To find out, we tested all the new folding phones these companies have released so far this year to get a better sense of what’s good and what isn’t. Here’s what you need to know.
Foldables come in two formats
Flip-style foldables will probably feel familiar to anyone who had a cellphone in the early 2000s. They’re pretty traditional smartphones when open, but you can flip them shut when you’re done. This includes Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Motorola’s 2023 Razr+.
The main draw? Portability. You can more easily cram them into a pocket or a small bag, and newer models sweeten the deal with features like large, external screens. That means you can use them to frame up selfies with the phone’s main cameras, quickly control your music and respond to messages without having to open the phone.
Your other option is a much bigger kind of foldable that looks like a regular smartphone when closed, but transforms into a small tablet upon opening. You’ll often see them with names that include the word “fold,” and these gadgets are often called “hybrids” because they’re effectively two gadgets in one.
These devices can feel pretty unwieldy compared with traditional phones, but their large inner screens make them ideal for diving into movies, books and games. They’re also better for multitasking — you’ll be able use at least two apps side by side, and in some cases, you can have up to four apps open at once. That’s obviously not something everyone needs to do, but foldables can definitely be helpful if you frequently find yourself juggling lots of tasks.
Foldables come with drawbacks
For one, battery life can be an issue for some models.
Earlier devices often struggled to last through a full day, which can feel unacceptable considering how much these things cost. More recent flip-style models from both companies have batteries that last at least a bit longer, but if you spend a lot of time on your phone, you’ll probably still need to charge it again before the day is over.
If you take a lot of photos, you may be disappointed to know that folding phones rarely get the latest and greatest cameras. That’s mostly because of how they’re designed — because they fold in half, there’s less room inside for the big, fancy camera sensors that tend to wind up in expensive, traditional phones.
And even through current foldable phones aren’t as fragile as earlier models, you still need to be at least a little more careful handling them. They’re much worse, for example, at shrugging off dust, dirt, and debris than a traditional phone — that’s those little bits can wiggle their way inside and potentially damage the device’s screen or hinge.
Wading through all your options can be tricky — here’s what we found after testing them.
OnePlus Open ($1,699): There’s a reason OnePlus’s first folding phone is good: It’s a rebrand of a high-end model built by Chinese gadget maker Oppo. And it’s a pretty good value, too — you’ll pay less and get more storage compared to other phone-tablet hybrids.
The real draw for many, though, is how normal it feels to use — when closed, it feels more like a standard smartphone than any other foldable out there. Throw in a surprisingly good camera system and multitasking tools Samsung and Google could stand to learn from, and the Open has “sleeper hit” written all over it. Our only concern: We’ve had little experience with OnePlus’s after-sale support, and it’s not clear how easily repaired these things are.
Google Pixel Fold ($1,799): The Pixel Fold is Google’s first attempt at a foldable, and in some ways it shows; it’s heavy even by foldable standards, and it sports chunky bezels around its inner screen. Battery life is also just fine — I had hoped for better out of such an expensive phone.
What saves the Pixel Fold is the rest of its design, such as its spacious, passport-shaped screen, and my favorite camera setup of any foldable I’ve tested. We generally recommend people avoid first-generation products, and the Pixel Fold is no exception — but it gets enough right that I hope Google decides to keep making them.
(If you’re interested in more, you can find our full review of the Pixel Fold here.)
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold5 ($1,799): Samsung has released five of these devices in four years, so it’s no wonder the new Z Fold feels so polished. Beyond that, it uses a powerful (and up-to-date) processor, which makes it a touch more future-proof than the Pixel Fold. And its software — while finicky — offers a lot of flexibility. This is also the best foldable we’ve tested for multitasking; with a little work, you can get up to four apps running on-screen at the same time.
But it’s not perfect. The barely-there bezels around the inner screen don’t offer much room for your fingers, so accidental taps are common. And the tall, narrow front screen can feel awkward to use as a phone — imagine texting on your TV’s remote control and you’re on the right track. Even so, it’s the safest — and most elegant — choice for anyone considering a phone-tablet hybrid. But don’t buy one until you’ve tried one for yourself.
Motorola Razr+ ($999): Motorola took a years-long break before releasing this year’s Razr+, and that time off was well spent. The Razr is sleek and comfortable to hold, and its large outer screen lets you run nearly any app without having to open the phone. (It’s also, in my opinion, the best-looking phone of the bunch.)
The catch? It sometimes struggles to get through a full day’s use without a charge, and it’s the least water resistant of all the foldables we tested. It’s a solid choice if you’re not accident-prone, but we still have some lingering questions about long-term durability.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 ($999): Like its larger sibling, the Z Flip5 is the safe choice for people who want a flip-style foldable. It’s a little faster than last year’s model, it’s a little more durable, and its battery lasts a little longer — though that’s mostly because I could do more without having to open (and power up) the larger inside screen.
But thrilling it isn’t. It lags behind the Razr — the Z Flip5′s outer screen takes more work to set up, I find its blocky design a little less comfortable to hold. But with a longer commitment for software updates and niceties like better water resistance, it’s a great place for foldable newbies to start.