After spending a week using the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 as my daily driver, I can confidently say: this is the first foldable that feels more like a natural evolution of the smartphone, rather than a futuristic experiment. From its lightweight design to its multitasking prowess and surprisingly capable cameras, the Fold7 is Samsung’s strongest foldable offering yet.

Design & In-Hand Feel: Slimmed Down, Smartened Up

One of the biggest surprises? How thin this foldable is — even when compared to regular phones. When unfolded, the Galaxy Z Fold7 is just 4.2mm thick, and 8.9mm when folded. That’s almost same thickness as the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which measures 8.6mm and doesn’t even fold.

Despite its dual-screen mechanism and hinge, the Fold7 feels surprisingly sleek in the hand. The updated FlexHinge now folds completely flat, removing that awkward wedge shape from previous models. And the lighter 239g weight makes it easier to carry in a pocket or small bag without feeling bulky.

Samsung also upgraded the frame with Advanced Armor Aluminum, and protected the front and back with Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2. Over the course of the week, the phone held up well in daily use — whether tossed into a backpack or opened 50 times a day, it felt solid and premium throughout.

Display Experience: Two Stunning Screens, Zero Compromise

Samsung didn’t hold back when it came to the displays. The 6.5-inch outer screen is now wider and more usable, with a tall 21:9 ratio that resembles a regular phone. It’s bright, sharp, and responsive with a 120Hz refresh rate, making it easy to use without even opening the phone.

But it’s the 8.0-inch inner display that steals the show. With a Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel, adaptive 120Hz refresh rate, and 2,600 nits peak brightness, it’s stunning whether you’re watching movies, reading documents, or sketching ideas. I used it to run dual apps — Google Docs on the left, Chrome on the right — and it felt like using a compact tablet, not a phone.

The crease is still visible, especially under sunlight, but it’s subtler than before and didn’t affect usability. I quickly forgot it was there when watching Netflix or editing photos.

Performance: Flagship Power in Every Fold

The Fold7 is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy, paired with 12GB or 16GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage. It’s the same top-tier chip found in the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and performance is every bit as fast and fluid.

In our week of use, we pushed the Fold7 hard — editing photos in Lightroom, switching between Slack, YouTube, and Chrome in multi-window mode, and even gaming with Genshin Impact on high settings. Not once did the phone lag or overheat, even during intense sessions. The new cooling system does its job well, and multitasking is a joy thanks to One UI 8’s productivity features like the updated taskbar and pop-up window support.

Samsung also promises 7 years of software updates, making the Fold7 a safe long-term investment.

AI Features: Useful, Not Just Buzzwords

This year’s Galaxy AI additions actually add real value. Features like Live Translate (real-time call translations), Note Assist (smart summaries), and Generative Edit (AI photo editing) were more than gimmicks — we used them regularly.

For example, we had a WhatsApp call with a Korean bistro to confirm a reservation. Live Translate converted my questions in real-time and relayed the answers back in English — it felt like using Star Trek tech. Circle to Search, meanwhile, let me highlight unfamiliar products in Instagram Reels and instantly get Google results, all without switching apps.

Camera: Inheriting the Best of the S25 Ultra

The Galaxy Z Fold7’s camera setup is a significant leap forward — and for good reason: it borrows the core system from the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The main sensor is a 200MP wide-angle camera, and it absolutely delivers. Daytime shots are crisp, with excellent color reproduction and dynamic range. We snapped street scenes in KL under harsh sunlight, and the detail retained even in shadow areas was outstanding.

Low-light performance is strong too. We shot scenes at 9PM near Bukit Bintang, and the results had great contrast, sharpness, and very little noise thanks to the large sensor’s pixel-binning technology.

The 12MP ultra-wide camera is solid, capturing expansive views without excessive distortion. Meanwhile, the 10MP telephoto lens offers 3x optical zoom and up to 30x digital zoom, which produced sharp enough results for social media. Zoomed shots of signage across the street were legible and clean.

Selfies also get an upgrade — gone is the soft under-display inner camera. Now you get a 10MP cover selfie camera and a sharper 10MP inner camera, which we used for Zoom meetings and Instagram Stories. The improvement in clarity is very noticeable.

Battery & Charging: Acceptable, But Could Be Better

The Fold7 packs a 4,400mAh dual battery, the same capacity as the Fold6. With regular use (email, YouTube, light editing), it lasted me a full day with around 10–15% left by bedtime. But on heavier days with video editing or long video shooting, we needed a top-up by 8PM.

Wired charging is 25W, which got me from 0–50% in just over 30 minutes. A full charge takes about 80–90 minutes. Wireless charging is supported at 15W, and you can also reverse charge Galaxy Buds or a smartwatch at 4.5W.

No S Pen Support This Year — A Missed Opportunity?

Oddly, Samsung has removed S Pen support from the Z Fold7. While this decision helped slim down the device, it also takes away a core part of what made previous Folds appealing to business and creative users.

If you relied on the Fold5 + S Pen combo for sketches, notes, or presentations, this might be a dealbreaker. Hopefully, future models find a way to bring stylus support back without compromising the hardware gains.

Final Thoughts: Who Should Buy the Z Fold7?

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 is the first foldable that truly feels like a mainstream flagship, not a futuristic side project. It’s lighter than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, inherits its powerful camera system, delivers ultra-smooth performance, and wraps it all in an experience that finally feels natural — even elegant.

If you’re ready to experience the future of smartphones today, the Z Fold7 is the foldable to beat.