Galaxy Z Fold 7 Gets Top Marks Everywhere Except Repairability

No doubt, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is the most perfect foldable Samsung has made yet, but just like its predecessors, it falls flat when it comes to repairability. Foldable phones, in general, are delicate. Not nearly as tough as regular slab phones, and that’s the big challenge here.

Galaxy Z Fold 7’s repairability score tells a familiar foldable tale

The folks at iFixit took a close look inside the Galaxy Z Fold 7. And let me tell you, things aren’t looking great for anyone hoping to fix this phone on their own. It’s super slim and perhaps also the thinnest foldable on the market right now. What’s its biggest USP does more harm in one area. That means, opening it up is a real pain.

As shown in the Galaxy Z Fold 7 teardown video, there are two batteries inside, one on each half, and getting to them means removing tons of tiny screws, cables, and even the charging port assembly. Samsung’s pull-tab adhesive on the batteries sounds helpful. But in reality, it’s glued down so firmly that you basically have to pry them out.

Things get even worse when it comes to the screens. Trying to remove the outer display can cause the back panel to come off by mistake. The inner foldable screen. Which is the most fragile and expensive part of the phone, is even harder to work with.

Removing it requires a lot of heat and suction, and the bezel around the screen is glued on so tightly that it easily tears. The iFixit team actually destroyed the bezel while trying to remove it. According to them, you should only attempt this if the screen is already broken.

In the end, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 scored a disappointing 3 out of 10 on repairability. If you own one, don’t plan on fixing it yourself. It’s complicated, risky, and could end up costing you more in the long run. That’s why it’s always better to head to a service center. If you haven’t bought one yet, you can get the Galaxy Z Fold 7 right now.