Galaxy Z Flip 7 looks worse next to rivals – and its tiny battery isn't the worst part

As a general rule of thumb, those who want a foldable, just go and get themselves a Galaxy Z phone: be it a clamshell (that's the Flip models) or a book style that opens into a mini-tablet (that's the Fold models).

You, my dearest reader– yes, you, on the other hand, have a superior knowledge of phones. You know very well that numerous foldables available beyond the Samsung realm exist, phones that are extremely capable and alluring.

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 is the biggest clamshell on the horizon right now: and by "biggest" I mean "most popular" (since it's Samsung we're talking about here), certainly not "best" or "the most amazing". Samsung is expected to unveil the Galaxy Z Flip 7 (and with it – the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and some cool smartwatches as well) on July 9, possibly at a New York City event, per the latest reports.

But are Samsung's remarkable marketing skills and intergalactic popularity enough to grant the Galaxy Z Flip 7 the crown in the flip phones' kingdom?

I don't think so: and here's why.

Who's in the opposite corner?

Meet the same-sized opponent, wearing orange shorts: the Xiaomi Mix Flip 2. I'm not saying this one will come with an orange-colored rear panel, it's just that orange is Xiaomi's brand color. The more you know.

So, both the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and the Xiaomi Mix Flip 2 are rumored to feature 6.85-inch internal displays. That's a plus for the Flip model, since the Galaxy Z Flip 6 featured a 6.7-inch display. Plus, the Samsung clamshell could get extra thin bezels and a slightly bigger 4-inch outer screen (up from the 3.4-inch one on the predecessor) for easier phone operations while folded. The Mix Flip 2 will also offer a 4-inch top display, inheriting it from the original Mix Flip.

For the Far East rival, we'll get things confirmed earlier: in late June, if recent rumors hold true. That means the Xiaomi Mix Flip 2 could be officially presented a week (or two) before the Z Flip 7 – but that's an exclusive Chinese premiere we're talking about here. The Mix Flip 2 could see a global release at a later point in time.

It's obvious why Xiaomi has decided to present its upcoming clamshell in late June – obviously, they want it to compete with the upcoming Flip model (a memory refresher: this one could materialize on July 9).

And compete it does. Let's dive deeper, talking about three super important (for almost anybody out there_ features of any phone – the chipset, the battery and the camera.

The chipset drama

Currently, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 rumors swing both ways and claim different things when it comes to the chipset that Samsung will use:

• Snapdragon 8 Elite
• Exynos 2500

Or, you know, Samsung could go with… both. I mean, some markets could get the Z Flip 7 with Snapdragon 8 Elite inside (probably the US), while users in other countries (like in Europe) could get the same phone, but with the Exynos 2500 inside.

Such a move is not unlike Samsung at all, so don't act surprised come July 9.

Early Geekbench 6 scores of the Galaxy Z Flip 7 were rather disappointing, with just 2,012 points in the single-core test and 7,563 in the multi-core benchmark. For reference, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 – a phone with the older Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 – scored 2,251 and 7,131 in the same tests. So the Exynos 2500 might not be the brightest star in the sky.

The Snapdragon 8 Elite, on the other hand, is a superior chipset and a clear upgrade over the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

Battery woes of the highest order

Here, we have a clear victory for the Xiaomi Mix Flip 2, unless Samsung's Z Flip 7 doesn't come up with a sorcery of some kind in the form of severe software optimizations and heat management:

• Mix Flip 2: large 5,100 mAh capacity battery, 67W wired charging speeds and 50W wireless
• Galaxy Z Flip 7: uninspiring 4,200 mAh capacity battery, 25W wired charging speeds and 15W wireless

That's almost a thousand mAh difference – and I'm sure this will be felt right away in real life usage. When you take into account the charging speeds supremacy of Xiaomi's phone, it doesn't look good for Samsung at all.

The cameras – almost there, but not quite

Both phones are expected to feature a dual rear camera setup, consisting of a 50-megapixel main snapper and an ultra-wide.

The Xiaomi Mix Flip 2 apparently loses the dedicated telephoto camera from its predecessor, but at least the ultra-wide will use a 50MP sensor. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 could use a 12MP sensor for the ultra-wide snapper. It's 2025, Samsung, what do you mean a "twelve megapixels" camera?! Not to mention that it's a premium device we're dealing with here, have some dignity!

There's more to it: true, Samsung could drop some clever AI enhancements for the Z Flip 7, but Xiaomi's Mix Flip 2 camera is apparently (once again) developed by Leica. And this matters.

On a 2024 trip to Singapore, I took just an old Xiaomi 13 Ultra (well, "old" is not very flattering, but at the time, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra was already available) and I can't express how satisfied I am with those Leica colors.

Samsung will have a really tough time trying to match or surpass this.

Global availability: the ace up Samsung's sleeve

The way rumors have been shaping up, it's clear that the Galaxy Z Flip 7 (and Z Fold 7, for that matter) will not be the revolutionary foldables from Samsung – nope, not in 2025. Rather, their next-gen devices look like another minor touch-up, although cool and useful feats are expected here and there.

The best thing about the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is probably its popularity and availability. Certain Far East phones don't get to see a global release – and people across the US (and the West as a whole) are stuck with Samsung (or Apple).

I guess many are afraid to get an expensive gadget from a bit more exotic brand – although Xiaomi is super popular across the world – and just stick with Samsung down the beaten path.

The Galaxy Z Flip 7 doesn't look like a "bad" or "weak" phone. Nope, not at all. Just don't let it play with rivals on the playground, because it kind of loses its magic.

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