Jason Hiner/ZDNET
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ZDNET's key takeaways
Fold 7 finally feels like a regular flagship phone when closed.
One UI 8 and Android 16 make foldables way more useful.
Fold 7's modes go beyond just switching from phone to tablet.
It didn't take long for Samsung's Z Fold 7 to change my mind about folding phones. After testing it for less than a week, I'm not only convinced that I could use this as my daily work phone, but I've also realized that there are features I'd seriously miss if I went back to a normal phone.
That's a long way from my previous experiences with foldables, including extended time with the Z Fold 5 just two years ago. I've simply never loved folding phones, and after testing them, I've never felt tempted to turn one into my new work phone -- which has been a long string of various Android models since the Nexus One in 2010.
But the Fold 7 is different.
The hardware on the Fold 7 is light years ahead of last year's Galaxy Fold 6 -- it's 25% thinner, both when folded and unfolded. In fact, the Fold 7 is the most impressive piece of tech hardware that I've put my hands on all year. When you pick it up, it has an immediate wow factor, especially when you hold it next to other flagship phones.
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