Are you excited about the fast-approaching launch of an upgraded Galaxy Z Flip 7 with quite a bit of extra screen real estate compared to its predecessor and a slightly larger battery under the hood? Unfortunately, a new Korean media report (translated here)... that corroborates a bunch of other recent rumors might reduce your enthusiasm for Samsung's next big flip phone while potentially making speed junkies around the world expect 2026's Galaxy S26 Ultra with a lot more interest than the "vanilla" S26 and S26 Plus.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 and first-of-a-kind Z Flip 7 FE are also in the spotlight today with mixed and unsurprising chipset news... you've probably all heard before. Let's dig in, shall we?
Exynos is back in the game, but not for the Galaxy S26 Ultra
After equipping the entire Galaxy S25 family (S25 Edge included) with a cutting-edge Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite processor worldwide, the number one smartphone vendor out there reportedly plans to return to a dual-chip strategy for the Galaxy S26 series next year.
But while the non-Ultra members of the 2026 high-end handset roster are likely to pack a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 2 SoC in "major markets" like North America, Korea, China, and Japan and "settle" for Exynos 2600 silicon across Europe and "other global markets", the super-premium S26 Ultra should stick to the former Qualcomm beast around the world.
Like the S24 Ultra, the S26 Ultra is expected to pack a Qualcomm processor around the world. | Image Credit -- PhoneArena
This approach wouldn't exactly be unprecedented, sounding extremely similar to what Samsung did with the Galaxy S24 trio last year, but of course, it remains to be seen how the company's hardcore fans will receive the move after the "unifying" S25 series. That is, if the move pans out, which can never be a guarantee this early in a phone's development process.
After all, Samsung probably planned to integrate the Exynos 2500 SoC into the Galaxy S25 family this time last year, and that evidently didn't end up happening due to production issues. Speaking of, the Exynos 2500 is purportedly ready for primetime at last, which is unlikely to make a lot of prospective Galaxy Z Flip 7 buyers very happy.
Both of this year's Flips are going the Exynos way
In case you've been living under a rock, yes, Samsung is preparing to release two different flip-style foldables for the first time this year, and according to multiple reliable sources these last couple of months, both models will opt for in-house Exynos processors in all global markets.
Because the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is obviously set to be priced higher than its Fan Edition sibling, the two will not share the same Exynos chip. Instead, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE (or Z Flip FE, or Z Flip Xe) is now widely expected to "borrow" the Exynos 2400 from the "international" Galaxy S24 and S24 Plus, while the "regular" Z Flip 7 should go up to the aforementioned Exynos 2500 that was originally meant to debut inside the S25 and S25 Plus.
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The Z Flip 7 is expected to replace the Galaxy Z Flip 6's Snapdragon SoC with an Exynos. | Image Credit -- PhoneArena
In case you're wondering, no, no one appears to believe that the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Z Flip 7 FE will be released in Snapdragon variants as well in markets like the US or China, while the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is tipped to give the Exynos processor line the cold shoulder and adopt the same Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC as the Galaxy S25, S25 Plus, S25 Ultra, and S25 Edge.
That's a pretty convoluted strategy bound to confuse and ultimately enrage a lot of Android power users who might not pay close enough attention to these subtle but important distinctions before choosing their next big Samsung phone. Of course, Snapdragon processors are not always (much) better than their Exynos counterparts, so perhaps we should wait and comprehensively review the Galaxy Z Flip 7, Z Flip 7 FE, Z Fold 7, S26, S26 Plus, S26 Ultra, and S26 Edge before concluding Samsung is unnecessarily crippling this or that model.
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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