The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 was launched a few weeks ago and I’ve been using the foldable device for a week now. What’s exciting this time around and can Samsung’s offering compete with what Oppo, Honor, Huawei, Tecno, and Xiaomi have to offer? Here’s my first look.
Specifications
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7
External Screen – 6.5″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X 120Hz
Inside – 8″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X 120Hz
HDR10+
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor (3nm)
2X 4.47 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix L chip
6X 3.53 GHz Oryon V2 Phoenix M
Adreno 830 Graphics Chip
RAM 12/16GB LPDDR5X
12GB RAM Plus
Internal Storage 256/512/1000 GB UFS 4.0
Main Camera 200MP f/1.7 OIS, (Wide Angle)
12MP f/2.2 (Ultra Wide)
10MP, f/2.4, OIS 3x Optical Zoom (Telephoto)
10MP f/2.2 Selfie Camera (Outside)
10MP f/2.2 (Inner)
Battery 4400 mAh
25W wired charging
15W wireless charging
4.5W reverse charging
SIM/Telephony 2 Nano, 1 eSIM
5G
NFC Yes
Audio Jack No
Waterproof IP48
Scanning System Side fingerprint scanner
Selling Price RM 7,799 (12/256 GB)
RM 8,399 (12/512 GB)
RM 9,899 (16/1000 GB)
SCREEN and DESIGN
In the previous five iterations, Samsung has slowly given the screen wider after receiving comments about the external screen being too narrow. On the Fold7 it has reached its final form like Frieza with it now being the same width as the Oppo Find N5 and Magic V3. The typing process on the external screen is now more comfortable than on the Fold6.
However, it is still not completely the same as the screen ratio on the S245 Ultra for example. The outer screen is now 6.5″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X 120Hz compared to 6.3″ on the Fold6 model with support for a 120Hz refresh rate. Durable Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 is used on this outer screen.
The inner screen has grown to 8″ Dynamic AMOLED 2X 120Hz compared to 7.6″ last year, making the inner screen look more boxy. This year, there is no longer a 4MP under-screen camera system with a hole-punch camera returned with a 10MP camera. Not only is the UDC camera gone, S-Pen support has also finally disappeared with Samsung representatives saying this is because it is a feature that the majority of Fold users do not use.
The fold line is becoming harder to see with Samsung saying the Armor Flex Hinge design and the structure under the screen have been changed to get the most taut screen possible. There are still lines but they are no longer noticeable. This year's UTG layer is also 50% thinner.
The Z Fold7 also passes the IP48 standard for waterproof and dustproof capabilities. This year Samsung lost to Honor which offered the Magic V5 with IP59 waterproof and dustproof capabilities.
The boxy body aesthetic of last year is maintained once again. Two weeks ago I managed to go to Bangkok and used the Galaxy S25 Edge. The thin and light but still premium feeling of the S25 Edge can be felt on the body of the Z Fold7. It's like two S25 Edges placed side by side. The process of opening the screen is also easy because of the flat sides used. There is no need to pick up the two "wings" of the screen like when using the Honor Magic V3 last year.
Samsung says it is thin. But how thin is it? It is 4.2mm thick when open and 8.9mm when folded. This puts it only 0.1mm thicker than the Magic V5. Despite being a foldable device, the Z Fold7 only weighs 215 grams which is lighter than the S25 Ultra which weighs 218 grams. An engineering feat that should be praised because for a long time the Fold device has been criticized for being heavy and thick compared to candybar-type devices,
The finish of the Gorilla Glass Victus 2 back panel and the sides of the device are dull which makes it not easy to trap dirt and is also less slippery. The power button and volume rocker are still placed on the right “door” with the power button also doubling as a fingerprint scanner. Even though the body is getting thinner, the palms and fingers do not feel painful holding the device or using the buttons. I'm just a bit disappointed that the fingerprint scanner is still on the power button while Vivo has already offered two under-screen fingerprint scanners on the X Fold series.
At the top of the left door there is an audio grille with a thin groove design. Elements from the S25 Edge series are reused on the Z Fold7. At the bottom of the left door there is another groove for the audio grille. This is to ensure balanced stereo audio can be produced. At the bottom of the right door there is a USB-C charging port. The body of the Z Fold7 is very thin, it is only slightly larger than the charging hole.
The three main cameras on the back consist of a 200MP OIS wide-angle lens, a 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens and a 10MP telephoto lens with up to 3X optical. On the inner screen there is a 10MP selfie camera and on the outer screen there is a 10MP selfie camera in the screen hole. Changes are only made to the 200MP main camera and the 10MP selfie camera which is now no longer 4MP UDC.
The camera bump is very high and I feel it is higher than the thickness of the body. As a result, the device cannot be placed flat on a table surface. Buying a frame is now becoming more and more mandatory. Although large, the bump does not cause the device to be “head-heavy” so that it is unbalanced when held. The body of this year's model maintains IP48 waterproof and dustproof capabilities. Slightly lower than the Magic V5 which exceeds IP59.
SOFTWARE AND USAGE EXPERIENCE
Z Fold7 is among the earliest devices launched with Android 16 through the One UI 8 launcher. It brings several additional security features and several redesigned icons. The differences in terms of features and interfaces of Android 16 and Android 15 are not very noticeable on the Z Fold7. Big changes can only be seen in the Pixel 10 series later, which will be given the Material 3 Expressive interface and desktop mode. The Z Fold7 still uses the DeX desktop mode instead of the one used on the Pixel 10.
One UI 8 is still among the interfaces that have interesting additional features and a design that does not hurt the eyes. Because this is the 7th version of the Fold, Samsung is getting better at including features that are compatible with foldable devices.
For example, it is still the only manufacturer that allows the outer screen to be opened up to around 60 degrees to watch videos. On Honor and Oppo devices, the inner screen will remain active and the outer screen will turn off after opening around 15 degrees. So if you want to watch videos on the outer screen with the screen partially open, it is only supported on Samsung devices.
They also include a large taskbar feature at the bottom of the screen that makes it easier to multitask without having to enter the open application screen. The number of foldable devices I have reviewed is limited and as far as I know, only Samsung and Oppo offer a taskbar below the screen.
A total of three applications can be opened simultaneously in multiwindow mode. Two small and one large. The implementation of this system is less compatible on the inner screen which is only 8″. I can only recommend this mode to be used on Samsung tablets with larger screens. Samsung did not borrow the feature of three applications opened in three windows arranged like Boundless View on Oppo Find N5 and Magic V5.
Another feature that was not borrowed is Apple ecosystem support. There is no connection to the MacBook like the Find N5, cross-platform file transfer like the Magic V5 or Apple Watch support on the Vivo X Fold5. Only the SmartThings ecosystem receives comprehensive support with features such as casting content to the TV, controlling connected devices in the home and various other products with the Matter standard.
The AI features introduced are Now Brief, Now Bar, Gemini Live, Audio Eraser and more. In short, all the features of the Galaxy S25 series are now given to the Z Fold7 and Z Flip7. Last year's features such as Call Assist, Note Assist and Call Translate are still continued.
Samsung confirmed that the Galaxy AI features that use Samsung's AI model will be able to continue to be used at no additional cost. Circle to Search is also back along with Gemini which can be invoked using the power button. This year Bixby officially does not receive new features as if it has been forgotten by Samsung with more focus on Gemini.
Samsung offers 7 Android version updates and 7 years of security patches on the Galaxy Z Fold7 so buyers do not have to worry about software support during this period.
BENCHMARK
The Z Fold7 is the second Fold device launched in Malaysia with the Snapdragon 8 Elite eight-core CPU. The Magic V5 is the first while the Find N5 is equipped with a Snapdragon 8 Elite with only 7 CPU cores. The difference is that the Z Fold7 comes with a Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip with a CPU that operates at a higher speed. Below is a list of competing devices with the chip used.
Exynos 2500 – Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7
Snapdragon 8 Elite – Honor Magic V5
Snapdragon 8 Elite ( 7 Cores) – Oppp Find N5
Snapdragon 8 Elite – Xiaomi 15 Ultra
Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy – Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Dimensity 9400 – Oppo Find X8 Pro
Apple A18 Pro – Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max
Tensor G4 – Google Pixel 9 Pro XL
AnTuTu 3D
Chip Score
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 1,747,012
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 1,542,966
Honor Magic V5 1,732,200
Oppo Find N5 2,157,718
Xiaomi 15 Ultra 2,341,598
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 1,946,864
Oppo Find X8 Pro 2,629,017
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max 1,720,751
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL 1,016,712
Geekbench 6
Single Core Multi Core Chip
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 2745 9060
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 2236 7627
Honor Magic V5 1286 4926
Oppo Find N5 2866 7987
Xiaomi 15 Ultra 2918 8917
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 2957 9435
Oppo Fin X8 Pro 2663 8959
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max 3359 8129
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL 1916 4644
3DMark Wildlife Extreme
Chip Score
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 5633
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 5201
Honor Magic V5 6025
Oppo Find N5 5507
Xiaomi 15 Ultra Not possible
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra 6135
Oppo Find X8 Pro 6251
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max 4560
Google Pixel 9 Pro XL 2567
The scores recorded in the Antutu 3D, Geekbench 6 and 3D Mark tests are consistent with other foldable devices with the 8 Elite in the Malaysian market. However, they are not as high as the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip in the Galaxy S25 Ultra. It is likely that the device got hotter during the test, causing the score to be slightly lower.
Various applications can be run without any issues because of the large RAM and fast UFS 4.0 storage. In fact, if the 12GB on the device I tested is not enough, another 12GB can be added virtually with RAM Plus. There are no issues running common apps or launchers. Everything is fast, smooth and at the highest settings. The heating issue is also only moderate, just like the experience using the Magic V5 and Find N5. When the body is thin, the heat can be felt more noticeably than on a candybar type device.
How about when compared to the Exynos 2500 used in the Z Flip7? The answer is that the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy is more powerful but the difference in real-world performance of the synthetic test scores is not that big.
CAMERA
As touched on above, the main camera consists of 200+12+10 MP and both selfie cameras are only 10MP. On paper, the Z Fold7 camera specifications are better than the Z Fold6 but not as high as the Magic V5 or Fond N5. The 200MP sensor used is the same as that used in the Galaxy S25 Edge and Galaxy S25 Ultra. The results are as follows.
The quality of the photos taken is good in good lighting situations and using the main wide-angle lens. The 200MP sensor allows more light to be captured, producing clear and sharp images. The macro mode also does not disappoint, I feel it is comparable to the Galaxy S25 Ultra.
In indoor areas, the colors are less bright and yellowish. Samsung's algorithm makes the image produced sharp but not the same as in large situations. The picture using the ultra-wide lens is also clear, although it clearly does not look as sharp as the main camera lens. The 12MP sensor used needs to be changed to a more recent and larger one. The weakness of the Z Fold camera in the ultra-wide mode continues this year.
This is the result of the telephoto camera with a 10MP sensor in the 1x, 2x, 3X, 10X, 20x, and 30x zoom mode. The capture results are quite good, up to 3X only, but the image starts to lose sharpness. At the 10x, 20x, and 30x settings, the quality drops sharply. The AI system used does not succeed in making the image look good but is over-sharpened to the point of looking strange.
Completely different from the Magic V5 and Find N5 cameras which are still satisfactory at the 10X setting. The size of the telephoto sensor is only 10MP, which is clearly no longer competitive when compared to 50MP (Find N5) and 64MP (Magic V5). Samsung needs to get serious next year because for two years in a row the camera system on their foldable phones has not been as good as the competition.
BATTERY
With a battery of only 4400 mAh, it puts the Z Fold7 in a shaky position compared to the Magic V5 and Find N5 with 5820 mAh and 5600 mAh batteries respectively. Battery life in normal use does not last a day. I was only able to use the Z Fold7 for about 17 hours before it needed to be charged. This was achieved by only using the external screen in 90% of situations. The best SOT was almost 8 hours.
If the screen is open, it plunged to only about 3 hours. I did this test by giving the Z Fold7 to my child to play Roblox. On the Magic V5, the SOT could reach 4.5 hours when playing Roblox. There is clearly a difference in battery performance here even though the Magic V5 and Z Fold7 have the same thin body.
Charging is still a mere 25W wired which takes 70 minutes to charge from 0-100%. There is a slow but useful 15W wireless charging when the phone is placed in a car dock. The Z Fold7’s battery lasts longer than the Z Fold6 but can’t compete with what Honor and Oppo have to offer in 2025.
AUDIO
The audio is balanced from the two physical speakers. Their location, which shoots out to the side and is placed on the same screen “door”, provides a better audio experience when compared to the Magic V5. However, due to the thin body of the Z Fold7, I felt the audio quality was not as good as the Z Fold6 let alone the S25 Ultra. The small speaker chamber means that the audio is not as good as on thicker devices. It is satisfactory for phone calls or videos but when watching YouTube or Netflix for example, it feels a little empty.
The bass is not outstanding at all. Samsung needs to use the expertise of Harman, Bowers & Wilkins, Denon, Polk and Marantz that they currently own to provide a better audio experience on a slim device next year. During the review period I was more comfortable listening to audio using a Bluetooth accessory because the Z Fold7's speakers were a bit disappointing.
IN THE BOX
Here's what's included in the box.
1x Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7
1x USB-C to USB-C charging cable
1x Manual
1x SIM Pin
CONCLUSION
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 is the best foldable device Samsung has ever produced. The screen is bigger, the outside is wider for typing, it's very thin, light and has an improved camera system. If there's no other device on the market, the Z Fold7 is the foldable device I recommend to you.
But this year I've already reviewed the Honor Magic V5 and Oppo Find N5. Both devices have bigger batteries, faster charging, better cameras and more competitive prices.
The strength of the Z Fold7 in my opinion is its more attractive design and much longer software support. At the same time, it already uses Android 16 and comes with a Google AI Pro subscription worth almost RM600.
If forced to make a choice, I would buy the Z Fold7 because I prefer the Samsung ecosystem, it's more handsome and its software is more compatible with the soul. But if you want a better device overall, I recommend the Oppo Find N5. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 starts at RM7799 in Malaysia.
Pros
Slim body that feels comfortable in the hand and is lightweight.
High-spec Snapdragon 8 Elite, up to 16GB RAM and 1TB storage.
Satisfactory camera performance.
IP48 waterproof and dustproof
Uses Android 16.
Supports 7 versions of Android and 7 years of security patches.
Cons
Small battery doesn't last all day.
Only 25W charging.
Difficult to open because the sides are too thin.
Speaker audio is not very impressive.
No periscope telephoto camera system like competitors.