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The Samsung Z Fold 7. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News

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Arthur Fuentes

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176214697691820251103041128_672e182a9f5f64b1c1038c9dde532b529b66b9e20bb1c9a8930590318e5966cc.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>The Samsung Z Fold7. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News </div>MANILA – Folding phones have been around for years now, and they have just kept getting better and better. The Galaxy Z Fold series, which has been ‘top-of-mind’ whenever the word foldables comes up, is a very good example of this–it’s almost perfect. Almost.In terms of design, I really like the Z Fold7. It’s ridiculously thin for a folding phone and the two sides fold perfectly flat. The squared-off sides also make it stand out when used as a normal phone, and when unfolded, the design makes the most of the screen real estate. It is also very light–just 215 grams, which is even lighter than the S25 Ultra that clocks in at 218 grams!Yes, there is still a crease. And when the phone is set to dark mode, you can definitely see it through the reflections of surrounding light sources. But put it on light mode and the crease becomes less apparent.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1762144228748z fold 7 flat lay.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>The Samsung Z Fold7. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News </div>I have absolutely no complaint about how this phone looks and feels–it’s very premium, very sleek, and you just know that you are holding something special in your hands. And after reviewing previous Z Folds, I now understand that the people who will get the best use out of this phone are those who do business, or business-like things.Just as there are business laptops that are built differently from consumer laptops (ThinkPads, ExpertBooks vs MacBook Airs), so there’s this emerging class of business-oriented phones.But first the specs. The Z Fold 7 is a flagship-level device and, as expected, it comes with the most bleeding-edge components:<ul style="margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;padding-inline-start:48px"><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre">Snapdragon 8 Elite </li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre">12 GB of RAM (16 GB for the 1TB storage model)</li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre">At least 256 GB of storage</li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre">6.5-inch AMOLED cover display with 2520 x 1080 resolution with 120Hz adaptive refresh rate</li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre">8-inch AMOLED main display with 2184 x 1968 resolution with 120Hz adaptive refresh rate</li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre">200 MP main camera</li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre">12 MP ultra-wide camera</li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre">10 MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom</li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre">10 MP selfie camera on the cover screen</li><li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type:disc;color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre">10 MP ‘selfie’ camera on main screen</li></ul>A feature that seems not-so-flagship these days is the 4400 mAh battery and 25W charging. But despite the smallish powerpack I was still getting a full day’s worth of use from the phone. I think this is mainly due to the efficiency of the chipset. You can use this to check emails, read documents, even write documents, check spreadsheets for hours, and you can rest assured that it’s not going to just die on you.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1762144303906z fold 7 camera.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>The Samsung Z Fold7. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News </div>The screens are gorgeous, as you would expect from a Samsung device. Viewing photos on this device is a delight. Watching videos is however, another matter. It’s still good, but since most videos are shot in the 16:9 (YouTube) or 9:16 (TikTok) formats, having a larger, squarish screen doesn’t really improve the viewing experience that much. You will be dealing with black bars at the top and bottom of the videos, even if you select to play it full screen.Gaming, meanwhile, is a mixed bag. I played Diablo Immortal on this phone, and at first, I was happy that the game filled up the whole big screen, but as the graphics are zoomed instead of expanded, you see fewer details about the environment compared to a standard phone. Some people might like it, but I prefer seeing more of the world around me. <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1762145081387z fold 7 unfolded.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 unfolded, with two apps running side by side. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News</div>If gaming on your phone is a big deal, you are probably better off with a dedicated gaming phone, considering the cost of the Z Fold 7.Sound quality meanwhile is pretty good. Despite its thinness, the Z Fold 7 still manages to pack stereo speakers, which are decently loud and clear. <div>ALMOST FLAGSHIP CAMERAS</div>Camera performance was also pretty good. The 200 MP main camera is probably just as good as the one on the S25 Ultra. Same goes for the 10 MP 3x optical telephoto, which are similarly spec’d on Samsung’s flagship bar phone. The 10 MP ultrawide though is a step down when compared to the S25 Ultra&#x27;s.I’ve always liked how Samsung’s flagship phones take photos, and the Z Fold 7 did not disappoint. I noticed though, that Samsung seems to have dialed down the saturation on its cameras, which personally I think is a good thing. Others, however, may pine for the insanely blue skies and green trees from long ago. Here are some sample photos:<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1762144364770boracay 3.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Boracay sunset shot with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News</div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1762144411168boracay 1.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Boracay beach shot with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News</div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1762144457851boracay 2.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Boracay palm trees shot with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News</div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1762144496691boracay breakfast.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Breakfast at a cafe in Boracay shot with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News</div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1762144558859changi jewel.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Singapore&#x27;s Changi Airport Jewel shot with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News</div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1762144616092changi jewel zoom.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>People admiring the indoor waterfall at Singapore&#x27;s Changi Jewel Airport shot with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News</div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1762144669812UP at night.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>UP Diliman at night shot with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1762144871006selfie.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Selfie at a bar in Boracay shot with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News </div>Content creators will also be happy to know that this shooting video on this camera is almost every bit as good on a bar phone. It can shoot 8k at 30 frames per second, 4k at up to 60 fps, and FHD at 60 fps. There’s also a Super Steady mode when shooting in 4k, which does a decent job of stabilizing video when you’re moving. The selfie cameras can also shoot 4K at 60 fps. Still, this is not the S25, which specs a 50 MP sensor for its ultrawide camera, and another 50 MP sensor for its periscope telephoto camera that’s rated for 5x optical zoom. If you want the most cutting edge camera system on your Samsung phone, get the S25 Ultra, but the Z Fold 7 can still hold its own when it comes to taking really good photos. For every day shooting, this foldable’s cameras are more than good enough. <div>NOT FOR EVERYDAY USERS?</div>So who is this phone for? Foldable phones have always been something of a party-trick gadget. Sure they look cool, and it’s nice to have a bigger screen every now and then. But seriously, what would ordinary people do with a bigger screen? Watch movies? A bar phone is just as good. Play games? A bar phone is just as good here too, maybe even better with a dedicated gaming phone. Shooting photos and videos? You can get the highest end bar phone with better cameras for a much cheaper price than this foldable.For business uses though, this phone really shines. Browsing and reading websites on the go is much better on a bigger screen. Reading reports, documents and charts is better on the Z Fold 7’s bigger screen too. <div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1762144949927z fold 7 keyboard work.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 used with a keyboard. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News</div>If you need to write an email, a document, or edit a spreadsheet on the go, the foldable’s bigger screen is also much better than a bar phone’s. Pair this thing with a portable keyboard and you’ve got yourself a laptop. And yes, you can also multitask on this phone--which is something business users will appreciate. You can have two apps open side by side like Messenger or Viber, while keeping Google Docs open. You can have two chat apps like WhatsApp and Viber side by side, or Teams with Messenger. Attach it to a big screen and you got yourself a desktop, thanks to the excellent Samsung Dex platform. Speaking of which, I was finally able to use Dex for the first time, and found that it was surprisingly capable for most business tasks. You can run multiple apps in multiple windows just like you could on a normal desktop.Just don’t try to edit videos using it, as precise mouse movement apparently is still not supported on Dex. I tried using it on CapCut and the experience was not satisfactory. But if you’re writing an email, document, spreadsheet or even a deck, it’s all good.<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1762145156929z fold 7 dex.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 attached to a 24-inch monitor, a keyboard and mouse via the Samsung Dex desktop platform. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News</div>Old time Z Fold users however will miss being able to take down notes or sketch on Samsung&#x27;s latest foldabe. The 7 does not support the S Pen. To make the Z Fold 7 this thin, they had to drop stylus support.Aside from stylus support,  the battery could have been bigger if Samsung only switched to silicon-carbon tech. It&#x27;s almost a travesty when a phoneas well designed and spec&#x27;d has to make do with a 4400 mAh battery, when some midrange phones already pack 7,000 mAh or higher. I also wish that Samsung could fine-tune Dex to make mouse control more accurate, as the Z Fold 7 is really overpowered enough to run as a desktop.These are just a few things that Samsung could improve on in next year&#x27;s Z Fold 8. But for now, this thing still kicks ass.Some people have argued that if you want a bigger screen, just get a proper tablet. It’s cheaper than a foldable phone, and you can even buy a flagship with the money saved. They are right, but this also means that an expensive foldable phone is not for them.For people on the go, for busy business people, nothing beats the convenience of simply unfolding your phone to get a bigger screen. During the recent CXO Tech Summit in Boracay, I visited a Samsung booth there which displayed B2B (business to business) devices, and among them was the Z Fold 7. It just makes perfect sense to market this as a business device.The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 starts at P96,041.50 for the 12GB-512GB Mint colorway version. The Blue Shadow version, which was laoned to us for testing, starts at P112,990.

Samsung's latest book style folding phone is thin, light, gorgeous, powerful and is best for users who need the extra screen space to do productive work.

Samsung's latest book style folding phone is thin, light, gorgeous, powerful and is best for users who need the extra screen space to do productive work.

REVIEW: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 is a beautiful, very capable foldable that's best for business users

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REVIEW: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 is a beautiful, very capable foldable that's best for business users

Arthur Fuentes,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 03, 2025 01:17 PM PHT

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Updated Nov 03, 2025 01:44 PM PHT

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