Ask most average people why they weren’t willing to buy one of the best folding phones , and the answer often includes the price, size, or weight. The new Galaxy Z Fold 7 addresses two out of these three issues and, in turn, resolves one of the key problems with folding phones.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is thinner than any previous folding phone available in the US, measuring 4.2mm thick when unfolded, and is only second in thickness to the Honor Magic V5 , which is 0.1mm thinner when unfolded. Yet, that phone has a much larger circular camera hump, so it feels similar, if not slightly thicker, in the hand.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is also considerably lighter, weighing 215 grams, compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 6, which weighs 24 grams more. The Magic V5 is just two grams heavier than the Samsung; the Oppo Find N5 is a further 12 grams heavier, and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the heaviest at 254 grams.
Ultimately, the design of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 raises one key question: has folding phone design peaked?
How the Galaxy Z Fold 7 gets the design so right
When designing the new Galaxy Z Fold 7, Samsung began with a primary goal that has proven essential: can they build a folding phone that is indistinguishable from a regular phone when folded? The Galaxy Z Fold 7 mostly ticks this box, as although it’s 0.7mm thicker than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, it’s three grams lighter.
When we showed the Galaxy Z Fold 7 to 30 average users , more than a third commented on the thickness when they first felt the device, and almost another third commented on its weight. These in-hand improvements have made the Galaxy Z Fold 7 feel nearly identical to a regular phone, to the point where many of those same people were surprised when they unfolded it.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 isn’t the first device to achieve this, but it’s the first folding phone that feels distinctly normal in the hand. This makes it a stunning alternative for those who want the folding form factor, but don’t want the added heft that has accompanied folding phones from Samsung, Google, and others.
The epitome of the perfect foldable design
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is so enjoyable in the hand that it raises the question of what comes next, at least in terms of design.
Samsung itself mentioned that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 could be around 0.2mm thinner without affecting the USB-C port, but no thinner, so just making it thinner wouldn’t justify an upgrade. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is a worthy upgrade over last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 or any previous Samsung folding phone, but a Galaxy Z Fold 8 that’s 0.2mm thinner wouldn’t be as newsworthy.
One area that could be improved further is the camera. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 camera features the same 200MP main camera as the Galaxy S25 Ultra , and our testing has proven that the camera is just as capable. However, the camera bump is considerable — albeit less pronounced than the Magic V5 — and its position on the left side of the phone means it rocks noticeably when laid flat on a table. The Magic V5 and Oppo Find N5 both address this wobble with a circular camera design on the rear, ensuring it lies flat, but this design results in a thicker overall phone.
Then there are the subtle, rounded corners, or lack thereof, on the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Most of its rivals feature subtle rounded edges on the front display, which reduces the screen size but makes it easier to reach the far corners. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 features squared edges to the display, and while it’s uncomfortable for some, it nestles perfectly in the palm of my hand.
All of these complaints ultimately nitpick a fundamentally excellent design, raising the question of whether the foldable design has now reached its peak. At least in terms of design, there’s nothing I would change about the Galaxy Z Fold 7 design that I think would fundamentally change the design or form factor, so the answer seems to be yes. However, while the design is perfect, there are still areas Samsung can improve.
The non-design parts that could be improved
As I covered in our Galaxy Z Fold 7 review , Samsung’s newest folding phone offers numerous improvements over the previous generation, but there is still room for improvement.
First, there’s the battery; the 4,400 mAh battery is smaller than the Honor Magic V5 (5,820mAh) and the Oppo Find N5 (5,600 mAh), yet both of those are almost as thick as the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Then there’s the camera. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 features a 200MP main camera, but its 12MP ultrawide and 10MP telephoto cameras are not as competitive as those of its rivals.
However, each of these improvements shouldn’t come at the expense of the design. It’s the key reason I recommend the Galaxy Z Fold 7, and Samsung would do well to ensure it doesn’t stray from this design in the future. It’s so good that I hope other phone makers follow suit. This Galaxy Z Fold 7 proves foldables have reached peak design
