Samsung’s latest foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Fold 7, is a device that feels remarkably close to a standard smartphone in terms of size in the hand, while offering the expansive screen real estate of a tablet.
This model tackles longstanding issues like thickness, usability, and durability in the hardware design, but also advances the software offering with Galaxy AI features for more intuitive interactions.
I’ve been using the phone for the past couple of weeks and now having lived with it, I have plenty of thoughts and in this review will answer if it’s finally time to invest in a foldable phone.
Design
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 achieves an astonishingly thin profile at just 8.9mm when folded, making it Samsung’s slimmest foldable to date and only marginally thicker than a USB-C port.
This design makes it far lighter than the Fold 6 at approximately 239g, allowing it to fit comfortably in pockets like a conventional smartphone. The improved hinge operates smoothly with less resistance, and feels robust to last many years of use. While this is not something I can say absolutely after just a couple weeks of use, it certainly gives that impression.
The design of the hinge means you can open the display at an angle, with 90 degrees being a great option for apps that support it, you get access to additional controls and options. Of course the fullscreen advantages take effect when opened at 180 degrees, unlocking the massive screen real estate.
In comparison to earlier models, the outer display is wider with a more practical aspect ratio, going some way to addressing the narrow ‘remote control’ feel of predecessors. Personally coming from the luxuriously wide Pixel 9 Pro XL, it still felt ever so slightly narrower, which can make content feel a touch cramped, though it’s undeniably more usable than previous generations.
The exterior looks stunning and premium, but it’s notably slippery, and I expect most owners will to quickly look for a case to protect their investment. I hope you never drop this and to reduce your chances, a rubberised, grippy exterior will certainly help prevent accidental drops.
Overall, the design prioritises practicality and elegance, with IP48 water resistance and reinforced armour aluminium adding to its durability.
Performance
Equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 offers lightning-fast performance that surpasses the Fold 6, effortlessly managing demanding tasks like gaming in Pokemon or even running several apps simultaneously and remarkably, I never experienced slowdowns.
Heat management is excellent for such a slender device, preventing overheating during prolonged use—a common complaint with older models. Benchmarks and real-world tests show it’s more responsive thand competitors like the Google Pixel Fold 2, with fluid screen transitions.
Battery life from the 4400mAh cell has proven reliable for a full day of mixed activities, including streaming and AI tools, but power users should keep an eye on it. Naturally, the battery must power the dual displays all day, so we’re approaching a stage where further thinning may demand battery innovations to maintain capacity without increasing size. Quick 25W charging restores power swiftly, and wireless options enhance convenience. For gaming, the vibrant colours and 120Hz refresh rates on both screens create an immersive experience.
Daily performance feels optimised and seamless, courtesy of One UI 8’s foldable enhancements. Whether editing files or browsing, it seldom lags, establishing it as a leader in the foldable category, even without a vapour chamber for the most extreme workloads.
Features
Samsung have packed the device full of features, a combination of hardware and software that feel like they’re made from the same company, despite it technically being a Samsung hardware, Google Operating System (Android 16), plus Samsung Customisations with their OneUI (8.0).
This year, Samsung’s admitting defeat with voice assistant and in the era of LLMs, Google’s investments into Gemini have clearly outpaced what Samsung are prepared to do. This means Bixby takes a back seat to Google Gemini, to the point where the default press and hold button on the side is now Gemini.
If there are any die hard fans of Bixby, you can set it to that, but it’s not even close in terms of capabilities. As hard as this may have been for Samsung internally, it’s the right move for customers and delivers a better user experience.
There’s plenty of other features available on the Fold 7 that could drive upgrades and new adopters.
Ultra-thin design
The Galaxy Z Fold 7’s 8.9mm folded thickness and lightweight construction make it Samsung’s most portable foldable, improving daily handling while preserving robustness. This feels great in the pocket and until you unfold it, you’d barely know it’s a foldable.
Camera array
This phone is capable of capturing 200MP photos with the main camera sensor. If you’re someone who compares specs, then this will satisfy your desire for the best, but the reality is, you’ll likely pair this back to a more modest setting for the majority of your photography to save space on the device. The images are great quality, but as with any image, you’ll see grain as you zoom in closer. The extra pixels do allow you to zoom and crop before it reaches this point.
Snapdragon 8 Elite processor
The job of a processor is to load and run applications quickly and the snapdragon 8 Elite does an amazing job at this. The speed and efficiency for multitasking, gaming, and AI tasks, exceeded my expectations, compared to other flagships.
Galaxy AI integration
Samsung’s big AI play is in offering a set of tools on the phone that allow for real-time translation, note summarisation, and photo editing use AI to enhance productivity, integrating smoothly across applications for smarter usage. I particularly like the weather app and its insights into upcoming weather.
Expanded displays
The 6.5″ outer screen and 8″ inner display deliver versatile viewing with 120Hz refresh rates for smooth scrolling and brighter panels for better outdoor legibility. Using this display is an absolute joy, one of the best I’ve seen and with the phone open, you can barely tell the screen has a join, Samsung engineers have really done a great job here.
Up to 16GB RAM and 1TB storage
When you start to push the phone with high-end games, video editing and more, the 16GB RAM enables the phone to accommodate your needs. It wasn’t too many years ago when PCs had 16GB of RAM and now phones offer this, enabling intensive multitasking.
When it comes to capturing content with the phone, the 1TB drive feels generous, although I like to ensure my photos and video are backed up to cloud services.
Issues and opportunities
While there’s a lot to love, not everything is perfect. The front display, despite improvements, remains slightly narrower than devices like the Pixel 9 Pro XL, making some content feel cramped—Samsung could widen it further in future iterations.
Many apps still lack proper support for foldables and dual-width displays, limiting benefits to side-by-side multitasking rather than optimised single-app experiences; greater developer encouragement might address this.
The camera array captures amazing photos and videos without compromise from the foldable design, but the phone doesn’t sit flat on desks, causing wobble that could be eliminated with a Pixel-style bar running the full width instead of being offset.
Samsung has an opportunity to push thinness even further by boldly removing the charging port for a wireless-only version, though this would require balancing with battery needs. We’re rapidly reaching a point where battery innovation is essential to evolve without sacrificing all-day power for the displays.
The slippery surface, while aesthetically pleasing, necessitates a case to avoid drops, which undermines the phone’s slim allure—perhaps a grippier finish or bundled slim case could help. The unfolded device can wobble on flat surfaces, and one-handed opening remains occasionally fiddly due to the hinge; refinements here would boost accessibility.
Durability worries, like dust in the hinge or inner screen scratches, persist, suggesting stronger protections or easier repairs to increase user confidence.
Price and availability
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is available for pre-order in Australia until 31 July 2025, with general availability following soon after. Pricing begins at AU$2,799 for the 256GB model, AU$2,999 for 512GB, and AU$3,299 for 1TB, with promotions offering a AU$200 storage upgrade bonus and up to AU$970 in trade-in discounts.
Purchase directly from the Samsung Online Store at Samsung, where the 512GB version effectively costs AU$2,799 with the upgrade deal.
JB Hi-Fi has it at JB Hifi starting from AU$2,799 for 256GB, with accessory bundles available.
Harvey Norman offers it at Harvey Norman from AU$2,799, including 30% off selected Galaxy Watches when purchased together.
Overall
In summary, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is Samsung’s most refined foldable to date, blending an ultra-thin design, potent performance, and AI intelligence into a versatile phone-tablet hybrid. If you’ve been waiting for foldable phones to ‘grow up’, now is the time, this is a great example of a well executed foldable.
I really hope more app developers start to invest the time to support wider displays. As you can tell by the version number, we’re many, many years into foldable devices being available and app developers that do this well, have a great chance of foldable users leveraging their app over competitors.
This device most appeals to professionals, content creators, and tech enthusiasts who leverage the large screen for on-the-go work or entertainment—such as executives using split-screen modes or gamers diving into immersive play.
At around AU$2,800 with deals, it delivers solid value for money in the high-end foldable market, though battery longevity and resale value concerns slightly moderate the excitement; for anyone chasing cutting-edge innovation, it’s a worthwhile investment in forward-thinking tech.
