Hands-on Review: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 the thinnest foldable yet

Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7 is the kind of phone that makes you stop and stare, and not because it's flashy, but because it's quietly extraordinary.

Foldables have long promised a glimpse of the future, but they've often come with compromises: thick bodies, weighty designs, and awkward form factors.

However, the Fold 7 changes the narrative completely.

At just 8.9mm thick when closed and an astonishing 4.2mm when open, it's the slimmest, lightest Fold Samsung has ever made, and it feels every bit as refined as it looks.

Holding it for the first time, the Fold 7 seems to vanish in your palm.

It's impossibly svelte, like someone ironed a smartphone down to its barest essentials. Yet, it feels reassuringly solid, with a cold-to-the-touch aluminium frame that wraps around the device like a tailored suit.

My review unit, the 'Blue Shadow' model, gleamed with a deep steel-blue hue - sophisticated without being loud.

The reworked hinge is smooth and confident, giving the device a sense of durable elegance. There's nothing clunky about it. It just feels finished.

And then, there's that glorious display. Unfolded, the Fold 7 offers an 8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen that feels like a true mini-tablet in your hands.

It's bright, punchy, almost square in aspect ratio, and, surprisingly, the crease is all but invisible. You'll find it only if you're looking closely or dragging a finger across it - but even then, it's subtle. The cover display has also grown to a 6.5-inch panel, meaning that when closed, it behaves more like a regular phone than previous Fold models, which often felt narrow and slightly awkward.

Samsung has packed the Fold 7 with flagship firepower: a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 'Elite' chip, up to 16GB of RAM, and storage options that climb to 1TB.

It's a beast in performance, handling multitasking, gaming, and AI-powered editing with graceful ease. Speaking of AI, Samsung's new features, like Photo Assist and Now Brief, feel genuinely useful on such a large canvas.

Editing photos side-by-side, dragging elements around or erasing unwanted objects, feels fast and satisfying - especially with so much space to work in.

The rear camera system is a major leap, too. The 200MP main sensor delivers beautifully detailed shots, day or night, with excellent dynamic range and colour accuracy. While it lacks the S25 Ultra's extra telephoto reach, the Fold 7 doesn't feel like it's missing out. From ultra-wide landscapes to sharp 3x zoom portraits, it holds its own - and then some.

Despite all that power, battery life is solid.

The 4400mAh cell doesn't sound huge, but thanks to power optimisations and Samsung's mDNIe display engine, it comfortably lasts a full day for most users. Expect 3 to 4 hours of screen time depending on how you use it, especially if you lean into the larger internal screen for videos or photo work.

Still, it's not perfect. The one odd blemish is how the phone behaves when set down on a flat surface.

Thanks to the rear camera bump, positioned high in the corner, the Fold 7 wobbles slightly when tapped. It's a minor irritation, but noticeable, especially if you're trying to use it one-handed while it's resting on a table. It's the only detail that feels a little unfinished in a phone that otherwise borders on immaculate.

There's also no S-Pen support this time around. Samsung's decision to leave out stylus input likely helped keep the device thin, but it's a trade-off that creative users may lament, especially given the tablet-sized real estate on offer.

Then there's the price. Starting at $2899 in Australia, it's undeniably expensive. But so are most ultra-flagship devices in 2025.

Compared to Apple's iPhone 16 Pro Max 1TB model, the Fold 7 isn't wildly off the mark. It's a phone, yes, but also a tablet, a workstation, and a futuristic showcase - all in one.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is the foldable that finally delivers on the promise. It's not just innovative, it's polished, purposeful, and refined. Yes, it's costly, and no, it doesn't quite lie flat. But those gripes feel almost petty when you experience just how elegant and transformative the Fold 7 really is.

This isn't the future of smartphones. It's the present, folded perfectly in your pocket.