Technologies
Which Foldable Will You Flip For? Comparing Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Z Flip 7 FE
One performs better overall, but is the price difference enough to matter? Let’s compare Samsung’s flip phones for 2025.
Samsung recently unveiled the Galaxy Z Flip 7, and while the phone is still expensive — it’ll set you back $1,100 to start — it’s matching the price of its predecessor. That’s admirable considering this newest iteration of the Flip phone series features several upgrades, including bigger screens and more powerful hardware.
But the Z Flip 7 isn’t the only clamshell foldable Samsung is debuting this summer. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE is slightly smaller and bridges the gap between the two generations of Flip models. This «fan edition» is positioned as more of a midrange phone, but the $900 price tag is a substantial chunk of change — to put it into perspective, that’s still $200 more than the latest iteration of Motorola’s Razr.
The Z Flip 7 and Z Flip 7 FE share a lot of similarities, especially when it comes to Samsung’s strong commitment to software support. At the end of the day, though, you’ll have a clear preference for one design over another — and that preference might be worth throwing an extra $200 at.
If you don’t have the time to dive into every facet of these phones, here’s the TL;DR: If money isn’t an object and you’re looking for a Flip model with a cutting edge processor and marginal improvements to the screen size, camera system and battery life, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is the clear choice for you. If you’re looking for something close to the Z Flip 7 that has a more conservative feature set for less money — but you’re still willing to spend a bit more money than the average midrange phone — the Galaxy Z Flip FE positively iterates on the Z Flip 6’s processing power, battery and operating system.
Design and display
Candidly, the biggest and most direct differences between the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and the Z Flip 7 FE are found in the designs of these phones. If you’re shelling out an extra $200 for the Z Flip 7, it’s probably because of its larger cover screen and thinner body.
The Z Flip 7 comes in four different colors. You’ll be able to choose from black, grayish blue and red colors in-store, with an additional cool light green Mint color available if you’re ordering the foldable online direct from Samsung. The Z Flip 7 FE doesn’t feature nearly as many color options — this particular clamshell device comes in classic black or white, that’s it. Those are clean designs, but you lose out on the wider berth of colors available on the Z Flip 7.
The Galaxy Z Flip 7 features a 4.1-inch cover screen, which is a pretty substantial increase over its predecessor’s 3.4-inch front-facing display. It does this by using the entire area around the camera lenses, which are cut out of the display, instead of the «folder tab» design of the Z Flip 6 and the Z Flip 7 FE. The Z Flip 7’s cover screen has a 948×1,048p resolution, which should mean it provides you with a sharper image than the Z Flip 7 FE’s 720x748p cover screen.
Additionally, the Z Flip 7 has a 6.9-inch internal display, which is marginally larger than the Z Flip 7 FE’s 6.7-inch flipped-open screen. In terms of resolution, however, the Z Flip 7 FE screen is slightly higher than the Z Flip7, though in practical terms they’re remarkably similar: The Z Flip 7’s internal screen has a 2,520×1,080p resolution and the Z Flip 7 FE has a 2,640×1,080p resolution, while both foldables should support a refresh rate of up to 120Hz.
The Z Flip 7 may be thinner than the Z Flip 7 FE, but it doesn’t lose much in the way of heftiness. The Z Flip 7 weighs 188g while the Z Flip 7 FE weighs 187g, so they should feel fairly similar stowed away in your pockets.
The larger cover screen of the Z Flip 7 will make it easier than ever to organize widgets, check notifications and more. But if you plan to use your phone for gaming or watching videos, you’re not losing much screen space with the Z Flip 7 FE’s internal screen — both phones should perform fairly similarly in that regard.
Cameras
It’s fairly likely that budding photographers won’t be giving up anything by choosing the Z Flip 7 FE over the Z Flip 7. Both phones are slated to have a three-camera system, including a 50-megapixel main camera and a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera on the back and a 10-megapixel front-facing internal camera.
If you’re familiar with Samsung’s Z Flip series, you’ll recognize that this looks like the same camera system included within 2024’s Z Flip 6 model. As far as we know, it has simply been brought forward and integrated into the next generation of Z Flip foldables.
With that being said, CNET experts haven’t been able to thoroughly test these phones just yet — while the cameras look the same on paper, it’s hard to say just how your pictures will turn out as you snap shots with the Z Flip 7 and the Z Flip 7 FE.
But both foldables support Samsung’s Galaxy AI photography features. That means you’ll be able to edit and change your pictures on the Z Flip 7 and Z Flip 7 FE on the fly with features like Sketch to Image, which lets users bring doodles to life in the background of their photographs.
Battery, processor and storage specs
Slight differences in the batteries on the Z Flip 7 and the Z Flip 7 FE will directly translate to how much uptime you get with your phone between charging periods.
The Z Flip 7 is powered by a 4,300 mAh battery, which is a 300mAh upgrade from the battery in the Z Flip 6. We expect that owners will be able to put this model through its paces with some more strenuous use and still get a full day of battery life out of it, but we’ll know for sure when we can fully test the phone.
On the other hand, the Z Flip 7 FE features a 4,000-mAh battery, which appears to be the same size you’d be getting with last year’s Z Flip 6 model. Make no mistake about it: You should still be able to eke out a day’s worth of activity before needing to charge this phone. But CNET expert Patrick Holland wasn’t thrilled with the battery when testing the Z Flip 6, concluding that it was only marginally better than the Galaxy Z Flip 5’s battery life, so we would expect similar performance from the Z Flip 7 FE.
The only functional difference between the Z Flip 7 and the Z Flip 7 FE in this regard is that 300mAh capacity difference, but most people likely won’t actually feel it in their day-to-day lives.
If you’re constantly filming, video chatting and scrolling through social media at high brightness (or if you’re an avid mobile gamer), the Z Flip 7 may let you stay glued to your screen for a bit longer than the Z Flip 7 FE.
The other difference between these two foldables lies in their processor specs. The Z Flip 7 is powered by Samsung’s own high-end Exynos 2500 chip, while the Z Flip 7 FE has the Exynos 2400. We’re assuming the Z Flip 7 will provide slightly better processing power, but more testing will be required to suss out the differences. A similar chip, the Exynos 2400e, in the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE resulted in slightly lower performance than the Samsung Galaxy S24 (running 2023’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip) in our versus testing.
Crucially, both phones should have enough memory to support AI tools — the Z Flip 7 FE is straddling the line with 8GB of RAM — which is an important benchmark for any new phone right now. The Z Flip 7 comes with 12GB of RAM, so it has stronger support for the integrated AI tools.
If storing photos and downloading apps and games is something you do often, the Z Flip 7 has the edge over the Z Flip 7 FE. The Z Flip 7 starts at 256GB of storage with pricier models featuring a fairly large 512GB, whereas the Z Flip 7 FE starts with 128GB of storage and caps out at 256GB of space. The Z Flip 7 model with the least storage capacity matches the Z Flip 7 FE model with the most storage capacity.
Software support and AI
When it comes to software support for these two models, you aren’t missing out on too much by picking one over the other. Both phones run Android 16, which is an upgrade over the Galaxy Z Flip 6’s Android 14 operating system — a result of Google releasing the newest version of Android months earlier than it typically does.
Samsung has committed to shipping updates for the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE for seven years after their launch date. That means you can expect the latest in software and security capabilities for both phones until at least 2032.
If you’re the type of person that will trade your phone in every few years, this probably won’t be what sways you toward picking up one of the latest Flip phones. But if you’re like me, and you keep using a phone until it’s on its last legs, this promise means you’ll be in good hands if you choose to upgrade to either the Flip 7 or the Flip 7 FE.
If AI features are your make-or-break variable for a new phone purchase in 2025, you won’t find that much of a difference between the Flip 7 and the Flip 7 FE in that regard, either. Both phones support the full suite of Galaxy AI tools as well as Google’s Gemini assistant — the Flip 7 FE’s 8GB of RAM should ensure that it can operate these tools, while we expect that the Flip 7’s 12GB of RAM could let you run a couple more taxing apps in tandem with the AI.
Galaxy Z Flip 7 vs. Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE
| Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 | Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE | |
| Cover display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate | 4.1-inch AMOLED, 948×1,048p, 120Hz refresh rate | 3.4-inch AMOLED; 720 x 748 pixels; 60Hz refresh rate |
| Internal display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate | 6.9-inch AMOLED, 2,520×1,080p, 1-120Hz refresh rate | 6.7-inch AMOLED; 2,640 x 1,080 pixels; 1-120Hz refresh rate |
| Pixel density | Cover: 342ppi; Internal: 397ppi | Cover: 306 ppi; Internal: 425 ppi |
| Dimensions (inches) | Open: 2.96 x 6.56 x 0.26 inches; Closed: 2.96 x 3.37 x 0.26 inches | Open: 6.5 x 2.83 x 0.27 in Closed: 3.35 x 2.83 x 0.59 in |
| Dimensions (millimeters) | Open: 75.2 x 166.7 x 6.5mm; Closed: 75.2 x 85.5 x 13.7mm | Open: 165.1 x 71.9 x 6.9mm Closed: 85.1 x 71.9 x 14.9mm |
| Weight (grams, ounces) | 188g (6.63 oz.) | 187g (6.6 oz) |
| Mobile software | Android 16 | Android 16 |
| Cameras | 50-megapixel (main), 12-megapixel (ultrawide) | 50-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide) |
| Internal screen camera | 10-megapixel | 10-megapixel |
| Video capture | 4K at 60fps | TBD |
| Processor | Samsung Exynos 2500 | Samsung Exynos 2400 |
| RAM/storage | 12GB + 256GB, 12GB + 512GB | 8GB + 128GB, 256GB |
| Expandable storage | None | None |
| Battery | 4,300 mAh | 4,000 mAh |
| Fingerprint sensor | Yes | Side |
| Connector | USB-C | USB-C |
| Headphone jack | None | None |
| Special features | One UI 8, IP48 water resistance, 25W wired charging, Qi wireless charging, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, Galaxy AI | IP48 rating, 25W wired charging, wireless charging + powershare, 2x optical zoom (up to 10x digital) |
| US price starts at | $1,100 | $900 |
| UK price starts at | £1,049 | £849 |
| Australia price starts at | AU$1,799 | AU$1,499 |
Technologies
Want a Galaxy S25 Ultra for Cheap? Buy a Galaxy S24 Ultra Instead
Last year’s Galaxy S24 Ultra is an impressive phone and costs half as much as the most recent model. Here’s how they compare.
You don’t need to buy the latest Galaxy Ultra phone, plus you can save money. I’ll explain.
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra has some of the best specs of any smartphone today, but it also comes with a huge $1,300 price tag. The 2024 model, the Galaxy S24 Ultra, also has excellent specs, and even though it’s only one generation old, you can pick it up new for $950 or used for $544. That’s less than half the price of the current model on the used market. Seriously.
Sure, if you’re trying to sell your S24 series phone, that amount of depreciation really sucks. But if you’re looking to upgrade from an older phone, then you’ve got yourself a bargain on a high-end device.
So what difference does one generation make? Can a 2-year-old model still perform like the current flagship? Let’s put these phones side by side and see what we get.
On paper, the specs are very similar. They both have massive displays with identical resolutions and refresh rates. They both have potent Qualcomm processors, 12GB of RAM, 200-megapixel cameras, titanium frames, and an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. And yes, both have the S Pen stylus stuffed inside if you want to doodle pictures while pretending to be working. The S24 Ultra’s S Pen even has several nifty tricks that were removed on the S25 Ultra’s stylus.
The upcoming Galaxy S26 lineup — including the S26 Ultra — is expected to arrive soon. Sure, it might have a complete overhaul that justifies paying its top-end price over the cheaper previous generation. But current rumors suggest that the new phone may receive only modest upgrades.
Given that you can expect to see a sharp decrease in the price of the S25 Ultra, the same principle could apply: Save a lot of money by buying the previous generation on the used market.
From a purely numbers perspective, there’s little to choose between the S24 Ultra and S25 Ultra — certainly nothing that warrants such a steep price difference. So what are they like to use in person? Let’s start with the cameras.
Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. S25 Ultra: cameras
Camera performance is a central way phone-makers try to upgrade their phones each year, with the latest models typically boasting better imaging skills than previous generations.
While there are some upgrades on paper — like the S25 Ultra’s higher-resolution 50-megapixel ultrawide camera — Samsung hasn’t really altered its format that much for its last few Ultra models.
I’ve taken many photos on both phones since they launched, and for the most part, I think you’d struggle to tell much difference, let alone pick a winner. They’re both capable of taking lovely images with wide dynamic range, accurate colors and plenty of detail. The zooms on both phones are excellent, and the night modes are superb.
The upgrade in ultrawide resolution does give you a bit more detail, but would you really notice that on your own? It’s unlikely outside of side-by-side comparisons.
Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. S25 Ultra: processor
One of the major upgrades in the S25 Ultra over its predecessor is its processor. The S25 Ultra packs a custom version of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, versus the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip on the S24 Ultra. On our benchmark tests, there’s a noticeable difference in scores — about 25% higher in the newer chip, in fact — but I’m not sure it’s a difference you’re likely to notice in everyday use.
Galaxy S25 Ultra vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra processor performance
- Geekbench 6 (single core)
- Geekbench 6 (multi-core)
I found both phones were perfectly capable of playing demanding 3D games like Genshin Impact and PUBG at max settings while still giving smooth frame rates. Editing photos in Adobe Lightroom was responsive, and navigating around the Android 16 interface felt nippy and smooth.
So sure, the latest model might have more power. But do you really need it? A Ferrari might have more power than a Mercedes, but the Mercedes is still going to be exceptionally good for 98% of the driving you do on a weekly basis.
Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. S25 Ultra: software
Software-wise, both phones run Android 16 with Samsung’s latest One UI 8 skin over the top. You’ll find the same features across both models, including Samsung’s various AI tools like live translation, audio eraser and drawing assist, which turns your doodles into real pictures. Then you’ve got Google’s AI tools like Gemini Live and Circle to search, which again you’ll find on both models.
There are no new software features you’re missing out on by going with the last generation. But it’s always important to keep the software support period in mind, especially when buying used. As the more recent phone, the S25 Ultra will have an extra year of guaranteed support. At the same time, Samsung committed to seven years of support for the S24 line, so the older phone will still receive software and security updates until at least 2031. Basically, it’s still got a great life ahead of it.
Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. S25 Ultra: battery life
Both Ultras pack 5,000-mAh batteries, and, perhaps unsurprisingly, real-world battery life is pretty much the same on both phones. You can expect to easily get through a full day on a single charge and maybe even have enough power left to start a second day. In our CNET Labs 3-hour video streaming test, where we charge the phones to 100% and play a YouTube video over Wi-Fi, the Galaxy S24 Ultra actually performed noticeably better.
If you’re buying a used S24 Ultra, the battery may have aged slightly, but I wouldn’t expect it to have degraded much in just one year of use. Both phones offer 45-watt wired charging and reverse wireless charging to power another device.
When I started writing this piece, I actually assumed that there would be more differences between the S25 Ultra and the S24 Ultra. But there’s hardly anything. They even look basically the same except the newer one has flat edges, which I don’t actually like as much.
With battery life and camera performance being pretty much on par, and Samsung bringing all of its new AI skills to previous generations, there’s very little to choose between them. It really comes down to the newer processor, but I honestly don’t think the vast majority of people would notice the difference. The chip in the S24 is already a powerhouse.
Galaxy S24 Ultra vs. S25 Ultra: Final thoughts
These phones are identical in so many ways, except for price. Sure, how much you actually spend on a used device will depend on the quality — cheaper ones may have the odd scuff here and there, while pristine versions will demand slightly higher prices.
All in all, opting for last year’s model on the used market is a smart way to save a lot of money on a capable device that would otherwise be too expensive. And, with the Galaxy S26 Ultra potentially just around the corner, this whole article will still be relevant as we move into the next generation.
The logic here isn’t limited to Samsung’s phones. With almost all companies, including Google, Apple, OnePlus and others offering hugely powerful devices with long software support periods, it’s possible you may never need to buy a brand-new phone ever again.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra specs vs. Galaxy S24 Ultra
| Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra | Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra | |
|---|---|---|
| Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate | 6.8-inch AMOLED; 3,120×1,440 pixels; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate | 6.8-inch AMOLED; 3,120×1,440 pixels; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate |
| Pixel density | 501 ppi | 501 ppi |
| Dimensions (inches) | 6.41 x 3.06 x 0.32 in. | 6.40 x 3.11 x 0.34 in. |
| Dimensions (millimeters) | 162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2 mm | 163 x 79 x 8.6 mm |
| Weight (grams, ounces) | 218 g (7.69 oz.) | 233g (8.22 oz.) |
| Mobile software | Android 15 | Android 14 |
| Camera | 200-megapixel (wide), 50-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (3x telephoto), 50-megapixel (5x telephoto) | 200-megapixel (wide), 12-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (3x telephoto), 50-megapixel (5x telephoto) |
| Front-facing camera | 12-megapixel | 12-megapixel |
| Video capture | 8K | 8K |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy | Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 |
| RAM + storage | 12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Expandable storage | None | None |
| Battery | 5,000 mAh | 5,000 mAh |
| Fingerprint sensor | Under display | Under display |
| Connector | USB-C | USB-C |
| Headphone jack | None | None |
| Special features | Titanium frame, 2,600-nit peak brightness; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water and dust resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; integrated S Pen; UWB for finding other devices; 45W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 7; Gorilla Glass Armor cover glass; ultrawideband | Titanium frame, 2,600-nit peak brightness; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water and dust resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; integrated S Pen; UWB for finding other devices; 45W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 7; Gorilla Glass Armor cover glass |
Technologies
Don’t Buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Save Money With a Used S24 Ultra Instead
Technologies
Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Sunday, Jan. 25
Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Jan. 25.
Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It might help to be a Scrabble player. Read on for all the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.
If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword
Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.
Mini across clues and answers
1A clue: Some breakfast drinks, for short
Answer: OJS
4A clue: Ready for business
Answer: OPEN
5A clue: Information gathered by a spy
Answer: INTEL
6A clue: Highest-scoring Scrabble word with four tiles (22)
Answer: QUIZ
7A clue: Nine-digit ID
Answer: SSN
Mini down clues and answers
1D clue: Agree to receive promotional emails, say
Answer: OPTIN
2D clue: Second-highest-scoring Scrabble word with four tiles (20)
Answer: JEEZ
3D clue: Sketch comedy show since ’75
Answer: SNL
4D clue: Burden
Answer: ONUS
5D clue: Geniuses have high ones
Answer: IQS
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
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