Competing with the iPhone and S25 Ultra's cameras, I put the Galaxy Z Fold 7 through a rigorous examination.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Delivers Impressive Camera Upgrade
The latest addition to Samsung's foldable lineup, the Galaxy Z Fold 7, has made a significant stride in the camera department, rivaling some of the industry's top flagship devices.
In a side-by-side comparison with the Galaxy Z Fold 6, Galaxy S25 Ultra, Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and iPhone 16 Pro Max, the Fold 7's camera performance stands out. It adopts the same 200MP main sensor found in the Galaxy S25 Ultra, offering enhanced image quality and much higher resolution. This upgrade outperforms the previous Fold 6's camera capabilities.
The Fold 7's camera system is not just about resolution. It also includes a powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite processor for advanced AI imaging, an upgraded 12MP ultra-wide sensor, and a 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, similar to the Fold 6 but still effective.
In the first test, the reviewer preferred the Galaxy Z Fold 7 over the S25 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The Fold 7 handled difficult lighting well, particularly better than the iPhone 16 Pro, especially in scenarios with conflicting light sources.
However, the Galaxy S25 Ultra led slightly in overall performance, especially at zoom levels above 3x. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold's performance was not explicitly benchmarked but is generally competitive given Google's computational photography strength.
In the daylight photos comparison, the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Galaxy Z Fold 7 produced more detail compared to the Galaxy S25 Ultra. The Fold 7 performed well without any negative effects. The Galaxy Z Fold 6's daylight picture showed lens flare and a bluer sky, but was less blown out compared to the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
In the sign comparison with high resolution and zoom, the Galaxy S25 Ultra won due to the amount of image detail overall. However, the Fold 7 had a slight hint of AI enhancement on the sign which dragged it down in this comparison.
In the max resolution and zoom comparison, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold produced a darker image but had less AI artifacting compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and 7. The reviewer feels confident that with Camera Assistant, the Fold 7 could produce pictures as good as the flagship slab phones with a bit of editing.
In the 5x zoom comparison, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold's image had less AI artifacting compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and 7. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold's picture in the daylight comparison was more blown out and had an orange tint. The Galaxy S25 Ultra gave a picture that was almost exactly what the reviewer was seeing in terms of color tones.
In summary, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 significantly outperforms the Galaxy Z Fold 6, matches very closely with the Galaxy S25 Ultra in flagship camera hardware, holds its own or excels over the iPhone 16 Pro Max in certain conditions, but may lag slightly behind the S25 Ultra’s overall image sharpness and zoom performance. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is not clearly benchmarked here but is generally competitive given Google's computational photography strength. The Fold 7's camera is currently among the best in foldable phones and flagship devices overall.
While the Galaxy Z Fold 7's camera prowess is commendable, it doesn't overshadow the diverse capabilities exhibited by other gadgets like smartphones such as the Galaxy S25 Ultra and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold. The technology advancements in these gadgets have allowed them to deliver exceptional camera performance in various scenarios.
