After one year with the Galaxy Z Flip 7, it’s clear why Samsung should quit

I’ve gone back to the Galaxy Z Flip 7 several times over the last year, and I’ve never fallen in love with the phone. It’s mind-numbing, as Samsung should be able to run laps around Motorola on paper. The company has excellent hardware, fantastic software support, and an aggressive presence in carrier stores — everything it needs to beat Moto’s Razr lineup.

Still, the results paint a different picture, and the Motorola Razr series remains a sales hit — and the phone I want more often in my pocket.

It’s why, even though I don’t usually give much credit to rumors on Twitter, I’m more apt to believe the rumblings that the Galaxy Z Flip 8 will be Samsung’s last clamshell foldable phone. I’ve had the Galaxy Z Flip 7 for almost a year, and there are clear reasons why Samsung might hang it up.

I want to be hooked on a feeling

Clamshell foldables are as much about vibes as they are about specs. There’s never going to be a world where an Exynos 2500 chipset, 12GB of RAM, and a 4,300mAh battery can justify an $1,100 price tag, so it’s the user experience that has to cover that gap. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 never did that for me.

I don’t want any confusion — the Galaxy Z Flip 7 has been a solid smartphone. I’ve had zero complaints about the Exynos 2500 chipset, and One UI 8.5 has been excellent on my device. Samsung’s support is top-notch, and the hinge and hardware are sturdy — I have little doubt the Galaxy Z Flip 7 would last through years of folds. It feels exactly like Samsung’s other flagship offerings, but that’s the problem.

Few people actually need a clamshell foldable. They don’t have the best cameras. They compromise on battery life, and there are still durability concerns with the inner screen. So any foldable needs to be more than the sum of its parts to compel us to buy. Samsung has never understood what that secret formula is, and it’s why the Galaxy Z Flip 7 never landed with me.

It’s not too late for the Galaxy Z Flip 7

My experience with the Galaxy Z Flip 7 will keep me from rushing to recommend the Galaxy Z Flip 8 to people later this month, but that doesn’t mean all hope is lost. We’ve seen phones make comebacks before. The original Pixel Fold was terribly disappointing at launch, but it gradually became one of the best deals in tech after several Google updates. It took Motorola an embarrassingly long time to add an always-on display to its earlier Razr phones, but we finally got it in an update.

Samsung has a similar opportunity with the Galaxy Z Flip 7. If One UI 9 were able to integrate Good Lock and Multistar functionality directly, it would go a long way toward turning around the Z Flip 7’s fortunes. I was excited when the Z Flip 7 got a larger cover screen, but Samsung hasn’t fully utilized it.

It’s a significant differentiating factor, and Motorola’s nailed the experience. Samsung needs to make the cover screen the centerpiece of the device, with fun tools that keep me from having to unfold my phone. Being able to customize my outer display to support my favorite apps out of the box would be a huge help. Clamshell foldables are meant for casual users, and Samsung would do well to keep that in mind with future updates.

The price also has a chance to save the phone. You can pick up a Galaxy Z Flip 7 for around $650. While I have plenty of reservations about paying full price for the device, my concerns melt away for only $650. For around a mid-range price, the Z Flip 7 punches well above its weight. With Samsung’s new flagship prices continuing to rise (including rumors about the Z Flip 8), it might be a good idea to look ahead to the Z Flip 7 to save some cash.

Samsung keeps fixing the wrong problems

Samsung has been almost too logical with its Galaxy Z Flip lineup, and it seems that will extend to the Z Flip 8 again this year. The company is fixing the “wrong” problems with the phones.

Yes, if I were talking about the Galaxy S26 Plus, Samsung would be nailing it — giving us more power under the hood. However, I don’t need that in a small-form-factor foldable, especially if the company leaves the battery size unchanged. I don’t need a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 in a Galaxy Z Flip 8, and I doubt many other buyers will utilize that extra horsepower.

I appreciate that Samsung is rumored to be sticking with fun colors again this year, and I’m never going to complain about the company improving a device year over year. But if Samsung can’t get it together and change the vibe of the Z Flip 8, then it should stop making clamshell foldables to focus on book-style devices. Samsung has already seen much greater sales success with the Galaxy Z Fold 7. We’re also days away from Samsung most likely introducing a second larger-form-factor foldable into the mix with the wider Galaxy Z Fold 8, so the company might just want to focus elsewhere.

Either way, I think it’s been a lost opportunity for Samsung. All the pieces were in place for the Galaxy Z Flip 7 to be an excellent competitor to the Motorola Razr Ultra, but one year later, it just hasn’t happened.