I wanted to love the Z Flip 7, but now I'm just hoping Samsung doesn't waste the Flip 8

Phone Arena

2 days ago

If you're looking for a relatively affordable Galaxy flip phone, consider the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE. Right now, this device arrives for up to $500 off at the Samsung Store.
Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 7 pre-orders have finished. At the time of writing, the smartphone is available for up to $600 off with eligible device trade-ins. There are no alternative discounts.
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Option A: Samsung doubles down and leads the next wave of flip phones
Z
Flip 7
1. A flagship chip across the board
Flip 7
Flip 7
Geekbench 6
Single
Higher is better
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7
2177
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6
2251
Motorola Razr Ultra(2025)
2847
Geekbench 6
Multi
Higher is better
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7
7419
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6
7131
Motorola Razr Ultra(2025)
8612
3DMark Extreme(High)
Higher is better
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7
4137
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6
4528
Motorola Razr Ultra(2025)
5910
3DMarkExtreme(Low)
Higher is better
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7
1980
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6
2150
Motorola Razr Ultra(2025)
3787
2. Much faster charging
Flip 7
Flip 7
Flip 7
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7
( 4300 mAh )
Battery Life Estimate
7h 3m
Ranks #64 for phones tested in the past 2 years
Average is 7h 5m
Browsing
18h 58m
Average is 16h 26m
Video
9h 32m
Average is 10h 4m
Gaming
7h 31m
Average is 10h 8m
Charging speed
25W
Charger
43%
30 min
1h 35m
Full charge
Ranks #113 for phones released in the past 2 years
Wireless Charging
10W
Charger
N/A
30 min
N/A
Full charge
Find out more details about battery and charging for all phones we have tested on our PhoneArena Battery Score page
3. Smarter software for the cover screen
Flip 7
4. A better camera system
Flip 7
5. More premium extras
Flip 7
Option B: Samsung slows down again and loses momentum
Flip 7
Another Exynos chip, with minimal performance improvement
Same camera system, with small software refinements at best
Same 25W charging, continuing to lag behind competitors
Minor design tweaks, like a new hinge or thinner profile no one asked for
No real cover screen changes
Flip 7
Option C: Galaxy Z Flip 8 Ultra
Z
Flip 7
Z
Flip 7
What single upgrade would make the Z Flip 8 truly unbeatable?
Ditch Exynos and go all-in on Snapdragon globally
Add 45W fast charging — it's long overdue
Let us run any app on the cover screen, no hacks
Adding a telephoto camera, not just wide lenses
Launch a Flip 8 Ultra with top-tier specs and premium build
Ditch Exynos and go all-in on Snapdragon globally
0%
Add 45W fast charging — it's long overdue
0%
Let us run any app on the cover screen, no hacks
0%
Adding a telephoto camera, not just wide lenses
0%
Launch a Flip 8 Ultra with top-tier specs and premium build
0%
Final thoughts
Galaxy
Z
Flip 7
Thesolved so many of the line's lingering issues, but there's still plenty of room for meaningful upgrades. If Samsung decides to push forward aggressively, here's how it could future-proof the Flip 8.The's biggest compromise isn't the battery, the display, or even the cameras — it's the processor. Most models ship with the Exynos 2500 instead of the more powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite, and the performance gap is very real. Our benchmark tests show thetrailing the Motorola Razr Ultra by a significant margin in both CPU and GPU scores. The Razr's Snapdragon chip is not just faster, but also more efficient and better suited for sustained performance, especially for graphic-intensive tasks.Samsung could fix this instantly by giving every Flip 8 unit the best chip available (and not just in North America). That would bring the Z Flip back in line with expectations for a premium $1,100 phone.This one is long overdue. Thetakes 1 hour and 35 minutes to fully charge its 4,300 mAh battery — far slower than the Motorola Razr Ultra, which reaches 100% in just 43 minutes. Even a 30-minute top-up only gets you to 43% on the, compared to 80% on the Razr.Samsung could easily step up here by adopting faster charging standards — most likely 45W — and finally modernizing the Flip's charging situation. Battery life is no longer a problem (thecomfortably beats its predecessor in all of our tests), so faster charging is the next obvious step.The 4.1-inch cover screen — also known as the 'Flex Window' — is one of the's best features, but it's still oddly limited. Samsung continues to treat it as a widget dashboard rather than a full app launcher — unless users go out of their way to install Good Lock and tweak obscure settings.Meanwhile, Motorola allows you to run virtually any app directly from the Razr Ultra's cover screen with no hacks required. If Samsung wants to match that experience, it needs to embrace the cover screen's potential more fully in the Flip 8. Let users treat it like a real phone, not a glorified notification center.The's 50 MP main camera performs well in daylight, and the ultra-wide sensor has finally ditched the over-sharpened look of the Flip 6. But there's still no telephoto lens, and video quality is clearly behind rivals like the Razr Ultra. Noise is visible even in bright scenes, and LOG video — a pro-level feature — is inexplicably unavailable when using the cover screen.Samsung could raise the bar here with better sensors, smarter processing, and true parity between main and cover screen camera functionality. Even if the compact size limits what's possible, a mid-range telephoto lens or cleaner video capture would be huge upgrades.With thefinally gaining DeX support, the line is inching closer to Samsung's regular flagship phones from the Galaxy S series. But other extras — like UWB (Ultra-Wideband), improved audio quality, and higher refresh rate displays — are still missing or underwhelming. For the Flip 8 to feel complete, it needs to offer the same polished treatment and feel as the S-series flagships.On the other hand, there's a real risk that Samsung sees theas 'good enough' and decides to rest on its success. We've seen this pattern before — most notably between the Flip 4, Flip 5, and Flip 6, which brought only marginal upgrades year over year. That, and it is generally typical to see this strategy from phone manufacturers nowadays.Here's what a stagnating Flip 8 could look like:This scenario is not hard to imagine — especially if thesells well. Samsung might be tempted to repeat its historically slow upgrade cycle.But that would be a mistake.The flip phone market is far from Samsung's own playground. Motorola has proven it can out-design and out-spec Samsung when it matters, more specifically with its new Razr Ultra. Oppo, Vivo, and even Google are investing in the form factor too. And while Samsung still enjoys brand dominance and carrier support, that edge won't last forever if it doesn't continue to be a bit more aggressive with its foldables.I lied when I said there were only two ways this could go. There's a third, and it might actually be the most likely: the introduction of a Galaxy Z Flip 8 Ultra.Samsung could take a page from Motorola's playbook and launch a more premium Z Flip model, featuring the latest Snapdragon chip and other high-end upgrades to justify a higher price tag.Right now, thesits at $1,100, putting it closer to the Razr Plus (2025) than the Razr Ultra ($1,300). Samsung has already filled the lower end with its first Fan Edition clamshell, theFE. But it still lacks a true rival to Motorola's flagship — a clear missed opportunity. It may have been too late for 2025, but I'd be surprised if Samsung doesn't correct that in 2026.Theis a triumph — but it's also a crossroads. Samsung finally has a flip phone that's easy to recommend, but it needs to decide whether that's the finish line or the start of its reign in the market for small foldable phones If the company goes the bold route and builds a Flip 8 Ultra that's faster, smarter, and more premium in every way, it could cement its leadership in the clamshell foldable space. But if it chooses to throw anchor and keep things easy, it risks letting rivals catch up and pass it by again.In 2026, we'll find out whether Samsung wants the Z Flip to be a trendsetter — or just another premium phone with a hinge.