Galaxy Z Fold 7, Panasonic S1 II, Samsung QS700F and more
We’ve been busy in the Engadget reviews department over the last few weeks, keeping up with Prime Day, product launches and the accumulating stack of devices on our desks. If you missed any of our in-depth testing recently, you can quickly catch up on the latest camera, laptop, phone and soundbar reviews in the list below.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7
Billy Steele for Engadget
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 has reached foldable phone nirvana thanks to major reductions in its size and thickness. Though at $2,000, it remains extremely expensive.
- Exquisitely thin design
- Sleeker hinge
- Big 200MP main camera
- Larger displays
- Top-tier performance
- Very expensive
- No S Pen support
- Mediocre charging speeds
Samsung made notable design changes on its latest flagship foldable phone, finally giving the masses a significant update after a series of iterative models. Senior reviews writer Sam Rutherford argued the company “has finally achieved foldable phone nirvana” thanks to the reductions in overall size and thickness on the Z Fold 7, making the niche handset appeal to more users. “With its latest flagship foldable, Samsung has removed one of the remaining barriers preventing people from trying out the new breed of phones: excessive size and weight,” he said.
Canon R50 V
Canon/Engadget
Canon’s EOS R50 V is a solid budget vlogging camera thanks to the excellent video quality, but it’s missing important features compared to its rivals.
- Good photo and video quality
- Fast and accurate autofocus
- Cooling fan allows extended shooting
- Decently fast photo shooting
- Rolling shutter distortion
- No in-body stabilization
- Lacks rival’s vlogging friendly features
- Mediocre battery life
Content creators who are just getting into vlogging will soon realize they need a camera more robust than their phone for better quality footage. Reporter Steve Dent explained that Canon’s EOS R50 V excels at video, thanks in part to its quick autofocus, but the camera lacks the performance and features of its rivals. “Canon’s R50 V is a pretty good first try for a vlogging camera, hitting the mark in key areas like video quality and usability,” he wrote. “However, its rival, Sony’s ZV-E10 II, beats it in nearly every area, offering even better video quality, higher photo resolution, faster autofocus, smoother electronic stabilization and neat features missing on the R50 V — like the product showcase.”
Samsung HW-QS700F
Samsung
The QS700F is an all-new model in a sea of modest annual refreshes for Samsung soundbars. It isn’t perfect, but the combination of design and features offer a compelling alternative to pricier options.
- Automatic orientation adjustment
- Crisp and balanced sound
- Refined design
- Easy setup
- 3.1.2-channel audio constrains movie sound
- Room calibration and other major features only work with Samsung TVs
Like the Z Fold line, Samsung has been on a streak of iterative updates for its flagship soundbars. For 2025 though, the company debuted an all-new model that automatically detects how you’re using it and adjusts the speaker output appropriately. It’s that trick, along with crisp sound, that makes the QS700F a contender even with its constrained 3.1.2-channel audio. “Caveats aside, the best thing about the soundbar is its automatic orientation adjustment,” I noted. “The QS700F is easy on the eyes too, which isn’t always the case with these devices.”
Panasonic S1 II
Panasonic/Engadget
The S1 II is Panasonic’s best creator camera thanks to features like 6K RAW video and outstanding stabilization, but it’s expensive compared to the competition.
- Fast shooting speeds
- Great handling
- Excellent video quality
- Best-in-class stabilization
- Pro video features
- Poor battery life
- Expensive
The S1 II may be Panasonic’s best camera for content creators, but there’s one major downside: the price. Steve’s assessment of this model’s features, which include 6K RAW video and best-in-class stabilization, will help you weigh the potential $3,200 investment. “Panasonic’s S1 II is a powerful hybrid camera, and if it wasn’t so expensive, it would be a no-brainer for creators,” he said. “However, Nikon’s Z6 III has nearly the same video capabilities, is a better camera for photography and costs at least $600 less, so I’m inclined to recommend that model for most users.”
Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1
Dell / Engadget
Dell’s revamped 16 Plus 2-in-1 is a competent laptop with an adaptable design and a great optional mini LED screen, but it lacks personality.
- Solid build
- Vivid mini LED display
- Above-average battery life
- Lackluster touchpad
- Mediocre speakers
- Needs another USB-C port
The Dell 16 Plus 2-in-1 is the company’s first consumer laptop to feature its recently updated naming scheme, and the change in moniker is accompanied by refreshed styling. Sam explained that while the machine is perfectly capable, especially with the optional LED display, it’s lacking personality. “It’s a totally serviceable machine, but it doesn’t have a single trait or feature that endears itself to its user,” he wrote. “Same goes for its name.”
