I went to Taiwan to attend Computex with Galaxy Z Fold7, after 1 year it created a difficult game for Z Fold8

This trip to Taiwan included an extremely important companion, the Galaxy Z Fold7. This is the device I brought along throughout my journey to attend the Computex technology event as well as experience traveling everywhere here.

After long days working in a foreign country, I want to share the most realistic perspectives so you can see how a folding screen phone has helped your work and life. The interesting thing is that after looking back at the entire usage process, I realized that this generation has been so perfect that it accidentally created a very difficult problem to solve for the next successor, the Galaxy Z Fold8.

New perspective from a long business trip

Every time I have the opportunity to bring the device to work at international events, I always want to challenge the device in the harshest conditions of a continuous working day. This trip did not just stop at sitting in the media room, but I had to constantly move between Computex exhibition halls, attend technology parties and explore cultural landmarks in Taipei on my own.

Choosing Galaxy Z Fold7 as the main device instead of a regular bar phone is a decision that brings many different experiences. After a year of use, this machine has proven its practical value, no longer a luxury piece of technology to show off, but has truly become a serious working tool, effectively supporting people like me who have a high frequency of mobile work.

Replace your tablet's display space

One of the things I like most about the Galaxy Z Fold7 every time I take it abroad is its spacious display space when opened, with screen sizes ranging from 7.9 to 8 inches. This increase in display area brings a very real value to content creators. I imagine that last year when I went to CES, I brought the Galaxy Z Fold6 and found it did the job well, but this time around, the viewing and reading experience is even more comfortable.

When working in the studio at home, I often need an iPad or some other tablet model from 8 to 13 inches in size just to do one thing: read the script. The reason is because most of our scripts are posted on Google Sheets, and this tool is best optimized for large, spacious screen frames and is not suitable for vertical screens of regular phones.

If you try to hold a traditional bar phone to read complex spreadsheets on Google Sheets, you will find it extremely uncomfortable and cramped, your eyes having to constantly adjust is very tiring. But with the large display space of the Galaxy Z Fold7, I just need to open the device and hold it neatly in the palm of my hand to be able to easily monitor the entire script or pre-prepared data files, helping me to have less of a bulky device in my backpack when on a business trip.

Visually displayed maps support seamless navigation

When stepping into new lands like Taiwan, China or Thailand, traveling by public transportation is inevitable to save costs and be proactive in time. In these places, I have to take the subway and bus a lot. For someone living in Vietnam who is not familiar with the intricate subway system, the first few days will be extremely confusing and it is easy to get lost or take the wrong line. My only solution is to stick to the Google Maps application to find directions and choose the right train to take.

Thanks to the large screen space of the Galaxy Z Fold7, the experience of finding directions using maps has been significantly upgraded. The map application, when expanded on this screen, displays information in a very smart and intuitive way. Specifically, the space on the left of the screen will display all instructions in text, clearly showing how many meters you have to walk, which stations to pass and where you need to change lanes, while the space on the right will be a large map for you to see if you are walking in the right direction or not. The ability to separate information clearly like that helps me walk and look at the phone confidently, without having to fumble back and forth between guide tabs and map interfaces like when using a traditional bar phone.

Multi-task while walking

The ability to split the screen to do multiple things at the same time on this folding phone is a feature I used continuously throughout the days of the Computex event. I can walk in the large exhibition area, open one side of the screen to view document information, and open the typing program on the other side. Even on the last trip, I took advantage of the time sitting on the train to process urgent articles right on this split screen without having to open the laptop, helping to save a lot of valuable time.

My habit of reading newspapers to update news every morning has also changed significantly since switching to this folding device. When opening the Google News application on a large screen, news content about technology, politics or life is divided into tabs and clear columns of content, making it easy to cover a lot of information at the same time without missing anything.

Or open your plan to go to Taiwan and see it whenever you need it

Flexibly take advantage of the folding and opening mechanism to replace cumbersome supporting accessories

The large screen of this phone also brings very practical benefits in filming and taking photos every day when traveling. When taking photos or recording clips, the large, clear live image viewing space helps you easily align the camera angle and know exactly if the frame is skewed or missing any details before shooting. In particular, the flexible folding and opening mechanism of this phone line brings a great advantage that traditional bar phones never have, which is the ability to stand on its own at many different angles without needing any fulcrum.

I often take advantage of this feature to let the machine act as its own stand in many practical situations. When I want to record a timelapse video to record street experiences in Taiwan, or simply want to record a vlog by myself, I just need to fold the camera at a moderate angle and place it on the wall, table top or roadside landmarks to start recording steadily.

At mealtime, when visiting local restaurants, my hands are busy holding chopsticks and spoons to enjoy the food but I still want to watch entertaining video content online, I just need to put the device in L-fold mode or tent mode on the table and that's it. If you use a regular bar phone like the S26 Ultra I have and want to prop it up to watch movies or record videos like that, I'll have to buy additional accessories like a case with a kickstand. With the Galaxy Z Fold7, I can completely leave the device bare, without using a case, and still take advantage of this convenience anywhere.

Thin and light design enhances the value of movement

Another factor that makes me feel really satisfied after a year with the Galaxy Z Fold7 is the big change in overall design. The device has been made significantly thinner and lighter than its predecessors. Although I'm not too concerned with the exact specifications of how many mm thinner or how many grams lighter, the actual feeling when holding and using in the hand cannot be deceived.

When you fold this device, its thinness gives you a grip that is almost similar to a standard bar phone, very neat and does not feel thick or heavy in your pocket.

The value of this lightness is most clearly shown when I have to walk continuously all day in Taiwan, from changing subway trains, catching buses to walking through long streets in the hot sun. Owning a device that not only provides a large display space like a tablet when you need to work, but also can be collapsed into a thin and light phone to carry everywhere is a huge value that traditional bar phones can hardly bring to mobile users.

Improvement in hinge durability after long periods of plowing

The flexible folding and opening ability of the device would not be perfect without a durable hinge system. After a year of intense use, I found that the hinge mechanism of the Galaxy Z Fold7 is much more solid and reliable compared to previous generations such as Fold 4, Fold 5 or Fold 6.

Previously, when I used the Galaxy Z Fold4 a long time ago, the hinge system after a year of use often tended to become loose due to natural wear and tear, making it difficult to hold the device at fixed folding angles. The device was prone to automatically opening or folding itself if there was a slight shake when placed on the table.

For this Galaxy Z Fold7, although during use I accidentally dropped it a few times, the device had scratches due to collisions on the edges, but the hinge still retains a very good grip and is sturdy when flipped open. When I open the device at any angle for work, the hinge still stands still in that position without slipping or loosening. The ability to maintain this position gives me complete peace of mind when using the device in half-folded modes to film, take photos or view content for long periods of time without worrying about the device collapsing.

Actual performance meets daily operating needs well

In terms of configuration performance, I can identify this phone as one of the folding models with the most stable operation at the present time. My daily usage needs are not too heavy in terms of graphics or intensive computing tasks, mainly revolve around watching video content, surfing social networks to update news, taking photos, recording videos and handling office tasks, editing basic articles.

Sometimes I also play a few light entertainment games to kill time while waiting for the train or during breaks. With all those mixed tasks, the machine operates extremely smoothly, coolly and with almost no lag or sudden frame freezes. It is possible that the device will have some difficulty or have a slight decrease in performance if you deliberately force it to run games with heavy graphics continuously for a long time, but for my personal work and actual entertainment needs, the device's configuration is more than enough and there is nothing worth complaining about.

The camera system is perfect but still has a gap with the Ultra line

When talking about photography capabilities, the lens system on the Galaxy Z Fold7 actually cannot satisfy me completely if compared directly with the S26 Ultra. During my recent trip to Taiwan, most of the important photos taken at Computex's keynote event, where I sat quite a distance from the stage, or detailed product photos at crowded exhibition booths to quickly post on social networks, I mainly shot with the S26 Ultra. The reason is very simple because the Galaxy Z Fold7 does not possess flexible zoom lens focal lengths like the Ultra line specializing in photography.

The Z Fold7's camera cluster is at a sufficient level for daily souvenir photography needs, basic landscape photography or food photography when traveling. The big plus point that I appreciate on the Fold7's camera cluster is that Samsung's image processing algorithm has gone in a more natural, realistic direction.

The color and contrast of the photo are kept at a moderate level, without being interfered with too deeply, creating favorable conditions for you to easily edit post-production later as desired, without pushing the color brightness or increasing the contrast too harshly like the Xiaomi 17 Ultra does. In general, if you need a multi-purpose camera system that can zoom far and capture all objects at great distances, the Fold series still cannot replace the Ultra series, but to take snapshots of moments during the day, this camera cluster is still perfect.

3X camera is also very similar Full image here:

Smart features provide practical support when working abroad

One aspect that I always appreciate on Samsung phones is the appearance of smart features to support users, and on the Galaxy Z Fold7, these features are even more effective thanks to the large screen space. When traveling or working abroad, the search feature is what I use the most. Walking on the streets of Taiwan, when I encounter an ancient architectural work or a historical place like a memorial whose name I don't know, I just need to hold down the tool button at the bottom of the screen and draw a circle around that building. Immediately, the machine will scan the image and return all detailed information about the landmark, from the year it was built to its historical significance.

This tool also helps me many times when shopping at convenience stores or supermarkets in Taipei. Most of the product packaging here is printed entirely with traditional hieroglyphs, with absolutely no English text or ABC characters for me to recognize. I just need to use the translation zoning feature and the machine can convert the entire language on the packaging into intuitive Vietnamese, helping me quickly understand what type of food it is and its ingredients.

Besides, the live chat feature with the Gemini Live smart assistant also brings a very natural and new experience. I can open the camera towards an architectural corner of the Memory Hall memorial building, turn on the assistant and chat by voice like a real tour guide.

The assistant will respond by voice, explaining in detail the iconic design style with the main white color and the blue octagonal tiled roof symbolizing luck and prosperity, or the details of the two sets of white stairs with a total of 89 steps representing Chiang Kai-shek's age when he died. The machine's spacious display space helps me both listen to explanations and follow visual information clearly. Editing photos with AI commands to create shapes or delete redundant objects in the gallery application also becomes much more accurate when you have a large operating space for your fingers to move easily, without being mistakenly pressed like on the small screen of a traditional phone.

A photo edited with prompt on One UI 8.5

Stable battery life for all day long work

Finally, the issue that many people are most worried about with folding phones is the actual battery life. Regarding this Galaxy Z Fold7, after a year of experience in many different environments, from normal working days in Vietnam to days of continuous walking on the streets in Taiwan, I can only briefly conclude that the device's battery is completely adequate for a long day of use.

From early in the morning when I left the hotel to work at the exhibition area until I returned late at night, the device still maintained enough energy for me to stay connected, find directions using maps and handle work without having to carry a backup charger with me, bringing great peace of mind during long business trips. Oh well, I don't play games or do anything too hard core.

A difficult problem arises for the next generation

Looking back at the entire trip to Taiwan to attend the Computex event with the Galaxy Z Fold7, I feel that this device has reached maturity in terms of both hardware design and software features to support practical work. Optimizing the lightness when holding, the reliable durability of the hinge system combined with a large display space equivalent to a tablet has brought a very complete and valuable travel experience.

It is the very good perfection in this 7th generation that has unintentionally created a huge innovation pressure for Samsung when developing the next generation of Galaxy Z Fold8. When a product has successfully solved most of the traditional core disadvantages of folding machines from durability, thinness to practical features that support daily life, finding the next revolutionary breakthroughs to attract users to upgrade will certainly not be an easy problem for Samsung's engineering team.

That's all I have to share after a long trip with this folding machine in Taiwan, hoping to give you the most realistic perspective before making the right choice for yourself.