Samsung's cheaper Galaxy Z Flip 7 release date could be late due to chip, says rumor

It looks like we might not be getting the Galaxy Z Flip FE until well after the Z Flip 7 has hit the market

(Credit: Kevin Lee / The Shortcut)

• 📱 Samsung might not release its cheaper Galaxy Z Flip FE for a while

• 📅 The company is rumored to delay the launch until months after the Z Flip 7 debuts

• 👥 The Galaxy Z Flip FE was originally expected to ship alongside its more expensive sibling

• 👾 It could be due to its Exynos chip which has faced delays before

• 💰 There’s no word on how much it’ll cost, but if other foldables are any indication, the Z Flip FE price could be around $600-$700

Samsung is rumored to release a cheaper version of the Galaxy Z Flip 7 this year, but it doesn’t sound like the phone will ship at the same time as its pricier sibling. The Galaxy Z Flip FE could come months after the Z Flip 7, according to a report from The Bell. The reason for the delay? Samsung’s Exynos 2500 chip, which is still in development and needs more time before it’s ready to debut in a smartphone.

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The Galaxy Z Flip FE is rumored to ship with an Exynos 2500 chip after it was reported that the Z Flip 7 would get it. However, it seems now that Samsung will rely solely on Snapdragon chips (likely the Snapdragon 8 Elite) for its next flagship foldables, including the Galaxy Z Fold 7. The Z Flip FE will likely be the first to get it after rumors suggested some versions of the Galaxy S25 could’ve gotten it but ultimately didn’t due to development delays.

That’s what the Z Flip FE is experiencing now. The Exynos 2500 doesn’t seem to be quite ready to ship, which is reportedly pushing the cheaper Z Flip 7’s release date back by a matter of months. We expect the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Fold 7 to debut sometime in July or August, whereas the Z Flip FE might be revealed at the same time and not ship until September or October.

It’s unclear when Samsung plans to officially release the Galaxy Z Flip FE, but when it does, it’ll finally satisfy customer’s requests for a cheaper Galaxy Z Flip and serve as an alternative to Motorola’s baseline Razr. The device will reportedly have a 6.7-inch AMOLED screen, 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and a similar design to the more expensive Z Flip 7. We’ll know more about the phone over time, so stay tuned.

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Max Buondonno is Editor at The Shortcut. He’s been reporting on the latest consumer technology since 2015, with his work featured on CNN Underscored, ZDNET, How-To Geek, XDA, TheStreet, and more. Follow him on X @LegendaryScoop and Instagram @LegendaryScoop.