat mitigate this problem, but a lot of people like to use their phones sans a case, as it can add unnecessary weight.

2. Camera: So, that large camera bump on the back that I mentioned right above? It houses the primary 200MP sensor, a 12MP ultra-wide shooter and a 10MP 3x telephoto lens. There are two 10MP selfie cameras, one on the cover display and one on the inner screen.

The 200MP camera is the same as on the Galaxy S25 Edge, and across a range of lighting conditions, it is absolutely fantastic. I have no complaints here. It’s the significant upgrade we were all itching for, and Samsung has finally delivered.

The 12MP ultra wide is solid, but nothing to write home about. Macro shots look a bit off, and there is a soft result from the ultra-wide. The 3x telephoto camera is good, with great portraits and good edge detection, but tends to fall off when the lighting isn’t great. And yes, 3x cannot match the 5x we’ve seen from other traditional clamshell smartphones. Selfies are mostly great! Furthermore, you can use the primary camera while shooting a selfie, thanks to the cover screen becoming a viewfinder.

With all that said, the Vivo X Fold5 (which is available in India) does beat the Galaxy Z Fold 7 in this department. The X Fold5 is one of those that takes its camera hardware seriously. It’s gotten an upgrade in the telephoto department, and macro shots are fantastic. The HONOR Magic V5 is even better, but that isn’t available in India.

3. Battery life: The one area where Samsung hasn’t improved is vis-a-vis battery capacity. The 4,400mAh cell is the same as the last generation. In fact, it’s the same as the previous five Fold models. It also features the same fast charging speed of 25W. Yes, on heavy days, the Galaxy Fold 7 will need a top-up well before you hit the sack. On some days, I managed to get over 7 hours of Screen-on-Time (SoT), but on most, it stuck closer to the five-hour mark. If I’m not constantly snapping photos or binge-watching videos, then I can manage to stretch out the battery life and last until I hit the sack. But, even with minimal usage (I’ve been glued to the laptop writing articles all day), my smartphone at 4:30 PM (I took it off the charger around 9:30 AM) is now at 65% battery life. Definitely won’t last me until I reach home close to 1 AM.

With that said, I’m not as desperate to seek out a charging point as I was when I was daily driving the Galaxy S25 Edge. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 does have some optimisations and efficiency gains, and it does show. When you do need to top it up, the 25W wired charging can get you to 50 per cent in just 30 minutes.

But, then again, the X Fold5 managed to cram a 6,000mAh battery inside its slim profile. It utilises the second-generation semi-solid battery technology. With the X Fold 5, I never had to worry about reaching for a charger, even on those heavy days. I got over six hours of SoT constantly, and was always left with around 10-15 per cent after those long days of being out and about.

4. Price: I’ll just leave this here. While the Galaxy Z Fold 7 starts at Rs 1,74,999, the Z Fold5 comes in with a starting price of Rs 1,49,999.

Verdict: Levelling up!

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 has levelled up and how. Yes, Samsung is already a leader in the global markets, and its flagships consistently perform well. In terms of hardware and software, though, Samsung was playing catch-up. After using the foldable for about two months now, I can safely say that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 has grown up and how. It’s now levelled the playing field.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is the mega upgrade Samsung needed. It’s lighter, thinner, and when folded, it feels like a regular clamshell smartphone. The internal screen is gorgeous, the crease is hardly visible, and the joys of multitasking remain.

The camera bump may be way too annoying for some, but that 200MP primary sensor shines bright. You get the latest flagship chip from Qualcomm, and a device you wouldn’t mind putting in your pocket at all times.

Yes, it isn’t perfect. The price is way too high for most; there isn’t any improvement in the IP ratings, and the cameras and battery life fall slightly behind its main rival.

But, with the sturdiest hinge out there and durability at the forefront, this may be the foldable to get. It’s definitely a giant step up for Samsung and their best foldable to date. Period.