Samsung’s foldable journey has reached a new peak with the Galaxy Z Fold7, and after some time using it for this initial hands-on review, one thing is clear: this is no longer just a futuristic toy – it’s a mature, powerful, and impressively refined smartphone-tablet hybrid.

Ultra Thin, Ultra Light – Finally Pocket Friendly

The first thing you notice picking up the Fold7 is how shockingly thin and light it feels for a foldable. At 215 grams, it’s lighter than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, and it’s only 8.9mm thick folded – thinner than many traditional flagships. Unfolded, it’s a mere 4.2mm thick, and the redesigned hinge makes it close flat with almost no gap, enhancing grip comfort and pocketability.

The 6.5-inch cover display has a new 21:9 aspect ratio, making it feel less like a remote control and more like a normal phone. Typing, scrolling, and replying to chats are now comfortable one-handed – something older Folds struggled with.

That Huge Inner Display Just Got Even Better

Open it up, and you’re greeted by a massive 8-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X main display, now 11% larger than the Fold6. It’s bright (up to 2,600 nits peak), sharp, and vibrant with ultra-rich contrast. Watching Netflix, editing photos, reading PDFs, or gaming feels immersive in a way slab phones simply can’t match. Vision Booster keeps it visible even under Dubai’s harsh sun.

Design & Durability – Tough Yet Elegant

Despite slimming down, Samsung hasn’t compromised on durability. The new Armor FlexHinge is stronger with an improved multi-rail design that reduces creasing. The Corning Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 cover display adds crack resistance without bulk, and Samsung’s Advanced Armor Aluminum frame is 10% tougher. Inside, the Titanium plate layer and 50% thicker Ultra Thin Glass (UTG) enhance protection for daily folds and flicks.

Performance – Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy Delivers

This Fold7 runs the new Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, and it’s fast. AI tasks like real-time translation or Generative Edit run seamlessly. Apps launch instantly, multitasking with multiple windows is fluid, and gaming performance is rock-solid. Samsung claims 41% NPU, 38% CPU, and 26% GPU improvements over Fold6, and it shows in day-to-day responsiveness.

Cameras – A Foldable with a 200MP Shooter

For the first time, a Fold has a 200MP wide-angle camera, and it’s a significant leap. Shots are rich with detail and vibrant colour, even at night thanks to AI-enhanced Nightography. The main display’s 10MP 100° camera is perfect for group selfies or video calls without cramming everyone in awkwardly.

Video recording benefits from Night Video with improved motion detection and 10-bit HDR, producing cinematic results in low light with lifelike colours. Editing videos or photos on the Fold7 is a joy – the large screen finally feels justified for creators.

AI Features – The Fold’s Secret Weapon

One UI 8 on Android 16 brings Galaxy AI to the forefront, optimized for the foldable’s large screen. Features like Gemini Live now understand what you’re looking at – circle anything to search, or ask Gemini questions with context-aware multimodal AI.

Generative Edit is smarter, with auto suggestions like Suggest Erases to remove passersby instantly. Photo Assist can move, resize or delete objects naturally, and Audio Eraser now lives directly in the Gallery to clean up wind noise in videos.

Multitasking Masterclass

Split View multitasking feels natural here. AI Results View keeps original content visible while displaying results in floating windows. Drag & drop between apps is seamless. Whether you’re researching, drafting social posts, editing photos, or making notes, this device feels like a mini laptop that folds into your pocket.

Verdict: The Fold Finally Feels Like the Future

The Galaxy Z Fold7 is not just an iterative upgrade; it’s a refined, ultra-powerful foldable that addresses nearly every shortcoming of its predecessors. It’s lighter, thinner, and more durable with a larger, brighter screen, an impressive 200MP camera, and meaningful AI enhancements.

At a time when slab phones feel stagnant, the Fold7 is the only smartphone that still makes people stop and say, “Whoa, what is that?”

If you’ve been waiting for a foldable that feels truly complete, the Galaxy Z Fold7 is it. Prepare your wallet – but also prepare to be impressed.

This is just our initial hands-on review, and we’ll be sharing our full, in-depth review very soon once we’ve pushed the Fold7 to its limits in real-world daily life.