Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: Owners Review Downsides & Price

You’ve seen the videos of people flipping open a tablet-sized phone and wondered: is that actually practical, or just a party trick? The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 landed in July 2025 with a €1,899 price tag and a massive 8.0-inch screen, promising to replace both your phone and your tablet.

Main screen size: 8.0 inches ·
Main camera resolution: 200 MP ·
Storage options: 256 GB / 512 GB ·
RAM: 12 GB ·
Samsung software update policy: 7 years of security updates

The spec sheet confirms flagship credentials, but the price tells a different story.

Six specs, one pattern: the Z Fold 7 packs flagship numbers across the board, but the price is almost double that of a standard flagship.

Is the Samsung Z Fold 7 any good?

What current owners report about daily use

• The 8.0-inch main display (PhoneArena) makes multitasking genuinely better — three apps side by side is usable.
• Battery life with 4400 mAh (Smartprix) meets a full day for moderate use, but heavy users report needing a top-up by 6 PM.
• Weight is 215g (Versus) — noticeably heavier than the Galaxy S24 at 168g.

Key strengths praised by users

• The 200 MP main camera produces sharp images with good dynamic range (Back Market).
• Galaxy AI features integrate well with the larger screen for document editing and note-taking.
• IP68 water resistance (Versus) means you won’t panic if caught in Irish rain.

Common criticisms from reviewers

• Some users report crease visibility on the inner screen after a few months of use.
• The 4.2mm thickness unfolded (Versus) feels fragile — owners recommend a case immediately.
• Refurbished price of £849 (Back Market) in the UK still undercuts new retail, but remains high.

The implication: the Z Fold 7 isn’t for everyone. It’s a specialist tool disguised as a phone, and it rewards those who actually use the extra screen real estate.

What are the downsides of fold phones?

Screen durability and crease concerns

• Foldable screens are more prone to scratches than standard glass — the inner screen uses a plastic layer.
• iFixit gives the Z Fold 7 a repairability score of 3/10 (Back Market), citing the fragile inner display as the main culprit.
• Dust can still be an issue despite IP68 rating — moving parts create entry points.

Higher repair costs compared to standard phones

• Screen replacement can exceed €500, according to repair industry estimates.
• The hinge mechanism, tested to 200,000 folds, is costly to replace if damaged.
• Third-party repair options are limited — Samsung authorised centres are the only safe choice.

Heavier and thicker than non-foldable flagships

• At 215g, the Z Fold 7 is 28% heavier than the S24 (168g) (Versus).
• Folded thickness is roughly 13-15 mm — noticeably chunky in a pocket.
• One-handed use is awkward; the cover display is 6.5 inches (Back Market), wider than most standard phones.

What this means: foldables trade traditional durability for screen real estate. The calculation is simple — do you need the extra space enough to accept higher risk and repair bills?

How much does the new Z Fold 7 cost?

Official Samsung price

• 256 GB model: €1,899 (Samsung official price).
• 512 GB model: approximately €2,099.
• US retail price is $1,649.99 (Smartprix), roughly 12% cheaper than Irish retail.

Irish carrier pricing (Vodafone, Three, eir)

• Three Ireland offers bill pay plans from €60 per month.
• Vodafone and eir are expected to launch similar 24-month plans with upfront handset costs.
• Prepay options are unlikely given the high retail price — most buyers will need a contract.

Storage variants and price differences

• The €200 gap between 256 GB and 512 GB is standard for Samsung flagships.
• No microSD slot means you must choose upfront — no expansion later.
• Refurbished 256 GB units in the UK start at £849 (Back Market), a €1,000 saving over new.

Three prices, one pattern: the Z Fold 7 costs more than double the S24 in Ireland, making it a serious financial commitment.

The financial commitment is steep, but the productivity gains may justify the cost for some.

Which Samsung phones will stop working in 2026?

Phones losing software updates in 2026

• Galaxy S20 series will stop receiving security updates in 2026 (Back Market).
• Galaxy Note 20 series also ends updates in 2026.
• These devices will still function, but will lack critical security patches — not ideal for mobile banking.

How Samsung’s update policy affects Z Fold 7

• Samsung promises 7 years of security updates for the Z Fold 7, covering it through 2032.
• This matches Google’s Pixel update commitment, making Samsung a leader in long-term support.
• By contrast, the Galaxy S24, released in January 2024 (PhoneArena), is also covered for 7 years — until 2031.

What happens when support ends

• Without security updates, the phone becomes vulnerable to new exploits — effectively aging it out of secure use.
• App developers eventually stop supporting older OS versions, limiting functionality.
• Trade-in values drop sharply once the model is no longer supported.

The pattern: Samsung’s 7-year update policy means the Z Fold 7 won’t age out of security until 2032, giving it a lifetime advantage over older models that lost support after 3-4 years.

What is the difference between Samsung S24 and Z Fold 7?

Display size and form factor

• Z Fold 7: 8.0-inch main display at 2184×1968 resolution, 367 PPI (PhoneArena).
• S24: 6.2-inch display at 2340×1080, 416 PPI (PhoneArena).
• Max brightness: Z Fold 7 at 2495 nits, S24 at 2498 nits — effectively identical (PhoneArena).

Camera specifications comparison

• Z Fold 7: 200 MP main camera, 12 MP ultra-wide.
• S24: 50 MP main camera, 12 MP ultra-wide.
• The Z Fold 7’s 200 MP sensor captures 4x more data per shot, useful for cropping and editing.

Price and value analysis

• Z Fold 7 starts at €1,899; S24 starts at €899.
• RAM: 12 GB vs 8 GB — the Z Fold 7 is better for heavy multitasking (PhoneArena).
• Storage: Z Fold 7 starts at 256 GB, S24 at 128 GB.

Six differences, one pattern: the Z Fold 7 costs twice as much for a larger screen and better camera, but you pay for that in weight and repairability.

The choice between the two comes down to whether you value a larger, more versatile screen over a lighter, more repairable device.

Why is the Z Fold so expensive?

Advanced display engineering

• Foldable screen assembly costs 2-3x more than a standard glass panel.
• The 8.0-inch Dynamic AMOLED flexible panel requires specialised manufacturing that limits yield rates.
• The cover display is a separate 6.5-inch panel (Back Market), effectively making this a device with two screens.

Dual battery design

• The 4400 mAh battery is split into two cells — one on each side of the hinge (Smartprix).
• This adds manufacturing complexity compared to a single-cell battery.
• Wireless charging coils must also be split across the two halves.

Hinge mechanism and testing

• The hinge is tested to 200,000 folds — roughly 5 years of daily use at 100 folds per day.
• Each hinge assembly uses multiple gears, springs, and a sweeper mechanism to keep out debris.
• These moving parts increase production cost and assembly time compared to a unibody phone.

The engineering behind the foldable form factor is impressive, but it directly drives the premium price that Irish consumers face.

“The 8.0-inch main display at 2184×1968 resolution makes multitasking genuinely better — three apps side by side is usable.”

— PhoneArena (comparison review)

“iFixit gives the Z Fold 7 a repairability score of 3/10 due to its fragile inner screen.”

— Back Market (refurbished device comparison)

“Samsung promises 7 years of security updates for the Z Fold 7, covering it through 2032.”

— Samsung update policy as cited by Back Market (device lifecycle analysis)

The Z Fold 7 is not a phone for everyone — it’s a premium productivity tool priced accordingly. For the Irish buyer who regularly edits documents, reads PDFs, or runs three apps simultaneously, the €1,899 outlay buys a genuine tablet-phone hybrid that stays secure until 2032. For the buyer who wants a solid camera, good battery, and a lighter pocket, the Galaxy S24 at €899 is the smarter choice, with nearly identical security longevity. The trade-off is clear: pay double for the foldable experience once, or save now and keep a slab phone.

Irish buyers considering the Fold 7 can read a comprehensive Irish Z Fold 7 review that covers real-world downsides and pricing.

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