It's been known for a while now that Samsung is working on an affordable version of its clamshell Z Flip foldable. The company is expected to launch the device as the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Galaxy Z Fold 7 later this year.
Alleged renders of the device have been leaked online today and they tell a familiar story. Samsung has basically dived into its bin of spare parts to put this device together, much like how the Galaxy Z Fold SE made the Galaxy Z Fold 6 feel.
Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE is same same, but different
Based on these renders leaked by @Onleaks, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE looks almost identical to the existing Galaxy Z Flip 6. The dimensions, display sizes, and design all look very similar. It's evident that the larger cover screen of the Galaxy Z Flip 7 won't be making its way to this device.
While the finer details remain unconfirmed, it's likely that the device will sport an Armor Aluminum frame like the Galaxy Z Flip 6. The renders show a dual camera setup and it may also be the same as the 50-megapixel + 12-megapixel setup on the current model.
What it most likely won't get is the Galaxy Z Flip 6's Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset. Samsung is expected to use the Exynos 2400e from the Galaxy S24 FE instead, a watered down variant of the Exynos 2400, used first in the Galaxy S24 and S24+.
Basically, it seems like whatever Samsung has left over from last year's clamshell foldable will be hobbled together to create a cheaper alternative for those who don't want to spend $999 on a full-fledged Galaxy Z Flip.
This strategy may pay off for Samsung as it most certainly needs to diversify the foldable lineup for it to account for a significant chunk of the 300 million+ smartphones it ships annually. No word as yet on how much this device will cost, but we can expect it to be a couple of hundred dollars short of the Galaxy Z Flip 7.
Samsung typically holds an Unpacked event in the second half of the year for its foldables, either in July or August, so that's likely when we'll see this device arrive.
