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
TMR vs. Hall Effect Controllers: Battle of the Magnetic Sensing Tech
The magic of magnets tucked into your joysticks can put an end to drift. But which technology is superior?
Competitive gamers look for every advantage they can get, and that drive has spawned some of the zaniest gaming peripherals under the sun. There are plenty of hardware components that actually offer meaningful edges when implemented properly. Hall effect and TMR (tunnel magnetoresistance or tunneling magnetoresistance) sensors are two such technologies. Hall effect sensors have found their way into a wide variety of devices, including keyboards and gaming controllers, including some of our favorites like the GameSir Super Nova.
More recently, TMR sensors have started to appear in these devices as well. Is it a better technology for gaming? With multiple options vying for your lunch money, it’s worth understanding the differences to decide which is more worthy of living inside your next game controller or keyboard.
How Hall effect joysticks work
We’ve previously broken down the difference between Hall effect tech and traditional potentiometers in controller joysticks, but here’s a quick rundown on how Hall effect sensors work. A Hall effect joystick moves a magnet over a sensor circuit, and the magnetic field affects the circuit’s voltage. The sensor in the circuit measures these voltage shifts and maps them to controller inputs. Element14 has a lovely visual explanation of this effect here.
The advantage this tech has over potentiometer-based joysticks used in controllers for decades is that the magnet and sensor don’t need to make physical contact. There’s no rubbing action to slowly wear away and degrade the sensor. So, in theory, Hall effect joysticks should remain accurate for the long haul.
How TMR joysticks work
While TMR works differently, it’s a similar concept to Hall effect devices. When you move a TMR joystick, it moves a magnet in the vicinity of the sensor. So far, it’s the same, right? Except with TMR, this shifting magnetic field changes the resistance in the sensor instead of the voltage.
There’s a useful demonstration of a sensor in action here. Just like Hall effect joysticks, TMR joysticks don’t rely on physical contact to register inputs and therefore won’t suffer the wear and drift that affects potentiometer-based joysticks.
Which is better, Hall effect or TMR?
There’s no hard and fast answer to which technology is better. After all, the actual implementation of the technology and the hardware it’s built into can be just as important, if not more so. Both technologies can provide accurate sensing, and neither requires physical contact with the sensing chip, so both can be used for precise controls that won’t encounter stick drift. That said, there are some potential advantages to TMR.
According to Coto Technology, who, in fairness, make TMR sensors, they can be more sensitive, allowing for either greater precision or the use of smaller magnets. Since the Hall effect is subtler, it relies on amplification and ultimately requires extra power. While power requirements vary from sensor to sensor, GameSir claims its TMR joysticks use about one-tenth the power of mainstream Hall effect joysticks. Cherry is another brand highlighting the lower power consumption of TMR sensors, albeit in the brand’s keyboard switches.
The greater precision is an opportunity for TMR joysticks to come out ahead, but that will depend more on the controller itself than the technology. Strange response curves, a big dead zone (which shouldn’t be needed), or low polling rates could prevent a perfectly good TMR sensor from beating a comparable Hall effect sensor in a better optimized controller.
The power savings will likely be the advantage most of us really feel. While it won’t matter for wired controllers, power savings can go a long way for wireless ones. Take the Razer Wolverine V3 Pro, for instance, a Hall effect controller offering 20 hours of battery life from a 4.5-watt-hour battery with support for a 1,000Hz polling rate on a wireless connection. Razer also offers the Wolverine V3 Pro 8K PC, a near-identical controller with the same battery offering TMR sensors. They claim the TMR version can go for 36 hours on a charge, though that’s presumably before cranking it up to an 8,000Hz polling rate — something Razer possibly left off the Hall effect model because of power usage.
The disadvantage of the TMR sensor would be its cost, but it appears that it’s negligible when factored into the entire price of a controller. Both versions of the aforementioned Razer controller are $199. Both 8BitDo and GameSir have managed to stick them into reasonably priced controllers like the 8BitDo Ultimate 2, GameSir G7 Pro and GameSir Cyclone 2.
So which wins?
It seems TMR joysticks have all the advantages of Hall effect joysticks and then some, bringing better power efficiency that can help in wireless applications. The one big downside might be price, but from what we’ve seen right now, that doesn’t seem to be much of an issue. You can even find both technologies in controllers that cost less than some potentiometer models, like the Xbox Elite Series 2 controller.
Caveats to consider
For all the hype, neither Hall effect nor TMR joysticks are perfect. One of their key selling points is that they won’t experience stick drift, but there are still elements of the joystick that can wear down. The ring around the joystick can lose its smoothness. The stick material can wear down (ever tried to use a controller with the rubber worn off its joystick? It’s not pleasant). The linkages that hold the joystick upright and the springs that keep it stiff can loosen, degrade and fill with dust. All of these can impact the continued use of the joystick, even if the Hall effect or TMR sensor itself is in perfect operating order.
So you might not get stick drift from a bad sensor, but you could get stick drift from a stick that simply doesn’t return to its original resting position. That’s when having a controller that’s serviceable or has swappable parts, like the PDP Victrix Pro BFG, could matter just as much as having one with Hall effect or TMR joysticks.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Feb. 18, #513
Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Feb. 18, No. 513.
Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.
Today’s Connections: Sports Edition has a fun yellow category that might just start you singing. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.
Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.
Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta
Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: I don’t care if I never get back.
Green group hint: Get that gold medal.
Blue group hint: Hoops superstar.
Purple group hint: Not front, but…
Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups
Yellow group: Heard in «Take Me Out to the Ball Game.»
Green group: Olympic snowboarding events.
Blue group: Vince Carter, informally.
Purple group: ____ back.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is heard in «Take Me Out to the Ball Game.» The four answers are Cracker Jack, home team, old ball game and peanuts.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is Olympic snowboarding events. The four answers are big air, giant slalom, halfpipe and slopestyle.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is Vince Carter, informally. The four answers are Air Canada, Half-Man, Half-Amazing, VC and Vinsanity.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is ____ back. The four answers are diamond, drop, quarter and razor.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Feb. 18
Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Feb. 18.
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.
Today’s Mini Crossword is a fun one, and it’s not terribly tough. It helps if you know a certain Olympian. 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: ___ Glenn, Olympic figure skater who’s a three-time U.S. national champion
Answer: AMBER
6A clue: Popcorn size that might come in a bucket
Answer: LARGE
7A clue: Lies and the Lying ___ Who Tell Them» (Al Franken book)
Answer: LIARS
8A clue: Close-up map
Answer: INSET
9A clue: Prepares a home for a new baby
Answer: NESTS
Mini down clues and answers
1D clue: Bold poker declaration
Answer: ALLIN
2D clue: Only U.S. state with a one-syllable name
Answer: MAINE
3D clue: Orchestra section with trumpets and horns
Answer: BRASS
4D clue: «Great» or «Snowy» wading bird
Answer: EGRET
5D clue: Some sheet music squiggles
Answer: RESTS
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