The Best Folding Phones
.png)
You may be scoffing as you read this. The best folding phones? Really? Aren't those just gimmicks? I'm here to tell you they're pretty darn useful. And yes, there are now quite a few of them, so you have options. Folding phones are an evolution of the traditional single-screen slab of glass we've all been using for nearly two decades—and we might even see a folding iPhone in the future.
They predominantly come in two forms: a folding flip phone or a folding book-like phone, enabling you to either relive the glory days of small phones or expand your multitasking options while on the go. (Triple-screened phones are the next frontier.) A folding phone is a personal decision—arguably even more than a traditional smartphone, since it hinges on what style you prefer (heh). I have tested almost all of them, and my colleague Simon Hill has helped test models specific to the UK and other markets. These are our favorites.
Check out our other mobile buying guides, including the Best Android Phones, Best iPhones, Best Cheap Phones, Best Samsung Phones, Best Google Pixel Phones, Best Motorola Phones, Best Phones With a Headphone Jack, and Best Phones You Can't Buy in the US.
Updated October 2025: We've added the Pixel 10 Pro Fold and Honor Magic V5.
Things to Know Before Buying
.jpg)
Folding phones are more fragile than normal phones. Folding phones have more parts than a traditional smartphone, not to mention a hinge. Companies advertise how many folds these devices have been tested for—usually around 200,000 or 500,000 folds—but a single drop can be incredibly damaging. They are not as dust-resistant and some aren't as water-resistant (only the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is IP68-rated), so you'll want to be especially careful. Use a case, and it might be worthwhile to invest in the manufacturer's device care policy.
Don't remove the built-in screen protector. Most of these folding phones have a film over the inner screen. You might be tempted to remove it, but don't—it can damage the display. There are usually instructions in the packaging instructing you not to remove it, and how to care for your device.
There's a small learning curve to the software. Flip-style folding phones are fairly straightforward, but book-like folding phones that double as tablets have new multitasking tricks that will take some getting used to if you want to make the most of them. I recommend taking some time to run through these features so you understand how they work.
They're expensive. Do you need one? Nobody needs a folding phone. If you think you're someone who will benefit from them, know that they're frequently discounted during big sale events like Black Friday, and you can also knock a few hundred dollars off if you trade in an eligible device.
Which Type of Folding Phone Is for You?
Folding flip phones are for people who want a compact device. Think of a normal phone you can fold in half. That's pretty much what you get, plus a screen on the front to monitor widgets and texts. This does mean you can flip the phone to answer a call and flip it shut to end one—super cool. You can put the phone at a 90-degree angle, and some apps will adapt to show controls on the bottom, and important details at the top, like in video calling apps, or when watching videos on YouTube, though this depends on the phone. Folding flip phones typically have mediocre battery life, and the cameras are not as good as their non-folding counterparts.
Folding book-like phones are for people who want the big-screen experience. Are you constantly watching full-length movies on your phone? Or do you always find yourself jumping back and forth between two apps? Then these are for you. They have good battery life and better cameras (though not as good as nonfolding phones), but they're far more expensive. They're thick and heavy, though we're seeing newer models that are surprisingly thin. Still, you may have a hard time fitting them in your pockets.
My Favorite Folding Features
Whichever style you go for, my favorite feature of folding phones is the ability to see the viewfinder on the external screen and snap a selfie with the high-quality rear cameras—just set the phone down slightly folded so it stays upright, and there's usually a button you can click in the camera app to send the preview to the external screen. You can usually trigger the shutter hands-free with a palm gesture. (Motorola's Razr Ultra 2025 lets you start and stop video recordings with hand gestures, too!) It's excellent when traveling, and you want to take a photo of yourself next to a point of interest.
Many of these phones offer similar functionality with translation—Samsung and Google, for example, both let you show your words translated on the external screen so the person you are speaking to can see it, and then they can tap a button on the screen to have the phone start translating their words, which you'll see on the internal screen. It's a much nicer system than using Google Translate on a candybar phone.
Best Flip Phone
- Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
- Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
- Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
Flip phones are already eye-catching because they stand out so distinctly from the candybar style of smartphones. But Motorola took things further with the Razr Ultra (8/10, WIRED Recommends), the most fashionable smartphone today. You can buy it in Alcantara, with a sustainably sourced wood back, a leather-inspired finish, or a satin-esque look—they all look and feel fantastic. It's stronger too—Motorola has improved the phone's durability with an IP48 rating for some dust protection, a titanium-reinforced hinge, and Gorilla Glass Ceramic for stronger displays.
The 4-inch OLED screen on the front allows you to add more content than ever, such as multiple widget panels, so you don't need to open the phone as frequently. Once you do, though, you'll enjoy a super bright and colorful 7-inch AMOLED screen. All the top-end specs are here, from the powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset to drive all your apps and games to 512 GB of storage if you need lots of space. The 4,700-mAh battery is better than prior versions but will still only last a full day with average use. At least there's fast charging, wired or wireless.
The 50-megapixel main camera delivers nice photos, along with a reliable 50-megapixel ultrawide, and while this is the best camera system Motorola has made—even better than the new Galaxy Z Flip7—it still isn't as great as candybar phones from the likes of Google and Apple. Still, I love being able to take a selfie with the phone closed and see a preview with the front screen, and my wife loves it when I take a picture of her because she can see a preview of herself on the other side of the phone and can correct my poor angle. Video capture is significantly better, too, with Dolby Vision support that makes clips look sharp, colorful, and not too grainy in low light, though the Flip7 has a slight edge in video quality.
You'll hear a lot about Motorola's AI features on this phone—there's even a dedicated “AI” button—but the long and short of it is that most of these features aren't very helpful. Pay Attention is the only one I've found myself using due to the nature of my job, and it starts a recording with real-time transcriptions and an AI summary at the end, but most flagship phones can do that these days. Don't buy it for Moto AI, buy it because it's a flipping cool Razr.
Specs External display: 4-inch, 165-Hz LTPO, pOLED Internal display: 7-inch, 165-Hz LTPO, AMOLED Processor and RAM: Snapdragon 8 Elite with 16 GB RAM Storage: 512 GB or 1 TB Battery: 4,700 mAh Cameras: 50-MP main camera, 50-MP ultrawide, 50-MP selfie camera Updates (from date of manufacture): Three OS upgrades, 4 years of security updates Extras: 68-watt wired charging, 30-watt wireless charging, IP48, fingerprint unlock, Gorilla Glass Ceramic, Dolby Vision video capture Carrier compatibility: Works on all three major US networks Best Folding Phone
Samsung made some much-needed changes to the Galaxy Z Fold7 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) compared to its predecessors. It's significantly lighter—weighing even less than an iPhone 17 Pro Max—and fantastically thin at just 8.9 mm folded and 4.2 mm unfolded (comparably, the Fold6's respective measurements are 12.1 mm and 5.6 mm). The phone is wider, meaning it's overall nicer to type on and use, whether that's the 6.5-inch front screen or the 8-inch inner display.
The camera system has also been upgraded to mimic the Galaxy S25 Ultra, with a 200-megapixel main camera that delivers sharp photos no matter the time of day. Sadly, while you do get the 3X optical camera, there's no extra 5X telephoto camera here, so the candybar S25 Ultra still has a richer camera experience. There's no S Pen support on the Galaxy Z Fold7, which may upset some stylus stans. More annoyingly, the battery size is unchanged, and I barely got through a full day with average use.
There are some new multitasking improvements, like the stashed window mode, which lets you split-screen two apps and hide one along the side, ready to access when you need it. However, you will need to tinker with the settings to get things the way you want them. For example, Gmail's two-pane view doesn't show up by default—you have to adjust the phone's screen zoom settings first.
It doesn't help that this phone is now more expensive than ever. At $2,000, you can buy a nice phone and a nice tablet, which may ultimately be a better value than a combo product that doesn't quite hit the same highs. But if you're dead set on a book-like folding phone, right now, the Galaxy Z Fold7 has the best hardware experience.
Specs External display: 6.5 inches, 120-Hz LTPO, Dynamic AMOLED 2X Internal display: 8 inches, 120-Hz LTPO, Dynamic AMOLED 2X Processor and RAM: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite with 12 GB of RAM Storage: 256, 512 GB, or 1 TB Battery: 4,400 mAh Cameras: 200-MP main camera, 10-MP telephoto (3X optical), 12-MP ultrawide, 10-MP outer selfie camera, 10-MP inner selfie camera Updates (from date of manufacture): 7 years of software updates Extras: Qi2 Ready wireless charging, IPX8, fingerprint unlock, Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 Carrier compatibility: Works on all three major US networks
Best Budget Folding Phone
If you want to test the folding phone waters, there's no better option than the Razr 2025 (8/10, WIRED Recommends). Shockingly, this flip phone is just $700 (often $600 during major sale events). It has the same titanium-reinforced hinge as the Ultra and an IP48 dust- and water-resistance rating, and while the rest of its specs might not be as flagship-grade, notably the MediaTek Dimensity 7400X chipset, it still doesn't feel all that different from the Ultra. The battery capacity is slightly smaller, but you can still get a full day of use out of it; there's a hefty 256 GB of storage, and the screens are similarly bright, sharp, and colorful, though they're slightly smaller.
The exception is the cameras. I've been happy with the photos I've captured with the Razr, but it struggles in high-contrast scenes with too many shadowy areas or over-exposed highlights. It can look a little over-sharpened, and colors are not as accurate as what you get on the Razr Ultra. The ultrawide camera isn't as good, and video quality also greatly suffers, particularly in low light.
Still, you're getting a delightfully designed flip phone at a reasonable price, and the best improvement here is that performance is no longer choppy like on previous Razrs.
Specs External display: 3.6-inch, 90-Hz LTPS, pOLED Internal display: 6.9-inch, 120-Hz LTPO, AMOLED Processor and RAM: MediaTek Dimensity 7400X with 8 GB RAM Storage: 256 GB Battery: 4,500 mAh Cameras: 50-MP main camera, 13-MP ultrawide, 32-MP selfie camera Updates (from date of manufacture): Three Android OS upgrades and 4 years of security updates Extras: 30-watt wired charging, 15W Qi wireless charging, IP48, fingerprint sensor Carrier compatibility: Works on all three major US networks Another Good Fold
- Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
- Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
- Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
- Photograph: Julian Chokkattu
The only other book-like folding phone in the US is the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold (7/10, WIRED Recommends). The Galaxy Z Fold7's thinness makes it nicer to use, but you shouldn't sleep on this Pixel. It's one of the only folding devices with a proper IP68 dust- and water-resistance rating, and Google claims it can withstand 10 years of folding. The enhanced durability seems legit—I dropped this phone twice onto asphalt and it had only a few minor scratches on the frame. Better yet, this is the only folding phone with Qi2 wireless charging support, meaning you can magnetically stick it to MagSafe or Qi2 wireless chargers, no annoying clamps needed.
This phone is noticeably thicker and heavier than Samsung's folding option, which makes it more cumbersome to use. But at least the battery is more long-lasting. Heavy users should still be able to get through a full day without needing a top-up, which is not something I can say for the Z Fold7. Google made some multitasking improvements on the internal screen, so you can split-screen quickly and grab the vertical bar between them to resize apps. You can push one of the apps all the way to the right or left, sort of hidden away but still readily available. There's no way to pull up a third app, though.
Even though there's “Pro” in the name, Pixel fans might feel miffed that they're actually not getting many of the Pro features available in the cheaper Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro Fold. That includes Google's Pro Res Zoom camera technology for sharper zoomed-in photos, Video Boost, and the camera sensors themselves are somewhat inferior. You can still capture excellent photos on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, but they're not the best that Google offers. That's a little odd when you're coughing up $1,800.
Specs External display: 6.4 inches, 120 Hz, OLED Internal display: 8 inches, 120 Hz, LTPO OLED Processor and RAM: Tensor G5 with 16 GB RAM Storage: 256, 512 GB, or 1 TB Battery: 5,015 mAh Cameras: 48-MP wide, 10.5-MP ultrawide, 10.8-MP telephoto (5X), 10-MP front selfie camera, 10-MP inner selfie camera Updates (from date of manufacture): 7 years of software updates Extras: Pixelsnap Qi2 wireless charging, Camera Coach, Video Boost, IP68, Wi-Fi 7, Ultra-Wideband, 1 year of Google AI Pro Plan Carrier compatibility: Works on all three major US networks
Best Folding Phone Outside the US
- Photograph: Simon Hill
- Photograph: Simon Hill
- Photograph: Simon Hill
- Photograph: Simon Hill
You can import it into the US and hope it works perfectly fine on your carrier, but the Honor Magic V5 is the best book-like fold for anyone in the UK, Europe, or other markets where the phone is sold. It's nearly as slim as the Galaxy Z Fold7, though there's a sizable camera bump. The battery lasts a really long time, the camera system is versatile and reliable (Honor improved the ultrawide and telephoto camera this year from the V3), and you get fast wired and wireless charging. Read more in our Best Phones You Can't Buy in the US guide.
Specs External display: 6.43-inch, 120-Hz LTPO, OLED Internal display: 7.95-inch, 120-Hz LTPO, AMOLED Processor and RAM: Snapdragon 8 Elite with 12 or 16 GB RAM Storage: 256, 512 GB, or 1 TB Battery: 5,690 mAh Cameras: 50-MP main camera, 64-MP (3X) telephoto, 50-MP ultrawide, 20-MP front camera, 20-MP inner selfie camera Updates (from date of manufacture): Four Android OS upgrades and 5 years of security updates Extras: Wireless charging, IP58 and IP59, fingerprint sensor, NFC Carrier compatibility: Not officially supported in the US; available in the UK and Europe
Other Folding Phones to Consider
.png)
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 for $1,100: Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip7 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is a close second to Motorola's Razr Ultra. I liked the camera quality from Motorola's flip phone this year more than Samsung's—a big win for the Razr—but the Flip7 captures nice photos and offers better video quality, if that's your thing. Samsung's latest Flip has a larger front screen, though you still have to jump through a few hoops to make it useful. For example, you need to install an app called Multistar to add any app of your choosing to the cover screen. The phone also has a lackluster battery life, struggling to last a full day; the Razr Ultra still only lasts a day, but I didn't feel like I had to plug in as much. And it also gets a little too warm for my tastes when it's under load. It's a good flip phone, but I prefer Motorola's flagship this year.
-SOURCE-Julian-Chokkattu.jpg){kind=tracking}
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold for $1,499: The only reason to consider the Pixel 9 Pro Fold right now is if you see it on sale. Google's Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the newer, better handset. The 9 Pro Fold isn't as slim as the Galaxy Z Fold7 nor as lightweight, but it's still a svelte device with a large front screen that feels like a normal phone. The 8-inch inner screen is excellent, and the triple-camera system delivers great results, though not as great as the Pixel 9 Pro series. Read our Best Pixel Phones guide for more.
Motorola Razr+ (2025) for $1,000: There is technically a third phone in Motorola's latest Razr lineup: the Razr+ 2025. However, it's nearly identical to last year's Razr+ 2024, with fresh colors and the improved IP48 rating and titanium-reinforced hinge. It sits in an awkward middle ground, though. It's not as affordable as the standard Razr, which offers a pretty nice experience for the money. But it's also not as flagship as the Razr Ultra. It is also the only one of the lineup without the ultrawide camera. I usually love telephoto zoom lenses, but ultrawides are so handy on flip phones for group selfies. If you're considering this model, it's also worth considering the Razr+ from 2024, as you'll see some nice discounts on it throughout the year; it just lacks the reinforced hinge and IP48 rating.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold6 for $1,900: The Galaxy Fold6 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) is the sixth-generation folding phone from Samsung and came out in 2024. In this version, Samsung added a wider front screen that feels like a normal smartphone, though not as wide as the Galaxy Z Fold7. I don't find multitasking as easy as on phones like the OnePlus Open, and the aspect ratio still restricts some apps from showing a multi-pane view, like Gmail, unless you rotate the phone to landscape. It may not be as easy to find now that it has a successor, but if you find it on sale for under $1,400, it's worth considering, especially since Samsung offers long software support.
.jpg)
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 for $900: Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip6 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) from 2024 might be a better buy than Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip7 FE—the new “budget” folding flip phone the company introduced alongside the flagship Flip7 and Fold7. That's because the Flip7 FE is a reskinned Flip6 with a Samsung Exynos processor instead of a Qualcomm chip. We haven't tested the FE yet, but you can probably find a decent deal on the Flip6 that might make it a better value than the Flip7 FE. Performance could even be a smidge better.
Oppo Find N5 Flip for $1,264: You can think of this as the spiritual successor to the OnePlus Open. (Both companies are owned by BBK Electronics.) Sadly, it isn't available in the US, UK, or Europe. It's the world's slimmest book-like foldable at just 3.6 millimeters thick when open. The displays are excellent, it has top-end specs like the Snapdragon 8 Elite processor at its heart, not to mention 80-watt wired charging for speedy top-ups. The cameras aren't as great, though, and Oppo's software is still clunky and buggy.
Xiaomi Mix Flip for $899: Xiaomi’s first flip phone has a lovely design with excellent displays inside and out, long battery life with fast charging, and flagship-level performance, which makes a nice change as flip phones often have middling specs. It also boasts a solid dual-lens camera, opting for telephoto instead of ultrawide alongside the capable main shooter, which is more useful for most folks. The software lets the party down a little; there’s no IP rating, and it is very pricey, but I had fun with this flip phone. —Simon Hill
Power up with unlimited access to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting and exclusive subscriber content that's too important to ignore. Subscribe Today.
Comments
Back to top
Wired Coupons
Exclusive 10% Off Squarespace Promo Code
10% off Dell Coupon Code for New Customers
Samsung Promo Code: 10% off TVs
10% off Canon promo code with upgrade
Exclusive NordVPN Coupon: 76% off
LG Promo Code: 20% Off Your First Order