Samsung’s forthcoming Galaxy Unpacked foldable event appears to be only weeks ahead, and while we anticipate considerable enhancements to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the more compact Galaxy Z Flip 7 might also undergo some significant modifications.
The market for flip phones may not be thriving as many of us had anticipated, with brands like Google, Oppo, and others turning their attention more to larger foldable devices. Nonetheless, with the ongoing popularity of Motorola’s Razr lineup, Samsung has a lot to demonstrate with the Galaxy Z Flip 7.
According to the leaks and speculation regarding the Galaxy Z Flip 7, we could potentially see a device that rivals the Razr. So, should you hold off on acquiring the Z Flip 7, or would you be wiser to opt for last year’s Flip or even the Razr Ultra? Let’s analyze the situation.
A cover screen to utilize?
One of the most significant enhancements noted in the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is its redesigned layout, featuring an enlarged cover screen. It appears that the external display might cover the entire top rear surface, akin to the design of the Motorola Razr Ultra.
This development is thrilling as it should improve the cover screen experience by providing users with enhanced screen space to utilize. While we do not have confirmed dimensions, it is speculated to be around 4 inches, which should offer ample space for various functionalities.
More crucially, it should ideally facilitate a better app experience. At present, Samsung only “officially” permits a limited selection of apps on the cover screen, while others must be accessed via a different panel after installing and configuring the MultiStar module within Good Lock.
This setup is somewhat cumbersome, and when it does work, apps remain constrained to the relatively small 3.4-inch display of the Galaxy Z Flip 6, which compresses them to a nearly impractical size.
With an expanded cover screen, apps should have greater space to operate. Additionally, the increased cover screen may also suggest a revised software experience, and ideally, Samsung will take a cue from Motorola and enable apps to function natively on the cover screen.
Increased power, but will it be sufficient?
There have been mixed reports about whether Samsung will incorporate a Snapdragon or Exynos processor in the Galaxy Z Flip 7. Recently, it seems to be leaning towards utilizing an Exynos 2500 across most, if not all, regions, including North America.
Considering the historical context of Samsung’s Exynos processors and consumer feedback regarding them, this could place the Galaxy Z Flip 7 at a disadvantage in comparison to other flip models like the Motorola Razr Ultra. After all, Qualcomm’s processors are typically recognized for being more powerful than Exynos, although it may be contended that Exynos processors tend to be more energy-efficient.
Given that flip phones have limited battery space, this could represent a reasonable compromise, especially since the phone is expected to feature a modest 300mAh increase in battery capacity compared to the 4,000mAh of the Galaxy Z Flip 6. While still lower than the 4,700mAh of the Razr Ultra, this may not be critical if the chip is more efficient.
Moreover, it likely appears that the processor in the Galaxy Z Flip 7 will surpass the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 found in the Galaxy Z Flip 6 in terms of performance and should deliver an enhanced user experience. Leaked benchmark results suggest that the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is projected to achieve single-core and multi-core scores of 2,012 and 7,563, respectively. These figures are lower than many other Snapdragon 8 Elite devices, likely due to the chip operating underclocked to control thermals within the flip phone design.
Interestingly, the results outperform those of the Razr Ultra 2025, which garnered 1,743 and 6,714. While the multi-core score exceeds previous Snapdragon models, the single-core score trails behind some earlier generations. It is feasible that Motorola may have underclocked the prime cores similarly to manage heat, which accumulates in the upper portion of flip phones.
Regardless, the Razr Ultra demonstrates excellent performance in everyday usage, and the Galaxy Z Flip 7 should perform comparably, if not better, particularly due to the anticipated (though likely) 12GB of RAM. Our only hope is that Samsung addresses the inadequate 25W charging speed.
Unexciting cameras, thrilling software
If you are wishing for an improvement in camera capabilities, there might not be much in terms of significant enhancements compared to the Galaxy Z Flip 6. Indeed, current whispers suggest that the Galaxy Z Flip 7 will retain the same 50MP+12MP wide and ultrawide camera configuration as its predecessor. The only change appears to be the rumored Exynos
