Samsung’s new foldable, the Z Flip7, is upon us. And if we’re being real, that first impression is dazzling. That edge-to-edge cover display sure is pretty, a clear upgrade. But are we getting dazzled by the spectacle? A real leap forward, or just another cash grab 2.0 meant to further pry our wallets open? As a tech analyst, I’m supposed to ask the hard questions, and this phone deserves the toughest of questions.
Aesthetics Over Substance: Is It Enough?
Okay, the slimmer profile is nice. The new metallic rings around the cameras? Sure, they add a touch of elegance. Let’s not get carried away. Let’s not forget that we are still discussing a phone that folds in half. The fundamental question remains: does that justify the premium price tag? The answer, more and more, is a loud and clear maybe not.
The core problem isn't the folding screen itself, but what Samsung isn't doing internally. The Z Flip7 pretty much sticks with the same 50MP wide + 12MP ultrawide camera combo as last year's model. Given the world we’re entering with computational photography, that seems fine. Samsung is banking way too much on AI to gloss over the faults in their hardware. It's like using Photoshop to fix a blurry photo – you might get a passable image, but you're not capturing reality. You're creating an artificial one.
Exynos 2500: The Achilles Heel?
The biggest elephant in the room is the Exynos 2500 chipset. The goodness here is Xclipse 950 GPU, which is outperforming all expectations and actually competing with flagship Snapdragon chips. Single-core CPU performance, to be frank, is disappointing. It lags significantly behind the competition. Why does this matter? That’s because single-core performance really matters for the general computing experience – launching applications, web browsing, even scrolling through Twitter. The exact same things we’re downloading the most on our phones!
Samsung's betting that you won't notice. They really want you to be impressed by the multi-core performance and GPU power. Yet at the same time, your phone has a hard time processing everything when you jump back and forth between apps. They assume you won’t see the permanence problem presented by heat dissipation. This issue extends to the foldable design as a whole, which recently received a stability score of only 42.3%. And they’re really banking on the mDNIe making up for that downside CPU core layout. This isn’t a matter of unthinking brute force; it’s a matter of being agile and responsive. And in that one important department, the Z Flip7 seems to be failing badly.
It's a classic bait-and-switch. A shiny exterior masking a compromised interior. And it raises a larger question: are tech companies prioritizing incremental upgrades and software fixes over genuine hardware innovation? And finally, are we, as consumers, being conditioned to settle for partial solutions in trade for a steady avalanche of “new” devices.
Is The Price Justified? The Hard Numbers.
Let's talk money. But at RM4,999 (12+256GB) or RM5,599 (12+512GB), the Z Flip7 isn’t cheap. For that much cash, you could easily catch a legitimately flagship wireless phone. It features an advanced processor, best-in-class camera system, and most importantly, zero compromises.
Consider this: for the same price, you could get a top-of-the-line iPhone or a competing Android phone with a Snapdragon processor that obliterates the Exynos 2500 in single-core performance. You’d receive a telephoto lens, perfect for all around versatile photography. Not to mention you would not have to apprehend about the long-term durability of a folding screen.
Battery life has been surprisingly good as well, thanks to mDNIe and the 4 core CPU core configuration. Are those updates enough to make the high price tag worthwhile? The lack of 25W fast charging is a big let down too. The environmental cost of upgrading to the newest smartphone model each year is staggering. This cost is exacerbated by the fact that the improvements are often negligible.
This isn't just about the Z Flip7. It's about the entire foldable market. Are we taking full advantage of a game-changing technology? Or are we just being wooed by a shiny new object that won’t deliver on its promise? Are we being co-opted by social capital? Do we want the newest device simply to have it when we can’t pragmatically justify that purchase?
Samsung DeX limited to 1920x1080 resolution? Gaming Hub app completely overhauled to function mainly as an ad platform for game recommendations?
The Z Flip7 is a beautiful object. Beauty, as the old aphorism goes, is only skin deep. Before you rush out and buy one, ask yourself: are you buying the future, or just a very expensive distraction? Perhaps most importantly, are you even prepared to accept less performance to enjoy the novelty of a folding screen? What would you pay for shiny? I think the answer, in large part, will be how much you like shiny.
