Remember the days when text messages and Snake on yourNokia 3310were two of the most exciting things a phone could manage? We do, too. Fast-forward two decades and we havein-display fingerprint scanners, bezel-free displays,under-display cameras, plus a whole different take on slider and flip phones.
Read more:Modern flip phones aren’t the dumb flip phone Gen Z is nostalgic for
Flip phoneswere once slim, compact and hinged devices. Now, flip phones have morphed into these foldable phones with actual bendable screens. That tends to bring the potential for huge price tags, to get hold of a piece of this magic.
Here are the devices leading the foldable smartphone trend.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
OnePlus Open
Motorola Razr 40 Ultra
Google Pixel Fold
Oppo Find N2 Flip
Honor Magic Vs
Huawei Mate X3
Best foldable phones: Our top tested picks
Samsung has set a new standard for clamshells
Samsung’s latest flip phone offers a stunning big cover screen, great cameras, and an improved, durable design plus all the flagship specs you’d hope for.
There are a few things that stood out when we testedthe Z Flip 5from Samsung, which - yet again - means the Galaxy Flip remains our top recommendation for anyone looking for a modern foldable clamshell phone.
Performance is top-notch in every possible way, and we were blown away with how much life we managed to get from the battery, despite the fact that capacity hasn’t increased at all. The more efficient Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 inside helps, as well as ensuring that it feels really fast and responsive.
The aluminium frame feels sturdy, the cover display is big, bright and fun to interact with and the water-resistance rating means it’s far more likely to survive accidental encounters with moisture than any other flip phone on the list. We still have concerns about how long the bending internal display might last the average user, but that’s the same for any phone on this list.
The Galaxy Z Flip 4 won’t be the phone for everyone, and there are plenty of other models and styles to choose from, with more manufacturers joining the flexible smartphone market all the time and each with their benefits.
A refined design and performance
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is the latest folding phone from Samsung. It brings a refined design compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 4, along with some great internal upgrades.
As is standard practice for Samsung, it didn’t just launch a new clamshell foldable, it also launched a horizontal book-style folding phone:the Galaxy Z Fold 5. In this market, it stands above the rest thanks to a considered approach to design and great software optimisation.
It’s a bit of an iterative upgrade on the Z Fold 4, but the increased power and efficiency from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 are worthwhile inclusions, as is the improved hinge design which sees the screen fold completely shut, with no gap at the hinge.
We still think the outer display is a bit too cramped and narrow - especially when compared to the likes of the Pixel Fold and the Oppo Find N2 - but as a complete package, it’s hard to think of a better all-rounder.
A slim, pocket-able book-style foldable
With its really versatile multi-tasking software, brilliant displays, fast-charging and excellent battery life, the OnePlus has taken on the role of main competitor to the Z Fold 5. It’s a brilliant all-rounder.
The first foldable phone under the OnePlus brand has really knocked it out of the park in a lot of ways. The design is premium and slim and features a gap-less hinge that closes completely, but does so in a way that leaves very little in the way of a discernible crease on the display.
That display on the inside - along with the big cover display - are among the brightest, most vibrant AMOLED panels put on a foldable phone to date, reaching peaks up to 2600 nits. They’re also both very sharp, with over 400 pixels-per-inch and reach refresh rates up to 120Hz, with the ability to drop to really low rates when necessary.
What really makes theOnePlus Openstand out - however - is the approach to multitasking. Rather than limit you to just the space on the screen, you can have apps running off to the side, effectively giving you a virtual canvas that expands and is flexible, based on how you want to use it.
Add a great, big battery that lasts well, flagship performance, fast charging speeds, and a versatile camera system, and you have a truly great foldable. It could do with wireless charging and better water/dust resistant, but it’s a great device overall.
(Also known as Razr+ in the US)
Motorola’s latest Razr - known as the Razr+ in North America - has a big outer screen that’s really useful, plus speedy performance, great battery and it’s a sensible price.
We were really torn between the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and theMoto Razr 40 Ultra (Razr+)in first place, both have strengths, but in the end Samsung pipped it for its better software optimisation and better cameras in testing. With that said, we still like the latest flagship Motorola - a lot. The clean, bloat-free software is a breath of fresh air, and it has the flagship power and performance you’d want from a top-tier phone. What’s more - for a clamshell foldable - the battery life is very good, comfortably lasting a full day even with a lot of screen usage.
The big draw is the large cover screen on the outside. It’s great for taking selfies and surprisingly convenient for reading (and replying to) messages on the fly, meaning you don’t have to open the phone for every interaction like you do with the regular Razr 40.
Google continues to dominate the smartphone camera market
The Pixel Fold takes Google’s phones in a new direction, embracing the next-gen screen tech and presenting a premium PIxel option. It’s a great quality phone, but it’s clear there’s still work to be done on app optimisation to enhance the experience.
Despite owning the Android platform, it took a little while for Google to finallylaunch its own foldable. And when it did, it took a completely different approach to most other manufacturers. In a similar move to the Find N2, Google opted for a book-style foldable that was relatively short, but wide. It’s very different to the long, narrow Z Fold 4 from Samsung. That does mean you get a big, usable screen on the outside though, and in our testing, it quickly became the one thing that set it apart from the others. We’d use it just as often - if not more so - than the internal display, because there really is no compromise. It’s not cramped, it’s easy to type on and even works for video and games.
The Pixel Fold also has a similar camera set-up to the Pixel 7 Pro, which is to say, that - as a system - the Pixel has the best cameras of any foldable on the market. It snaps shots easily, is quick and delivers sharp, colourful results in any condition, even nighttime. Its only real issue - apart from the fact it doesn’t open completely flat - is that software optimisation isn’t quite where it should be for the wide internal display. There’s very much a sense that the UI experience is a bit rough around the edges.
King of the flips
The Oppo Find N2 Flip gets a lot right, offering an interesting vertical cover display, a big, bright internal display and 44W fast charging in a neat, pocketable package that doesn’t cost the earth.
It’s safe to say Oppo thought about things very differently from its competitors withthe Find N2 Flip. Yes, you still get a portable, foldable clamshell that slips easily into a pocket, but you also get an unusual vertical display on the front which makes a lot of sense in specific scenarios. It’s essentially a mini smartphone display and is great for lists, message inboxes and recording vertical videos.
Marry that with a phone that has a brilliant internal display, an almost invisible crease in the display and a gapless design, and it’s a really tempting offering, especially at this price point. As an extra kicker - you get 44W wired charging - delivering a full charge in about an hour.
A no compromise folding phone
Honor’s foldable flagship has powerful internals and two big, vibrant displays. It folds flush too, offering a very different experience to the Galaxy Z Fold.
Honor’sflagship foldabletakes a similar approach to its former parent company, Huawei’s. It’s a really big device with a large flexible display on the inside and a full-sized screen on the outside. You get lots of screen real estate then, and both displays offer a great visual experience. It folds flush, which is a big draw, and has some impressive specifications. The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 runs the show, and Honor’s Android skin comes with all the proper Play Store compatibility. It’s a great option for those who want a big screened foldable.
Sublime hardware and cameras
Huawei’s flagship folding phone has incredible cameras and stunning hardware design. If it was based on hardware alone, it’d be our top recommendation.
Let’s get the two major elephants out of the room first: yes, it’s expensive and no, it doesn’t have Google Play Services. But there’s many a reason we thinkthe Mate X3deserves a mention, even if it’s just an honourable mention at the end of a list. The hardware design is - without doubt - the nicest we’ve laid our hands on. The slimness seems almost impossible and - combined with the fake leather back - make it really comfortable to hold. It’s also got a wonderful pair of screens and - probably - the best camera of any foldable phone.
Lacking Google Play isn’t the hurdle it used to be. Apps that aren’t on the Huawei’s App Gallery are available to download as APKsthrough Petal Searchwhich now also informs you when there are updates available to download, so that process feels more user-friendly than it was. What’s more, there’s a suite of Microsoft apps, including Outlook and Edge, available in place of Gmail and Chrome. There are still some hurdles, and some apps you’ll struggle to get hold of, so you still need to look into that to see if you’re missing anything crucial.
Unlike standard smartphones, however, missing apps isn’t the major inconvenience it could be. Plenty of services are available as web services, and accessible through the browser, and that method can be beneficial on the almost tablet-sized display on the inside.
The bottom line: What is the best foldable phone to buy?
From our hands-on testing experience, our choice for best foldable phone overall is Samsung’s newest clamshell handset - the Galaxy Z Flip 5. The phone neatly folds into a compact pocket companion, yet reveals two beautiful AMOLED screens when in full-screen use. Plus, the cameras provide stunning clear visuals and there’s plenty of fun colours to make the phone feel like a more custom fit.
What’s the cheapest folding phone?
At only $700, the latestMotorola Razr(2023 model) is the cheapest foldable we’ve reviewed - and that’s on the market right now.
Why are foldable phones so expensive?
There are a lot of reasons that foldable phones are more expensive, but a main reason is due to their complex build as opposed to the standard candybar phone build. Having a hinge that opens and shuts means more parts to factor in to the manufacturing and build process.
With the large book-style foldables, they cost more because of that, and because there are two big displays: one on the outside and one on the inside, and the display is one of the more expensive components of a smartphone. So if you have one that’s much larger than a regular smartphone and another normal smartphone-sized display as well, that’s a lot more expense in the manufacturing process, which obviously then gets passed on to the consumer.
