This is it: the foldable that changes the game in 2025

Samsung’s foldable phones have felt like a step behind the best from China the past few years. Whether it was Oppo’s refined hinge, Honor’s slim design, or Vivo’s camera prowess, there was always something that made the competition look sleeker, lighter, or smarter. But with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, that’s no longer the case. This is the first time Samsung isn’t just responding to rivals — it’s actually outpacing them.

At first, you might not think the Fold 7 is a drastic change from its predecessors. But if you take a look closer and hold it in your hand, the difference becomes clearer. The new Fold is dramatically thinner, lighter, and more practical, especially when closed. Samsung has achieved something its Chinese competitors have been pushing for years: a book-style foldable that feels just as usable as a regular phone, without compromise.

The foldable we’ve been waiting for

After having held the phone ourselves, the Fold 7 felt like the most refined version of Samsung’s vision yet. At just 8.9mm when folded, it matches the best efforts from Oppo and beats Vivo and Honor in sheer compactness. It goes further, though: at 215 grams, it’s also the lightest book-style foldable to date, a title confirmed by independent tests, despite Samsung’s modest marketing claims.

While numbers on a spec sheet can sound boring, these tiny reductions in size and weight have a significant impact on everyday usability. Previously, Samsung foldables felt bulky, it was almost like you were carrying two phones stacked together, but not anymore with the Fold 7.

Of course, Samsung didn’t achieve this by accident. The Fold 7 is built on a newly redesigned hinge that Samsung has characteristically dubbed the “Armor FlexHinge.” It’s smoother and reportedly stronger, backed by the use of tougher materials like Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 and an upgraded titanium support layer beneath the main display. It’s both thinner and more durable, a difficult balance that most other foldables haven’t quite nailed.

A normal cover screen, finally

One of the Fold series’ rarely discussed weaknesses has always been its awkward cover screen. The tall and narrow aspect ratio made it feel more like a remote control than a proper smartphone. Typing was cramped, and basic navigation felt off.

That’s no longer the case with the Fold 7. The phone comes with a new 6.5-inch cover screen which now has a 21:9 aspect ratio. That is much closer to a regular phone (those typically have a 20:9 aspect ratio), and it makes helps for more comfortable and natural use.

This might be a minor tweak, but it results in a totally different feel: as if you are using a regular phone.

A camera leap into Ultra territory

Samsung also did something bold with the Fold 7’s camera system that might be one of the reasons for its higher price tag. The new foldable finally gets the same 200 MP sensor found on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, complete with 2X lossless zoom. This is a clear statement that the Fold is no longer a niche product, but a full-fledged flagship.

In contrast, previous Fold models had merely good, but not great camera systems. In our early impressions, the Fold 7’s photos are sharper, more detailed, and more versatile than anything we’ve seen from a Samsung foldable.

Samsung’s Chinese rivals have made great strides in camera tech, especially Vivo and Huawei. But with this 200MP jump, Samsung is saying loud and clear that it’s playing at the top of its game — even on a foldable.

The trade-offs are fewer, the experience is better

Yes, there’s no S Pen support — a compromise that Samsung made to achieve this new design, and one that I think was a step in the right direction. Another worrying matter is that the battery capacity hasn’t increased, which could become an issue for power users — Samsung might have incorporated better battery efficiency, but it probably won’t be enough to compensate. But at the end of the day, there are more positives than negatives compared to previous generations.

AI is also a major part of the Fold 7 story. From smart photography tools like Generative Edit and the new ProVisual Engine to built-in Gemini Live with multimodal integration, the Fold 7 feels like a futuristic, capable machine. In our hands-on, the AI features were fast, helpful, and actually fun to use.

And what’s maybe even more important is that Samsung is still the only company offering this kind of foldable with robust global support, reliable software updates, and strong trade-in deals. Chinese brands like Honor and Oppo make great foldables — but most aren’t available in the U.S. And even in Europe, they often come with slower updates or questionable longevity.

What makes the Galaxy Z Fold 7 so impressive isn’t just that it’s better than the Fold 6. It’s that Samsung finally made the right calls. It dropped what wasn’t working out in an effort to make the best foldable on the market, and by the looks of it — it did.

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