You understand nothing, Adrian Diaconescu! As a result of I anticipate numerous variations on that assertion (a few of that are more likely to undertake a reasonably hurtful tone based mostly on earlier expertise) within the feedback part on the finish of this text, enable me to start by admitting that it’s actually approach too early to know something for certain in regards to the Galaxy Z Flip 7 or the opposite foldable gadgets Samsung is rumored to launch in 2025.
However on the identical time, it’s a must to perceive that an organization that simply so occurs to be the world’s largest smartphone maker usually begins getting ready the event of a product just like the Z Flip 7 greater than a yr forward of its launch, and since there’s hardly ever smoke with out hearth within the cell trade’s rumor mill, that current (repeated) gossip of this dangerous boy’s processor alternative has an excellent likelihood of coming to go.
Why is Samsung chopping corners unexpectedly?
As soon as once more, I’ve no solution to understand how the Exynos 2500 SoC will carry out in actual life. Perhaps Samsung is on the verge of pulling off a uncommon miracle and its in-house chip tipped to energy the Galaxy Z Flip 7 will go away the Snapdragon 8 Elite contained in the Galaxy S25 household within the mud when it comes to pure muscle.
The Z Flip 7 just isn’t anticipated to affix the Elite group of Snapdragon-powered handsets subsequent yr. | Picture Credit score — Qualcomm
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Maybe that is one of many explanation why the Exynos 2500 is unlikely to be prepared for a industrial debut on the S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Extremely subsequent month. However will anybody care if that proves to be the case? Will many individuals have the persistence to attend for reviewers to test-drive and benchmark the Z Flip 7 earlier than making up their minds relating to the foldable’s obvious energy compromise?
Sadly for Samsung, I imagine the overwhelming majority of this handset’s potential consumers will take one take a look at that spec sheet and immediately get chilly toes as a result of the usage of what’s virtually universally considered as an inferior chipset. Personally, I am not going accountable anybody who decides to leap to that conclusion for a quite simple purpose – all of Samsung’s foldables thus far have packed state-of-the-art Qualcomm Snapdragon processors.
Change tends to be a scary factor for lots of oldsters, and although it was not at all times deserved, Exynos chips have drawn fairly a little bit of flak through the years. That in flip has brought on loads of model harm, and it should be extremely troublesome for Samsung to alter everybody’s notion unexpectedly and persuade even its most devoted followers this isn’t actually an enormous step again from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3-powered Galaxy Z Flip 6.
On the identical time, the corporate cannot simply put the kibosh on its next-gen Exynos flagship, so from a enterprise perspective, it might actually make sense to make use of the 2500 on the Z Flip 7 after reportedly not having the ability to take action for the Galaxy S25 collection.
Can the Galaxy Z Flip 7’s picture nonetheless be saved?
Completely. However Samsung must get each different factor simply proper, from display sizes to construct high quality, digital camera efficiency, battery life, and maybe most significantly, pricing.
The Z Flip 7 undoubtedly has to come back with larger screens and higher cameras than the Z Flip 6. | Picture Credit score — PhoneArena
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If the Exynos 2500-powered Z Flip 7 finally ends up costing simply as a lot as (not to mention greater than) the Z Flip 6 with a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor underneath its hood, Samsung could as effectively skip this launch and go straight to 2026’s Z Flip 8 as a result of gross sales will probably be catastrophic.
The recognition of the corporate’s foldable portfolio is already struggling, so the Galaxy Z Flip 7should deliver clear and substantial enhancements to the desk to fend off the wave of value-packed underdogs from manufacturers like Motorola, Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Vivo.
The oft-rumored Galaxy Z Flip FE may harm the Flip 7‘s box-office prospects much more, particularly if the 2 clamshells find yourself sharing the identical Exynos 2500 processors, as some current experiences recommend. Samsung may put itself in the same place as Motorola, which sells a “common” and completely respectable Razr (2024) foldable at a hard-to-resist worth and an solely barely higher Razr+ (2024) mannequin at a a lot greater worth. Oh, and people two do not even include the identical chip.
To sum every thing up, no, I do not but know precisely what Samsung’s plans are for the Galaxy Z Flip 7, however what I am listening to by way of the grapevine seems like an enormous mistake that will primarily pressure the corporate to make no different errors or compromises, which may show extraordinarily sophisticated. Luckily, I imagine there’s nonetheless time to rethink and equip the Z Flip 7 with the identical Snapdragon 8 Elite processor as all the Galaxy S25 household around the globe. Sure, even when meaning (barely) elevating the foldable’s costs. In any case, the Z Flip FE wants a raison d’être too, proper?
Adrian, a cell know-how fanatic for the reason that Nokia 3310 period, has been a dynamic presence within the tech journalism area, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Developments, and Pocketnow earlier than becoming a member of PhoneArena in 2018. His experience spans throughout varied platforms, with a specific fondness for the range of the Android ecosystem. Regardless of the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood together with his work, Adrian’s ardour for tech traits, working, and flicks retains him energized. His dedication to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic assortment of gadgets, saved from private chapter by his desire for ‘ample’ over ‘overpriced’.
