The article you're seeing is a retrospective published on April 5, 2026, by Brady Snyder for Android Authority. It compares the Galaxy Z Fold 7 (released in July 2025) with the Galaxy Z Fold 4 (2022) to illustrate the dramatic shifts in Samsung's foldable philosophy over three years.
While the Fold 4 was criticized for being a bulky "beta" product, the Fold 7 is widely regarded as the first foldable to truly match the comfort of a standard flagship phone. [1]
1. Physical Evolution: From "Brick" to "Slab"
The most immediate difference Snyder notes is the portability. The Fold 4 was notoriously thick and heavy, feeling like two phones taped together. The Fold 7 has effectively cut that bulk in half. [2]
- Thickness (Folded): The Fold 4 measured up to 15.8mm, while the Fold 7 is a slim 8.9mm—nearly 43% thinner.
- Weight: Samsung shed 48g over three years. The Fold 4 weighed 263g, whereas the Fold 7 is a much more manageable 215g.
- Durability: The Fold 7 introduced Advanced Armor Aluminum and Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2, plus an IP48 rating (adding basic dust resistance), whereas the Fold 4 only had an IPX8 water-resistance rating. [1, 2, 3, 4]
2. Display & Screen Experience
The screens have grown significantly, addressing the "narrow" feeling of the older models.
- Outer Screen: Expanded from a cramped 6.2-inch display on the Fold 4 to a 6.5-inch panel on the Fold 7 with a more natural 21:9 aspect ratio.
- Inner Screen: The main folding display jumped from 7.6 inches to a massive 8.0-inch canvas.
- Brightness: Peak brightness more than doubled, from 1,200 nits on the Fold 4 to 2,600 nits on the Fold 7, making it much more usable in direct 2026 sunlight. [2, 3]
3. Camera: The Ultra-Level Leap
The Fold 4's 50MP camera was decent for its time, but the Fold 7 finally brought Samsung's "Ultra" camera tech to the foldable line.
- Main Sensor: The Fold 7 features the 200MP sensor from the S25 Ultra, a massive jump from the Fold 4's 50MP sensor.
- Selfie Tech: Interestingly, the Fold 7 removed the Under-Display Camera (UDC) found on the Fold 4 in favor of a higher-quality 10MP punch-hole camera, trading the "invisible" look for significantly better photo quality. [3, 5]
4. Performance & Future-Proofing
- Processor: The jump from the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 to the Snapdragon 8 Elite provides a 38% boost in processing speed and vastly improved AI efficiency for "Galaxy AI" features.
- Software Life: The Fold 4 is currently nearing its end-of-life for major updates (ending with Android 16/One UI 8). In contrast, the Fold 7 launched with a 7-year update promise, meaning it will remain current until 2032. [3, 6, 7, 8]
Summary Table
| Feature | Galaxy Z Fold 4 (2022) | Galaxy Z Fold 7 (2025) |
|---|---|---|
| Main Camera | 50 MP | 200 MP |
| Folded Thickness | 15.8 mm | 8.9 mm |
| Weight | 263 g | 215 g |
| Main Screen | 7.6 inches | 8.0 inches |
| Processor | Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 | Snapdragon 8 Elite |
| Battery Life | 20 hrs video | 24 hrs video |
The main trade-off noted by users in 2026 is that the Fold 7 dropped S Pen support to achieve its record-breaking thinness, a move that remains controversial among power users. [9, 10]
Would you like me to find current pricing for a new or refurbished Galaxy Z Fold 7?
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