While companies like Motorola have been doing both premium and budget-friendly foldables for a good couple of years, Samsung is only expected to release its very first inexpensive Android-powered flip phone in 2025. This is almost certainly called Galaxy Z Flip FE (or Z Flip 7 FE), and after a few months of somewhat conflicting reports and rumors, its spec sheet seems pretty much entirely settled now.
Following a crystal clear and presumably rock-solid visual leak earlier this week, the next addition to Samsung's Fan Edition product roster is in the spotlight once again today thanks to another typically reliable source. The always well-informed folks at GalaxyClub over in the Netherlands claim to have intel on a number of key Z Flip FE specs and features, some of which perfectly line up with previous gossip while others are either unheard of or in direct conflict with the things you thought you knew.
Will the Galaxy Z Flip Fan Edition clone the Z Flip 5?
Not entirely. For instance, all signs point to a Samsung-made Exynos 2400e processor finding its way inside this upcoming affordable foldable rather than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 that powered the Galaxy Z Flip 5 back in 2023.
The Exynos 2400e has been used on the non-foldable Galaxy S24 FE budget flagship, and while it's obviously not as punchy as the Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC inside the S25, S25 Plus, and S25 Ultra, it should perform at least a little better than the aforementioned Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in most day-to-day tasks.
The Galaxy Z Flip FE does look almost identical to the Z Flip 5 at first glance.
Unfortunately, almost everything else I'm hearing today seems to be "borrowed" directly from the two-year-old Z Flip 5, including the following:
12MP primary rear-facing camera;
12MP secondary ultra-wide-angle sensor;
10MP front-facing camera;
8GB RAM;
6.7-inch main display;
3.4-inch cover screen.
While all of your hopes for a screen size upgrade (or two) should have been dashed when those very familiar-looking renders leaked a few days ago, I'm sorry to inform you that the Galaxy Z Flip FE is unlikely to come in a 12GB RAM option or revise any of the Z Flip 5's three cameras in any meaningful way.
As last year's Galaxy Z Flip 6 packs 12GB RAM in all three of its storage configurations while pairing its secondary 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera on the back with a 50-megapixel main snapper, I'm fairly certain some of you expected this year's Z Flip FE to copy those two upgraded specs (or at least one of them) instead of going back in time to take after the Z Flip 5.
But is that actually good news?
Call me hopelessly optimistic or even naive, but maybe there's a reason Samsung is going down on such a familiar and seemingly boring path with both the design and specifications of the Galaxy Z Flip FE.
I'm talking of course about the handset's price point, which might end up lower than we ever imagined. With the Galaxy Z Flip 6 normally available at $1,100 and up and frequently marked down to as little as $900 nowadays, a sub-$1,000 starting price for the Z Flip Fan Edition in the US always felt like a given.
The Z Flip FE could see daylight in a few months alongside the Z Flip 7 (rendered here with a massive cover screen).
But what if Samsung plans to release this thing at, say, $800? Would you be disappointed in its 12MP cameras, 8GB RAM, and 3.4-inch secondary display then? Probably not, although for the time being, that price tag remains a pipe dream, especially with all smartphone production costs likely to go up soon due to Donald Trump's trade war with... the entire world.
Like the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Galaxy Z Fold 7, the Z Flip FE is widely expected to go official at some point this summer, so there's still a little time for Samsung to find ways to keep prices at relatively affordable levels.
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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