Galaxy Z-fold 7 was arguably the best phone of 2025, and it's a true engineering marvel. It feels incredibly thin and light, especially when closed, and you know you're holding a full-size mini tablet in your hands, even though it feels like a regular big-screen smartphone. The biggest problem (and maybe the only big problem) was the price. Luckily, deals like today's sale on Samsung.com finally bring the price of the Z Fold down to a very reasonable price.
Galaxy Z Fold 7 is already on sale Samsung.com with a $400 discount in the US even if you don't have a phone to trade in. Huge trading bonuses are also possible if you have the right phone. In the USA Galaxy S25 Ultra or Galaxy Z-fold 6 you will earn $1,000 on the trade (instead of the $400 discount). In Australia iPhone 16 pro max will reduce the price of the new Fold 7 by AU$1,000.
Samsung does not currently produce premium 8″ tablets, so Apple iPad mini (2024) is the best 8-inch tablet you should consider. The latest iPad mini costs $499 / £499 / AU$799. Add that price together with the Galaxy S25 Edge and you'll pay $1,598 / £1,598 / AU$2,648 for both devices.
Why do you need the Galaxy Z Fold 7 instead of just buying a fancy new smartphone and mini tablet together? This is a great question! Here are four reasons why I'd prefer a foldable option (and one good reason why not):
My Galaxy Z Fold 7 is always connected to the network, unlike the iPad mini.
To be fair, you can get an iPad mini for $499 / £499 / AU$799, but you'll need a Wi-Fi connection to use it. You can use your phone as a hotspot, but if your phone is also a tablet (like the Galaxy Z Fold 7), you don't have to use up all your data or battery power to connect a second device. Your tablet is your phone, so it's always connected.
This also means you don't have to worry about sharing files between devices. If you want to edit a document on a larger screen, or even open a web page on a tablet rather than a phone, you don't need to perform any tricks between screens. You simply open the small screen and it becomes a tablet.
Galaxy Z Fold 7 is tougher than any small tablet
You might not think of foldable phones as durable, but the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is one of the most durable mini tablets you can buy. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is waterproof enough to take a dip in the pool or read emails in the bath.
You won't be able to buy an iPad with the same level of durability. Samsung makes tablets that are water-resistant (which are also more dust-resistant), but only in larger sizes. Galaxy Tab S11 And Galaxy Tab S10 FE models.
You'll still have to worry about dust and fine particles, so traveling to a sandy beach will require some caution. However, it's impressive that Samsung's foldable tablet has better intrusion protection than AppleThe most portable iPad.
Samsung's software is (amazingly) the best for multitasking
Samsung's software doesn't get the same praise as Apple's iOS 26 and iPadOS 26, but Samsung's tablet software is the best you'll find on any tablet, including the iPad. Samsung has done a great job making it easy to open multiple windows, snap windows to the right places, and move content between windows and apps.
Multitasking on a Samsung tablet is better than multitasking on any iPad, and even better than multitasking on a desktop Mac running Apple macOS 26.
This makes the Galaxy Z Fold 7 a fantastic tablet in terms of performance and getting things done, much better than the iPad mini. Samsung's version of Android is packed with useful tools and features, while Apple's iPadOS tends to take a backseat and let app developers do the heavy lifting on the apps you buy and download.
Galaxy Z Fold 7 has better cameras than any tablet
Samsung has been using a large 200-megapixel sensor in its best camera phones for years now, and this year the company figured out how to pack this powerful component into its thinnest phones. Both the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the slim Galaxy S25 Edge feature the same camera module as the powerful Galaxy S25 Ultra, instantly putting them at the top of the class for camera image quality.
This means the Galaxy Z Fold 7 isn't just the best foldable camera phone you can buy; it also has a better camera than you'll find on any tablet, especially the iPad mini. The iPad mini uses a single 12MP rear camera sensor. The photos it takes don't match what you'll get from the Z Fold 7.
The best part is that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 uses its cameras in versatile ways. You can take photos with your phone open or closed, using the smaller or larger display as a viewfinder. You can use the hinge and fold to point the camera at yourself and see yourself on the external display, turning it into a 200MP selfie camera. There is really no competition; The Galaxy Z Fold 7 beats the iPad mini in terms of camera capabilities, whether it's open or closed.
Why do you need two separate devices? Two big (battery) reasons
Having two large batteries in a separate iPad mini and Galaxy smartphone is better than… well, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 technically has two batteries, but their total capacity is less than that of two devices.
It's not even close. Galaxy Z Fold 7 has two batteries with a total capacity of 4400 mAh. Only the iPad mini has a battery with a capacity of more than 5000 mAh. In our tests, the iPad mini and Galaxy Z Fold 7's batteries lasted almost identical screen time, clocking in at just under 11 hours for both. However, if you have an iPad plus phone, you get all that battery life and more.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 still performs well during a normal day of use, but what's normal for a phone and tablet combo? If you really need to use both screens all day and rely on your devices to get work done, I'd recommend buying the two screens separately to maximize battery life.
Otherwise, making a foldable phone case is easier than ever. The price has finally dropped to a level that gives you more than you get by buying the phone and tablet separately.
