To help us provide you with free impartial advice, we may earn a commission if you buy through links on our site. Learn more
Despite being one of the most established brands in the foldable phone business, Samsung is playing catch-up this year, with the debut of the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE. This cheaper foldable smartphone follows Motorola’s playbook, offering a slightly more affordable alternative to the flagship flip phone – the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, in this case.
Samsung may be cannibalising its own appeal here, however, as the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE is essentially last year’s Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 with a fresh coat of paint. Scratch that, the FE is only available in black or white, so make that a more bland coat of paint.
With very little in the way of improvements over last year’s flagship, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE is going to have a tough time convincing consumers that it’s a worthwhile addition to the portfolio – especially considering that the 256GB Galaxy Z Flip 6 is already cheaper than the equivalent Z Flip 7 FE (£899 at the time of writing).
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE: Specifications
| Processor | 3.2GHZ Samsung Exynos 2400 |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage | 128GB; 256GB |
| Displays | 6.7in, 2,640 x 1,080, 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED 2X (internal); 3.4in, 748 x 720, 60Hz Super AMOLED (cover) |
| Cameras | 50MP (f/1.8); 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide; 10MP (f/2.2) selfie |
| Dust and water resistance | IP48 |
| Battery | 4,000mAh |
| UK price | £849 (128GB); £909 (256GB) |
Design and key new features
When I say that the Z Flip 7 FE is essentially the Flip 6, I mean it literally – they’re physically the same phone. The dimensions are identical, measuring 72 x 15 x 85mm when folded and 72 x 6.9 x 165mm unfolded, and they weigh the same 187g.
The dust and water resistance rating is the same IP48, certifying it as able to withstand submersion in 1.5m of water for up to 30 minutes and protected against ingress from particles measuring over 1mm, and there’s again Gorilla Glass Victus 2 over the cover display and the rear for scratch protection.
While the Galaxy Z Flip 7 has massively improved its cover display, copying the Motorola Razr 60 Ultra with a much larger screen that wraps around the cameras, the Z Flip 7 FE has the same cut-off screen as the Z Flip 6. It measures 3.4in across the diagonal, has a peak refresh rate of 60Hz and a resolution of 748 x 720.
The main display is, you guessed it, the same as the Galaxy Z Flip 6. It’s a 6.7in flexible Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel with a resolution of 2,640 x 1,080 and a 120Hz refresh rate.
There’s a 10-megapixel (f/2.2) selfie camera in a hole-punch notch at the top of the folding display, while over on the rear, we’ve again got a 50-megapixel (f/1.8) main camera and a 12MP (f/2.2) ultrawide lens.
Inside, we finally see a small semblance of upgrade, with the new 3.2GHz Samsung Exynos 2400 chipset replacing last year’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC. It’s paired with 8GB of RAM and either 128GB or 256GB of storage. The battery remains the same 4,000mAh as last year, however.
So, new processor aside, the hardware is just last year’s model. But, in fairness, Samsung has fixed the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE with some new software features. Just like the full-fat Galaxy Z Flip 7, the FE will launch with Android 16 and Samsung’s OneUI 8 launcher, and is set to receive the full seven years of OS updates and security patches.
There, the Z Flip 7 FE has a tiny advantage over the Z Flip 6, as it will continue to get updates for a further year, into 2032, by my count. It also gets the AI-driven Now Brief feature, which Samsung has yet to bring to the Z Flip 6 – and at this point, probably won’t, to avoid stripping the Z Flip 7 FE of one of its very few advantages.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE: Early verdict
I’m a little torn here, because I’ve been asking for Samsung to deliver a more affordable version of the Z Flip for many generations now, and on the one hand, it’s great to see the foldable family expanding to more accessible price points.
On the other hand, this really isn’t what I had in mind. Fair enough, the 128GB model is currently £50 cheaper than the Galaxy Z Flip 6, you get the Now Brief feature, a new processor and one more year of software support, but none of those additions feel hugely advantageous, and I expect the Z Flip 6 will be discounted further in the very near future anyway.
My first impression may be a negative one but I’ll be putting the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE through our review process to see if it can change my mind. Check back in soon for my full review to find out which flip phone is the most appealing in 2025.
