I know I might be in the minority here, but I'm far more intrigued by what the first-ever Fan Edition foldable could bring to the table in July than any of the largely repetitive, and frankly, boring devices mentioned above. And the main reason for that is extremely simple:
The price is finally right
If you've been following my little editorials here for the last year or so, you may have discerned one of my most important character traits - I'm very stingy when it comes to tech products. I hate paying more than I absolutely need to when I buy a new phone, which is why I'm currently rocking a perfectly acceptable (and ultra-affordable) Motorola Moto G-series mid-ranger as my daily driver.
That being said, I've been interested in the foldable category ever since Samsung established it in 2019, so you can imagine my delight at the shrinking prices of the Motorola Razr portfolio of late. But just as I was pondering a purchase of the new Razr (2025) at a super-reasonable $699.99, the latest Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE rumor dropped, predicting a very similar and almost shockingly competitive price tag for Samsung's long overdue budget-friendly clamshell.
I still haven't completely given up the idea of buying the affordable Motorola Razr 2025. | Image Credit -- PhoneArena
No, South Korea is not the US, but if the Z Flip 7 Fan Edition will indeed start at the rough equivalent of $735 in its manufacturer's domestic market, that could well translate to no more than 800 bucks stateside.
With the Galaxy Z Flip 6 regularly priced at $1,100 and up, I'm honestly shocked (and mesmerized) by the prospect of a newer Samsung foldable available for $300 less. And yes, I fully realize that the Z Flip 7 FE looks suspiciously similar to the "outdated" Galaxy Z Flip 5 in all its leaked imagery so far.
But that's perfectly fine by me (as long as the starting price will not exceed $800 after all), as it means the Galaxy Z Flip 7 Fan Edition could come with a main 6.7-inch display, a secondary 3.4-inch screen, 8GB RAM, and because it's 2025, pre-installed Android 15 (or even Android 16) with a bunch of timely OS updates guaranteed. I don't know about you, but that would easily qualify as the best foldable device for me. Yes, even with an Exynos 2400 processor under the hood.
Let's talk about that horrendous name
Look, I know product branding is not usually in the top five or top ten (maybe not even in the top 20) selling points of a new phone, but Samsung has to understand no (sane) Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE buyer will ever call the handset by its real, dumb name. It's just too darn complicated. And that's definitely a problem when you're already struggling in a crazy competitive and no-longer-fast-growing market like this.
In order for Samsung to (hope to) reclaim its global foldable sales crown, the company needs distinctive products that can easily stand out from a crowd of very appealing Motorola Razrs, Pixel Folds, Huawei Pockets, Vivo X Flips, and Honor Magics.
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Yes, the Z Flip 7 FE looks a lot like the Z Flip 5. But that doesn't bother me that much.
Because the design is obviously not very original (which, again, is not necessarily a flaw by itself), Samsung has to get everything else just right for the Z Flip 7 FE to become a box-office hit. That includes the pricing (which is clearly looking good for now), the specs (which are certainly not bad between the aforementioned screen sizes, memory count, decent 128GB storage, and possible 4,000mAh battery capacity), and unfortunately for Samsung, the name.
Yes, brand identity can be important, especially for a pioneering device like the first Fan Edition foldable, so until it's etched in stone, I'm going to keep hoping that Samsung will ultimately come up with a better, cooler, or at least simpler name. Obviously, Galaxy Z Flip Xe is not it (and might actually be even dumber), but X Flip is right there.
Even Galaxy Z Flip FE (without the 7) would be (slightly) better, although I'm sure that the brilliant marketing minds behind the Galaxy S25 Edge moniker can find something with a nicer ring and more personality than that. And now I will leave you wondering whether I'm being ironic about the S25 Edge name or not...
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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