Review: would I exchange my iPhone 16 Pro for a Galaxy Z Fold 7?

Samsung’s latest foldable is already available for sale, but is it worth the trip to the store?

Preface: are the latest flagship smartphones the greatest?

I’ve been an iOS user for around ten years now. But while I’ve switched between a few different iPhones in that time, I was never the one who would get the latest model, especially a flagship, until this year.

I recently decided to upgrade to the iPhone 16 Pro and see what all the fuss is about. I was especially curious to find out what makes users sign up for its yearly updates.

I also wanted to know if the latest is actually the greatest. My new purchase didn’t surprise me much, but this made me realize what I liked about Apple – that even after a change from one model to another, many things, such as design and layout, stay almost the same, with the main upgrades being made to its hardware.

However, I’m still curious to know what's on the other side of the iOS fence. So I jumped at the chance to test Samsung’s latest foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 7, one of the company’s newest flagship devices.

Galaxy Z Fold 7 first impressions on specs and design

While I had a few flip phones back in the day, I’ve never used a foldable phone and wasn’t that hyped about the idea. I thought it would be too big to carry and inconvenient to use.

When I held the device for the first time during its official launch, I joked that it reminded me of a remote control because of how slim and long it was.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 weighs 215 grams, which is slightly heavier than the iPhone 16 Pro, which weighs around 200 grams.

When folded, the phone’s dimensions are 158.4 x 72.8 x 8.9 mm, which is also a bit larger than the iPhone (149.6 x 71.5 x 8.25 mm). Nevertheless, soon after I switched from using Samsung to the iPhone, I felt my smartphone was bulkier than the Samsung.

However, I soon realized the phone wouldn’t be my running buddy since it didn’t fit in my pocket. But it turned out not to be a big deal, thanks to the Samsung Watch8 Classic that I would take on the track instead.

Once you unfolded the phone, you could feel its actual thinness, as its width decreased by more than half, from 8.9 mm to 4.2 mm.

While using the Galaxy Z Fold 7, I noticed that I avoided unfolding it, even though its screen could go from 72.8 mm to 143.2 mm. Perhaps that was because at first, I found it quite difficult to unfold, and others who wanted to check the phone also found it hard.

I wasn’t afraid of breaking the phone, since I knew about the durability test, according to which the Fold 7 could be opened 500,000 times before it breaks.

The new foldable comes with a renewed hinge design, which reduces the crease and allows the phone to be closed completely. However, it took some time to “break in” the hinge so that it would open conveniently.

Turning the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 into a mini laptop

Even before the launch of Samsung’s latest devices, people speculated that the company would probably not introduce anything groundbreaking, but rather release the updated version of its Galaxy Z Fold 6.

The list of upgrades includes a lighter and brighter device with a bigger display and a “refined AI” experience. While I’m not much of an AI user, I did enjoy Galaxy’s “Now Brief,” which quickly provided me with information such as weather updates, upcoming events, reminders, and activity recaps.

Unlike me, my colleague seemed to take full advantage of Samsung’s Galaxy AI capabilities on her Z Flip 7.

Meanwhile, I was keen on finding ways to fully exploit the potential of the Fold 7 display. A big part of my free time is spent outdoors, trekking, hiking, or exploring various places. And when I’m not doing that, I sit in front of my laptop, planning a trip or a few. That usually involves at least a dozen open search windows and an Excel sheet about to turn into a color-coded day-by-day itinerary with booking and price information.

Knowing that AI would be able to do the same within minutes, but not wanting it to take over something I enjoy doing myself, I decided to lay AI to rest for now.

This is when it dawned on me that I could do all this on my phone instead of a laptop.

It turned out to be quite a convenient experience, as I was able to use both screens, one to look for information online and the other to fill out my sheet, without repeatedly closing or opening any windows. I could also easily follow any conversations that I had on social media.

It was also cool to know that I could do all of this while on a bus or anywhere else on the go, without having to carry a device that weighs at least five times more than the Samsung foldable.

Now brief: is it worth it?

Being an Apple fan, with its foldable iPhone still in the making, I decided to give Samsung a try. However, I also wondered whether any of the phones marked as the latest flagships are worth the price if all they include are mild upgrades in design and specifications.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7's starting price is $2000. For this, users get a thinner smartphone with a bigger display and enhanced AI capabilities.

While it might not include any new, groundbreaking changes, it could feel like quite a big change for those who come from using an older Samsung model, have never had a foldable, or have been iOS users for years.

It’s safe to assume that most of us spend a lot of time on our phones, but for different reasons. While I wouldn’t invest a couple of thousand dollars in a phone I use mainly for communication and scrolling, I would buy one if it could at least partially replace my tablet or even laptop.

So, for me at least, this is how you can get your money’s worth out of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.