Phones are in a weirdly exciting place right now. Battery tech is creeping forward, cameras on budget models are now “good enough” for most people, and (finally!) the endless parade of black rectangles is giving way to something different.
Which brings us to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.
I went into this launch with cautious optimism. Foldables are maturing, yes, but they’re still not exactly mainstream. Between the price tag that could fund a weekend trip to Barcelona and questions about durability, it’s not a device most people will throw into their shopping cart on a whim.
That said… I’ve spent the past week living with the Fold 7, and there are some very real improvements that make it more tempting than ever. But there are also myths floating around that need a reality check.
Let’s start at the beginning: how it feels in the hand when you first pick it up.
First Impressions: Samsung’s Thinnest Fold Yet
The first thing that hits you (apart from the price) is just how thin this thing is. I’m talking noticeably slimmer than the Fold 6, and in the world of foldables, that makes a big difference in how you use it. It folds flatter, slips into a pocket without feeling like a sandwich, and feels more like a regular phone when closed.
Somehow, Samsung also managed to shave down the bulk without making the Fold 7 feel fragile. The build feels reassuringly solid, and in fact, it’s probably the most confident I’ve felt holding a foldable in one hand.
Design Changes That Actually Make a Difference
Thinness is nice, but it’s not the only thing Samsung got right this year. The cover screen is finally wider, which might not sound dramatic on paper, but in actual use, it’s a massive quality-of-life upgrade. No more peering at a tall, skinny candy-bar display that feels like you’re texting on a remote control. Now it behaves much more like a normal phone when closed; quick replies, maps, and even browsing feel natural.
There’s also a subtle but welcome addition: MagSafe compatibility. Yes, you read that right. With a MagSafe case, you can snap the Fold 7 onto magnetic chargers and accessories just like an iPhone. It’s the kind of small feature that makes you wonder why it took this long.
Not everything is perfect, though. The anti-reflective coating from the Galaxy S25 Ultra didn’t make the cut here, which means glare is still an issue outdoors. I ended up ordering Samsung’s anti-glare screen protector as a workaround, and while it’s not as good as having it baked into the display, it’s a solid fix.
One thing they haven’t solved? The camera bump. Because the phone is so thin, the camera housing sticks out just enough to make it impossible to use flat on a desk without it rocking like a wobbly table at a café.
3 Myths About the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Debunked
Now, on to the myths. Because for every slick promo video Samsung puts out, there’s a Reddit thread (or ten) ready to convince you the Fold 7 will either snap in half after a week, cost more than a used car, or magically replace your laptop. Spoiler: None of those are quite true.
Myth #1: “Foldables Break Easily”
This one has been hanging over foldables since day one. Early models had fragile hinges, displays that scratched if you looked at them the wrong way, and horror stories of dust or moisture taking them out within weeks.
The Fold 7 is a different story. The hinge feels tight, the folding action is smooth, and there’s none of that “creak” you sometimes get with older designs. It also doesn’t feel flimsy. Even when it’s fully open, there’s no flex or sponginess when you tap the screen.
Samsung gave it an IP48 rating, which means it can handle being submerged in water without instantly dying, a solid feat for a foldable. But the “4” in that rating is the dust protection, and that’s where you still need to be careful.
In short: no, the Fold 7 isn’t going to crumble if you treat it like a normal phone.
Myth #2: “Battery Life on Foldables is Terrible”
The Fold 7 packs the same 4,400 mAh battery as last year, still charging at 25 watts. No faster charging, no bigger capacity, and (the big one) no silicon-carbon battery. If you’ve been watching the competition, that’s a bit of a letdown. Honor, Oppo, and OnePlus are squeezing in nearly 6,000 mAh silicon-carbon cells with faster charging into thinner devices, so it’s not like the tech doesn’t exist.
On paper, the battery looks unremarkable. In reality, it’s a bit more complicated. My first couple of days with the Fold 7 had me nervously eyeing the percentage by mid-afternoon; 40 percent left with only 2.5 hours of screen-on time on a hot day isn’t inspiring. But as the system settled in and background processes calmed down, I started seeing 6–7 hours of screen-on time. That’s with heavy use, including the inner display for most of the day.
Does it last all day? Usually yes, but often just barely. I still find myself topping it up at my desk via MagSafe, especially if I’ve been shooting 200MP photos or running Gemini Live. A silicon-carbon upgrade would have been the real leap forward this year, but for now, the Fold 7 is “good enough, but not terrible” in the battery department.
Myth #3: “They’re All About the Gimmick, Not Performance”
Foldables often get dismissed as flashy tech demos. They’re great for impressing your mates in the pub, but way less great when you actually need to get work done. The Fold 7 doesn’t fit that stereotype. With the Snapdragon 8 Elite under the hood, it’s as quick as any top-tier flagship. App switching is instant, multitasking with split-screen feels natural, and gaming performance is smooth enough to keep up with more traditional devices.
That’s not to say it’s flawless. In the middle of a hot summer day, after a session of photo shooting and Gemini Live, I noticed the screen dimming outdoors. The culprit isn’t the chip itself, but likely the thermal management. Rumour has it that Samsung may have removed the vapor chamber found in last year’s Fold 6 to achieve the new slim profile, and it seems plausible given the heat build-up I’ve seen in prolonged use.
The Final Verdict: Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Buy It
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is not a phone for everyone. And that’s just the reality.
If you’re the kind of person who lives on your phone, juggles multiple apps at once, and wants a device that can double as a pocket-sized tablet, this is about as good as it gets. The wider cover screen and refined One UI make it far more practical for everyday use, and the hardware finally feels polished enough to be a daily driver without caveats.
It’s also ideal for Samsung loyalists who’ve been waiting for a foldable that feels mature rather than experimental. Between the Snapdragon 8 Elite, the main Ultra-grade camera, and the MagSafe compatibility, it checks most of the “must-have” boxes for a flagship.
But if you’re after the best value for money, you can stop reading here. You can buy two, maybe three, excellent non-folding flagships for the same price. And if your phone regularly takes a beating, you might want to stick to something with a higher dust and water rating.
The Fold 7 is for people who want the best version of Samsung’s folding vision so far and are willing to pay for it. Everyone else will probably be happier with a great slab phone at half the cost.
