Technologies
I Tested the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE and Had Mixed Feelings (Until I Saw the Sale Price)
Review: Samsung’s lower-cost flip could be a great $900 value, but it gets in its own way to command that price.
Our Experts
Pros
- The same software experience as the Z Flip 7
- Smaller cover screen is still functional
- Cameras the same as the Flip 6 and Flip 7
Cons
- Fingerprint and dust magnet
- May run warm
- Battery life gets through a day, but not much more
I’ve spent a few weeks testing Samsung’s $900 Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE, and while I’d love to say it’s just a slightly less powerful version of last year’s Z Flip 6 and a less-expensive alternative to the $1,100 Galaxy Z Flip 7, there are moments when the phone feels a little too cheap for its price.
That’s not to say the Flip 7 FE is bad, because the phone does use the same body as last year’s Flip 6. This means it has the same 3.4-inch cover screen that is easy for me to tap out quick texts or glance at map directions, along with the same cameras that are powerful enough to use in dark and bright settings. Its ability to fold in half makes it easy to use the phone as a tripod for my photos, or to prop up on my desk to play YouTube videos. It’s even able to use the same phone cases as the Galaxy Z Flip 6.
But you’ll likely find that a case is necessary in order to truly enjoy using the Z Flip 7 FE. That’s partly because of the phone’s oleophobic coating is a fingerprint magnet — at least on the black review sample I tested. Its hinge easily accumulates skin oil and pocket lint on the outside which is something I find to be more common on phones that cost $300, not $900.
I also found the phone to run a little warm. My initial review unit ran warm enough during a 40-minute video call with light web browsing that the phone displayed a message that I could no longer do both at the same time, as the phone was now too hot. Samsung provided me a second review unit which did not get as warm under similar use. But if you’re someone who gets particularly sensitive to noticing when your phone gets warm, having a case should help.
But putting those design-related issues aside, the Flip 7 FE makes a lot of smart choices to be Samsung’s first flip phone priced under $1,000. The FE uses Samsung’s Exynos 2400 processor, which is capable of handling apps and Galaxy AI features, but is slower than the Qualcomm chip in the Flip 6.
Even though the $700 Motorola Razr is cheaper and has several fun design choices, I can see how Samsung might justify its $900 price, thanks to the Flip 7 FE’s superior software experience and photography. And recent sales are closing that price gap: at the time of this writing, the Flip 7 FE costs $700 for its 128GB model and $760 for 256GB. Both models are normally $200 more, and the Flip 7 FE offered for $700 then becomes a much easier recommendation over the Razr when you consider all of the software support Samsung offers.
My experience with the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE
While I’m not crazy about the Z Flip 7 FE’s need to be in a case to guard against fingerprints, I have to admit that the phone remains quite fun to use.
The Flip 7 FE’s cameras (a 50-megapixel wide, 12-megapixel ultrawide and 10-megapixel selfie camera) and the ability to use the phone as its own tripod are certainly the main reasons to consider this phone. I brought the Flip 7 FE to Utopia Bagels, and despite not having a telephoto lens, my 1x and 2x shots taken on the wide-angle camera of a sausage, egg and cheese bagel with red onion and tomatoes are filled with detail.
On the 2x shot in particular, you get the cheese drip, the dimples of the bread inside the bagel and noticeable color separation between the sausage patty and the red onion slices.
And like with other flip-style Android phones, it’s easy to make use of the main camera for selfies by having the phone prop itself up like a stand, and then making a hand gesture that activates a camera timer. This works with both the rear camera and the front-facing camera inside the screen. In both of my photos, the focus is on my face, and, as expected, there are slightly fewer details available in the food for the photo taken with the interior screen’s 10-megapixel camera.
The Flip 7 FE can also capture video at 4K resolution and 60 frames per second, matching the Flip 7. Oddly, you’re limited to shooting at 1,080p from the main camera when the phone is folded into a stand. Similar to the Motorola Razr, you can also fold the phone into a «camcorder» mode to use the top half of the internal screen like a viewfinder.
Recycling the Flip 6’s design means that apps that were optimized for that device readily work here. I use the Transit app for subway directions, and it’s easy for me to navigate the 3.4-inch display and type in my destination, as well as scroll through those directions.
A smaller edition of Samsung’s Now Bar — a shortcut of active apps that’s similar to the iPhone’s Dynamic Island — gives me fast access to my music and podcasts while I look at those directions, and I especially enjoy treating the cover screen like a mini-music player a la the MP3 players of the 2000s.
But if you do use cameras extensively, be prepared to recharge the phone more often than you’d expect. The 4,000-mAh battery is the same as what’s on the Flip 6, and in my use, it just barely got through a day of use (albeit the weekend when I use my phone the most). My battery life fared better on office days, where heavier use was limited to morning and evening, but I typically ended with 10% to 30%, making an overnight charge necessary.
This was also noticed in CNET’s battery tests, where the Z Flip 7 FE drained faster than the Z Flip 7 and Motorola’s Razr (2025) and Razr Ultra in our 45-minute endurance test and the 3-hour YouTube streaming test. In the 45-minute test, the Flip 7 FE performs equal to the Flip 6. In our 30-minute wired charging test, the phone’s 25-watt charging speed brought the battery up from 0% to 45% in 30 minutes. The Flip 7 FE also supports 15-watt Qi wireless charging.
Samsung’s flip is more powerful, but Motorola’s has personality
Because Samsung’s Flip 7 FE costs $200 more than the $700 Motorola Razr when the former isn’t discounted, it’s important for Samsung’s phone to earn that premium. And on a software level, it unequivocally does.
The Flip 7 FE’s operating system — running the brand new Android 16 and debuting Samsung’s One UI 8 overlay — looks great, and Samsung plans to update the phone with software and security updates for seven years. This is a far cry from the three-year update cycle (and four-year security upgrades) of the Razr. The Razr doesn’t yet have Android 16, but will eventually get the update.
In benchmark testing for the CPU (Geekbench 6), the Flip 7 FE performed better than the Razr (2025) but worse than the Flip 6 and Flip 7. And in a benchmark test for graphics (3DMark), it did better than the Razr (2025), and almost identical to the Flip 7.
Geekbench v.6.0
- Single-core
- Multicore
3DMark Wild Life Extreme
The Flip 7 FE’s ability to tackle low-light photography is also easily better than what Motorola provides with the Razr. I took both phones to CNET’s TV lab — which is a very dark space — and the Samsung phone was able to light it up despite there being very little available light. Meanwhile, the Razr photo looks borderline unusable.
The Razr has a slightly larger 3.6-inch cover screen, but I found both phones to be equally functional. In some cases, despite having a smaller screen, the Z Flip 7 FE would show more information. For instance, with Mozilla Firefox loaded on each, the Z Flip 7 FE chooses to zoom out a little bit on this comparison of CNET’s homepage.
The Motorola Razr lets you run any Android app on the cover screen by default, but doing so on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 FE requires downloading Samsung’s Good Lock app.
Both phones have access to their respective Galaxy AI and Moto AI feature suites for generative AI and adopt different tactics. Galaxy AI mostly focuses on translation, transcription and photo editing features like Generative Edit for removing objects. Moto AI blends multiple services together, including using Perplexity for contextual service, Meta’s Llama AI for summarizing notifications and Motorola’s own features that are focused on photo processing. But it’s still early days for most AI features like these, and I wouldn’t say one is necessarily better than the other as of yet.
But whereas the Galaxy provides better photography and software support, the Razr just looks aesthetically better. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE comes only in a black-and-white finish that easily picks up fingerprints, dirt and lint. The Razr ships in four colors with varying materials. My Motorola Razr (2025) review unit came in Pantone Spring Bud green and has a leather-like back that doesn’t pick up fingerprints.
Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE: Bottom line
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE is a good phone that’s worth the premium over the $700 Motorola Razr, but its $900 price feels awkward. By being so similar to the Flip 6 in design but having a slightly slower processor, it’s quite possible that a better overall value could be a discounted Flip 6 in the event you find last year’s model for a similar $900 price. If the Flip 7 FE itself is discounted into the $700 range, like we are currently seeing at Amazon, then choosing Samsung over Motorola is absolutely the move. But without the sales, the Flip 7 FE could be a good upgrade for someone who prefers Samsung phones, is curious about getting a flip-style phone and wants a more compact handset with decent cameras.
Most people looking for an affordable flip phone, however, should either consider saving more money by going with Motorola’s $700 Razr (2025), or spring upward for the $1,000 Razr Plus or $1,100 Flip 7. All of these alternatives start with double the storage of the Flip 7 FE with 256GB of space, and have larger cover displays. You could also consider buying a Galaxy Z Flip 6 with 256GB of storage, which can be found (at time of publishing) for $899 on Amazon. That gets you a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor and more RAM. In his review for the Flip 6, CNET’s Patrick Holland noted that the phone got warm occasionally but didn’t have any overheating issues. It’s likely because it had a vapor chamber cooling system. It’s unclear if the Flip 7 FE has the same cooling system.
How we test phones
Every phone tested by CNET’s reviews team was actually used in the real world. We test a phone’s features, play games and take photos. We examine the display to see if it’s bright, sharp and vibrant. We analyze the design and build to see how it is to hold and whether it has an IP-rating for water resistance. We push the processor’s performance to the extremes using standardized benchmark tools like GeekBench and 3DMark, along with our own anecdotal observations navigating the interface, recording high-resolution videos and playing graphically intense games at high refresh rates.
All the cameras are tested in a variety of conditions, from bright sunlight to dark indoor scenes. We try out special features like night mode and portrait mode and compare our findings against similarly priced competing phones. We also check out the battery life by using it daily as well as running a series of battery drain tests.
We consider additional useful features like support for 5G, satellite connectivity, fingerprint and face sensors, stylus support, fast charging speeds and foldable displays, among others, that can be useful. We balance all of this against the price to give you the verdict on whether that phone, whatever its price, actually represents good value. While these tests may not always be reflected in CNET’s initial review, we conduct follow-up and long-term testing in most circumstances.
Technologies
Touchdown! Disney, ESPN and Other Channels Are Back on YouTube TV
YouTube TV subscribers no longer need another streaming service — or to visit a sports bar — to watch the NFL or college football.
YouTube TV subscribers, your channels — and your football — are back. Disney and YouTube said Friday night that the two companies had reached an agreement. YouTube TV subscribers lost all of Disney’s channels, including ESPN and ESPN2, on Oct. 30. Those who wanted to watch NFL or college football on ABC, ESPN or ESPN2 or Disney family-friendly hits such as Bluey, had to find other alternatives.
«We’re happy to share that we’ve reached an agreement with Disney that preserves the value of our service for our subscribers and future flexibility in our offers,» a YouTube spokesperson said. «Subscribers should see channels including ABC, ESPN and FX returning to their service over the course of the day, as well as any recordings that were previously in their Library. We apologize for the disruption and appreciate our subscribers’ patience as we negotiated on their behalf. «
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
The companies said in a statement that they reached a multi-year deal and were already restoring the channels to YouTube TV.
According to YouTube, subscribers should see content and saved recordings restored over the next 24 hours. So if you don’t have them back yet, they should show up soon.
I’m a YouTube TV subscriber myself, and as of 5:30 p.m. PT on Friday, Disney, ESPN and other channels have been restored for me. As a die-hard Minnesota Vikings fan (yes, I know), I added Fubo TV temporarily, but I won’t be keeping that subscription.
According to the statement, the deal will include the restoration of the channels, plus other items. The unlimited version of ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer service will now be made available at no additional cost to YouTube TV subscribers. Subscribers will also have access to a selection of live and on-demand programming from ESPN Unlimited inside YouTube TV. Also, select networks will be included in various genre-specific packages, and there will be the ability to include the Disney Plus Hulu Bundle as part of select YouTube offerings.
«This new agreement reflects our continued commitment to delivering exceptional entertainment and evolving with how audiences choose to watch,» Disney Entertainment Co-Chairmen Alan Bergman and Dana Walden and ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in the statement. «It recognizes the tremendous value of Disney’s programming and provides YouTube TV subscribers with more flexibility and choice. We are pleased that our networks have been restored in time for fans to enjoy the many great programming options this weekend, including college football.»
Disney-owned channels were pulled on Oct. 30 when the agreement between the two companies expired.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the resulting 25-day blackout was the longest in recent memory for Disney.
Here’s a full list of the channels that were removed due to the dispute:
- ABC
- ABC News Live
- ACC Network
- Baby TV Español (Spanish Plan)
- Disney Channel
- Disney Junior
- Disney XD
- ESPN
- ESPN Deportes (Spanish Plan)
- ESPNews
- ESPNU
- ESPN2
- Freeform
- FX
- FXM
- FXX
- Localish
- Nat Geo
- Nat Geo Mundo (Spanish Plan)
- Nat Geo Wild
- SEC Network
Technologies
How to Get the Most Out of Apple AirTags: A Comprehensive User Guide
Apple’s tiny trackers have become invaluable additions for travel as well as keeping tabs on everyday items. Here’s how to make them work best for you.
The last thing you want to deal with when traveling is lost luggage. In the past, you were at the mercy of the overburdened airlines to find a missing bag, but that’s all changed now. I consider Apple AirTags essential everyday items — small enough to stash in a bag or purse, battery life you can forget about for months and able to give you peace of mind when something goes missing, even if that’s just your keys inside the house.
Apple’s portable Bluetooth trackers are quickly becoming nearly ubiquitous. They’re so popular that major airports and airlines are now plugged in to Apple’s Find My service and can help you pinpoint a bag that could be wending its way through an airport’s luggage system or was left behind where you started your trip.
I already use Apple’s Find My service to keep tabs on devices, such as the iPad I frequently leave in my living room, as well as where family members are via their iPhones. For other items like my keys and everyday bag, I’ve come to rely on several Apple AirTags that fit into or onto almost anything I want to track. Apple’s tracker depends on the crowdsourced Find My network to help you pinpoint your items, from keys you’ve misplaced at home to a bag you may have left in the office.
Here’s all you want to know about AirTags. For more, learn about why you shouldn’t put an AirTag on a pet and discover five unexpected places to stash an AirTag.
What’s an Apple AirTag?
An AirTag is an individual tracking device that securely broadcasts its location using Bluetooth wireless networking. It’s a small glossy white puck not much larger than a US quarter and about the height of three stacked coins. A CR2032 coin cell battery keeps the AirTag powered for roughly a year.
Once the AirTag is paired with an iPhone or iPad, you can essentially forget about it. Hang it on a keychain or drop it into a bag —anything you want to be able to track or find later.
How much do AirTags cost and where can I buy them?
A single AirTag retails for $29 direct from Apple, and can be bought for around $24 from most outlets that sell electronics.
However, it’s always more economical to buy AirTags in packs of four — once you find a use for a solitary AirTag you’ll soon think of other things you want to track. Apple sells the set for $99 and some retailers, such as Amazon
, Best Buy and Walmart, have them for around $75, bringing the per-item cost down below $20. AirTags are also frequently reduced for big sales such as Black Friday and Prime Day.
If you do order from Apple, you can engrave initials, numbers and emoji for free, which can help you tell the AirTags apart (or just add a personal spin).
Is it difficult to set up a new AirTag?
In typical Apple fashion, activating a new AirTag is easy. Initially, a plastic tab slipped in between the electronics and battery keeps the AirTag inert. Once you pull that tab and the pieces make contact, the AirTag starts broadcasting its presence. When you bring it close to an iPhone or iPad, a dialog box appears, giving you the option to connect the AirTag.
When you tap Connect, choose a description of what the tag will be associated with, such as «Handbag» or «Luggage»; you can also enter a custom name. Choose an emoji to represent the AirTag in the Find My app and tap Continue. The AirTag is linked to your Apple ID.
How do I locate an AirTag?
In the Find My app on your iPhone, iPad or Mac, tap the Items button to view the AirTags you’ve activated. On an Apple Watch, open the Find Items app.
Tap the item you want to locate. If you think it’s close by, the easy option is to tap the Play Sound button, which makes the AirTag emit a high-pitched trill. However, if you have an iPhone 11 or later (not counting the iPhone SE), tapping Find uses the iPhone’s Ultra Wideband (UWB) chip to locate the AirTag with more precision —not just estimating the distance, such as «1.5 ft nearby,» but also point you in the right direction as you move around.
If the item is not in your general vicinity, the Find button becomes a Directions button that will hand off the location to the Maps app for driving, walking, transit or cycling routes.
What if I forget items while I’m heading out?
Being able to find something I’ve lost is invaluable, but it would be better if I didn’t forget it in the first place. For every AirTag, you can enable Notify When Left Behind, an option that sends a notification if you and an AirTag that was with you are no longer together.
That could be as simple as forgetting a bag at a restaurant or — more alarming —if someone swiped the item and is making a getaway.
What’s the secret to how AirTags work?
You know how in many thrillers and spy movies someone plants a tracker on a person and is then able to pinpoint the target’s location no matter where they are? That always seemed far-fetched to me — what sort of range would a tiny piece of electronics have, really? — but an AirTag is essentially that.
The AirTag itself does not have that sort of range, but it has something better: millions of devices carried by Apple customers surrounding it. On a regular interval, the AirTag sends out a low-power Bluetooth signal containing an encrypted ID. Any nearby iPhone, iPad or Mac picks up the signal, adds its location coordinates (if it knows them) and sends that to Apple servers in a secure background transmission.
That’s how, when my luggage chose to spend an extra day in Europe without me, I knew it was still in the airport in France. Likely an iPhone owned by a traveler or employee picked up the ID of the AirTag in my bag and relayed that to Apple. When I opened the Find My app on my iPhone in Seattle, it queried the servers and presented the AirTag’s last known location.
All of this happens in the background — no personal information is sent, and the impact to the relaying device’s performance and battery is negligible.
What about privacy? Can a hidden AirTag track me?
Just as you can use an AirTag to track your personal objects, it is possible that someone could drop an AirTag into your bag or coat pocket to try to track your movements. Apple has put a few safeguards in place to try to prevent that type of situation.
If your iPhone or iPad detects an unknown AirTag in your vicinity that is persistently near you, a notification appears that says «AirTag Found Moving With You.» When you ransack your belongings and find it, open the Find My app on your iPhone or iPad, tap Items and then tap Identify Found Item. Place the AirTag against the back of the device at the top until you see a notification. When you tap that, you’re taken to a web page with the tag’s serial number and, optionally, contact information.
If it turns out a family member’s AirTag fell out of a bag, no worries. If it’s one that’s unfamiliar, you can follow instructions for how to disable the tag.
For more, see how to protect yourself from being tracked.
What if I suspect that my AirTag is stolen?
You’ve looked everywhere, used the Find feature to scan for it, but your item containing an AirTag is nowhere to be found. Now what?
In the AirTag’s details in the Find My app, scroll down to Lost AirTag and tap Show Contact Info. If someone finds the tag and checks it as described just above, you can have a phone number or email displayed, plus an optional message, when they look up its information.
The other option is to choose Share Item Location, which creates a link you can send to someone identifying where the tag is. The link is active for just one week, which is hopefully more than enough time to let someone track it down. For example, suppose your bag is swiped: You could give the shared link to the police so they can track it down. (For safety reasons, don’t confront someone who’s stolen your property.)
When the item and its AirTag are returned, a notification appears that you’ve been reunited. Or, you can make the tag’s whereabouts hidden at any point by tapping Stop Sharing Item Location in the same screen, which invalidates the shared link.
How can I share an AirTag with someone I trust?
An AirTag is linked to your Apple Account, but for years that presented a problem: AirTags assigned to other people in my household would trigger the «AirTag Found Moving With You» warning — not great on family trips when we’d take my wife’s car.
Now, fortunately, it’s possible to share an AirTag’s location with up to five people. Tap a tag in the Find My app and under Share AirTag tap Add Person. Tap Continue on the screen explaining what will happen, then select a contact and tap Share.
In that person’s Find My app, they can accept the shared item. Note that all people you add can track the location.
How long does the battery last and how do I replace it?
In my experience, the CR2032 coin battery in each AirTag lasts about a year. When the level dips below about 10% remaining, you’re alerted that the battery is low and a red indicator appears in the Find My app.
To replace the battery, turn the silver back counter-clockwise to release its latches. Lift the existing battery out and replace it with a new one, making sure the battery’s identifying markings are facing you. Then align the tabs of the metal portion with the slots in the plastic piece, press lightly and turn clockwise. The AirTag will chirp when the electronics and battery are securely in contact.
Can I use AirTags with an Android phone?
AirTags are not directly compatible with Android phones — there’s no app that ties into Apple’s Find My network. To get the same tracking functionality, look into the Chipolo One Point tracker that uses Google’s Find My Device network.
Apple once offered an Android app called Tracker Detect that would let you identify a found AirTag, but that’s not available for newer Android devices — an app with that name in the Google Play store is from a separate developer. However, for phones with NFC chips installed, you can place a found AirTag against the back of the device to view information about it.
For more, learn about this year’s best AirTag accessories and everything about Apple Intelligence.
Technologies
Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 15, #888
Here are some hints — and the answers — for the NYT Connections puzzle for Nov. 15, #888.
Looking for the most recent 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, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.
Today’s NYT Connections puzzle includes some tricky words. If you need help sorting them into groups, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.
The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.
Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time
Hints for today’s Connections groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Yum!
Green group hint: Grammar time.
Blue group hint: They win Oscars and Tonys.
Purple group hint: Think DMZ.
Answers for today’s Connections groups
Yellow group: Enhance the taste of.
Green group: Punctuation marks.
Blue group: Kinds of actors.
Purple group: ____ zone.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections answers?
The yellow words in today’s Connections
The theme is enhance the taste of. The four answers are flavor, salt, season and spice.
The green words in today’s Connections
The theme is punctuation marks. The four answers are colon, dash, period and slash.
The blue words in today’s Connections
The theme is kinds of actors. The four answers are character, film, method and stage.
The purple words in today’s Connections
The theme is ____ zone. The four answers are buffer, comfort, time and twilight.
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