Subj : I've used every Samsung flagship, here's why the Galaxy Z Fold 7 To : All From : TechnologyDaily Date : Wed Jul 16 2025 19:45:08 I've used every Samsung flagship, here's why the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is one of the best Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2025 18:30:00 +0000 Description: Do you believe in magic? If not, you might want to try the Galaxy Z Fold 7. FULL STORY ====================================================================== Its hard to overestimate just how incredible the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is in the glass and metal. Its not your average folding phone, and the in-hand wow factor far outweighs that of most flagship phones over the past few years, including many of the best folding phones . Over the past week, Ive shown Samsungs new folding phone to several people, and the response has been nearly uniform: 'wow, thats light'. Then I ask them to unfold it, and the response is even more surprising. As I discovered while speaking with Blake Geiser , the SVP of Product Management at Samsung North America, the company set out with a core primary goal: to create a folding phone that felt like the Galaxy S25 Ultra when folded. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 nails this on the head, and most people are incredibly surprised when they first unfold it. Ive used every major Samsung Galaxy flagship launched since the first Galaxy S-series handset in 2010, and this is why the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is one of Samsungs best phones . Three design changes make all the difference (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) Samsung is widely credited with launching the foldable phone market, at least in most global markets; however, sales of folding phones have somewhat stagnated as they faced a series of challenges that needed to be overcome. The biggest of these was the size, and despite Samsung making its folding phones thinner and lighter each year, even the Galaxy Z Fold 6 was considerably thicker, bulkier, and heavier than Samsungs non-folding phones. (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) The Galaxy Z Fold 7 immediately rectifies this: its 4.2mm thick when unfolded, which allows it to be 8.9mm thick when folded. Thats 0.7mm thicker than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, yet the Galaxy Z Fold 7 feels better, as its 3.8mm narrower and three grams lighter. Its the sleekest Samsung phone ever made, and the nicest folding phone Ive ever felt in the hand. One of the biggest challenges for previous Samsung folding phones was the narrow front screen, but the Galaxy Z Fold 7 cover display feels very similar to the regular Galaxy S25 . Its significantly better than the Fold 6, and it makes the Fold 7 feel just like a normal phone that unfolds into a tablet. And create a genuine wow factor (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) All of this combines to create something that feels magical. Ive long wondered what it would take to persuade smartphone users to upgrade to a folding phone, and the Galaxy Z Fold 7 could be the device that finally prompts people to make the switch. It packs a ton of wow factor, and unlike its chief rivals, itll be widely available globally. Rivals like the Oppo Find N5 and Honor Magic V5 have a limited release, and although the latter is expected to launch globally in the coming months, it will still have fewer carrier and retail partnerships than the Galaxy Z Fold 7. This is a crucial fact, as it adds even more credence to the significant differences between the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Galaxy Z Fold 6; thankfully, Samsung has this covered. Smartphones dont change that often, and most years, we suggest that its not worth upgrading from the most recent previous generation. This year, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 feels like a completely new phone that I think every phone user folding or otherwise should consider switching to. I dont think weve seen Samsung achieve this level of wow factor in years. All the right big numbers (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) During the early part of my career, I spent almost a decade working for carriers in the UK, and one thing is clear: big numbers sell, or specifically, the right big numbers. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 doesnt have the absolute best specs on a folding phone, but it has enough large numbers to persuade customers to buy it. Between advertising, Samsungs other marketing efforts, and word of mouth, its arguably inevitable that many non-folding phone users will want to experience the Galaxy Z Fold 7 at least once. Galaxy Z Fold 7 front screen (left) vs Galaxy S25 Ultra (right) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) When they do, theyll likely ask about the key numbers involved, and the Galaxy Z Fold 7 hits most of these, even though it lags behind the competition in many areas. A triple camera with a headline 200-megapixel sensor thats ostensibly the same as the one found in the lauded Galaxy S25 Ultra will get any customers attention. The camera is better than I expected, and should prove to be good enough for most people, as long as they dont want to capture photos at long focal lengths. The 4,400mAh battery and 25W charging arent world-beating in fact, theyre lower than all the key rivals but sound big enough for someone switching from a Galaxy S25 Plus or iPhone 16 Pro . In actual practice, its a full day of usage with very little to spare, but considering most people sit at a desk, or plug in to charge while in the car, I think itll be passable, but barely. Z Fold 7 thickness (left) vs the Galaxy Z Fold 6 (right) (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) Even the chip hits the right note, albeit with one big caveat. Its the same Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset used in Samsungs other flagship phones this year, at least on paper. In actual practice, the silicon feels throttled compared to Samsungs other flagships, and performs similarly to the also ultra-thin Galaxy S25 Edge . There will undoubtedly be doubts about the longevity of the Galaxy Z Fold 7's battery, which is understandable, but I suspect that the design and wow factor are special enough for customers to accept certain shortcomings. It doesnt have the best battery life, but Ive found that its sufficient for most people, even if it falls short of rival folding phones. The ultra-thin foldable weve been waiting for (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is an engineering marvel simply for how fantastic it feels. When I first held it at a Galaxy Unpacked preview event, I was blown away by how thin, light, and sleek it felt. I had my reservations, but Ive wondered if my initial reaction was reflective of an average user or someone who has a passion for folding phones. To answer this, Ive shown the Galaxy Z Fold 7 to many different people, and its reaffirmed what I thought at first: this is one of the most special folding phones ever made a case in point is my mother. She wont consider the Galaxy S25 Ultra because its too big, but she wants a great camera. She uses a Galaxy S22 Plus and refuses to switch to an iPhone. (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff / Future) I showed my mother the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and she was floored by its design. Shes so impressed that shes heavily considering buying it. This was the biggest surprise, as I had shown her other folding phones like the Find N5 and the Magic V3 and this was the first folding phone she was willing to consider. If it can appeal to someone resistant to technology change, like my mother, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 will surely appeal to the masses more than any other folding phone before it. Could this finally be the folding phone industrys iPhone moment, or will that need to wait for next years rumored iPhone Fold or this year's rumored Samsung tri-fold ? Either way, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is shaping up to be the best foldable yet. You may like The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a major step forward for Samsung, but Oppo and Honor are still ahead in the foldable race Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: price, cameras, upgrades, and everything you need to know Samsung explains why the Galaxy Z Fold 7 doesn't have a bigger battery, but its reason isn't entirely convincing ====================================================================== Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/phones/samsung-galaxy-phones/ive-used-every-samsung- flagship-heres-why-the-galaxy-z-fold-7-is-one-of-the-best --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 (Linux/64) * Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100) .