Is the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 really worth $3000?

Arguably, it's the best phone you'll never own. That, or if you're willing to spend at least $2899, you get your hands on the flagship foldable phone experience.

While I've only seen them online or rarely on public transport, holding one in my hand since its release has proved to be a truly premium experience.

The latest Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 iteration, with its significant upgrades, offers a uniquely compelling and mostly positive user experience, making it a standout in the market.

Here's how my time with the Galaxy Z Fold7 unfolded.

The Galaxy Z Fold7 at a glance....

$2899-$3549 | Samsung

Price: $2899 (256GB), $3099 (512GB), $3549 (1TB)

Colourways: Blue Shadow, Jet Black, Silver Shadow and Mint (online exclusive)

Display: The phone is an 8-inch dynamic AMOLED 120Hz display that's 11 per cent larger than the previous generation, with 2600 nits peak brightness, and it's 6.5-inch folded

Slimmest and lightest: The phone measures at just 8.9mm folded and 4.2mm unfolded, and weighs a mere 215g

Built tough: The phone features an ArmorFlex Hinge, which is a thinner, yet more robust, and the glass is 50 per cent thicker as well

Performance: The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Galaxy processor

Battery: 4,400mAh battery, promising up to 24 hours of video playback

Cameras: 200MP main camera, 12MP and 10MP (cover screen and main screen too) – featuring a Next Gen ProVisual Engine

Storage: 12GB memory with 256GB internal, 12GB memory with 512GB internal, 16GB memory with 1TB internal

What I liked about the Z Fold 7

Light-weight design

After Samsung recently revealed the Samsung S25 Edge, which was their thinnest phone at the time, sitting at 5.8mm thickness, they outdid themselves again by introducing a scarily thin, unfolded 4.2mm display on this phone.

Although not as light as the Samsung 25 Edge (obviously, because it's essentially two phones in one), folded up, you get a regular candy bar phone experience.

Although I struggled a bit at first with it, the 6.5-inch folded display redeems itself as it feels like a regular phone in your pocket, and it makes it the least suspecting to magically transform into a beautiful 8-inch display.

Also, random comment, but the back of the phone feels so smooth it's satisfying to hold.

Durability and lifespan

If you're like me, you're a bit sceptical of the durability of these foldable phones. The hinge itself folds out relatively nicely, and as for durability, the hinge promises to withstand up to 500,000 folds of the screen.

Let's say you fold the phone 100 times a day, then that's over 10 years of use for the average user. For heavy users who fold about 200 times a day, that might take it down to 6 years.

Usability and functionality

"Who needs a big display like this?" I asked myself when I first opened the Z Fold7. Apparently, I did. Unironically, the first thing I thought of using the phone for was gaming.

Here's specifically what I liked about the usability of the phone. I tend to read on public transport, and so when I started unfolding the phone to read articles or short stories, this was a real game-changer. The phone fits nicely in your hand, and you get the same experience of a Kindle – this time, doubling up as a smartphone.

Watching videos and shows is actually intuitive to do on the unfolded phone. Not so much for the bigger display (which was an added bonus), but for propping up the phone by itself while I did something else, like eat food on my lunch break.

Performance and battery life

This year's Fold is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Galaxy processor and manages to deliver a 38 per cent faster CPU, a 26 per cent smoother GPU and a 41 per cent quicker AI compared to the previous generation.

In simple terms, it's better than last year's by quite a significant margin. What did this mean for me? I was able to perform anything that I needed to on the phone without issue, which you'd hope for at its price.

But arguably, from that, it still stays with the 4400 mAh battery like the Fold6. If you're a serious power user, this might be an issue for you. But for me, this was more than enough and lasted with a good enough battery margin by the end of the day. Also, just to note, it only takes 25W charging as opposed to the Samsung S25 Ultra's 45W.

Cameras

The cameras hold up fantastically. The front has a 200MP wide camera (which is new), a 12MP ultrawide and a 10MP telephoto. The unfolded display has a 10MP camera too, which has been quite the point of contention as it takes up a little bit of screen real estate, but I don't mind the punched-in hole for it.

The unfortunate thing here is that there is no middle-ground 50MP telephoto camera, and any zoom is mostly digital on this phone. So that is a bit of a problem to flag.

But as for the photos, they were really good! I didn't feel disappointed. In fact, when I thought I was taking a really bad photo of the stars because it was pitch black, it actually turned out to be an amazing photo where you could see all of the stars!

What I found disappointing about the Galaxy Z Fold7

Removal of the S Pen support

Not everything was perfect. To achieve the thinner design, Samsung made the controversial decision to remove S Pen support. I adore these pens, and although I wasn't particularly fussed by this choice, it definitely is a two steps forward, one step back situation. No stylus of any kind works with the device now, so it's unfortunate for those who want to use them for the unfolded tablet.

A camera design too big for its own good

I have small hands, and while I actually felt more comfortable with the Fold in my hand over the Flip, the Fold is still a little too large for my liking when folded.

I also kept having moments where the phone was getting stuck when I tried taking it out of my pocket due to the massive camera bump. And as a result of this prominent camera bump, you cannot lay it flat on a surface because it finds itself uneven and wobbly.

Dust magnet

While the Z Fold7 boasts an IP48 water resistance rating, it notably lacks any form of strong dust resistance. This is crucial for a folding phone, as dust and debris can easily get into the hinge mechanism and potentially cause damage over time. Dust also collected in the folded screens, and I found it mostly collecting around the cameras on the back.

Price

The price point is the elephant in the room. Most will find it hard to justify spending, at a minimum, $2899 for the Galaxy Z Fold7.

Is the Galaxy Z Fold7 worth it?

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 is a truly innovative device that pushes the boundaries of foldable technologies. Its significantly thinner design, overall usability, brilliant cameras, and powerful performance make it a compelling option for those who crave the ultra experience on a foldable phone. However, the phone is not without its flaws.

If you have the budget and can overlook the lack of S Pen and slower charging, the Z Fold7 offers a glimpse into the future of smartphones. It's a masterpiece of innovation, but one that comes at a luxury price point, so consider carefully the value you're after.

This phone highly exceeded my expectations in terms of use cases and its superior feel and quality. It really is an ultra experience in a foldable phone.

After phone plans? Shop these:

READ MORE: Samsung's Z Flip 7 is the only smart wallet you'll ever need