Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 hands-on: The big design revamp we've been waiting for
For 2025, Samsung has significantly decreased its latest flagship foldable's weight and thickness. Compared to the previous model, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is 26 percent thinner, measuring just 8.9mm when folded (or 4.2mm unfolded) versus 12.1mm for the Z Fold 6. Meanwhile, the Fold 7's heft has dropped to just 215 grams, which is down 24 grams from its predecessor.
Now I've said before that the single-minded quest to make thinner phones is relatively pointless, but that's mostly when it comes to standard candybar-style glass bricks. That's because for larger devices, like those in the Z Fold line, more streamlined dimensions can make a big difference. And with the Z Fold 7, Samsung has created a device that's essentially the same weight and thickness as the Galaxy S25 Ultra (8.2mm and 218 grams), which can be opened at moment's notice to reveal a massive flexible display. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Speaking of the Z Fold 7's main display, despite its newly streamlined design, Samsung managed to increase its size from 7.6 inches to 8 inches flat — which means you get five percent more room for movies, games and multitasking. Granted, that might not sound like a ton, but when the main purpose of a gadget is to provide a big display that still fits in your pocket, that's a very welcome upgrade. And while its IP48 rating for dust and water resistance is the same as before, Samsung claims it reworked the phone's internal design to provide more robust protection against liquids.
Elsewhere, the Z Fold 7 features a redesigned Armor FlexHinge that's noticeably sleeker than before with Samsung saying it also disperses stress from opening and closing the phone more evenly. Additionally, the hinge has extra room inside to reduce the appearance of a crease, though it's still there if you look closely or from acute angles. Durability has also been improved as the Z Fold 7 comes with Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 (which we first saw on the S25 Edge) in front and Gorilla Glass Victus 2 around back. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
The Z Fold 7 now has a primary 200-megapixel sensor similar to the one used in the S25 Ultra and S25 Edge. Samsung says this should help deliver 'best in class image quality,' though because its 12MP ultra-wide cam is largely unchanged and its 10MP telephoto cam is still limited to a 3x optical zoom (instead of the 5x like in the Pixel 9 Pro Fold), I'm going to wait until I can properly test things out before making a final judgment.
That said, perhaps the biggest change to the Z Fold 7's photo toolkit is that Samsung has gotten rid of the under-display camera it has been using since the Z Fold 3 in favor of a more traditional 10MP holepunch module. This represents a small retreat from what was once seen as a more sophisticated solution. But for anyone who regularly uses the interior camera for video calls and meetings, the improved image quality is almost certainly worth the small cutout in the phone's flexible display.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 even features slightly slimmer bezels than before.
Inside, the Z Fold 7 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip, either 12GB or 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. Some may be slightly disappointed to see that the phone's battery capacity is staying the same at 4,400 mAh, though Samsung claims the increased power efficiency of the new processor results in better longevity overall.
For longtime Fold fans, the most troubling downgrade may be that the 7 no longer supports Samsung's S Pen. The company says it made this change because data showed that the number of owners who used stylus integration was 'very low' and that by removing the dedicated digitizer layer from the Z Fold's screen, it was possible to make the phone even thinner. This may be a dealbreaker for some, but it shouldn't really come as a surprise. Existing S Pen features have stagnated over several generations and after Samsung removed the dedicated S Pen storage slot from the Galaxy S Ultra line, I feel like the writing on the wall for the demise of S Pen support. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
But even with the loss of stylus integration, from what I've seen so far, the Z Fold 7 is a major upgrade over the three previous models. Samsung has finally made a big flagship foldable that won't weigh you down compared to an equivalent glass brick like the S25 Ultra. Its new main camera sensor offers a huge jump in resolution while refinements like a faster chip and its streamlined design contribute to a much more well-rounded package. The one issue is that starting at $2,000, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 remains prohibitively expensive. Sam Rutherford for Engadget
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is available for pre-order today, with official sales slated to begin on July 25. It will be available in three main colors: blue, silver and black, along with mint, which will be an online exclusive at Samsung.com.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Tom's Guide
an hour ago
- Tom's Guide
I tested Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs. iPhone 16 Pro Max in a 200-photo shootout — which camera phone wins?
Comparing the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 against the iPhone 16 Pro Max puts Samsung's most expensive phone versus Apple's most expensive iPhone. And there is a huge quantity of differences. Although the iPhone 16 Pro Max is deservedly thought of as one of the best phones around, the Galaxy Z Fold 7, with its folding design and even higher price tag, is on a different level. But users expect these phones to still cover the essentials, including taking great photos. To see how these two phones compare, I took them both out for a long snapping session. And below you can see my results, which will demonstrate that the major differences between these phones doesn't stop at just their shape or software. We begin with this parish boundary marker as the subject for our phones' main cameras. The Galaxy Z Fold 7's take on the scene has more color, while the iPhone's shot has more natural tones, in line with how I saw the scene on the day. A short distance away, looking up at a church through the phones' ultrawide cameras, we can see the iPhone's image is way brighter than the Samsung's, aside from the clouds, which are similarly bright and colored. This makes sense considering the size and resolution of the iPhone's 48MP ultrawide camera, while the Galaxy Z Fold 7 uses a smaller 12MP one. The Galaxy Z Fold 7's weaker ultrawide camera also impacts its macro photography abilities. Its image of a yellow flower is much darker than the iPhone's, even if it's still detailed. Perhaps the lower light level will be preferable to some users, but it's not to my liking at least. Moving now to the telephoto cameras, we begin with the optical zoom level of the Galaxy Z Fold 7's telephoto camera. To hit this zoom, the iPhone 16 Pro Max has to use a cropped main camera image. You can tell from the softness of the iPhone image that it's not using a proper zoom lens, along with its weirdly dull coloration of this sign. The Samsung shot isn't particularly interesting, but it's definitely the better-looking one of the two with more contrast. Upping the magnification puts us into the native territory of the iPhone's telephoto camera. And its increased sharpness over the Z Fold's image is plain to see. The Galaxy Z Fold 7's flatter colors make for an interesting visual difference, too. Using the front-facing cameras on these two phones (the outer one in the Z Fold 7's case), we can see how the phones depicts a person and applies a portrait effect. The iPhone has given me exaggerated highlights in my hair and the brightest parts of my skin, and a warmer overall tone compared to the Z Fold 7, which has gone for a more natural coloration. The portrait effect in both photos is well applied, but interestingly the Samsung's blur is noticeably gentler. A Lego minifigure keyring posed on a dark shelf shows us how these phones deal with night mode/low light photography. The iPhone has turned in the brighter image, which isn't surprising given it took a seven-second exposure to the Galaxy's three-second one. But as a result, lighter parts of the shot look over sharpened with exaggerated highlights. As a result, I think I like the Z Fold 7's photo in this particular example. Looking across a park, we have a variety of colors for the two phones to depict. The brighter iPhone image brings elements like the purple flowers, the green lawn and the blue shopfronts in the distance to the fore, while the Z Fold 7 is using a flatter color tuning. It's especially noticeable in the sky, which comes across as a plain grey from the Galaxy Z Fold 7 but a more lively blue on the iPhone. The iPhone's pic is a brighter but a bit overexposed, while the Z Fold 7's shot is darker and a bit more evenly exposed. So it comes down to your preference. Putting the color difference aside, this coffee cup gives us a good demo of the two phones' ability to handle extreme light and dark in the same shot. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 gives us a shot that is not that different from the iPhone in terms of highlights, but there is a little more to see in the darker areas of the iPhone image, like the texture of the ceramics, or the chocolate powder spilling over the edge of the cup. Lastly, I took a shot with the phones' main cameras again, but set to their maximum resolutions - 48MP in the iPhone's case, and 200MP for the Galaxy. The iPhone image of this street scene is brighter, which helps make the dark-colored elements like the road, the trees or the buildings pop out more. But the Samsung, thanks to having over four times the pixels, gives you more detail when you zoom in, such as the clock near the center of the image. It's hard to make out in the small previous window above, but having more pixels to play with can be helpful for editing or reframing a shot after you've taken it. Personally, I think the iPhone 16 Pro Max comes out on top in this comparison. But much of what determines the winner of this comparison for anyone examining these images is going to be personal taste, due to the different ways these phones process images. Apple's focus on brightness and more intense colors is often a smart route to take, but Samsung's generally less exaggerated take on scenes can be the better one a lot of the time. There's not a huge amount splitting these phones apart in terms of image quality really. The iPhone is therefore the better value of the two, if you can call a $1,200 phone a "value" device. The Z Fold 7 still capturees excellent photos a lot of the time though, which some buyers may find tempts them to go for a foldable rather than a regular flagship.
Digital Trends
3 hours ago
- Digital Trends
7 moments from Samsung history that shaped the Galaxy Z Fold 7
The new Galaxy Z Fold 7 is the best foldable for most people — especially in the US — but it costs $2,000. Despite the high price, Samsung has recorded record-breaking sales for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7, a fact made even more surprising considering Samsung's current market dominance is less than two decades old. Millions of Samsung foldables have been sold, but I recall a time when selling a Samsung phone priced under $100 was a challenge. I worked across all the carrier stores in the UK, and at this time, Samsung had such a poor reputation that it was a struggle to sell Samsung phones before the launch of Android and the subsequent Galaxy S lineup. Yet, within a few short years, Samsung became the dominant force in Android, playing a crucial role in halting the runaway success of the early iPhones. Samsung was everywhere and fast becoming the go-to alternative to those who wanted a credible alternative to the iPhone. Recommended Videos How did Samsung turn it around? Having used and reviewed Samsung phones before the first Galaxy S, I've experienced all the ups and downs as Samsung has established its dominance. Here are five key moments in Samsung's history that helped shape the new Galaxy Z Fold 7. May 2011: Galaxy S II — The Samsung Name Did you know that before the Galaxy S II, many Samsung phones didn't bear the company's name? Instead, they would often be released by carriers under custom names, running software that was preloaded with far too many useless apps, and handing software updates over to carriers to dictate the release schedule. The Galaxy S II changed this and is pivotal to Samsung's history. It was released on three of the four major carriers under the actual name, the only holdout being Sprint, which branded it the Samsung Epic 4G Touch. As a byproduct of the marketing around the product, Samsung began cementing its place in consumers' minds. Had Samsung continued custom names like it did with the original Galaxy S — T-Mobile had the Samsung Vibrant, AT&T had the Samsung Captivate, Verizon offered the Samsung Fascinate, and Sprint branded it as the Samsung Epic 4G — it would have been much harder for Samsung to build customer trust. In hindsight, this would be key over the following year. Sep 2011: Galaxy Note — The Big Phone Era Just months after the Galaxy S II, Samsung made one of its biggest contributions to smartphones with the launch of the Galaxy Note. Fourteen years later, it's clear that Samsung single-handedly launched the big-screen era that every phone has followed since. The original Galaxy Note was criticized for being too large with its 5.3-inch screen, but in hindsight, this would now be considered a mini phone by current smartphone expectations. Instead, the obsession with fitting as large a screen as possible in your pocket while keeping it portable has led companies to the best folding phones. However, even a great phone needs something else, and these two phones set up Samsung to cement its place in history just a year later. May 2012: Galaxy S III — The Olympics On 29 May 2012, Samsung launched the Galaxy S III. Two days later, it was launched in the UK, just two months before the Olympics came to London. All of this was synchronized, and for good reason: Samsung's sponsorship of the London Olympics directly contributed to its current success. Samsung's sponsorship revolved around making the Galaxy S III synonymous with the Olympics, and it worked extremely well. This sponsorship enabled Samsung to reach hundreds of millions of potential customers, and the Galaxy S3 London 2012 Olympic Edition marked the beginning of a tradition where Samsung creates custom Olympic-branded smartphones for each athlete at every Olympic Games. I remember working in retail on Oxford Street during the Olympics and in the months that followed. It should come as no surprise that just weeks later, when Apple launched the iPhone 5, Samsung's positioning and marketing strategy paid off even further. For the first time, customers who sought stock of the new iPhone 5 (to no avail) would then enquire about the Galaxy S III instead. Aug 2012: Galaxy Note II — The Multitasking Maestro A few short months after the Galaxy S III came another phone, and one that has directly impacted every Samsung phone made since. If you've used a Samsung flagship phone in the past decade, you'll know that it features an excellent multitasking feature. You may not know, however, that this feature first launched on the Galaxy Note II. Since then, every Samsung flagship has had multitasking features, and coupled with the S-Pen — a staple of the Galaxy Note — it introduced the concept of true multitasking on mobile devices. Over a decade later, Samsung remains the only company to invest in this, yet it is core to taking full advantage of the larger 8-inch main display on Samsung's new folding phones. Feb 2019: Galaxy S10 — Bye TouchWiz, hello One UI Between 2012 and 2019, Samsung grew to complete dominance in smartphones, having fought off the competition to capture the number one spot in global smartphone market share following the launch of the Galaxy S III. Each Samsung phone that launched in the years that followed continued to press the company's advantage, but in hindsight, many of these weren't as important as they seemed at the time. As we'll cover at the end, one particular moment continues to have an impact today. In February 2019, Samsung launched the Galaxy S10 and with it, One UI. A complete redesign of the software interface was the result of Samsung shedding its legacy software interface in favor of a new, more streamlined software experience. Aug 2022: Galaxy Z Fold 4 — Peak Folding Phone Before the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 was the best Samsung folding phone, mostly as the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 6 were notably iterative upgrades over previous generations. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 reduced the size of the hinge and the bezels around the display, while tweaking the screen's aspect ratios and implementing a new camera system from the Galaxy S22 line. The latter remains to this day: the Galaxy Z Fold 7 has the same 200MP camera as the Galaxy S25 Ultra — at least on paper — and previous versions since the Fold 4 have shared camera features with the flagship Galaxy S lineup. This was before the launch of thinner folding phones like the OnePlus Open (2023), Honor Magic V3 (2024), and Oppo Find N5 (2025), all of which are considerably thinner than Samsung's previous best. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 changes this considerably and continues a trend of Samsung making its phones thinner and lighter. Jan 2025: Galaxy S25 Ultra — The 200MP beast It would be remiss to think about all the Galaxy Z Fold 7 features without mentioning the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and specifically the 200MP main camera. Although the Galaxy Z Fold 7 also has a 200MP main camera, it's 18% smaller than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, yet as my testing showed, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 camera is just as capable as Samsung's imaging powerhouse. The Galaxy S25 Ultra isn't the first Samsung phone to use a 200MP camera, but several years of Samsung's marketing around this feature have piqued customer interest in the camera and the rest of the lineup. The fifth-generation Ultra delivers the best Samsung Ultra experience, and it's a key part of the marketing positioning for the Galaxy Z Fold 7. The Galaxy S25 Edge shows that Samsung is ready to bring better camera features to its flagship foldable, and the 200MP main camera solves a key complaint about previous versions. Plenty of other twists and turns These are just seven of the phones from Samsung's history that have shaped the Galaxy Z Fold 7. There's that phone, which explains why Samsung is cautious about its batteries, but as a result, the company's battery optimization is second-to-none. Samsung also deserves a lot of praise for how it handled that incident, and in my opinion, it's still a benchmark for other phone makers to meet. Then there's every foldable so far, with Samsung iterating and slimming the design and thickness of each version. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 bucks the trend of iterative changes, and instead, it delivers the biggest change to Samsung's foldable lineup so far. Hindsight is wonderful, but I have little doubt that fifteen years from now, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 will be one of the most impactful Samsung phones during this time. Having used every Samsung Galaxy flagship phone to date, I already know the Galaxy Z Fold 7 will be a phone I'll remember for a long time.
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Why Did Micron Stock Drop Today?
Key Points Samsung says the market for HBM memory for artificial intelligence (AI) functions is getting oversupplied. Samsung will cut prices on the most powerful HBM3E product in an attempt to win market share. Wells Fargo says this is bad news for Micron. 10 stocks we like better than Micron Technology › Shares of computer memory-maker Micron Technology (NASDAQ: MU) tumbled 5.2% through 11:25 a.m. ET Thursday -- but as far as I can tell, it wasn't anything Micron did to deserve this. Instead, it was Samsung that's to blame. What Samsung said about high-bandwidth memory (HBM) As WCCFTech reports this morning, Samsung has just announced it's lowering prices on HBM3E (that's "High Bandwidth Memory 3 Enhanced," currently the most capable kind of HBM memory, designed for use in artificial intelligence and machine learning). Samsung explained that on the one hand, it hasn't been able to win as much HBM business from Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) as it would like, while on the other hand, the HBM market seems oversupplied right now. And the solution to both problems -- to help Samsung move product -- is to lower prices. Is Micron stock a sell? For Micron, this poses a problem -- because Micron also wants to sell HBM3E memory, and now Samsung has effectively declared a price war in the HBM market. In order to fight it, Micron will have to lower its own prices (hurting Micron's revenue and profit), or else it will lose market share to Samsung (also hurting Micron's revenue and profit!) And if that sounds like a lose-lose proposition for Micron, that's because it is. In a note on The Fly this morning, Wells Fargo warned that Samsung's action will "impact market prices," drying up much of the premium in prices between HBM3E and plain-vanilla DRAM memory, perhaps as early as H2 2025 (i.e., now). Priced at just 20x trailing earnings, Micron stock may not look too expensive. But if profits are about to dry up as Samsung's price cuts take hold, Micron stock could look expensive in a hurry. Savvy investors might want to sell before that happens. Should you invest $1,000 in Micron Technology right now? Before you buy stock in Micron Technology, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Micron Technology wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $638,629!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,098,838!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,049% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 182% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 29, 2025 Wells Fargo is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Rich Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Why Did Micron Stock Drop Today? was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
