This is the one foldable phone I don’t recommend to anyone

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE is redundant when better-value foldables exist, and at $900, no one should buy it.

I believe strongly that almost every product is right for someone, even if it's not the best choice for you or me. Moreover, a product that's difficult to recommend isn't inherently bad, it usually just has poor pricing. It's easy to justify buying a $5 pair of earbuds even if the sound quality is garbage because, well, it's exactly what should be expected at the price point. On the flip side, no matter how good ultra-premium devices like the Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold are, they'll face an uphill battle with consumers because of the exorbitant sticker shock.

With this context in mind, there's one foldable on the market today with a price that doesn't match up to its features, making it impossible for me to recommend. That foldable phone is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, released last year as a cheaper alternative to the mainline Galaxy Z Flip 7. The problem? It really isn't that much cheaper, retailing for $900 compared to the Galaxy Z Flip 7's MSRP of $1,100.

When the gap between smartphone models is a few hundred dollars, I always lean toward picking the upgraded model. Since most of us keep our phones for years, the daily impact of better features and faster performance adds up over time to make the upgrade a worthwhile endeavor. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE exists between excellent value-focused foldables priced both above and below it, and Samsung's "Fan Edition" flip phone ends up being the odd one out.

Samsung's own phones outdo the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE on the spec sheet. Think of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE as a revamped version of the Galaxy Z Flip 6 with a new processor and a few cosmetic changes. On the outside, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE features a glossy glass back instead of a matte one, and the rings around the rear camera lenses are less flashy. There are more similarities than differences between the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE and the Galaxy Z Flip 6 — both have the same exact dimensions, weight, and IP48 rating.

At first glance, it might seem like the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE is essentially a re-release of the Galaxy Z Flip 6 at a $200 discount, but it's not that simple. The newer "Fan Edition" model uses a Samsung Exynos 2400 processor paired with an Xclipse 940 graphics chip and just 8GB of RAM. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip complete with an Adreno 750 GPU and 12GB of RAM.

Pound for pound, you get a better processor, a better GPU, and more onboard memory with the older Galaxy Z Flip 6. The Samsung Exynos 2400 powered the Galaxy S24 series in some regions, and it's no slouch, but it's a clear downgrade compared to prior Flip processors. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 also maxed out at 512GB of storage capacity, while the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE is only available in 128GB or 256GB configuration.

We need to give the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE some well-deserved credit, though. It does ship with the Android 16-based One UI 8 operating system out of the box and will get seven years of Android OS upgrades thereafter. That's the clear advantage of buying a new Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE compared to picking up the older Galaxy Z Flip 6 — the former model has a full software support guarantee, while the latter only has about six years remaining.

The extra year of software support alone isn't enough to move the needle for the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, however. You can find a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 on the market in new condition for about $850, but the phone has been officially discontinued to make room for the newer models. The better deals are found on the used and refurbished markets, where the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is readily available for under $400.

I understand some buyers might be hesitant to try a certified refurbished foldable, although that price is enough to make you think twice. Even at full price, the $850 Galaxy Z Flip 6 is a tad bit cheaper than the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE at full price. No matter how you slice it, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 comes out looking like the better deal. When the two phones are priced identically, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 still tempts you with the Qualcomm processor and additional RAM.

My core gripe with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE's positioning is that it's not cheap enough to compete with budget foldables, and it's also not powerful enough to compete with the flagships. On the high end, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE faces stiff competition with the Motorola Razr Plus and Samsung's own Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Flip 7. The other side of the market is similarly jarring, where the base-model Razr 2025 retails for just $700 at full price — it's regularly available for cheaper.

It's worth noting that the Motorola Razr 2025 has a worse processor than even the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, and software support is guaranteed for just three major Android OS upgrades. That is certainly nothing special, but I give Motorola credit for pricing the Razr 2025 accordingly. If the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE was a few hundred dollars cheaper at retail, this would be an entirely different story. Foldable phones provide a larger screen and more flexibility, but they also bring serious software upgrades to the camera.

Samsung's foldable excellence, in a way, is hurting the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE. The new Galaxy Z Flip 7 is the best flip phone I've ever used, and for an extra $200, it's a slam-dunk upgrade over the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE. It has a better processor, more memory, and a gorgeous edge-to-edge cover display. The phone's aspect ratio was overhauled to make it feel more like a traditional smartphone, and it makes a major difference.

Although the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 is compelling, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 was my pick for the best clamshell foldable in the 2025 release cycle. All together, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE is the one foldable I can't recommend to anyone because of its pricing and lackluster feature set compared to competing options from Samsung and Motorola. If you need to have a Samsung foldable, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 or Galaxy Z Flip 7 will serve you better, depending on your budget.

Summary

This report covers the latest developments in samsung. The information presented highlights key changes and updates that are relevant to those following this topic.

---