By Christopher Gavula and Chris Spera

Chris G. appears as plain text. Chris S. appears as italic text.

Intro and a Little History

So, a while back, Chris Spera and I both bought the new Samsung Z Fold 7 phones.  We are both fans of folding phones (come on Apple, get one done soon!).  We thought, this time around, we would kind of do a bit of a review/comparison from both our perspectives since our use cases are very different from each other.  So, in this article, we will format this as a conversation.  I will speak, then Chris will follow as we go over a variety of topic areas.

For a little history, I have used a number of Samsung devices in my past, including the S23 Ultra and the Galaxy Z Fold 4.  I also have another foldable, The OnePlus Open (another really great device!)  My primary daily driver is an Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 as my secondary phone.

From Left to Right – The Z-Fold 7 and the OnePlus Open: Outside Screen

 

This is very true.  Our use cases are different, but not as different as Chris G. may think.  I have an iPhone 15 Pro Max as my daily driver and use and carry the Z Fold 7 daily as a backup for work and entertainment.

I have also had a number of Samsung devices in the past from the Z Flip 1-5 (still have the Flip 5) and Z Fold 3-7, and the S22-24 Ultra (and still have the S24 Ultra).  All have been GREAT devices and have all been daily drivers for at least a 2-4 week period. 

Samsung makes a great device, and while Android isn’t as great as I think it could be, I think that OneUI 8.x may actually have a chance of getting on equal footing with iOS26 and the latest version of Springboard.  (Oooh, I know I’ve just rubbed a lot of folks the wrong way, but I think it’s true.  Android’s biggest issues have been its launcher and UI.  Both have left a lot of folks wanting, me included.)

And speaking of the device’s OS and interface…

From Left to Right – The Z-Fold 7 and the OnePlus Open: Rear with Camera bumps

Phone/OS/Interface Add-ons or Mods

For my use, I’m pretty much using the phone in a vanilla state.  I have added common apps to the desktop (out of the app drawer) and I’ve put some apps in the side-bar (Settings, Play Store, Samsung Store), but I haven’t really used Good Lock (a common way to customize Samsung devices) or any other mods.  Samsung also adds a lot of apps to the device – way more than Apple, I think, and I’m not a fan of most of them so they aren’t a part of my use (for the most part).

I’m also not using a case on my device or any other physical mods.  This is typically how I use my foldable phones since I find the cases make it harder to open the phone.  That said, I’m also REALLY careful with my folding phones, especially the inside screens!

 

I on the other hand, insist on a case.  The device is wafer-thin, as you’ll see in the unboxing I did on the site.  I actually found the device to be a little too thin for me, and the case gave me more to hold on to.

Other than applying a custom theme that shows off the wide gamut of colors it can display, I also use the device in a vanilla state. I’ve not done a lot of device customization, though I have enabled a couple of included AI features and settings that we’ll get into later.

From Left to Right – The Z-Fold 7 and the OnePlus Open: Bottom Edge

Daily Use Cases

So for me, this is very much my secondary phone.  As I mentioned, before, my primary device is an Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max.  The iPhone is my primary work phone and personal phone with my wallets/authenticators on it.  My Samsung has it’s own phone number and I’ve added Open Bubbles (to allow syncing of my iMessages).  I’m also using it when I need to use the strongest Google service (like Translate or Maps).  The device is gorgeous, but I am heavily tied to the Apple ecosystem.  I’ve done some things like add Open Bubbles (as I mentioned and it’s important to note that it requires a Mac) for message syncing, and I use Apple Music, and AppleTV+ on the ZF7 but some things like the Apple TV library of items you purchases and other locally stored movies are still missing and preventing me from fully switching if that was my goal.  I also have yet to find an “easy” way to migrate or even copy all my Authenticator services from one device to another, so I need my iPhone so support my ultimate-factor authentication needs.

I also use this device for watching movies.  We can discuss the letterboxing or other limitations, but the bottom line, for me, is that the ZF7 screen is gorgeous and movies and video of any type look really good on it.

I’ve been using Google Translate a lot on it, too.  Samsung has a translation app that includes live translation (you may have seen the TV ads for it), but honestly, it’s a pale shadow of what Google has done with translation, including live shared translation.  I like setting up the device like a folding laptop and then holding it toward the person speaking the other language.  They see translations of what I say on the outside folding screen, and I see what they say – translated – on the inside screen.  This is a HUGE use case reason for having the foldable – I’ve not seen any better implementations of Star Trek-like translations to date!  Although a warning – it isn’t quite as smooth as it looks on TV – there is a lag as each translation happens (regardless of if you use Google’s translate or Samsung’s), and it is sometimes hit/miss depending on how clearly each person speaks.  Still – the technology is amazing!

From Left to Right – The Z-Fold 7 and the OnePlus Open: Spine/Hinge

Unfortunately for me, I haven’t had any opportunities to use Google or Samsung Translate, though I would likely find it very interesting.  I’m always amazed that tech like that exists works, and works well.

My ZF7 also has its own phone number on a dependable national carrier – different from my iPhone’s carrier – and I also make use of Open Bubbles to send and receive text messages and photos when using the device.

I am also heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem, and use as many Apple services on the Z Fold 7 as I can.  I regularly use Apple Music and Apple TV on the device to listen to music and watch video.  The biggest hole for me here is the inability to watch movies or TV shows that are in my Apple Library, as Chris G mentioned.  I would clearly use this device a great deal more if this were an available feature.

With my oldest granddaughter a big, travel softball pitcher, my wife and I use GameChanger a lot to watch the games we can’t personally attend.  The full interior screen is amazing for this, and while my wife has her own GC account that she uses on her iPhone 15 Pro Max, I find we often share the screen, especially if we are at a meal, and our granddaughter is playing a game.

I also have a collection of WearOS compatible smartwatches and a Huawei GT5 Pro smartwatch (that only runs with an Android Phone) that I rotate through and use my Z Fold 7 to manage those devices.

I also use the Z Fold 7 to listen to audio content – podcasts, music, audio books, etc. – and find that the Z Fold 7 and Samsung’s Galaxy Buds3 Pro earbuds are also a GREAT choice for these tasks.

I also have Apple’s AirPods Pro 2s, and while both are very good at what they do, I have a slight preference for the Galaxy Buds3 Pros, but only because I find that they fit my ears just a touch better than the AirPod Pro 2s.  For some strange reason, the APP2s still have a tendency to want to fall out of my ears, while the GB3Ps do not.

By the way, I have found that Apple Music for Android works VERY well, and I have access to all of my music and all of my playlists, and I couldn’t be happier there.

And speaking of Apple Services…

From Left to Right – The Z-Fold 7 and the OnePlus Open: Top Edge. You can really see the height difference here.

About Lack of Apple Services

So I wanted to talk a little more about Apple services.  As I mentioned, I’m heavily embedded in the Apple ecosystem and I want those services.  I don’t want to “switch” everything over to Google services – not in my plans.  So, I was pretty happy when Apple released some apps for Android devices.

I use Apple Music (both with and without Android Auto), and I use AppleTV+.  But, as I mentioned, AppleTV+ isn’t the same as the full AppleTV app you find on Apple iOS devices and Macs.  It’s missing support for locally downloaded content (other than Apple TV+ shows).  That means no videos you have on device and no Apple iTunes purchased Video content.  I want the full app on all my devices – come on Apple!

Also missing is an iMessages app.  The workaround I am using is an app/service called Open Bubbles that utilizes a Mac (preferably your own Mac) to build a connection to your apple account and then it syncs your messages just like your Mac would.  There are some limitations to this and there is a way to sort of use an iPhone for this, but, in general, the idea works better than I hoped, although not perfectly.  Still, it’s better than nothing and it allows me to sometimes leave my iPhone at home since I can still have my email and messages (and calls, if I forward them).

I also want the Apple Books app to be ported.  I know this isn’t a high-volume, popular app, but I use it, and I want it across all my devices.

All this said, I think it’s important to note that we are closer to being able to easily switch platforms than we ever were before, but there are still “differences” and limitations.  I look forward to a day when this is resolved, but don’t compromise my privacy and security to do it!

From Left to Right – The Z-Fold 7 and the OnePlus Open: Right Edge

 

There are a couple of things here, for me, that I wish were available for Android.  I agree with you, Chris G., that leaving purchased, library content out of Apple TV is a huge hole.  Not being able to play or stream the movies and TV shows I’ve purchased through my Apple Account in the Android version of Apple TV kinda makes me wonder why the app itself even exists.  The Apple TV content alone (Apple’s specific content – shows and movies that it has developed) isn’t a compelling enough reason by itself for me to have the app on the device.  What I want is the 800+ movies I’ve purchased over the past 20 years so that I can watch them on that beautiful, unfolded screen!

I also use Open Bubbles for iMessages on my Z Fold 7 and find that it works fairly well.  It’s not perfect, but the fact that I can even connect to the iMessage service in the first place and send text messages as if I were on my iPhone, is a huge convenience and worth putting up with OB’s unique foibles.

The biggest miss for me, though is the lack of Apple Photos support. 

While there’s nothing wrong with Google Photos, and Samsung’s own Gallery is fine, if I had a choice, I would combine my Google Photos library with my Apple Photos library, and let all of my photos live in Apple Photos.  While Google Photos has a service that will copy photos from one to the other, its not the same as native support; and then that service is only for new photos. (Note from Chris G. – yeah I am also a big Apple Photos user and I’d love to see it on Android and easy support for copying/migrating my photos – other than cloud only).

 

Stuff We Love about the ZF7

So, to start with, I do really, really like this device.  I love the screens, and I love how thin and light the overall device is.  It’s really a great device.  The screens are wonderful, and the outside screen is finally wide enough to be useful!  I’ve already discussed how I love using it for translation.  The Apple services that have been ported work well for me.  This is also one of my favorite devices to use the Kindle app and use as a Kindle book reader.  I like it better than using an actual Kindle device (although I wish the 2 columns mode worked when you are holding it like a book instead of only when you rotate the device – like the Microsoft Duo worked).  That said, it’s the perfect size/weight for e-reading!

 

One of the biggest ticket items of the Z Fold 7 were its new AI software additions.  Right from the home screen, there are a couple of that take you to news events that are happening right now or have been recently reported.  The content could include weather events occurring in real time or related to the time of day.  You’ll get articles on news happening right now, or you’ll get health insights into how you’re feeling at any point in the day; or something similar.  You’ll get content on any of the subjects you’ve indicated interest in.

The Time to Shine content (from your defined wake up time to about Noon, local time) displays current weather conditions and warnings, all day events and items of note (news articles, YouTube videos, etc.) available via a button located at the top left on your devices lock or home screen. 

I really like and appreciate this feature as it helps me plan not only what to wear, but what’s happening in my day.  It’s also kept me up-to-date on important daily events and tech news that I might not have gotten anywhere else.

(Chris G again – Now for me, that Home Screen/news feed hasn’t been anything more than a big chum bucket – really not useful at all and its alerts are annoying…)

 

From Left to Right – The Z-Fold 7 and the OnePlus Open: Inside Screen, unfolded.  Despite what you hear from us or anyone else, the crease while unobtrusive, is visible, if you look for it.

 

Since when do we EVER really, TRULY agree??

Another thing that I REALLY like is the large, inner screen.  The device is super thin when unfolded, the larger screen is really wonderful for watching video.  The big problem I have is that unless I’m watching streaming content – Netflix, Disney+, Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video, etc. – I’m missing a huge chunk of my video content as it’s all in AppleTV; and as of this writing, Apple still hasn’t linked in a user’s video library into the Android version of their app. 

As I mentioned, my wife and I have shared this screen while at restaurants so we could both watch our granddaughter play softball via GameChanger, or so we could both watch an NFL game via YouTube TV.

 

Tips and Things to Try

So, I highly suggest playing with the Google Translate on this, especially try the Live Translate Mode, then rotate the device, partially fold it (like a laptop) and, if needed, click the kind of book icon near the top of the screen which moves the other person’s translation to the outside screen.  The experience is amazing and fun, but everyone needs to speak clearly!

Try using this thing as an e-reader.  I use the Kindle app primarily for this – they need to clean up the rotation a bit, but, in general, its very cool and a great size to be your primary e-reader device!

 

If you’re into mobile gaming, then using the Z Fold 7 as a mobile gaming device is going to be a pleasurable experience with its large, OLED screen.  I absolutely love Asphalt 9 on this device. Its easy to play and enjoyable to watch on this device.  In fact, I play it more here than I do on my Lenovo Legion Go, and that’s specifically designed for gaming!

I also love watching video on this screen.  It would be a lot more enjoyable if I could get my Apple TV movies library to load in AppleTV, but I think I’ve already complained about that…

 

Stuff We Aren’t So Crazy about in the ZF7

So, as I mentioned, I don’t like any case on it.  It makes the device very difficult to open for me (for the cases I’ve tried so far).  And, as I mentioned, I want better Apple Services support, and I want the Kindle app “fixed” so it can run with 2 columns when held like a book.

I would have liked the Samsung translation app to be better than it is, especially since it’s a thing they feature in their ads!   Don’t get me wrong, it’s not bad, but it doesn’t support very many languages, yet, and it just seems to pale in comparison to Google Translate and it’s language selection and capabilities.

I also would have liked the cameras to be as good as those on the S25 Ultra.  They aren’t bad, but for this price, I want the best of the best all the way around.

 

I agree on the camera specs, most of all.

The Z Fold series of devices has never been cheap.  For the premium price that is paid, I would expect the best of everything – cameras, storage, processors, etc. to be included.  It’s silly to think that there’s another Samsung device out there with better hardware specs than the Fold 7.

I also like to read and appreciate what Chris is saying about the Kindle app. There’s no reason why page 1 shouldn’t display on the left and page 2 on the right, with a swipe to the left to turn pages.  That seems like a no-brainer to me. I wonder why the Surface Duo was one of the only devices that got that whole idea… Maybe because it was done with 2 separate screens, but this seems and feels like a software issue rather than something that was enabled via available hardware…

I disagree with Chris regarding using the device without a case.  The blue version of this device is simply GORGEOUS. However, the thing is so “wafer thin,” that I don’t want to use it without a case.  Even with the case that I have on it, it isn’t any thicker than my iPhone 15 Pro Max with or without a case.

 

(From Chris G. – we just have to “agree to disagree” on that last one – lol)

 

Things We’d Change or Improve

For me, I want better cameras.  I also mentioned the Kindle app improvements I’d like to see too.  But even making the screens slightly wider might fix this too – lol.  But really this is a great device, and I don’t want to change much at this point other than the cameras and 3rd party app improvements I’ve already mentioned.

 

Again, I whole-heartedly agree regarding the camera sensor(s) and system.  There’s no reason why a device this expensive doesn’t have the best of all mobile hardware that Samsung can pull together.

I would also like to see the unfolded screen be a bit wider as well.  Even a total of a 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) or 1/8 inch on each side, would make a huge difference.

I’d also like to see more thoughtful and innovative AI implementations made to the device.  The Z Fold 7 was designed to be an AI native device, and I would love to see more utilities and capabilities from either Gemini or Galaxy AI.  There’s a lot that can be and needs to be improved here before they become truly usable. Right now, all of the AI features are little more than toys or cool little promises of what can truly be done. I’d like to see this move forward and see what Samsung can create.

 

Hopes for the Future

The recent improvements in the hinge and the widening of the screens (primarily the outside screen) finally made this device usable to me.  As I mentioned, I had the Z Fold 4, and it was great for the time but I never used that “tiny” outside screen.  This thing is great and I do use both the inside AND the outside screens now.

I do think the Samsung app ecosystem is a bit cluttered/messy/confusing and could use some rethinking, but it certainly doesn’t stop me from using it the way I want.  I’m not crazy about having to use multiple app stores (Google and Samsung) to really get things done, but a little less confusion and cleanup would go a long way to reducing the small amount of chaos this creates.

Overall, I hope they keep on improving things like the cameras and I hope they build better partnerships with app developers to break platform hurdles down (not entirely Samsung’s issues, but Samsung and Apple are at the top of the ladder, at least in the U.S., and it would be nice if their stuff played better together!

 

I would also like to see generative improvements in the hinge and hinge technology that Samsung is doing with the Z Fold and Z Flip series of devices. I would also really appreciate them coming up with an improved display coating that wouldn’t make the screens so spongy or gummy to the touch. 

While this has improved over the years, I would appreciate seeing more from Samsung here.  It’s likely that Apple will make use of the same screens in their foldables, and I’d really like to see some steps forward with the screen coating tech before they jump into that market.

The camera system needs to be improved to get the most out of the hardware it has.  I’d like to see some auto-sharpening and clarity features implemented, especially in macro and high-telephoto shots.  This will make the camera setup a bit more complete and rounded out.  While the camera is good, it does need a bit of improvement.

I’d like an easier way to edit photos and add those AI-based improvements everyone is so in love with.  I’d also like to see a bit of improvement on their pro modes for both stills and video, making them a bit more intuitive and easier to use.  I don’t want them dumbed down – I still want the tweakability that they offer now, but I’d like to see a tad more ease of use built in.

I’d also like to see better interaction with Bixby or whatever they decide to REALLY use as an AI assistant.  I don’t like Bixby as it stands, and want something I can really just plainly speak to and have it do what I’m asking.

From Left to Right – The Z-Fold 7 and the OnePlus Open: Unfolded, Top Edge. Here, you can really see how thin the Z-Fold 7 is, and you can also see both devices tenting a bit at the hinge. That’s unavoidable in nearly all folding phones.

 

 Wrap It Up Kids…

So yeah, for me, Samsung has finally gotten themselves to a really good place in the foldable space.   There’s still room for improvement, especially in the OS/apps space, but overall Samsung mostly nailed it for me – gotta love it!

 

Since I own two foldables at the moment – the Z Fold 7 and the OnePlus Open – I can truly say that Samsung has done a superb job in creating a compelling device and has carved yet another well-worn spot for themselves in the premium foldables-smartphone market.  However, there’s definitely room for improvement. 

I’m looking forward to the release of OneUI 8.5 for the Z Fold 7.  OneUI 8.5 is supposed to be a tightening and hardening of the OS – a bug fix release, if you will – and at that point I may consider the device a bit more complete.  However, until this happens, we’ll have to wait and see.

 

NOTE:  We are still waiting for OneUI 8.5 for the Z Fold 7 as of this writing in March 2026…