Samsung unveiled the Z Fold 7 model at the Unpacked event earlier this month, getting people excited for the foldables once again. The brand has generally gone with a safe approach in the last few years, but with competition getting savvier, Samsung needs a strong reboot.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 does its best to give a device that has been overhauled from the ground up, sprinkling its AI tech and bringing some of the Ultra experience the company has been touting with its pre-launch teasers. With all these in the bag, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 now costs Rs 10,000 more than its predecessor but do these changes and the premium novelty make it a worthwhile upgrade? We tried out the new model to give you the answer. 

The Slim And Light Fold, At Last 

Samsung has finally made a checklist that makes sense. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 has shed a lot of weight, and become much leaner. The improvement over the years with the Fold series has been evident but none more so than with the Fold 7. The brand finally has a premium device that can become an alternative for the regular candy bar phones. 

The dimensions have really come down. The unfolded state gives you 4.3mm with the Fold 7, and it now weighs 217 grams, a big cut from the Fold 6 that was hefty at 239 grams. Even the build quality has got a new coating and the hinge design has been reworked to now support more fold cycles.

However, the sleek design means the camera module at the back protrudes aggressively which disrupts the balance of the device when placed facing the screen on the table.

The Dual-Screen Mode 

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 features a slightly bigger and more functional 6.5-inch cover AMOLED display with adaptive 120Hz refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 protection. You are unlikely to face any issues using the screen for taking calls, some doom scrolling, and even reading important messages. 

The dimensions now make it easy to hold and use without feeling the weight. And when you unfold the device, it has an 8-inch dynamic AMOLED display, also with support for adaptive 120Hz refresh rate and 2600 nits peak brightness. 

The inner display has improved with its quality and the lack of crease gives it the finesse we were hoping for from the Galaxy Z Fold 7 this year. The overall trimming of the device means the 6.5-inch cover display now feels like using a regular phone. Although we would like the bezels to be thinner which will give it more depth. The colours are bright, punchy and the 120Hz display gives you a fluid experience all across the Fold 7. 

Reliable Power In Store 

Samsung has gone with the latest available hardware for the Z Fold 7. You have the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset paired with 12GB and 16GB RAM options with up to 1TB storage model available this year. The benchmark scores and real use experience tell you everything about this setup and the Galaxy Z Fold 7 benefits in the best way possible. 

Samsung has mostly delivered on the hardware front, and this year’s Fold 7 shows its all-round improvements befitting its status. You can enjoy the multitasking nature of the foldable, and even make use of the cover screen for basic tasks like answering calls and catching up with the messages. 

Can the Fold handle gaming-related tasks? The hardware is surely tailored to support that but the form factor has some limitations that might not work for everyone. 

Android 16 Is Here 

Samsung has actually managed to beat Google by bringing Android 16 out of the box with the new Fold and Flip models. The Pixel 10 series is launching in August but Samsung has taken the cake for this big change.

And with the One UI 8 version you get minimal changes compared to One UI 7 but the alterations mean you get a more stable and polished software running on a premium flagship device. The promise of 7 OS upgrades and security updates finally holds true because you get the latest version from day one. The premium UI experience is an understated equation and Samsung is clearly ahead of the pack in this aspect once again. 

The Ultra Camera Upgrade 

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 has got the Ultra treatment this year and by that we mean the use of the 200MP primary sensor for the first time on the fold series. You get it paired with the 10MP telephoto lens and a 12MP ultra-wide angle lens like the previous versions with some moderations. The main camera is the hero for this version and you finally have a camera matching its stature and the foldable segment. 

The shots captured in crisp daylight are detailed with colours looking natural unlike the heavy contrast touch of the previous Samsung cameras. The low light photos also have details and clarity that might be missing in devices from other brands due to processing issues. The tuning of One UI 8 plays a big part in the camera being able to use the shutter speed to good effect and deliver quick snaps. 

The front camera has got a moderate upgrade with a 10MP shooter which does well with the details in portrait but still not the best in the segment. 

Scope For Lot More 

Samsung has dropped the S Pen for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 model which somehow suggests the company is slowly moving away from the accessory altogether. The Fold 7 is a more mature platform for the stylus, more than the Ultra version, but the brand has decided to not offer or even support it this time. 

The Galaxy AI features give you a mix of Samsung and Google Gemini tools with the former giving you on-device privacy for data processing. However, with Galaxy AI now in version 3.0 we expect the platform to evolve and add more features into the ecosystem to tempt more users with its functional means. What you get with the Galaxy AI is good but we want more in the future versions. 

And finally, the sleekness of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 could be heavily credited to the use of a 4,400mAh battery which is the same as the Z Fold 6. The company clearly has some reservations about using the Silicon carbon tech which will enable them to fit a higher density unit on the foldables, something that other brands have shown is possible quite easily. 

Having said that, the Z Fold 7 battery does well to last for just about a day with moderate usage which is nothing to be lauded about as the efficiency could be because of the hardware and software doing its job. 

More so, even with a battery of this size, Samsung has played it safe by supporting a mere 25W charging speed which does not even fit into the fast charging category anymore. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 finally shows its mark in the matured foldable space and after all these years, the company has ticked most of the boxes with its new product.

The size and dimension of the Fold 7 makes it easier to use than before, the screen sizes have been done right, and the flagship power handles the rest of the heavy loading. Getting Android 16 out of the box and 200MP primary camera are also worthy upgrades. But the 4,400mAh battery that gets 25W charging support is still the limiting factor that needs a definite boost.