Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Teardown: The Thinnest Fold Yet, but at What Cost?

Samsung’s latest foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 7, is here and it’s thinner, lighter, and rocking a massive 200MP camera. But alongside these upgrades, there’s been some controversy: the EU gave it a C for repairability but an A for durability, plus it ditched both S Pen support and the under-display camera. So, what did Samsung sacrifice to get this thing so slim, and is it really as unrepairable as the EU says? Let’s crack it open and find out.

First Impressions: The Good, the Bad, and the Massive Camera Bump

Out of the box, the Z Fold 7 feels noticeably thinner than its predecessor, and the crease on the display is practically invisible at least before regular use sets in. But that camera bump? It’s ridiculous. Samsung’s official thickness measurements don’t even include it, which feels a bit misleading.

Also gone this year: S Pen support. You can’t use Samsung’s stylus here at all. They’ve also removed the under-display camera from the inner screen and replaced it with a standard hole-punch cutout.

On the durability side, though, the EU wasn’t kidding with that A rating. The Z Fold 7 uses Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which feels impressively tough.

EU’s New Repairability Ratings: A Win for Right-to-Repair

Before diving in, it’s worth talking about the EU’s new phone rating system because it’s genuinely exciting for repair fans. It grades devices on:

• Repairability (availability of parts, manuals, and ease of teardown)

• Durability (drop and scratch resistance)

• Battery life & cycle performance

• Energy efficiency

• IP water/dust resistance

Even better, manufacturers must now provide spare parts for 7 years after release. Huge move.

But back to repairability: the Z Fold 7 scored a C, mainly because of how tricky it is to open and replace key parts. Based on my teardown experience, I’d actually argue it feels closer to a D but more on that later.

Getting Inside: A Fight from the Start

To get in, I used heat pad, alcohol, and my trusty jig to remove both the back glass and outer display. The back glass came off relatively easily, but that front cover display? Absolute nightmare. Fifteen minutes of slow prying and suction cups just to create a gap, and any mistake could shatter it.

Once inside, I was immediately impressed: the internal layout is extremely compact, with virtually no wasted space.

Battery Design: Long, Thin, and Frustrating

Samsung split the Z Fold 7’s battery into two separate cells:

• Main battery: 2,210 mAh (long and slim)

• Secondary battery: 2,226 mAh

Combined, they keep capacity similar to the Fold 6, but removing them was a nightmare. Samsung reverted to those old pull tabs that bend the battery as you pull, hugely risky. I ended up using isopropyl alcohol instead. For a device this complex, that design choice is baffling.

The Cameras: 200MP and Huge

On the back, you get:

• 200MP main camera

• 12MP ultrawide

• 10MP telephoto

These are stacked in an enormous camera bump glued directly to the back glass. Pry too aggressively and you’ll break it.

The inner selfie camera is 10MP, now in a cutout instead of under the display.

Motherboard & Components: Tiny but Mighty

The motherboard shocked m, it’s incredibly thin and appears to be single-layer, housing the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 3, 12GB RAM (or 16GB on 1TB models), and all the essentials.

We’ve also got:

• 5G mmWave antenna (rare for Canadian units)

• USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 port (25W charging)

• Dual loudspeakers with slim rubber seals (sound may suffer a bit)

Display & Hinge: Samsung’s Slimmest Yet

The 8-inch inner display (120Hz) is stunning, but removing it without breaking it? Nearly impossible.

The new Armor Flex hinge is 27% thinner and 43% lighter than last year, but surprisingly stiff when fully disassembled.

Missing Cooling: No Vapor Chamber?!

Here’s the real curveball: Samsung removed the vapor chamber cooling system. There’s only graphite film and a small thermal pad. For a phone with this much power, that’s concerning. Expect more heat than the Fold 6 under load.

Reassembly

Putting the Z Fold 7 back together was actually easier than I expected, especially after how tricky the teardown was. The outer display survived and powered on just fine, but unfortunately, the inner display didn’t make it. These foldable screens are notoriously fragile and almost impossible to remove without breaking, and this teardown just proved that point again.

Repair Verdict: C (Generous)

I actually think the EU’s C rating is generous. Between the glued-down outer display, risky batteries, fragile inner display, and missing repair-friendly touches, this feels more like a D.

That said, once it’s open, the internals are tidy and modular where they can be. But foldables just aren’t repair-friendly, yet.

Final Thoughts: Impressive Hardware, Tough Trade-offs

Despite the repair headaches, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is insanely impressive. It’s slimmer, lighter, and feels like foldables are finally approaching mainstream practicality. But the sacrifices S Pen support, cooling, and repairability are still worth noting.

Would I daily it? Maybe. Would I want to repair it often? Absolutely not.

Well, I guess it’s the Galaxy Z Fold… minus the fold now.

See you in the next article!