After numerous leaks and rumors, Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip 7 is here, bringing a bevy of design and software improvements. As with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, it feels like Samsung has something to prove with the Galaxy Z Flip 7, and its bold yet familiar design shows us that it does listen to consumers… at least somewhat.
There’s certainly a lot to like about the Galaxy Z Flip 7, but there are some big question marks. This includes the move to another chipset despite Samsung’s other phones this year using the latest from Qualcomm, as well as Samsung’s insistence on not following Motorola’s footsteps with regard to exactly how that newly expanded cover screen is handled.
So, should you buy the Galaxy Z Flip 7? Should you opt for the cheaper Galaxy Z Flip FE or maybe even last year’s Galaxy Z Flip 6? Or should you skip Samsung’s flip phone altogether and get the Motorola Razr instead? Let’s break it down.
Let’s get the basics out of the way
At the time of writing, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is currently available for preorder and will hit stores on July 25. The phone starts at $1,099 for the 256GB variant, which is the same starting price as last year’s Galaxy Z Flip 6, while the 512GB variant retails for $1,219. That said, there are plenty of Galaxy Z Flip 7 preorder deals available, including one from Amazon with a free storage upgrade and a $200 gift card.
Here’s a breakdown of the specs:
|
Category |
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 |
|---|---|
|
Display |
6.9-inch, 2520 x 1080, FHD+, Dynamic AMOLED 2X, LTPO (1-120Hz) |
|
Cover display |
4.1-inch Super AMOLED, 60/120Hz, 948 x 1048 |
|
Operating System |
Android 16 (One UI 8) |
|
Chipset |
Samsung Exynos 2500 |
|
RAM |
12GB |
|
Storage |
256GB, 512GB |
|
Rear Camera 1 |
50MP, f/1.8 wide |
|
Rear Camera 2 |
12MP, f/2.2 ultrawide |
|
Front-facing Camera |
10MP, f/2.2 wide |
|
Battery |
4,300mAh |
|
Charging |
25W wired charging, 10W wireless charging, 4.5W reverse wireless charging |
|
Weight |
188g |
|
Dimensions (folded) |
85.5 x 75.2 x 13.7 mm |
|
Dimensions (unfolded) |
166.7 x 752.2 x 6.2 mm |
|
Protection |
IP48 |
|
Colors |
Blue Shadow, Jetblack, Coralred |
Design changes that matter
While much of the attention has been placed on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 for achieving an ultra-thin profile, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is also thinner than its predecessor, despite having a larger battery. This is thanks in part to a redesigned hinge, which is thinner and more durable. In fact, Samsung says the Z Flip 7 is 1.1mm thinner than the Galaxy S23 when unfolded. It’s quite an impressive feat and one that I would argue matters more for flip phones than foldables.
Since flip phones have less internal space, it’s fairly difficult to squeeze in a large battery. Not only that, but folding them in half makes them vertically more compact, which is great, but it also doubles the thickness beyond that of a traditional phone. This is why a thinner profile is always better, because then Galaxy Z Flip 7 cases won’t feel monstrously thick when the phone is closed.
For this reason alone, I’m already a big fan of what Samsung has done with the phone.
Aesthetically, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 looks fantastic, and while not every color option is a hit, there is something for everyone. I find that the Mint and JetBlack colorways are pretty dull, but the CoralRed and Navy color options are clear standouts, giving Motorola’s rather colorful phones a run for their money.
The cover screen we wanted… almost
In addition to a thinner profile and nicer colors, Samsung has taken a page from Motorola’s book and adopted a much larger cover screen. Stretching across the entire top half of the phone, the external display measures 4.1 inches, making it slightly larger than the cover screen on the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025.
This is great because it means content on the cover screen will have much more room to breathe, from selfie previews to app panels, and more. It will also look and flow much better, thanks to a higher resolution and 120Hz panel. The cover screen on the Galaxy Z Flip 6 isn’t the sharpest, so this will be quite the improvement.
As far as cover screen functionality, there’s good and bad news.
Thanks to One UI 8 and Galaxy AI, the more expansive cover screen gains new AI capabilities, including the Now Bar and Now Brief, which provide access to live app updates, music controls, and a rundown/recap of your day. Plus, you get Gemini Live camera sharing and all the usual FlexCam features, allowing you to have a more visual conversation with Gemini and take selfies with the primary 50MP camera or group shots using Auto Zoom.
At a glance, it seems like Samsung is leaning more into the cover screen experience, which is great. However, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 still doesn’t let you use apps on the cover screen out of the box. As noted by Andrew Myrick in his hands-on, Samsung still keeps this functionality behind the MultiStar module in Good Lock, meaning users will have to do a bit of extra work to enable this.
We haven’t had a chance to see if there are any improvements to the overall experience, but this already doesn’t bode well.
That said, using apps on the cover screen is very handy, but it’s not the be-all end-all of the entire Galaxy Z Flip 7 experience. I make a big deal out of it because Motorola makes it pretty effortless and genuinely useful on the Razr series, so it’s frankly baffling that Samsung doesn’t do the same, instead focusing on panels and AI.
Still, you should be able to get plenty out of it, even if you have to do a little extra digging for cover screen apps (assuming you even want them). As I noted after a year with the Galaxy Z Flip 6, most people I know with Galaxy Z Flip models seem perfectly fine not using apps, and enabling them is merely a bonus.
Bye-bye Snapdragon
Perhaps one of the most interesting changes to the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is the change from Snapdragon to Exynos. Unlike the Galaxy S25 series and the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the Flip is the only one of Samsung’s flagships not to use the Snapdragon 8 Elite. Instead, Samsung is using the recently launched Exynos 2500.
Given the reputation of Exynos, this may seem like a major downgrade compared to other Snapdragon 8 Elite phones. That said, it might not be as bad as you think, as early benchmarking has revealed some impressive numbers, particularly in GPU performance.
Unfortunately, it’s not as rosy when it comes to the CPU performance, as numbers suggest that the new chip matches the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, but given that’s only a last-gen chip that still performs very well, that doesn’t seem like a huge loss.
|
Category |
Exynos 2500 |
Snapdragon 8 Elite |
|---|---|---|
|
Process |
3nm |
3nm |
|
CPU |
Cortex-X5 3.3 GHz 2 x Cortex-A725 2.74 GHz 5 x Cortex-A725x5 2.36 GHz 2 x Cortex®-A520 1.8 GHz |
2 x 4.32GHz Oryon 6 x 3.53GHz Oryon |
|
GPU |
Samsung Xclipse 950 GPU |
Adreno 830 |
|
NPU/AI |
24K MAC NPU (2-GNPU+2-SNPU) and DSP |
Hexagon NPU (INT4, INT8, INT16, FP16) |
|
Memory |
LPDDR5X |
LPDDR5X |
|
Storage |
UFS 4.0 |
UFS 4.0 |
|
Camera |
Single camera 320MP (Max), Single camera 108MP @30 fps, Dual camera 64MP+32MP |
108MP single camera with zero shutter lag, 320MP photo, 10-bit HEIF, Dolby HDR |
|
Video |
8K 30fps encoding, 4K at 120fps |
8K HDR at 60fps, 4K at 120fps |
|
Connectivity |
5G NR Sub-6GHz 9.64 Gbps downlink, 2.55 Gbps uplink Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, UWB |
X80 5G Modem, 10Gbps downlink, 3.5Gbps uplink Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0 |
The Snapdragon 8 Elite is a fantastic chip, but it might be too good for flip phones. The Razr Ultra 2025, for example, doesn’t seem to hit awe-inspiring benchmarking numbers compared to other 8 Elite devices, despite the phone performing very well in daily use. The compact Z Flip 7 may not require all that power, and Samsung may be more interested in efficiency than anything else.
I should note that I don’t put much stock in benchmarking and instead rely solely on my experience using devices. The Razr Ultra 2025 can handle just about anything I throw at it, but I can’t help but wonder if all that power is why Motorola stuffed a 4,700mAh battery into it. Meanwhile, Samsung seems content with a 4,300mAh battery for the Galaxy Z Flip 7, and given the difference in how these two chips are configured, I imagine Samsung is able to etch out more battery life with less.
Of course, time will tell how the chip will perform, and you’ll have to wait for our review for more details.
Verdict
The Galaxy Z Flip 7 feels like a huge step in the right direction for Samsung. The improved design and larger cover screen make this a much more competitive flip phone, which should make Motorola nervous. That said, the jury is still out on whether the Exynos 2500 will shine or fall flat when compared to the competition.
The cheaper pricetag is something the Galaxy Z Flip 7 has over the Razr Ultra 2025. You can get it in a lower storage configuration than what Motorola offers, saving you about $200. Even at 512GB, it’s still cheaper than Motorola’s flagship, although that’s with less RAM.
Overall, I think that anyone interested in the Galaxy Z Flip 7 should consider buying one. You’re getting a beautiful flip phone, plenty of AI features from Google and Samsung, and extensive software update support to ensure that you’ll get new Android versions and features for years to come.
You should also check out our Galaxy Z Flip 7 vs. Razr Ultra 2025 comparison for an early look at how these two phones stack up.
The AI flip phone
Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip 7 takes huge leaps forward in terms of design and capabilities. The combination of solid hardware and software make this a phone worth considering.
What about the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE?
The Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE is a curious phone because it marks Samsung’s first attempt at offering a more affordable foldable. It’s essentially the Galaxy Z Flip 6, but with an Exynos chipset and a lower starting price of $899.
That said, the pricing doesn’t feel particularly competitive, especially when you can likely get the Snapdragon-powered Galaxy Z Flip 6 for roughly the same price, with potential price cuts and promotions. It would have been nicer to see Samsung pull off something like the $699 Motorola Razr 2025. In fact, Android Central’s Brady Snyder calls the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE a “bad deal,” suggesting that you go for Motorola’s Razr instead.
Alas, we’ll have to see how Samsung’s first foldable FE experiment fares in the long run, but you’d probably be much better getting the flagship Galaxy Z Flip 7 and staying away from the FE, unless you can find a good deal.