Our Galaxy Z Fold 7 opens perfectly flat, but shoppers are reporting issue with demo units
TL;DR Some shoppers have noticed that Galaxy Z Fold 7 demo units in stores aren't opening fully flat, sparking concerns online.
Other users, including our team, report no such issues, suggesting this might be limited to specific demo units.
Samsung's updated hinge design could still fall within the 178.5–181.5 degree opening range, but we're awaiting official confirmation and durability specs.
A number of shoppers are reporting that Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 demo units in retail stores aren't opening completely flat. The discussion started on Reddit (spotted by Android Central), where a user posted a photo showing a Fold 7 with a noticeable bend (see below), far from the flat profile they expected to see.
'While the phones in store probably get abused a fair bit, considering how little they have been available to try out in store, this worries me a bit,' the Reddit user noted.
A few others have joined the thread, claiming they've also noticed the same issue at retail locations like Best Buy. But not everyone's had the same experience, with a couple of people also chiming in to say they've noticed no issues on the demo units they've seen.
Personally, I've used two different Galaxy Z Fold 7 units since launch, and both open completely flat. When placed on a table, there's only a negligible visible gap where the tiny hinge slightly protrudes from the frame, but no curvature like what's seen in the Reddit photo. None of my colleagues have seen any signs of the screen failing to unfold fully flat, either.
For some context, when Samsung introduced its 'zero-gap' hinge on the Galaxy Z Fold 5, it said that the fully open angle typically falls between 178.5 and 181.5 degrees. That might still apply to the Fold 7, although we'll need to confirm with the company.
The Fold 7 comes with a new, thinner, and lighter Armor FlexHinge, which, in my experience, has visibly reduced creasing. Samsung also claims it strengthens durability by distributing stress more evenly, though we don't know its official durability rating yet. For comparison, the Fold 6 is rated for over 200,000 open/close cycles.
At this point, it's unclear why some retail Fold 7 units aren't folding flat. They might just be worn out from overuse on display, or they may be defective. It's also possible that the people reporting the issue didn't fully unfold the device. It definitely doesn't look like a widespread problem at this point. We'll contact Samsung for clarification and update this article if we hear back.
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Tom's Guide
an hour ago
- Tom's Guide
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 review: The first foldable I'd actually buy
It's pretty rare that I'm so excited by a foldable phone that I'm tempted to buy it. This is one of those times. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is not yet another iterative upgrade. It is a huge leap forward in terms of design. It's so thin and light I was shocked every time I picked it up for the first week of using the phone. You're no longer being penalized for wanting a phone and tablet in one device. In fact, the Fold 7 is lighter than both the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Galaxy S25 Ultra and also thinner than both of those phones when open. That's pretty frickin' amazing for a foldable with a ginormous 8-inch display on the inside (one I can run three apps at once on), a 6.5-inch screen on the outside and a powerful new 200MP camera. At the same time, Samsung is charging a staggering $2,000 for the Galaxy Z Fold 7, which is the second price hike on this model in two years. And the phone maker made some sacrifices to get he Fold this thin. Bye-bye S-Pen! Now that I've been living with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, here's my reasons to buy (and skip) in my full review — and how it stacks up to other flagships like the S25 Ultra. Who is this for? Power users looking for a tablet and phone in one device — without the usual foldable phone penalty of heft and bulk. What does it cost? The Galaxy Z Fold 7 starts at $1,999/£1,799 / AU$2,899. That's a $100 price hike over the Galaxy Z Fold 6 in the U.S. What do I like? The amazingly thin and light design, the larger displays, more advanced 200MP camera and the seamless integration of Gemini Live AI. What do I not like? Other than the sticker shock of that price, the unsightly punch hole camera on the main display and the just-okay battery life. Some may miss the S Pen. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 starts at $1,999 for 256GB of storage and 12GB of RAM. No, that's not a typo. That's $100 more than the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the most expensive phone you can buy in the U.S. The Fold 7 is more affordable in the U.K. and Australia, with prices starting at £1,799 / AU$2,899. Opting for the 512GB model will run you $2,119 / £1,899 / AU$3,099. Want 1TB? You're looking at $2,419 / £2,149 / AU$3,549, but at least that includes a bump in RAM to 16GB. Price From $1,999 / £1,799 / AU$2,899 Main display 8 inches AMOLED (2184 x 1968, 1-120Hz) Cover display 6.5 inches AMOLED (2520 x 1080, 1-120Hz) Chipset Snapdragon 8 Elite RAM 12GB (16GB for 1TB) Storage 256GB/512GB/1TB Rear cameras 200MP wide (f/1.7), 12MP ultra-wide (f/2.2), 10MP telephoto (f/2.4, 3x optical, 30x space zoom) Cover camera 10MP (f/2.2) Main display camera 10MP (f/2.2) Charging 25W Battery 4,400 mAh Dimensions 158.4 x 72.8 x 8.9 mm (folded), 143.2 x 158.4 x 4.2 mm (unfolded) Weight 215 grams (7.5 ounces) IP Rating IP48 Colors Blue Shadow, Silver Shadow, Jet-black, Mint Let's get something out of the way. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 may not be the thinnest and lightest book-style foldable in the world. But it is such a huge improvement over the Z Fold 6 that it feels like a totally new device. Measuring 8.9mm thick unfolded and 4.2mm unfolded, the Z Fold 7 is 26% thinner than the Fold 6. And when I hold them side by side the contrast is dramatic. Seriously, it's the difference between wanting to carry this phone in my front or back pocket and using a coat pocket or my bag. For those scoring at home, the Honor Magic V5 is reportedly 8.8mm thin when closed and 4.1mm when open, but that's not a phone that's available for sale in the U.S. Samsung says it's made the Fold 7 more durable, too, thanks to a new Armor FlexHinge that more evenly distributes stress, an advanced Armor Aluminum in the frame and hinge that increases strength and a main display that's thinner but stronger. During my time with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, it felt pretty durable despite being so thin. And I like how the hinge barely protrudes when closed. But note that this foldable is just IP48 rated once more, meaning it's water resistant but not dust resistant. I won't be taking the Fold to the beach. I do have some nitpicks with the design. The first is the camera for the inner display. Samsung moved from an invisible under-display camera to a punch hole, it's an eyesore. I also wish the camera bump wasn't so thick. As a result, the phone wobbles when you press use it on a table. One more thing. I think the Z Fold 7 could be slightly easier to open. It's so thin you have to dig your nails in there. How about colors? If you want to stand out, get the bold Blue Shadow option. I love it. If you don't like fun get the Jetblack or Silver Shadow option. There's also an exclusive Mint color on The Galaxy Z Fold 7 gets three major display upgrades versus the Z Fold 6. Both the cover and main displays are now larger, and the crease on the unfolded main display is definitely less noticeable. Starting with the inside, the Galaxy Z Fold 7's main display has grown from 7.6 inches to 8 inches, which is a pretty big jump. I appreciated the extra real estate when watching the Superman trailer on YouTube but especially when working on spreadsheets in Google Sheets. You can see a lot more info without scrolling. And it's nice being able to see several open tabs at once when surfing the web in Chrome. Brightness (Nits, HDR) Color (DCI-P3) Accuracy (Delta-E) Galaxy Z Fold 7 2,310 96%/105.2% (Natural/Vivid) 0.22/0.28 (Natural/Vivid) Galaxy Z Fold 6 2,317 81.2%/96.9% (Natural/Vivid) 0.24/0.24 (Natural/Vivid) Pixel Pro 9 Fold 2,319 78.9% / 89.2% (Natural/Adaptive) 0.19/0.33 (Natural/Adaptive) Galaxy S25 Ultra 1,860 90.8%/107.3% (Natural/Vivid) 0.24 iPhone 16 Pro Max 1,553 80.9% 0.26 The other plus is that Samsung has worked hard to minimize the main display's crease. It's still there but it's much less noticeable. I put the Z Fold 7 and Z Fold 6 side by side and the line running down the middle of the screen is a lot more subtle from various angles. So one of the biggest complaints about foldable phones is (almost) no more. I will say, though, that the Galaxy Z Fold 6's panel looked a bit richer side by side next to the Z Fold 7 with slightly wider viewing angles. Meanwhile, the Z Fold 7's cover display is now 6.5 inches, up from 6.3 inches on the Fold 6. It's wider, too, so I found typing more comfortable. It's certainly not as wide as the S25 Ultra's 6.9-inch panel, but I had no problem checking emails, responding to Slack messages and changing tracks on Spotify, and so on. In our labs, the Z Fold 7's main display delivered a peak brightness of 2,310 nits when displaying HDR content, compared to 2,317 nits for the Z Fold 6. So they're comparable. The S25 Ultra, by comparison, reached 1,860 nits in the same test. The Fold 7's main display also registered 96% of the DCI-P3 color space in Natural mode and 105.2% in Vivid mode. That's better than the Z Fold 6, and the S25 Ultra was slightly better in Vivid mode and slightly worse in Natural mode. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 has three major camera upgrades, and one of them is controversial. Samsung has upgraded the main wide camera from 50MP to 200MP. And that means you not only get more detail but can crop in more on your shots so you have more creative freedom. You also get autofocus on the 12MP ultrawide camera, which means you can get some very detailed macro shots. Just take a look at this shot of a Rose of Sharon flower. The Z Fold 7 delivers much more details in the petals, stamen and even the flecks of pollen vs. the Z Fold 6. Just keep in mind that the S25 Ultra's 40MP ultrawide camera can capture even sharper looking macros, as you'll see in the gallery above. The third major change is the inner selfie camera. Samsung has ditched the under-display 4MP camera on the Fold 6 for a 10MP punch hole camera on its new foldable. And while aesthetically it's not pleasing, it does take better looking photos. Check out this selfie comparison. The Z Fold 7's shot is more colorful and there's more detail in my eyes and shirt. The Fold 6's image is blurrier and a bit washed out by comparison. The main camera did a great job with this photo of the fountain in Bryant Park. The blue forget-me-not flowers really pop, and the fountain itself has a subtle blur effect. Meanwhile, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold's pic is more evenly focused throughout, but there's more of a haze to the image. The fountain gets a bit lost in the iPhone 16 Pro Max's image. With the sun behind the clouds I took this somewhat moody image of Bryant Park using the Z Fold 7's ultrawide camera. In this case I prefer the brighter shot taken by the S25 Ultra. But the Fold 7 does a better job of capturing the clouds than the S25 Ultra. So how about portraits? The Z Fold 7 holds its own versus the competition. My green shirt with white stripes looks vibrant, and there's good definition in my hair and hands. Still I slightly prefer the brighter exposure from the Z Fold 6 and S25 Ultra. The Pixel 9 Pro's image looks a bit flat and dull, while the iPhone's image has the best contrast. In low light, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 captured a fairly impressive photo of string lights outside a restaurant. There's a good amount of detail in the bricks and trees, and the Modelo-branded umbrellas pop. I'd give a slight edge to the iPhone 16 Pro Max because you can make out the lights a bit better in the foreground. Indoors the Galaxy Z Fold 7 struggled with this photo of a checkerboard lamp in a dark room with two candles behind it. It had trouble focusing but actually fared better than the S25 Ultra, whose pic turned out quite dark. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 captures crisp video up to 8K at 30 fps and promises better results in low light thanks to Samsung's ProVisual Engine. I shot this video of a creek on a very muggy day right before a thunderstorm hit, and the Z Fold 7 recorded colorful footage with rich greens and browns against a grayish-white sky. As I zoomed in, the camera did a fine job rendering the ripples in the water. In this footage of the Bryant Park fountain, the Z Fold 7's footage looks more evenly exposed, while the Z Fold 6's video appears overly bright and washed out. The Fold 7 clip also offers more details in the stone and water as I zoomed in. To test the ProVisual Engine's chops, I shot this footage of a pool in near darkness. The Z Fold 7's clip looks brighter and a bit crisper, especially as I zoom in on the basketball net. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is so far ahead of the iPhone on AI it's almost sad. While there aren't many new features versus what the S25 Ultra introduced, Samsung deserves credit for making more of its Galaxy AI tools foldable friendly. And Gemini steals the show. I love that you can just long press the Z Fold 7's side button and then quickly launch into a live audio and video chat with Gemini Live. The window just pops up on the bottom right side so it doesn't cover up the app you're using. I also like that you can share your screen with Gemini and ask questions about it. For example, I opened a photo of the Bryant Park Fountain and asked about when it was made. I learned that the Josephine Shaw Memorial Fountain in Bryant Park was dedicated in 1912, and it's the first major public memorial dedicated to a woman in New York City. You can even ask Gemini questions while you're playing a game. I asked where I should go next in Wuthering Waves and Gemini gave me directions (head North) to get to the next checkpoint. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is also super smart when it comes to generative AI photo edits. I just tapped the eraser button and it automatically recommended a bunch of people to zap out of my photo. With a couple of taps they were gone. I appreciate that you can see the before and after side-by-side on the big 8-inch display. The same thing goes for other generative AI image tools like turning you and your friends into a comic, 3D cartoon, watercolor or sketch. You can even have AI fun with your pets now, including a funky Fisheye lens option. One of the more popular Galaxy AI tools gets a boost with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, and that's Audio Eraser. You can now remove background noise not just from video recordings in the Gallery app but also in Voice Recorder, Notes and call transcript. In one video, I could easily remove unwanted voices in the background in auto mode, and then I could fine tune from there for the exact desired result. It took me playing only a few minutes of Wuthering Waves on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 to know this is a powerhouse phone. The graphics look stunning, and the frame rate stayed super smooth as I battled a ginormous monster and ran for my life. I could also easily run three apps at once using the Multi Window feature, such as Slack, Gallery and Spotify. And it's neat that you can drag and drop images from one window to another. Geekbench Adobe Premiere Rush 3DMark Solar Bay Unlimited Galaxy Z Fold 7 3,052 / 9,735 52 seconds 41.2 fps / 10,812 Galaxy Z Fold 6 2,172 / 6,901 40 seconds 28.6 fps / 7,513 Galaxy S25 Ultra 3,031 / 9,829 52 seconds 42.4 fps / 11,140 iPhone 16 Pro Max 3,386 / 8,306 21 seconds 28.1 fps / 7,396 On Geekbench, which measures CPU performance, the Galaxy Z Fold 7's Snapdragon 8 Elite chip paired with 12GB of RAM notched 3,052 on the single-core portion of the Geekbench test and 9,735 on multicore. That's about the same as the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The results were similar on our video transcoding test using Adobe Premiere Rush, taking 52 seconds to transcode a 4K video to 1080p. Strangely, last year's Fold 6 finished in a quicker 40 seconds. The iPhone 16 Pro Max was way faster than them all. However, the iPhone lags the Fold 7 on the 3DMark graphics test. The foldable reached 41 frames per second (fps) on the demanding Solar Bay Unlimited portion of the test, compared to just 28 fps for the iPhone 16 Pro Max. The bad news is that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 packs the same size 4,400 mAh battery as the Galaxy Z Fold 6. This at a time when Chinese phone makers like Honor and Oppo are rolling out higher capacity silicon carbon batteries. For example, the Honor Magic V5 packs a 6,100 mAh battery using the new technology and the Oppo Find N5 offers a 5,600 mAh cell. Samsung has told us that it is investigating silicon carbon batteries but for now it is prioritizing safety. Battery size (mAh) Battery life (hrs:mins) Galaxy Z Fold 7 4,400 mAh 10:55 Galaxy Z Fold 6 4,400 10:25 Pixel 9 Pro Fold 4,650 mAh 10:32 / 11:29 (Smooth display on / off) Galaxy S25 Ultra 5,000 mAh 17 review:14 iPhone 16 Pro Max 4,685 mAh 17 review:35 On the Tom's Guide battery test, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 lasted a somewhat mediocre 10 hours and 55 minutes when surfing the web over 5G. Compare that to 10:25 for the Galaxy Z Fold 6. The Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max both lasted over 17 hours, or 6 hours longer than the new Fold. Alas, the charging picture isn't much prettier. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 supports relatively slow 25W charging. That means you get a 54% charge in our testing in 30 minutes. The S25 Ultra's 45W charger got to 71% in the same amount of time. Meanwhile, the above Honor and Oppo phones boast 80W charging, but we haven't measured their charging speed yet. The Galaxy Z Fold runs Samsung's One UI 8 software on top of Android 16, and there are some notable upgrades for foldable fans. As mentioned above, Gemini Live is now enhanced with multimodal AI, which means it can process information from your voice and what the camera 'sees' in real-time, as well as what's on your screen. The Gemini Live interface floats on top of whatever you're doing, so it doesn't feel like it's taking over your phone, and when you're sharing your screen and talking to Gemini you'll see an indicator in the top left corner that it's listening, so you can tap there to pause or turn it off at any time. Circle to Search gets an upgrade in One UI 8, too. You can use Circle to Search when playing a game and get instant tips or find out more about characters or enemies. Another AI perk is that you can now drag and drop AI-created content from one window to another when using the multi window feature, including images. Thanks to its larger screen, there's a revamped Studio video editor in the gallery that lets you edit videos almost like on a computer. What makes it unique is how it's laid out, along with the ability to layer tracks much like on professional video editors. For creators, it's a helpful tool that offers on-device editing to save you time. This is exclusive to the Z Fold 7 for now, as the Z Flip 7 doesn't have it. As for Android 16 features, some of the biggest highlights include live updates for ride-share and food delivery apps (which is coming to Samsung's Now Bar). Another welcome upgrade is grouping notifications from a single app for reducing clutter on your lock screen. As with other Samsung flagships, the Z Fold 7 comes with seven years of OS and security updates. However, it only comes with 6 months of free Gemini Advanced — whereas Google's Pixel 9 phones get a full year. Samsung has done it. They've won over a foldable phone skeptic with a design that just feels right. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a triumph of engineering, packing larger displays in a design that's so thin and light you forget that you're carrying a foldable around. You get two vibrant screens in one device, awesome multitasking power and a flagship-grade camera system. And the AI features really shine on this bigger canvas, especially Gemini Live screen sharing. So what's the problem? The $2,000 price is super steep, and I wish Samsung found a way to pack in a larger battery. I personally can live without the S Pen, though creatively-inclined users may be peeved, and I really don't mind the punch hole camera. The megapixel upgrade makes up for it. I think the Galaxy S25 Ultra is the better option if you want longer battery life, even better cameras and S Pen support for hundreds less. But if you're even thinking about splurging for a foldable, you'll be more than happy with the Z Fold 7. It's the best foldable phone you can buy in the U.S. and maybe the world. It finally feels like the future we were promised is here.
CNET
an hour ago
- CNET
I Tested the Galaxy Z Fold 7: It's Slim, Powerful and Surprisingly Practical
CNET's expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. 8.5 / 10 SCORE Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 $2,000 at Samsung Pros Thin 4.2mm design 200-megapixel main camera Powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite processor Durable build Cons Steep $2,000 price tag Same 4,400 mAh battery as last year's Fold 25-watt wired charging Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 8.5/10 CNET Score $2,000 at Samsung Samsung has achieved quite a feat with the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Yes, it's a spectacularly thin phone, but an even greater accomplishment is that using both the cover and main display on this book-style foldable finally feels like an almost perfect experience. Almost. I spent a week scrolling, snapping photos and texting on Samsung's new premium foldable, and it really was a "feeling is believing" experience. Because the Z Fold 7 is only 8.9mm thick when closed and 4.2mm when open, it's not clunky in either configuration. (For comparison, last year's Z Fold 6 was 12.1mm thick when closed and 5.6mm when open. That makes the new foldable phone just a bit thicker than the 7.2mm Galaxy S25 when closed.) The generous 6.5-inch cover screen means I hardly feel the need to pry the phone open and use the more sprawling internal display – even though that's kind of the whole point. And snapping photos on this foldable doesn't feel like a compromise, thanks to an impressive triple camera system that includes a 200-megapixel sensor. Now Playing: Ultra Thin: First Look at the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Z Flip 7 02:45 But there are still moments where the Z Fold 7 comes off as a work in progress. Formatting issues on the internal display occasionally persist, and the 4,400-mAh battery pales in comparison to what you'll find in other slim foldables, like the Oppo Find N5's 5,600-mAh capacity and the Huawei Mate X6's 5,110-mAh battery (not to mention the Z Fold 7's meager 25-watt charging). Samsung also dropped S Pen support with this device. Overall, though, the downsides are minimal. What's not so minimal is the Z Fold 7's $2,000 price tag, up $100 from the starting price for last year's Z Fold 6. But Samsung's slim book-style offering strikes that sweet spot between a novel experience and a wonderfully ordinary one, at least most of the time. The Z Fold 7 is just 8.9mm thick when closed and 4.2mm when open. Numi Prasarn/CNET How the Galaxy Z Fold 7 feels In addition to being thin, the Z Fold 7 is also lightweight, especially for a foldable, at 215 grams. That's 3 grams lighter than the S25 Ultra, 12 grams lighter than the iPhone 16 Pro Max and 14 grams lighter than the Oppo Find N5. In my hand or pocket, the Z Fold 7 feels better than most flagship slate phones, which in itself is pretty extraordinary. I've tested a handful of phones that serve as great conversation starters, but the Z Fold 7 has definitely received the most attention. Pulling the phone out at a birthday party, I was met with gasps of, "Woah, that's so thin," and my colleagues were in awe of how ordinary the phone looks when folded shut. I can comfortably use it while closed if I don't want to draw attention or cause a bit of commotion around me and pop it open. I ended up using the Z Fold 7's cover display about 70% of the time, and primarily for tasks like messaging, taking photos and scrolling through Instagram and TikTok. That 6.5-inch screen is one of the phone's most pleasing features because of how practical it is, and it is long overdue. Because the cover screen isn't awkwardly narrow, using the inside display is now less of a necessity and more of a choice. Switching from the cover display to the main one when opening the phone is seamless, and apps transfer without any hiccups. The 6.5-inch cover display makes scrolling and texting feel a lot more natural than on last year's Z Fold 6. James Martin/CNET I opted for that wider 8-inch real estate when watching videos and multitasking, like texting while online shopping. It's neat that you can have up to three apps on screen at the same time, so I can have YouTube, my texts and my photo gallery pulled up simultaneously, because my brain isn't already overstimulated enough. The 2,600-nit peak brightness helps with viewing such a big screen outdoors, and Samsung's new tech also makes it easier to see the display while wearing polarized sunglasses. There were a handful of instances in which posts on Instagram and TikTok were weirdly cropped on that main screen, which was disappointing. But the majority of the content showed up the way it was supposed to. And while I appreciate that the inside display is 11% larger than the Z Fold 6's, typing can be a bit tricky on such a wide expanse, even with bigger hands and the split keyboard. A funny side effect of the Z Fold 7's sleekness is it can be a little tricky to, well, unfold. I kind of have to wedge my nail within the crevice to pry it open, and it's game over if you're wearing acrylics, as my colleague Alexandra Able confirmed (she did eventually get it open with some extra effort). But snapping the phone shut is so satisfying that it kind of makes up for it, at least in my book. A thin, lightweight design helps me forget I'm even using a foldable sometimes. Numi Prasarn/CNET A thin yet durable design The Z Fold 7 helps to explain the existence of its skinny sibling, the Galaxy S25 Edge, which came out in May. The latter phone was a way for Samsung to show what it's capable of, even if the $1,100 device comes off as a bit frivolous. (I personally found the lighter phone to be a game changer, but it comes at a high price.) The Z Fold 7 gives that slim profile a purpose, turning a formerly bulky foldable into one that feels wonderfully ordinary where it counts. Despite how thin the Z Fold 7 is, it's nice and sturdy, with a Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 cover and a Victus 2 backing. That makes me feel better about refusing to slap on a case and add even a millimeter of thickness. I toted the Fold around New York City with the peace of mind that hopefully all would be well if it took a tumble (it didn't), and it made it through the chaos of JFK Airport unscathed (though I'm not sure I did). Back at home in San Francisco, I've been throwing it into my bag and carrying it while out and about without worrying too much about anything happening to it. So far, it hasn't sustained any scuffs or scratches. The Fold 7's hinge has also gotten a makeover; it's thinner and lighter, according to Samsung, and the aluminum design makes it 10% stronger. I can't bend the phone, open or closed, even when applying considerable force. So you should be able to put it in your back pocket without folding it even further. The Z Fold 7 has a triple rear camera system with a 200-megapixel wide, 12-megapixel ultrawide and 10-megapixel telephoto camera. James Martin/CNET Galaxy Z Fold 7 camera What's not so thin is the Z Fold 7's camera bump. I like that it doesn't take up the expanse of the phone and is instead relegated to the left side of the device, but that definitely results in some wobbling when the phone is placed on a table, though there are some cases to help with that. The triple camera system, headlined by the 200-megapixel main camera, delivers crisp, vibrant shots, defying the hardware compromises so many foldables have had to make over the years. There's also a 12-megapixel ultrawide and 10-megapixel telephoto camera, as well as a 10-megapixel selfie camera in the cover and main displays. Photos on the Z Fold 7 are comparable to what you'll get shooting on the Galaxy S series, including the top-of-the-line S25 Ultra. The amount of detail in this room at The Morgan Library in New York is spellbinding and well-captured by the Z Fold 7. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET Even rooms with minimal lighting maintain an impressive level of detail; you can clearly see the textures across everything from the wallpaper to the desk to the chair. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET Food mode is great for adding a slightly dramatic effect to your meal. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET The glass dome in the ceiling here presents a lighting challenge, but the camera did a good job balancing it all. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET This portrait mode shot of my colleague Tara keeps everything in the foreground in crisp focus and does a good job balancing all the different lighting. Portrait mode on objects also presents a pleasingly dramatic effect, like with this re-creation of Jane Austen's writing desk at The Morgan Library. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET Nighttime images are brightened up with the help of AI, which also removes noise. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET Generative Edit isn't new, but Samsung says it's gotten better at seamlessly filling in the gaps after you remove people and objects from your photos. This is one of my favorite Galaxy features for making photobombers or anything cluttering your photo disappear. (Yes, I am ruthless with this tool.) This is a great sweeping image, but what if I wanted to get rid of the other people and make it look like I'm the only one in the room? Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET Generative Edit makes it happen. Abrar Al-Heeti/CNET Audio Eraser, which also isn't new, gets a designated button under videos in your gallery, so you can quickly tap to launch the feature. It uses AI to clean up background noises so you can focus on what you actually want to hear. Audio Eraser can now automatically detect what to tune out, like the crowd or the wind. I used the feature on a video of me talking to camera during Samsung's Unpacked evening event as the DJ was spinning and folks were chattering, and it did a good job reducing the sound of voices in the background, but it did warp my voice a bit. I'm sure it'll only get better with time, but it's neat to have even its current rudimentary capability. Multitasking is great on the main display, which is 11% bigger than last year's Z Fold 6. James Martin/CNET Battery life and performance I was worried Samsung would scale back the Z Fold 7's battery with a slimmer design, as it did with the S25 Edge. But the Fold 7 maintains the 4,400 mAh of last year's Z Fold 6. That's still notably less than the capacity on similar phones from Chinese companies like Huawei, Honor and Oppo, but I'm just glad the Fold's battery didn't take a hit. It also only features 25-watt wired charging (and 15-watt wireless charging), which is significantly less than its competitors. The Z Fold 7 lasted me about a day and a half with my usual routine of scrolling through social media, checking emails, watching YouTube videos, texting, using Google Maps and taking photos. (You know, just your healthy daily dose of screen time.) In CNET's 45-minute endurance test, which includes a combination of streaming, scrolling through social media, joining a video call and playing games on the inside screen, the Galaxy Z Fold 7's battery went from full to 93%. For comparison, in the same test, the Oppo Find N5 dropped to 95%, and Google's Pixel 9 Pro Fold hit 96%. And in a 3-hour streaming test over Wi-Fi, in which I watched a YouTube video in full-screen mode at full brightness using the main screen, the Z Fold 7's battery dropped from 100% to 84%. Last year's Z Fold 6 reached 82% in the same test, so it's a welcome, if modest, improvement. When it was time to charge, the Z Fold 7 went from 0% to 42% in 30 minutes and reached full battery in about an hour and a half. The Z Fold 7 comes with 12GB RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of storage, as well as 16GB of RAM with 1TB of storage. I tested the 256GB version. The phone packs a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, powering the many Galaxy AI and Gemini features Samsung has been touting. It comes out of the box with Android 16 and One UI 8, and you'll get seven years of OS and security updates to help stretch your many, many dollars spent. Benchmark tests for the CPU in Geekbench 6 place the Z Fold 7 well above the full Galaxy S24 lineup. In a graphics test using 3DMark's Wild Life Extreme, the Z Fold 7 exceeded the performance of the iPhone 15 Pro, Galaxy S24 Ultra and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Check out the graphs below for more specifics. Geekbench v.6.0 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 2,944 9,379 Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 2,136 6,675 Apple iPhone 16 Pro 3,507 8,750 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 2,152 6,574 Pixel 9 Pro Fold 1,949 4,407 Single-core Multi-core Note: Longer bars indicate better performance 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 6,424 Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra 4,415 Apple iPhone 16 Pro 4,672 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 3,912 Pixel 9 Pro Fold 2,608 Note: Longer bars indicate better performance Is a thin design enough to justify the high price of the Z Fold 7? Numi Prasarn/CNET Final thoughts: Should you buy the Galaxy Z Fold 7? It's a good sign when you become so used to a phone's design that you forget how extraordinary it really is. That's certainly been the case with the Z Fold 7. This phone's thinness, paired with its wider cover screen, makes it feel wonderfully normal when closed, and the inside display has become my go-to way to watch movies and multitask. It's great that the camera and battery didn't end up being the trade-offs I was bracing myself for with that slimmer build, and the phone feels surprisingly durable. I'm sure it's only a matter of time before more companies take a page out of Samsung's book and slim down their phones, too. (Looking at you, Apple.) The price of being fairly early to a trend comes at a high cost; $2,000 is tough to stomach. This continues Samsung's practice of raising prices on its Fold devices by $100 over the last few years. So it can be a difficult purchase to justify. But there are a handful of carrier deals that can help soften the blow. If you're all about having a sleek device with the option of a bigger screen, and a solid camera is one of your top priorities, the Z Fold 7 could be the right fit for you. It has many of the same AI features you'll get on last year's Z Fold 6, along with some new additions and updates. And while battery life isn't as great as on some competitors' phones, it certainly gets the job done. But make no mistake: the Z Fold 7's fresh, slim form factor steals the spotlight here, and makes using this book-style foldable truly feel like a novel experience. Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs. Z Fold 6 vs. Pixel 9 Pro Fold vs. Opp Find N5 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold Oppo Find N5 Cover display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate 6.5-inch AMOLED, 2,520x1,080p, 1-120Hz refresh rate 6.3-inch AMOLED; 2,376x968 pixels; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate 6.3-inch OLED; 2,424x1,080 pixels; 60-120 Hz variable refresh rate 6.62-inch OLED; 2,616 x 1,140 pixels; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate Internal display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate 8-inch AMOLED, 2,184x1,968p, 1-120Hz refresh rate 7.6-inch AMOLED; 2,160x1,856 pixels;1-120Hz variable refresh rate 8-inch OLED; 2,152x2,076 pixels, 1-120 Hz variable refresh rate (LTPO) 8.12-inch OLED; 2,480 x 2,248 pixels; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate Pixel density Cover: 422ppi; Internal display: 368ppi Cover: 410 ppi; Internal: 374 ppi Cover: 422 ppi; Internal: 373 ppi Cover: 431 ppi; Internal: 412 ppi Dimensions (inches) Open: 5.63 x 6.24 x 0.17 inches; Closed: 2.87 x 6.24 x 0.35 inches Open: 6.04x5.21 x0.22 in; Closed: 6.04x2.68x0.48 in Open: 6.1x5.9x0.2 in; Closed: 6.1x3x0.4 in Open: 6.3x5.77x0.16 in; Closed: 6.3x2.93x0.35 in Dimensions (millimeters) Open: 143.2 x 158.4 x 4.2mm; Closed: 72.8 x 158.4 x 8.9mm Open: 153.5x132.5x5.6mm; Closed: 153.5x68.1x12.1mm Open: 155.2x150.2x5.1 mm; Closed: 155.2x77.1x10.5 mm Open: 160.87x146.58x4.21mm; Closed: 160.87x74.42x8.93mm Weight (grams, ounces) 215g (7.58 oz.) 239g (8.43 oz) 257g (9.1 oz) 229g (8.08 oz) Mobile software Android 16 Android 14 Android 14 Android 15 Cameras 200-megapixel (main), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (telephoto), 10-megapixel (cover screen, selfie) 50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (3x telephoto) 48-megapixel (wide), 10.5-megapixel (ultrawide), 10.8-megapixel (5x telephoto) 50-megapixel (main), 8-megapixel (ultrawide), 50-megapixel (periscope telephoto) Internal screen camera 10-megapixel 4-megapixel (inner screen under-display); 10-megapixel (cover screen) 10-megapixel (inner screen); 10-megapixel (cover screen) 8-megapixel (inner screen); 8-megapixel (cover screen) Video capture 8K at 30fps 8K 4K 4K Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Tensor G4 Snapdragon 8 Elite RAM/storage 12GB + 256GB, 12GB + 512GB, 16GB + 1TB 12GB + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB 16GB + 256GB, 512GB 16GB + 512GB Expandable storage No None None None Battery 4,400 mAh 4,400 mAh 4,650 mAh 5,600-mAh Fingerprint sensor Yes Side Side Side Connector USB-C USB-C USB-C USB-C Headphone jack No None None None Special features One UI 8, 25W wired charging speed, Qi wireless charging, 2,600-nit peak brightness, Galaxy AI, NFC, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, IP48 water resistance IP48 rating, 25W wired charging, wireless charging + powershare, 3x optical zoom (up to 10x digital and 30x Space Zoom with AI Super Resolution tech) IPX8 rating, 7 years of OS, security and Pixel Drop updates, Satellite SOS, Wi-Fi 7, ultra wideband chip, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 cover and back glass, cover screen peek brightness 2,700 nits, internal screen peek brightness 2,700 nits, 45W wired fast charging (Charger not included), Qi-certified, free Google VPN, Super Res Zoom, Add Me, Face Unblur, Made You Look, Magic Editor, Magic Eraser, Best Take, Video Boost, IPX9 rating, 80W fast wired charging, 50W wireless charging, nanocrystal glass cover display, anti-reflective film on inner display, cover screen peek brightness 2,450 nits, internal screen peek brightness 2,100 nits, LTPO OLED display US price starts at $2,000 $1,900 (256GB) $1,799 (256GB) $1,870 UK price starts at £1,799 £1,799 (256GB) Converts to £1,410 (256GB) £1,482 Australia price starts at AU$2,899 AU$2,749 (256GB) Converts to AU$2,770 (256GB) AU$2,930 How we test phones Every phone CNET's reviews team tests is used in the real world. We test a phone's features, play games and take photos. We examine the display to see if it's bright, sharp and vibrant. We analyze the design and build to see how it is to hold and whether it has an IP rating for water resistance. We push the processor's performance to the extremes using standardized benchmark tools like GeekBench and 3DMark, along with our own anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution videos and playing graphically intense games at high refresh rates. All the cameras are tested in a variety of conditions, from bright sunlight to dark indoor scenes. We try out special features like night mode and portrait mode, and compare our findings against similarly priced competing phones. We also check out the battery life by using it daily, as well as running a series of battery drain tests. We take into account additional features like support for 5G, satellite connectivity, fingerprint and face sensors, stylus support, fast charging speeds and foldable displays, among others that can be useful. We balance all of this against the price to give you the verdict on whether that phone, whatever price it is, actually represents good value. While these tests may not always be reflected in CNET's initial review, we conduct follow-up and long-term testing in most circumstances.
Android Authority
an hour ago
- Android Authority
Samsung TriFold's biggest rival could come with upgraded cameras and a new chip
Paul Jones / Android Authority TL;DR HUAWEI's upcoming Mate XT 2 is set to build on its original tri-fold phone with modest spec improvements. Upgrades include the Kirin 9020 SoC, a new 50MP variable aperture main sensor, an enhanced periscope telephoto camera, and satellite connectivity. The Mate XT 2 is tipped to launch in September, while Samsung's tri-fold is expected in October. We're all hyped up about Samsung's upcoming tri-fold phone, rumored to be called either the Galaxy G Fold or the Galaxy Z TriFold, depending on which rumor you believe. While the phone will be a technological marvel in its own right, it won't be the first tri-fold phone. HUAWEI holds that title with the HUAWEI Mate XT, and we now have leaked specs for its successor. Leaker Digital Chat Station has shared the specifications for the next iteration of the HUAWEI Mate XT on Weibo. The leaker cited TENAA regulatory listings for a phone with model number GRL-AL20 to indicate that HUAWEI has received a certification for 5G support. The successor to the Mate XT is expected to be a minor upgrade to the original tri-fold phone. For its specs, the Mate XT 2 (presumed name) is said to feature the Kirin 9020 SoC and satellite connectivity (possibly only in China). Upgrades are said to come in the form of a new 50MP large-pixel sensor with variable aperture and some improvements to the periscope telephoto camera. Paul Jones / Android Authority Despite these minor upgrades, HUAWEI is a strong competitor against Samsung, primarily because it already has a big lead with the Mate XT. The Mate XT Ultimate Edition featured a Kirin 9010 SoC, 16GB RAM, up to 1TB storage, a 5,600mAh battery with support for 66W wired and 50W wireless charging. The camera setup consisted of a 50MP f/1.4-f/4 primary sensor, a 12MP periscope telephoto for 5.5x optical zoom, a 12MP ultrawide, and an 8MP selfie camera. The OLED displays steal the show, with the three setups possible: 10.2-inch fully unfolded, 7.9-inch when folded once, and 6.4-inch when fully folded. It does cost an eye-watering €3,500, but bleeding-edge tech comes at a cost. Would you buy a tri-folding foldable phone? 3796 votes Yes, for sure 60 % Maybe 22 % No, I wouldn't 18 % The Mate XT 2 is expected to launch in September, while Samsung's tri-fold is expected in October. Samsung definitely has its task cut out for itself, though the playing field is tilted in its favor thanks to availability in Western markets. Got a tip? Talk to us! Email our staff at Email our staff at news@ . You can stay anonymous or get credit for the info, it's your choice.
