Samsung has long been a leader in foldable phone innovation, especially with its clamshell designs like the Z Flip. The upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE aims to offer a more affordable entry point into the world of foldables, which has been dominated by the Motorola Razr for a while. 
While Samsung has nailed the build quality and overall design, there’s still one key issue that could hold the Z Flip 7 FE back from widespread success.
The Z Flip 7 FE is expected to feature the same design as the previous Z Flip 6, with an aluminum frame, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the outside, and the signature 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED display. There’s also a 3.4-inch OLED cover screen, which will likely remain limited in functionality unless users go through extra steps to unlock its potential. But it’s the performance where Samsung has a clear edge. The rumored Exynos 2400 chip will bring improved processing power, putting the Z Flip 7 FE ahead of the Motorola Razr’s MediaTek Dimensity 7400X. Moreover, faster LPDDR5X RAM and UFS 4.0 storage will provide better speed and power efficiency compared to its competitors.
Even when stacked up against the more premium Galaxy Z Flip 6, the Z Flip 7 FE holds its own. While the Flip 6’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor may outperform the FE’s Exynos chip in raw benchmarks, the average user likely won’t notice the difference in day-to-day use. The FE’s 8GB of RAM is sufficient for most tasks, and its hardware holds up well, even in comparison to more expensive models.
However, Samsung has yet to fully embrace the foldable form factor in a way that would set the Z Flip 7 FE apart. The 3.4-inch cover screen is still somewhat limited. Unlike the Motorola Razr, which features a larger and more usable 3.6-inch cover screen, the Z Flip 7 FE’s display is restricted to just a few widgets, unless users install third-party apps like Samsung’s Good Lock. This makes the phone feel a bit half-baked, as users can’t run full apps directly on the cover screen, despite the foldable design encouraging that very use case.
In addition to the limited cover screen experience, the Z Flip 7 FE will face internal competition from the Galaxy Z Flip 6, which is expected to drop in price once the new model arrives. This makes it hard to justify picking the budget FE model over a flagship-tier phone that could be available at a similar price point. The Z Flip 6’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, along with its premium features like Generative Edit and Live Translate, may outshine the Z Flip 7 FE if pricing doesn’t offer a clear advantage.
Despite these challenges, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE still has a lot of potential. If Samsung can fix the cover screen’s limitations and offer more aggressive pricing, the FE could serve as a serious competitor to the Motorola Razr. Its arrival marks a shift in the foldable market, and if Samsung continues to offer solid software updates and foldable-specific features, the Z Flip 7 FE could be the go-to affordable foldable choice for many. But only time will tell if Samsung fully embraces this new device, or if it remains just a budget placeholder.