Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: Price, specs and cheapest plans

The Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 7 has arrived in Australia. If you're unsure whether the bookish new phone is what you're looking for, we're here to help. In this guide, we've compiled a full rundown of everything you need to know about Samsung's new foldable, including plans, pricing, Australian release date, important features and specs, and which providers will be offering it.

Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone are all offering the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 on plans. No matter which telco you go with, you can get it on a 24-month or a 36-month contract. You can also get it on a 12-month one, but these are so unpopular we'll skip the comparisons to make room for more useful info.

A 36-month plan will always be cheaper per month, but it means you're paying your phone off over a longer period (the phone itself costs the same, no matter the plan length). A 24-month plan is more expensive, but you'll own your Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 quicker and then have the option of swapping to a cheaper plan from a smaller provider. Ultimately, this is a bit cheaper over 36 months, but only if you change to a cheaper plan once your phone is paid off.

Here's a look at 36-month plans for the 256GB Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7:

Here are 36-month plans for 512GB Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: 

Here are 36-month plans for 1TB Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: 

If you'd prefer a shorter repayment term, here are 24-month plans for the 256GB Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7:

Here are 24-month plans for the 512GB Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7:

And here are 24-month plans for the 1TB Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7:

If you've bought a previous Z Fold in the past, be aware that the Z Fold 7 starts at $150 more than its predecessor. And if this is your first time looking into buying a Samsung foldable, prepare to raise some eyebrows. The cheapest (256GB) model is $2,899 RRP, increasing to $3,099 for the 512GB model and $3,549 for 1TB.

Here's a sense of how the Z Fold 7 compares to its two siblings: the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE:

These are top-tier specs, which is what you want to see when paying top-dollar for your handset, even if much of the expense is going into the foldable screen, as opposed to other features. Once you get past a certain price threshold it starts to feel a bit in-for-a-penny, so why not go for the full suite of premium hardware?

• Slimmer: At 8.9mm folded, the Z Fold 7 is 3.2mm thinner than its predecessor, can make a surprising difference in a pocket or bag.
• Lighter: The Z Fold 7 is a fair bit lighter than last year's model, at 215g compared to the previous 239g. That might not sound like much, but it can make a noticable difference for long stings holding it, especially when it's open.
• Bigger: Despite being lighter and thinner, the 8-inch main display of the Z Fold 7 is noticeably larger than the 7.6 inches of the Z Fold 6. But this does mean it's also a bit longer and wider.
• Edge-to-edge outer display: The outer display is a tad bigger at 6.5 inches vs. last year's 6.3, but it's also the first time Samsung has opted for an edge-to-edge external screen for a Z Fold.
• More megapixels: The main camera sensor on the Galaxy Fold 7 is 200MP, backed up by a 12MP ultrawide and a 10MP telephoto lens.
• Same battery: The battery inside the Galaxy Z Fold 7 has the same 4400mAh of last year's model, though it's yet to be seen how actual battery life compares. Samsung is claiming up to one hour better than the Fold 6 in terms of video playback time, for a total of 24 hours.
• Seven years of security updates: This is great to see. No phone currently offers more. 
• Starts at $2,899. That's $150 more expensive than last year's starting price of $2,749 for the Z Fold 6.

The display is pretty much the whole reason you'd opt for a Galaxy Z Fold, it should come as no surprise this is where some of this year's enhancements can be found. The internal display is about 11% larger and has a slightly higher screen-to-body ratio than the previous. The resolution increased to 2520 x 1080, meaning a similar pixel density. And, like previous models, it's AMOLED, so it should provide good colours and deep blacks.

The external display is larger and also boasts a slightly higher resolution to match. The biggest change is the Galaxy Fold 7's external display is edge-to-edge after being increased to 6.5 inches – the first time the company has done this. This is a more premium look and should help more of those (at least) $2,899 feel like they're pulling their weight when you use your phone while it's folded up.

The 3nm Qualcomm SM8750-AB Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset is what you'd hope to see in a phone whose starting RRP is pushing $3k. It's a market-leading CPU that should handle just about anything you throw at it with smooth efficiency. The RAM is the same 12GB as last year, which is actually good to see because it's more than enough to get the job done and this phone's price tag doesn't need additional boosting.

We're yet to go hands-on to test battery life, but the 4400mAh battery is, on paper, the same as last year. Samsung is claiming 24 hours of video playback, which is about one hour above the Z Fold 6, but we'll see how the Z Fold 7 actually fares once we can roll up our sleeves.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7's main rear camera is the same as the one on the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which means it should provide among the best, if not the best, camera experience on the market. It has an insane 200MP and is backed up by a 12MP ultra-wide lens and 10MP telephoto lens if you want to get fancy.

The internal display selfie camera should be an improvement over the Z Fold 6, which was part of Samsung's (hopefully) ceased experimentation with under-display cameras. These had the benefit of being invisible to the user, but the drawback of poor image quality, which isn't what you want when paying top dollar. Instead, The Z Fold 7 has returned to the sometimes-maligned hole-punch cam at the top of the internal display. Love it or hate it, at least it should take decent pics.

Yes, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 comes with 5G connectivity on par with what you can find in its siblings. Of course, you'll need to be located in an area with 5G coverage in order to actually make use of this feature. To see where is 5G available in Australia, use the coverage map below.

And, if you want to ensure good network connectivity, buy from an Aussie vendor that sells phones designed for use in Australia. Some (often cheaper) online vendors re-sell overseas models that aren't always compatible with all our network frequencies. You can also pick up your Z Fold 7 on a plan from Optus, Vodafone or Telstra, which will ensure you get the right one.

The only three mobile providers in Australia that offer Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 plans are the big three: Optus, Vodafone, and Telstra. Barring special deals, you'll pay the same for the phone from each provider. The difference in price usually comes from how much they charge for the actual mobile plan portion of your monthly bill.

So, your main concerns when shopping for a plan should be:

1. Coverage: Does a given provider have decent mobile coverage in your area and in the places you frequently travel? This can be a bit complicated, so we'll cover it in more detail below.
2. Special deals: It's not uncommon for a provider to knock a significant amount off the price of a phone – sometimes hundreds – as long as you pick it up on repayment plan. But you usually need to stick around for the life of the plan or forfeit the savings and it's tough to predict when one might start, so waiting around for something to go on sale isn't necessarily a wise tactic if you need a new phone ASAP. You'll also often find providers discount mobile plans for an introductory period for new customers, usually six months. But this is pretty standard and might not be worth basing your decision on, especially if you opt for a 36-month phone repayment plan.
3. Overall cost: In Australia, mobile providers and comparison websites are required to list the minimum total cost of a phone plan. The phone is usually going to be whatever the current recommended retail cost is, to which is added your monthly mobile plan payments over the life of your contract. This is actually where opting for a shorter contract can help you save a bit in the long term. You pay off your phone faster, while paying the same amount per month for the mobile plan portion of your bill as you would for a longer plan. Once you've paid off the phone, you grab a cheap mobile plan from a smaller provider. The downside is higher monthly bills for the first 12 or 24 months than if you went with a 36-month plan.
4. Monthly cost: This one is pretty simple. Can you afford the monthly payments of a given phone plan? The faster you pay it off, the quicker you can change to a cheaper plan from a smaller provider.
5. Data: The number of gigabytes (GB) in your data allowance is the biggest differentiator between mobile plans. But just because one plan has more than another doesn't necessarily mean you'll get more value out of it. Check how much data you actually use each month – your current provider should have a tool for letting you do this. If you only go through 20GB a month, then there's no real difference for you between a 40GB plan and an 80GB one.
6. Perks: The Big Three providers offer extra perks and features with their plans. Whether any of them are useful is very much up to the individual. But roaming and international calls are two popular considerations.

Optus' smallest plan has a big 50GB of data, which is well above the average national usage (which is under 20GB). There's also data sharing if you have multiple plans on the same account, which can be handy for families. 

That said, Optus' Samsung Galaxy 7 Fold 7 plans include more than just a bigger data allowance. The more expensive options also come with unlimited international calls to select destinations. That's great to have if you're looking to keep in touch with friends and family overseas. If you're planning to travel abroad, Optus also has good roaming add-ons. You can score 5GB of data and unlimited local talk & text for $5 per day when roaming in select countries. Or $10 per day in some others.

It's also worth remembering that Optus mobile plans come with no data overage fees. If you go over your monthly data limit, your speed will instead be capped at 1.5Mbps until the end of your current billing cycle. You can of course purchase additional data, but this is optional, as opposed to the automatic charges of some other providers.

Optus customers also get access to SubHub – a platform that lets you combine multiple subscription services (such as Netflix, Microsoft 365, and others) into a single bill, along with a 5% or 10% discount, depending on whether you sync two or three-or-more services. This can add up to a tidy sum if you add enough plans, though does admittedly make it harder to untangle yourself from the provider if you ever want to move elsewhere.

Vodafone's Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 plans are just a little cheaper than Optus when it comes to data-to-dollar value, though keep in mind the smallest plans from both providers supply you with 60GB, which is well above the national usage average. All its plans come with unlimited international texts to select countries, and the more expensive plans have international call inclusions.

Instead of cutting you off or charging you for excess data usage, Vodafone slows your connection to 2Mbps once you hit your monthly limit. This is slightly faster than the 1.5Mbps speed cap that Optus and Telstra employ. However, like its rivals, Vodafone's plans don't include any data banking or rollover for unused data.

That said, you can share data between multiple Vodafone mobile plans if they are attached to the same account. You'll also save between 5% and 20% off your total monthly bill, depending on how many services you bundle together. This discount doesn't include any hardware repayments but it's a neat bonus regardless.

In any case, Vodafone's best feature is its international roaming. For just $5 per day, you can use your phone as you normally would while overseas. This kicks in automatically when our phone connects to an overseas network and lasts for 24 hours. It's one of the best roaming options on the market for both value and ease-of-use.

On the other hand,  Vodafone's biggest drawback is network coverage. Its 4G network is only slightly smaller than the other two networks (98.4% population coverage for Vodafone, compared to the 99.7% of Telstra and 98.5% of Optus), its 5G network is small enough that Vodafone is the only major network provider to hold back on publishing clear 5G coverage figures. 

Telstra's Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge plans are the most expensive, but Australia's biggest telco is also well known for its wider network coverage and all the perks you'd expect given the premium price.

Like Optus and Vodafone, the smallest plan has 50GB of data. This is far higher than the average Australian uses each month and, while there are no overage charges for going past your data limit (instead you're slowed to 1.5Mbps), there's no data banking or rollover to let hang onto your unused data. Fortunately, as with the other big three providers, you can share data between up to 10 mobile services on the same eligible account.

All Telstra's Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 plans come with 30 minutes of international calls to all destinations – not a lot of minutes, but without the usual limit on number of countries that are included. International calling packs are available for additional minutes.

Roaming is relatively easy to do, but not as affordable as Optus or Vodafone in most circumstances. Travelling in New Zealand will cost you $5 per day, but most other countries are $10 per day. You'll get 2GB to use per day. 

Finally, you've got the Telstra Plus system. You earn points based on eligible plan payments. You can these put towards purchases from the Telstra Plus Rewards store, such as discounted movie tickets and sport events, pre-sales for concerts, and more. That said, you need to make liberal use of this to make back the difference in plan pricing.

In any case, Telstra's biggest selling point is still the size of its network.With a population coverage of 99.7% for 4G, Telstra sits ahead of Optus' 98.5% and Vodafone's 98.4%. When it comes to 5G, Telstra offers an even bigger lead. With 91% of the population covered with 5G, it's comfortably ahead of Optus' 80.5%. Meanwhile, Vodafone doesn't even publish clear 5G coverage stats, so there's no comparison to be made there.