What if your phone could be your laptop?
That’s not a marketing gimmick anymore. Samsung built Galaxy Z Fold 7 to ask that exact question. It folds out into a tablet, runs multiple apps at once, connects to displays, and powers through serious tasks.
So here’s the real question: can this phone actually replace your laptop?
Laptops are powerful, but they’re not always practical. They’re heavy, they take up space, and they need a bag. You already carry your phone everywhere—so what if that phone could do your work too?
Fold 7 is built for this idea. It’s small when closed, large when opened, and packed with features that sound a lot like a laptop. If it works, you save space, weight, and maybe money. But if it fails, you’re stuck with a very expensive phone.
That’s why you need a real answer before you ditch your laptop.
Does It Feel Like a Laptop Replacement?
When closed, Galaxy Z Fold 7 is thick but still pocketable. It opens up into a 7.6-inch display that feels more like a mini-tablet. The screen is bright, sharp, and smooth at 120Hz. The crease in the middle is still there, but it’s less noticeable than before.
The size is a step up from a regular phone, but still smaller than a laptop screen. That means split-screen apps work, but they can feel cramped. Watching videos, browsing, or reading is great. But writing long reports or editing spreadsheets on the small screen? That’s where it starts to show its limits.
Typing on the screen is okay for short emails or messages. But after 10 minutes, you’ll start missing a real keyboard. If you want to do serious work, you’ll need a Bluetooth keyboard or Samsung’s own keyboard case.
Samsung has packed Fold 7 with multitasking features that feel close to a real desktop experience. You can run up to three apps side by side. You can also add pop-up windows, resize them, and move them around. The system is responsive and easy to use.
Flex Mode lets you fold the phone halfway and turn the bottom half into controls or a keyboard. This makes video calls and watching videos easier. It’s clever, and it works well for supported apps.
But the real laptop experience comes from Samsung DeX. DeX turns your Fold 7 into a desktop. Plug it into a monitor or connect wirelessly, and you get a full screen, with apps opening in windows, a taskbar, and mouse support. It’s the closest Android has come to acting like a PC.
If you’ve used a Chromebook or a basic laptop before, DeX will feel familiar.
Performance: Is It Powerful Enough?
Under the hood, Galaxy Z Fold 7 runs the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor. It’s fast—blazingly fast for a phone. Apps open instantly. Multitasking is smooth. Switching between three apps at once? No problem.
You can run office apps, edit photos, and join Zoom calls without slowdowns. Most work apps run perfectly fine. Web-based tools, cloud drives, video calls, and document editing all feel snappy.
But there are limits. You won’t be able to run full versions of desktop apps like Adobe Premiere Pro or advanced development tools. Android apps are improving, but they’re still not the same as desktop software. If your job depends on niche or high-performance software, this phone won’t fully replace your laptop.
Fold 7 can be configured with up to 1TB of internal storage. That’s enough for documents, photos, videos, and apps. It also supports cloud storage like Google Drive, OneDrive, and Dropbox for easy syncing across devices.
You can move files, rename them, create folders, and plug in USB-C drives. But Android’s file system is still more limited than Windows or macOS. Some apps can’t see certain files. File types may not open in the apps you expect. And organizing large batches of files still feels clunky.
If your work relies on downloading and editing large files or managing a complex folder structure, this might slow you down. But if you mostly work from cloud apps or attach files to emails, you’ll be fine.
Can It Handle More Than One Thing?
Fold 7’s multitasking is one of its best features.
You can run three apps on the screen at once, plus floating windows. For example, you can be in a video call, take notes in Samsung Notes, and check your calendar—all at once. It works well, and everything feels smooth and fast.
But screen space is still limited. Apps can feel squeezed together. It works for quick tasks or mobile-style multitasking, but you won’t get the same comfort as a 13-inch laptop screen. If you need multiple full-size windows open, you’ll feel the squeeze.
For short bursts of multitasking, Fold 7 is fantastic. For long work sessions, it’s more of a backup.
This is where things get less simple.
If you really want Fold 7 to work like a laptop, you’ll need more than just the phone. A keyboard is a must. A mouse helps. A stand or case that holds it up turns it into a mini workstation.
Samsung makes a keyboard case for it, but it’s expensive and adds weight. Other Bluetooth keyboards work fine too. Once you set it all up, it starts to feel like a real portable computer.
But now you’re carrying extra gear. It’s not as light as a phone anymore. It becomes more of a tablet-laptop hybrid.
On light use, the battery can get you through the day. But heavy use burns it fast. If you’re running DeX, doing video calls, or multitasking with brightness turned up, expect 6 to 8 hours. That’s fine for short work sessions, but not enough for full 10-hour days.
Charging is fast, but you’ll want to carry a charger or power bank if you work long hours. A laptop still has better battery endurance under stress. Galaxy Fold 7 gives you the power of a small PC—but it eats power like one too.
Typing on the inner screen is doable for short notes, emails, or chat. But it’s not built for long writing. The on-screen keyboard feels cramped, and your fingers will get tired fast.
Add a Bluetooth keyboard, and the experience improves a lot. You can now write articles, reply to emails, and take notes comfortably. But keep in mind — that means carrying an extra piece of hardware.
Also, there’s no built-in trackpad. You’ll still need to touch the screen or connect a Bluetooth mouse for full control.
App Support: Are the Tools You Need Here?
You get access to Microsoft Office apps, Google Docs, Zoom, Slack, Trello, and more. They all work well. You can write, present, attend meetings, and plan your day easily.
Apps like Canva, Lightroom, and Adobe Express help with basic design and media tasks. Most casual or intermediate tools are covered.
But if your work depends on full desktop programs — it won’t be enough. No full Photoshop. No advanced IDEs. No desktop-only business apps. This phone is perfect for cloud-first users. It’s not built for power users.
If you’re a student, writer, manager, or traveler — this phone is a game changer. You can take notes, attend meetings, respond to emails, review documents, and stay connected on the go. It’s fast, light, and convenient.
Sales teams can use it to present slides, show product demos, and take notes in meetings. Travelers can avoid carrying both phone and laptop. Writers can draft articles or blogs anywhere.
It won’t replace your laptop at a desk. But it might replace it on a plane, in a coffee shop, or during meetings.
Developers, designers, analysts, and heavy users won’t find this enough. If you rely on high-power apps, custom software, or large spreadsheets, this won’t cut it.
You can’t run desktop-class software. You won’t get a full-size keyboard or full-sized screen experience. And battery limits will bother you during long sessions.
It’s helpful, yes. But not a full substitute. You’ll use it to check things—not to build them.
Yes — if your work is light, mobile, and cloud-based.
No — if your work needs power, precision, or deep software access.
Galaxy Z Fold 7 is the closest we’ve come to a phone that can do laptop tasks. It’s fast, flexible, and full of potential. You can definitely get work done on it. But it’s still not the only tool you need.
It’s best as a second device, or a travel laptop alternative. It works well in meetings, short work sessions, or mobile workflows. But for full desktop productivity, it can’t fully replace a laptop yet.
