Compelling Upgrade or Incremental Changes?

Compelling Upgrade or Incremental Changes?

Summary

  • Samsung has released the Galaxy Z Flip 7 with several upgrades to the design, screen, processor, battery, and connectivity.
  • The handset is available for pre-order and will be in stores starting July 25, 2025. Despite all the upgrades, Samsung hasn’t increased the pricing from last year, i.e., the Flip 7 starts from $1,099.99.
  • Compared to the Flip 6, the Flip 7 shapes up as a pretty compelling update. However, it all depends on whether the changes matter to you and whether you’re willing to pay for them.

Samsung’s Flip 7 is here, and this time, the company has left no stone unturned in ensuring its success. However, is the 2025 Flip better than the Galaxy Z Flip 6? Here’s a detailed comparison to help you make an informed decision.

Price & Availability

The Flip 7 is currently available for pre-order on the official website, with general sales set to begin on July 25, 2025. The 256GB variant costs $1,099.99, but early buyers can take advantage of a free storage upgrade offer, which allows them to get the 512GB variant for the same price ($1,099.99).

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 (256GB) is available on Samsung’s official website for $1,099.99. You can also get the foldable on Best Buy for a discounted price.

Galaxy Z Flip 7

Galaxy Z Flip 6

256GB

$1,099.99

$1,099.99

512GB

$1,219.99

$1,219.99

Flip 7 Gets a Major Makeover

samsung galaxy z flip 7 propped up showing the cover display 54641202112 o-1

Justin Duino / How-To Geek

In terms of exterior design, the Flip 7 is somewhat similar to the Flip 6 than we had expected. Besides its width (which has likely increased to accommodate bigger screens), the length and thickness remain the same, and so does the weight (188 grams vs. 187 grams).

While the Flip 7’s hinge is lighter than its predecessor, it’s probably the larger battery that’s offsetting the difference in weight. Although it isn’t a stark difference, the Flip 7 is a tad slimmer than the Flip 6. Its side profile measures 13.7mm when folded (vs. 14.9mm) and 6.5mm when unfolded (vs. 6.9mm).

Speaking of the screens, the Flip 7 takes a page out of Motorola’s playbook, specifically from the Razr 2025 Ultra, as it features a significantly larger cover display. It might sound like a minor upgrade on paper, but you’ll realize how big of a difference it makes when you hold the handset (both in terms of appearance and usability).

person holding the samsung galaxy z flip 7 showing the usb c port and side profile 54642055361 o-1

Justin Duino / How-To Geek

Regarding the materials, the Flip 7 features Corning’s Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the cover screen and the back panel, similar to the Flip 6. The aluminum frame “provides a tough exterior for resilience.”

Both the phones come with IP48 certification for withstanding damage due to ingress of dust particles (larger than a millimeter in diameter) or immersion in 1.5m freshwater for up to 30 minutes.

Samsung’s latest flip-style foldable is available in several colorways, including Jet Black, Blue Shadow (similar to the Fold 7), Coral-red, and Mint.

Finally, Samsung’s Flip Has a Bigger Cover Screen

While Motorola has been offering larger cover screens on its Razr lineup for quite some time, this is the first time Samsung has equipped its flip-style foldable with a 4.1-inch Super AMOLED cover screen that supports either 60Hz or 120Hz of refresh rate and a peak brightness of 2,600 nits.

The cover screen runs from one edge of the front panel to the other (diagonally), leaving minimal bezels on each side. It also encapsulates the camera sensors and the circular flash module, giving the phone a contemporary look (on par with its closest rival, the Moto Razr Ultra 2025).

Upon unfolding the Flip 7, you’ll come across the slightly bigger 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2x screen, which also supports an adaptive refresh rate (1-120Hz) and 2,600 nits of peak brightness. While the Flip 6’s inner screen has similar specifications, it measures 6.7 inches (diagonally).

Get a $50 Credit When You Reserve a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 or Z Flip 7

Get ready for new foldables.

Exynos 2500 vs. Snapdragon 8 Gen 3

person holding the samsung galaxy z flip 7 showing the main display and webpage 54642278959 o-1

Justin Duino / How-To Geek

Until now, Samsung’s foldables have been powered by Qualcomm’s flagship chipsets. While the Flip 6 features the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, the Flip 5 came with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset.

However, the Korean tech giant breaks this trend by equipping the Flip 7 with an in-house Exynos 2500 (3nm) SoC. The chip broke cover in June with a 3.3 GHz prime core, Xclipse 950 (utilizing RDNA 3 architecture), and a new NPU (that provides a computational power of up to 59 TOPS).

Besides, the phone sports 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage. Compared to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 (4nm) SoC on the Flip 6 with a 3.39 GHz prime core and the Adreno 750 GPU, the Exynos 2500 scores 17 and 26% higher in the GeekBench’s single and multi-core CPU tests, respectively.

The Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip of the Redmagic 9S Pro

Nubia

According to GeekBench’s Compute Score, the Exynos 2500’s GPU scores 42% higher points than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, suggesting a significantly better (and visibly noticeable) improvement in gaming performance, which should benefit graphic rendering in apps and the overall visual fluidity.

Although Samsung has done a commendable job of improving the processing and graphical prowess of its Exynos chip, it still lags behind the Snapdragon 8 Elite on the Fold 7, or the Galaxy S25 Ultra, for that matter. To summarize, the Exynos 2500 sits between the Snapdragon 8 Elite and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

Flip 7 Features One UI 8

Samsung's One UI 8 mascot.

Samsung

At the Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung unveiled a new version of its custom user interface: One UI 8 (based on Android 16). It packs multiple new and useful features, such as a dynamic lock screen clock, an improved Now Bar (with support for Live Updates in Android 16), and enhanced Audio Eraser and Object Eraser.

Samsung also upgrades quite a few of its system apps, including Reminder, My Files, Quick Share, Samsung Internet, and Samsung Health, among others. Like the Flip 6, the Flip 7 will get seven years of major operating system and security updates.

Apart from the One UI 8 additions, Flip 7’s Gemini has gained the live-camera and real-time screen sharing ability, wherein you can show the AI assistant what you’re seeing via the phone’s camera and ask questions about it.

Samsung One UI 8 Beta Now Rolling Out, Based on Android 16

Don’t expect a lot of big changes.

No Updates to the Cameras

person holding the samsung galaxy z flip 7 showing the primary cameras 54642055441 o-1

Justin Duino / How-To Geek

While the Flip 7 features a bigger cover screen and a more powerful processor than the Flip 6, Samsung hasn’t improved the camera hardware (not even a bit).

Both the phones feature the same 50MP (f/1.8, OIS) primary sensor, a 12MP (f/2.2, 123°) ultrawide sensor, and a 10MP (f/2.2) selfie shooter. While the main camera offers 2x in-sensor zoom, all sensors can record 4K videos at up to 60 fps.

Furthermore, you get access to Samsung’s vast array of AI-based photo/video editing features, including Generative Edit, AI Drawing, Sketch to Image, Portrait Studio, Live Effect, Instant Slow-Mo, and Audio Eraser.

Flip 7’s Battery Gets a Major Boost

samsung galaxy z flip 7 in multiple colors sitting on a table 54641202467 o

Justin Duino / How-To Geek

With its 4,000 mAh battery and a 4nm processor, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 provided around six to seven hours of screen-on time on average usage. I wouldn’t call it an issue, but given how battery life is constantly improving on regular smartphones, it’s about time foldables catch up.

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 boasts a 4.300 mAh battery, a welcome upgrade for all potential buyers. Combined with a 3nm processor, the Flip should provide around seven to eight hours of screen-on time, possibly eliminating the need to reach out for your charger at the end of the day.

The charging speed, however, remains the same at 25W for wired, 15W for wireless, and 4.5W for reverse wireless charging.

I Want a Better Phone, Not a Thinner One

Going in the wrong direction.

Samsung’s New Flip Offers Satellite Connectivity

person holding the samsung galaxy z flip 7 showing the main display 54642292653 o-1

Justin Duino / How-To Geek

The biggest connectivity-related upgrade on the Flip 7 is support for satellite connectivity via low-earth orbit satellites, which unlocks emergency calling and texting when a cellular network is unavailable. The Exynos 2500 chip supports 3GPP NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network) standards, which enables communication with satellites.

Other connectivity-related features include support for sub-6GHz and mmWave 5G networks, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth v5.4, GPS, GLONASS, and a USB Type-C 3.2 port. In comparison, the Flip 6 supports Wi-Fi 6e networks and Bluetooth v5.3.

Which Is the Right Flip Phone for You?

With a larger cover screen, a more powerful chipset, and a bigger battery, the handset addresses the concerns that users had with the Flip 6. If these upgrades can enhance your experience, upgrading to the Flip 7 might actually make sense.

That said, I recommend that a Flip 6 user exchange their handset and get a decent upfront discount on the Flip 7. Samsung is also offering a free storage upgrade, allowing you to get the 512GB variant for the price of the 256GB variant.

You can get $600 off when you trade in the Flip 6, which reduces the effective price of the Flip 7 to $499.99. Given the storage upgrade offer, you can get the 512GB variant for the same price, without paying any additional money. That’s a great deal, if you ask me.

If you own a Flip 3 or a Flip 4, an upgrade to Flip 7 makes sense, or the Flip 6 if it is available at a $200 or $300 discount and it fits your budget better.

  • Samsung Galaxy Flip 7

    Brand

    Samsung

    RAM

    12GB

    Storage

    256 or 512GB

    Battery

    4,300mAh Dual Battery

    Operating System

    One UI 8

    Front camera

    10MP

    A wider shape and a new edge-to-edge FlexWindow make this the most usable Flip yet. It’s compact, customizable, and packed with smart AI tools right on the cover screen.


  • flip 6

    SoC

    Qualcomm Snapdragon Gen 3 for Galaxy

    Display

    6.7-inch AMOLED (2640 x 1080) adaptive 120Hz inside screen, 3.4-inch AMOLED (720 x 748) 60Hz cover screen

    RAM

    12GB

    Storage

    256GB, 512GB

    Battery

    4,000 mAh

    Ports

    USB-C

    The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 is a sleek, foldable smartphone. Powered by the latest Snapdragon processor, it offers exceptional performance, a greatly improved dual-camera system, and Flex Mode for hands-free selfies and video calls.


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