Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 receives low repairability score from iFixit

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is an engineering wonder, praised for its slim, lightweight, and rugged build. However, a new video by iFixit shows there’s a significant downside to its advanced construction: it’s extremely hard to repair. The phone, which has demonstrated excellent durability in withstand tests, received a dismal repairability score of only 3 out of 10 from the teardown specialists. The low rating indicates the extreme difficulty technicians and users would have in trying to repair the phone, especially with its fragile and costly internal parts.

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is quite difficult to repair when problems arise

One of the most infuriating parts to replace, per the iFixit teardown, is the battery. Although Samsung provided a pull tab intended for easy removal, iFixit discovered that it takes an unreasonable amount of force to utilize and often tears, causing the procedure to be far more arduous than it was meant to be. The video indicates that an enveloping adhesive wrapper, like that found in the Galaxy S25 Ultra, would have been a much better battery replacement solution.

The display panels, both external and internal, also pose significant challenges. The cover display is fastened with an “unnecessarily strong adhesive,” making it a difficult task to remove the screen without causing damage. The inner foldable screen is even worse. Its bezels are strongly glued to the frame, necessitating the use of sharp tools and lots of pressure, which more often than not causes the bezels to be destroyed. iFixit commented that while the screen opens more easily than in earlier models, it’s irrelevant since the display tends to cease functioning after opening, being very sensitive to pressure and torsion.

Difficulty of Parts and Guides

Adding to the physical challenge of the teardown, iFixit noted that replacement parts for the Galaxy Z Fold 7 are extremely difficult to find and are very expensive, particularly for the delicate inner foldable display. Making things worse, Samsung does not offer free repair manuals for the device, leaving professional technicians and seasoned DIYers without official documentation.

With the pairing of a challenging teardown procedure, the fragility of its primary components, and the unavailability and expensiveness of parts, the low repairability score of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is an apparent consequence of its design priorities. iFixit and the wider repair community can only hope that Samsung will take heed and make the Galaxy Z Fold 8 a more repairable phone down the line.

Source: iFixit