I tried the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7, and it made my every other phone feel outdated

Sabrina Ortiz/ZDNET Has Samsung finally done it? As a foldable phone enthusiast, I've been asking myself that question throughout the month leading up to Unpacked, where the company today pitched its newest shape-shifting handset, the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Within a second of the phone's unveiling, the answer was a resounding yes. But I didn't need the roar of the crowd to tell me that. Also: Everything announced at Samsung Unpacked: Galaxy Z Fold 7, Flip 7, Watch 8 Series, more Samsung's latest foldable looks and feels like what we all hoped for when the form factor was introduced six years ago. Even the difference between this year's model and last year's is noticeably dramatic. Ahead of the Wednesday keynote, I spent an intimate morning testing the Galaxy Z Fold 7. At $2,000 -- a $100 price bump from the previous model -- the Z Fold 7 remains a niche product for a very dedicated user base. But for those who have longed for a more competitive foldable by Samsung, one that's fitted to compete with Asia's best, that time has finally arrived. The biggest change with the new Z Fold 7 is its dimensions. Compared to its predecessor, we're looking at a thickness that's 3.2mm less, a weight that's 24 grams lighter, and a pair of displays that are both wider and larger. While those may just be numbers on a spec sheet, they equate to a hardware experience that's noticeably improved compared to last year's Z Fold 6. Also: The best Samsung phones to buy in 2025 The sides of the Z Fold 7 fit the contours of my palm more naturally, the 6.5-inch cover screen is much easier to type on, and when unfolded, the 8-inch canvas feels like a playground for multi-app usage and multimedia consumption. Having tested the Oppo Find N5 and Honor Magic V5 ahead of Unpacked, it's safe to say that Samsung finally has a foldable phone design that can hang with the market's best. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 (left) and the Z Fold 6 (right). Kerry Wan/ZDNET Samsung says it has achieved this dramatic shift in design by making many smaller decisions, from opting for an advanced armor aluminum that's thinner yet stronger, to a flex hinge system that closes more tightly. It also made some rather controversial decisions along the way, such as removing the screen coating that allows the Z Fold 7 to register S Pen inputs like its predecessors. It's a trade-off that stems from user research and the 'slimmification' of the Z Fold, according to Samsung, and doesn't come as much of a surprise to me after the company nerfed the S25 Ultra's S Pen earlier this year. I'll see how much I miss writing and scribbling on the larger foldable screen during review time. Stay tuned. Kerry Wan/ZDNET This year's handset is powered by 12GB of RAM and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset, a processor that has proven to reliably handle multi-app workflows, intensive gaming sessions, and AI tasks. I was satisfied with the chipset's performance on the S25 Ultra and S25 Edge and am very interested to see how it holds up on the Z Fold 7, with its expansive screen that demands heavy usage. In fact, there's a new multi-window mode on OneUI 8 that reminds me a lot of OnePlus' Open Canvas. It's limited to two apps at a time, but essentially allows you to quickly switch from one to another by tapping on the side- or bottom-tucked window that's inactive. Also: I changed 10 Samsung phone settings for an instant performance boost Disappointingly, the Z Fold 7 has the same battery capacity as the Z Fold 6, which, in my testing last year, didn't track well. I'll quote from my review: "Compared to the OnePlus Open, the Z Fold 6 doesn't last as long and charges slower -- a big miss for a device that costs $200 more." With the Z Fold 7 priced at $2,000 now, and Samsung having not mentioned anything about improved thermal management and cooling solutions, I'm not expecting the phone to be received any more positively. Kerry Wan/ZDNET On the brighter side, the Z Fold 7 finally has an Ultra-level camera, with an improved 200MP main sensor (2x optical zoom) that Samsung claims captures four times more detail and 44% brighter images. The rest of the rear triple camera setup includes the existing 12MP ultrawide and 10MP telephoto lens (3x optical zoom). Samsung has also swapped out the under-display camera in the internal screen for a more traditional 10MP hole-punch sensor. Pricing and availability The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is available for preorder today with a starting price of $2,000 for the 256GB storage configuration, and general availability will be on July 25. You can choose from Blue Shadow, Jet Black, and Silver Shadow across most retailers and carriers, but Samsung will also offer the foldable in an online-exclusive mint green shade. As always, trade-in offers and carrier promotions are your best friends, so I highly recommend scanning the catalogs of multiple retailers to find the deal that works best for you.