Samsung’s latest foldable might be surprisingly resilient to a stress test, but durability doesn’t always translate over to repairability. The crew at iFixit have finally gotten their hands on the Galaxy Z Fold 7, and to absolutely no one’s surprise, that slim chassis doesn’t quite make for a quick and simple teardown.
It’s well worth watching iFixit’s new video in full, if only to get some sweet shots of what the inside of the Fold 7 actually looks like. Whether or not you make your way through the entire 7 minute video doesn’t quite matter though — you can probably predict how this sort of thing is going to go.
The process begins on the wrong foot, with an attempt to remove the exterior display actually separating the back panel from the chassis before the display starts to budge. This is seemingly a pattern for the Galaxy Z Fold 7, as JerryRigEverything’s durability video also resulted in some quick separation during the flex test. Rather than trying to continue with the front screen, iFixit turned their attention to the back panel, all in an effort to swap out one of the most in-demand components worth replacing: the battery.
Of course, the Fold 7 has two separate battery cells, which already makes this more difficult than it would otherwise be in a rival slab phone. Taking the back panel off is easy enough, but reaching the first cell requires taking off ribbon cables, removing various screws scattered around the back, and completely disassembling the lower assembly and USB-C power, before finally reaching the battery. As the video points out, Samsung’s using a pull tab method to remove the cell here, rather than the folding sleeve seen on the S25 Ultra. The end result isn’t so much pulling as it is prying; it’s brutal to watch, and we’re only at the first battery.
Removing the second battery — which continues to power the phone thanks to a ribbon cable extending between the device’s two halves — requires even more work, including finally unsealing that exterior display. iFixit’s teardown requires a massive amount of heat and suction force to dislodge it from the chassis. From here, you’re basically stripping the phone apart completely, including removing brackets, countless tiny screws, various ribbon cables, and the SIM tray, which, naturally, is glued directly onto the frame. Only then do you get to the second battery, repeating the same pulling-and-prying maneuver to get it out of the device.
The whole process is difficult enough that you can likely forget about ever swapping out this battery yourself, but it has nothing on disassembling the inner display. iFixit applies heat directly to the bendable display, but the rubber bezel requires removal first, and doing so effectively tears apart the entire ring with pointed tweezers. Another round of heat allowed the Fold 7’s screen to lift out — apparently with slightly more ease than usual — though iFixit only recommends doing this with a screen that is already completely busted, as working panels can’t survive the twisting necessary to dislodge it from the frame.
All told, that leaves the Galaxy Z Fold 7 with a 3/10 repairability score — a score, iFixit says, not helped by a lack of documentation and parts provided by Samsung. It’s not particularly surprisingly, considering foldables aren’t known for their repair-friendly builds. Still, if you’re looking to buy Samsung’s latest $2,000 smartphone, you might want to keep some money aside for any future repairs. Judging by this video, you’re probably not doing them yourself.
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