The new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 has finally arrived, and thanks to an exclusive media preview held last week, we had the opportunity to try it out for ourselves. One thing I can confirm off the bat is that the phone is exactly as advertised – it’s the thinnest Galaxy Z model from the South Korean giant to date.
Design-wise, the Galaxy Z Fold7 looks almost identical to its predecessor in terms of design language, complete with flat edges and the familiar rear camera layout. The most notable differences are the slightly increased display coverage for both its external and internal screens (6.5-inch and 8.2-inch, respectively), a more pronounced camera bump, and – of course – the reduced overall thickness. On that front, the phone measures just 8.9mm when folded and 4.2mm when unfolded.
In hand, the seventh-generation Samsung book-style foldable feels comfortable when closed, now resembling a more conventional bar-shaped phone thanks to the slimmer build. It’s also noticeably lighter, weighing in at just 215g – over 20g less than its predecessor. The difference in both weight and thinness becomes even more apparent once unfolded.
While I haven’t fully evaluated its performance or tested every feature, my initial impressions are positive. One UI 8 runs smoothly and remains familiar for users accustomed to Samsung’s Android experience. Speaking of which, the new Galaxy Z series will be the first smartphones to ship with Android 16, bringing updated Google Gemini features like live camera sharing and an enhanced Circle to Search tool. Samsung’s own Galaxy AI suite – including Photo Assist, Generative Edits, and others – also receives the latest round of enhancements.
As expected of Qualcomm’s current generation flagship chipset, handling simultaneous apps while multitasking on the Galaxy Z Fold7 feels flawless. I’m certain that the onboard Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy processor would also excel in gaming, but I’ll save my thoughts on this once I have the device in for review. Other things I’m eager to test is its battery, which receives a bump over the Galaxy Z Fold6 in capacity, though just a tad bit.
The phone’s cameras, on the other hand, left a feeling of deja vu – particularly the primary shooter. That’s because it uses the same 200MP sensor found on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, promising comparable performance in photography – complete with 30x Space Zoom and all. Whether it lives up to that promise (or surpasses it) remains to be seen, and it’s something I’m looking forward to testing. Rounding out the camera setup are a 10MP telephoto with 3x zoom and a 12MP ultrawide camera, which have been carried over from its predecessor.
Those are some of the positives, so what about the negatives? While this might not affect the majority of users, it’s a noticeable omission for those of us (myself included) who actually use the first-party stylus for note-taking and other tasks. Granted, none of the Fold models were designed to come with an S Pen, but the added compatibility in previous versions was a welcome bonus – especially given the ample screen estate the unfolded display provides. Further reinforcing this departure is the absence of official cases with integrated S Pen support.
Anyway, that’s all l can share with you regarding the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7. A review unit is currently in our possession, so do look forward to our complete evaluation of the device in the near future.
