Mark dishes out his Galaxy Z Fold 7 review in this episode of Buy or Skip, comparing the newest Samsung foldable side-by-side to the brand’s flagship, the Galaxy S25 Ultra. When it comes to the Galaxy Z Fold 7 vs. S25 Ultra, there’s a lot to consider beyond the $2,000 price tag. In this video, Mark will go over differences in design, displays, cameras, AI features with Gemini, performance, S Pen support (or lack thereof) and battery life.
Does everything that makes the Z Fold 7 shine overshadow the reasons you still might want to stick with the S25 Ultra? Watch the full Buy or Skip review for all the answers.
00:00I never thought I'd say this, but the Galaxy Z Fold 7 might just be my favorite phone of the year.
00:04That's coming from someone who's loved the Galaxy S Ultra series for years, especially the S25 Ultra,
00:09which, don't get me wrong, is still the best all-around phone Samsung makes.
00:14But the Z Fold 7 finally delivers on what foldables have promised for years.
00:18A tablet when you want it, a phone when you don't.
00:20It's slimmer than the S25 Ultra when unfolded, lighter too, and packed with serious upgrades.
00:25In this video, I'll break down what you get and what you don't compared to the S25 Ultra,
00:31because let's be real, at $2,000 versus $1,299, it better bring something special.
00:36So here's everything I love about the Z Fold 7 and a few reasons you might still want to stick with the Ultra.
00:43The biggest and most impressive upgrade for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is the fact that it finally feels like a normal phone in your hand.
00:50At just 8.9 millimeters unfolded, it's actually lighter and thinner than the Galaxy S25 Ultra,
00:56which weighs 233 grams but is much bulkier with its fixed 6.9-inch slab.
01:03When I've tested foldables in the past, I usually ended up feeling some fatigue going through the motions after a week.
01:08That wasn't the case on the Z Fold 7, and it's clear that Samsung has cracked some kind of formula for slimming down our smartphones.
01:14Honestly, it's just wild to remember that the original Galaxy Fold I reviewed way back in 2020 was 50% thicker.
01:22So not only is the Z Fold 7 thinner and lighter, but you're now also getting a bigger cover display at 6.5 inches, up from 6.3 inches on the Z Fold 6.
01:31Typing and performing quick tasks was definitely way more comfortable than before,
01:35and overall, I feel less fatigued using the Z Fold 7 because I simply don't have to unfold it as much to get stuff done.
01:41One thing you'll notice if you compare the Galaxy Z Fold 7 versus the Fold 6 side-by-side is that the crease, while it's not gone,
01:49is definitely less visible than it was before, and that's been one of the major sticking points that people have had with foldable phones.
01:55So while it's not invisible, Samsung is getting close to erasing it.
02:00The S25 Ultra still has that bigger 6.9-inch display, but the Fold 7's internal 8-inch main display blows past the S-Series in terms of multitasking.
02:08I've been running three apps side-by-side, dragging images between them, and even doing generative AI edits on photos with a before-and-after comparison open on screen.
02:16Try that on a slap phone.
02:18When it comes to camera performance, what's historically been the case is that Samsung reserves the best specs for the S-Series Ultra devices.
02:25Those days are gone, with the Fold 7 finally getting a 200-megapixel main camera, the same resolution as the S25 Ultra.
02:32They've also added autofocus to the ultra-wide lens, which is huge for macro photography.
02:38Compared to the Ultra, the Fold 7's shots hold their own in most scenarios, and in some macro or low-light shots, I actually preferred them.
02:46When it comes to zooming in, the Galaxy S25 Ultra is actually at an advantage because it has a 200x space zoom compared to just 30x zoom on the Z Fold 7.
02:56And although both phones feature a 30x digital zoom option, the S25 Ultra produces sharper and more detailed images, while the Z Fold 7 looks significantly softer.
03:07That's likely because the S25 Ultra has a 50-megapixel sensor compared to just 10 for the Fold.
03:13If you want to see more in-depth camera comparisons, my full review is linked in the description.
03:19As for the Ine Selfie Cam, it's now a punch hole instead of under display, and I'm totally siding with everyone online about how distracting it looks now.
03:27But the payoff is that it captures way better picks, or at least more like the kind of picks a $2,000 phone should be capable of taking.
03:34Galaxy AI is another headline feature of the Z Fold 7, and while both phones use Galaxy AI, the foldable absolutely makes better use of it thanks to its additional screen real estate.
03:47For example, Gemini Live floats above whatever you're doing and can answer questions about what's on screen, using visual context to make prompting way more intuitive.
03:55What can you tell me about this fountain?
03:57That's Josephine Shaw Lowell Memorial Fountain in Bryant Park.
04:00It was built in 1912, and is the first major memorial dedicated to a woman in New York City.
04:06This is made possible by Samsung's One UI 8 version of Android 16, so actually the S25 Ultra gets this floating window too.
04:13But it doesn't look as good as it does here.
04:15I'm going to be looking at this as the gold standard for mobile AI experiences for, well, who knows how long.
04:20But Galaxy AI is not just about the interface, you also get AI image editing, screen sharing, and background audio erasing that now works across multiple apps.
04:29I can't emphasize this enough.
04:30It's one of the best real-world showcases for AI on a phone right now.
04:36With the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chip and 12 gigs of RAM, the Fold 7 keeps pace with the S25 Ultra in Geekbench, and even outperforms the iPhone 16 Pro Max in graphics tests.
04:46I'll throw some of the standout benchmark scores up on the screen, but again, that link in the description to my review will give you more if you're looking for nitty-gritty numbers.
04:55One thing I've always really liked about the Fold is gaming on the bigger screen, and games like Weathering Waves look amazing with the 8-inch canvas, and it gives you way more room for virtual controls or chatting while you play.
05:07And quickly going back to AI, you can now get help in your games without closing out, which is pretty cool.
05:12Oh, how do I kill these guys?
05:14To take out these guys, you'll need to get up close and use a combination of light and heavy attacks.
05:19Before I move on, if you're enjoying this Fold vs. Ultra Showdown, go ahead and hit that like button and drop a comment.
05:24Keeping in mind everything that we've gone over so far, would you ever drop 2K on a foldable?
05:30So here it is. Let's address the folding elephant in the room.
05:33The Z Fold 7 starts at $19.99 for 256GB, and if you want 512 or 1TB of storage, you're climbing to $2,400 or more.
05:43It's worth noting that this is the second price hike in two years when it comes to U.S. pricing, which isn't great.
05:50The S25 Ultra starts at $1,299, and even with the 1TB model with 16GB of RAM, it costs less than the Fold's entry-level tier.
05:58That's an absolutely massive gap and one that I'm sure will be a deal-breaker for many.
06:02Oh, and did I mention that for the Z Fold 7 being more expensive, it's actually losing a major feature?
06:07S-Pen support.
06:08This was ultimately the trade-off for making the Fold 7 as thin as it is, but it's safe to say this shocked a lot of people.
06:14I mean, I get not having it built in, but not even offering an S-Pen case like the Z Fold 6?
06:21The last thing I'm going to talk about in this video is battery life.
06:24The Fold 7's 4,400 mAh battery lasted about 11 hours in our proprietary web browsing test.
06:30For comparison, the Galaxy S25 Ultra lasted over 17 hours in that same test, and it also charges faster with 45 watts.
06:38For something that's supposed to replace a tablet and a phone, I expected better longevity, or at least something a little closer to the S25 Ultra.
06:45I suppose that's the trade-off with a phone that's this sleek.
06:47I know we went over a lot in this video, so I'll try to make things simple.
06:54If you want the best all-around phone for battery, cameras, and in this case value, the S25 Ultra is the smart to buy.
07:00It's a powerhouse for hundreds less.
07:02But if you're foldable curious, or you've been waiting for one that doesn't feel like a tech demo,
07:07I can confidently say that the Z Fold 7 is finally it.
07:11It's thin, light, and shockingly usable, like someone at long last has cracked the foldable formula.
07:17Add in the big screen, AI smarts, and flagship cameras, and this phone has genuinely changed how I use my phone day-to-day.
07:24If only the battery life lasted a little longer, and I didn't have to blow so much money to get one.
07:28It'd be the perfect phone.
07:30So for me, the Z Fold 7 is a buy if your wallet can handle it.
07:34The future of phones is looking more foldable than ever, and this one actually feels ready for it.
07:39If you're thinking about buying the Galaxy Z Fold 7 or S25 Ultra, let me know which way you're leaning.
07:44Yes, I read every comment.
07:45And if this helped you out, give us a thumbs up and subscribe for more buy or skip reviews just like this one.
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