According to leaks from Korean outlet Chosun and tipster @Jukanlosreve, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 will be powered by Exynos silicon built on Samsung’s problematic 3nm GAA process. Yields are reportedly languishing between 20 and 40 per cent—well below the usual 60 per cent Samsung targets for cost-effective production.

Samsung is expected to churn out 200,000 units by June. If the silicon lottery turns out any better, production could scale, but this feels like more desperation than innovation. Mass production of the Exynos 2500 supposedly started in February, but the abysmal yields suggest Samsung’s foundry arm is still floundering.

Sources claim Samsung made the switch solely for price reasons. The Flip 7 reportedly passed all internal tests with the Snapdragon 8 Elite, but the cost of including it in the final design proved too rich for Samsung’s blood. Even with the yield-induced waste, using Exynos is still the cheaper option, so long as consumers don’t mind a potential downgrade in performance.

On paper, this strategy lets Samsung gain experience with its in-house 3nm tech and get a leg up on refining its 2nm GAA process, which is stuck around 30 per cent yield. Samsung told the cocaine nose jobs of Wall Street in its Q1 2025 earnings that it plans to begin full-scale 2nm wafer production in the second half of the year and is hunting for orders to keep the lines busy.

Whether customers will accept a foldable flagship with potentially weaker silicon just so Samsung can sharpen its foundry skills is another matter. The Flip 7 is expected to launch in July during Samsung’s Unpacked circus, though it’s unclear how many users will be thrilled to find their pricey foldable doubling as a beta test unit.