After months of speculation, Samsung has finally launched a cheaper alternative to its flagship flip phone.
The new Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE is a full £200/$200 cheaper than the regular Z Flip 7, starting at just £849/$899. For a folding flip handset, that’s not bad value, even if the regular Motorola Razr 60 is even cheaper.
Samsung’s FE (Fan Edition) line doesn’t exactly have a great track record, with its phones often arriving too late, being too expensive, or both. But based on my hands-on time with the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, I think that’s about to change for the better. Here’s why.
I spent around 15 minutes using the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE during a Samsung hands-on session ahead of the phone’s launch. These are my takeaways for now, but they may change when we more thoroughly test the device for the full review.
We’ve found the best deals on the Galaxy Flip 7 and 7 FE . You may also be interested in our full reviews of the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Galaxy Z Fold 7 .
Galaxy Z Flip 6 Lite
At first glance, you could be forgiven for thinking the Z Flip 7 FE was last year’s Galaxy Z Flip 6 in disguise. The two devices look extremely alike, especially when compared to the regular Z Flip 7 and its new edge-to-edge cover display.
The Z Flip 7 FE looks dated by comparison, but I have to remind myself that this was Samsung’s flagship design just 12 months ago. The cover display might include an annoyingly chunky bezel, but the 3.4-inch display is still easy to use and plenty detailed enough.
The difference between the Z Flip 7 (left) and Z Flip 7 FE (right) is very apparent
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
On the inside, I actually prefer the 6.7-inch, 120Hz AMOLED panel here to the huge 6.9-inch one on the regular Z Flip 7. When open, the Z Flip 7 FE feels a lot more like a regular phone.
Don’t worry about durability, either. Just like the Z Flip 6, the Flip 7 FE has tough Gorilla Glass Victus on the back, a robust aluminium frame and a strong hinge that I think could survive many years of daily use. You also get IP48 water and dust resistance – the best you’ll get on a flip phone right now – meaning it can survive a dunking in fresh water and exposure to most small particles.
The similarities don’t end there, though. The FE is 6.9mm when unfolded, weighs 187g and features a 4000mAh battery. A triple camera array includes 50Mp main, 12Mp ultrawide and 10Mp selfie lenses, which is also the same as the more premium Z Flip 7.
The crease is noticeable, but doesn’t affect usability much
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
Two compromises, but one upgrade
Unless you find a big discount, I can’t see why you’d buy the Z Flip 6 over the Z Flip 7 FE.
The only real downgrade of note is the chipset, with Samsung’s Exynos 2400 regarded as slightly less powerful than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. However, considering how quickly the Z Flip 7 FE responded during my hands-on time, I doubt you’ll notice unless you’re serious about mobile gaming.
The other slight compromise is in terms of colour options, with just boring black and white options available on the FE. But, as someone who’d always buy a black phone anyway, I really don’t care. You can always add a splash of colour via a case if you’d like.
Boring, yes, but also practical
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
And in terms of software, the Z Flip 7 FE undoubtedly has the upper hand. It ships running Samsung’s new One UI 8 , which is based on Android 16 . Meanwhile, the Z Flip 6 still runs Android 15-based One UI 7, with no word on when it’ll get the upgrade.
What’s more, the Z Flip 7 FE will get OS and security updates until 2032, while the Z Flip 6’s support will end a year earlier. Not exactly a massive difference, but if you plan to pass it on to a friend or family member after you’re finished using it, this may be significant.
Some things really needed to be changed…
The failure of the Z Flip 7 FE to fix some of the Z Flip 6’s biggest issues isn’t a major criticism – I’d much rather the regular Z Flip 7 had addressed those. However, they’re still worth mentioning as reasons why you might not want to buy it.
The battery is still only 4000mAh, so I can’t see it comfortably and consistently lasting a full day. Charging is still only 25W, which is hard to believe on a premium 2025 phone. And while there are some nice cover screen improvements, the inability to easily run any app (without jumping through lots of hoops) is totally unnecessary.
I wish the USB-C charging was a lot faster
Dominik Tomaszewski / Foundry
The Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE is a compelling device thanks to its price, and is likely to be much easier to recommend than the underwhelming Z Flip 6. But when you consider the regular Pixel 9 , Galaxy S25 and iPhone 16 are all cheaper, you’ll probably only want to buy the FE if you’re set on a flip phone.
We’ve also got early hands-on reviews of the 7 Flip 7 and the 7 Fold 7 , if you want to check out more of the new lineup.
Author: Anyron Copeman, Mobile Editor, Tech Advisor
Anyron is Mobile Editor at Tech Advisor, where he’s been a mainstay of the editorial team since 2019. In his current role, Anyron is responsible for all smartphone, tablet and mobile network coverage on the site. A BA Journalism graduate, he has experience with a wide range of consumer tech products and services, including smartphones, tablets, foldables, wearables and more.
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