Our tech experts say that these are the best folding phones

Although great strides have been made to ensure that book-style fodlables are slimmer than ever, if you don’t mind sacrificing some of that progress for a slightly bulkier phone, you’ll get plenty in return with the outstanding Motorola Razr Fold. Given that this is Motorola’s first foldable phone in the book-style (despite Razr introducing the modern flip phone), it’s impressive to see just how much the brand has learned from the competition to give them a serious run for their money.

For starters, with a price tag of £1,799/$1,899 and with 512GB storage by default, the Razr Fold massively undercuts Samsung’s latest foldable, especially since it’s had a price increase since launch, but it also boasts some of the best cameras we’ve seen on a foldable. It’s a triple threat on the back, with three 50Mp cameras including a 3x telephoto lens for zoom photography.

Ever since the Motorola Signature, the brand has shown itself as a force to be reckoned with in this arena, and that continues with the Razr Fold as we captured stunning photos in low-light scenes and during the daytime. There’s a sizeable 6000mAh battery to back up all the picture-taking you’ll be doing with this phone, and there’s super speedy 80W wired charging too which outdoes the previous king in this area, the Honor Magic V5. There’s even 50W wireless charging that you can rely on in a pinch.

It also has brilliantly bright screens and comes with a stylus, unlike rivals, even though it does come in a separate holster.

The only area where the Razr Fold can’t quite match the expectations you’d likely have from a phone of this price is in performance. Instead of the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset, which currently powers most Android flagships, Motorola has bestowed the Razr Fold with the lesser-powered Snapdragon 8 Gen 5. Still, it’s a minor blip on an all-round excellent foldable.

Who should buy the Motorola Razr Fold?

Foldable fans who want an excellent value book-style phone.

Motorola Razr Fold: Further considerations

Look elsewhere for the top performance or a more svelte design.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, on paper, feels like the type of phone that shouldn’t work. It packs a lesser camera system than the previous-gen Z Fold 7, and given just how much Samsung has marketed its Z Fold range as being great for multitasking and productivity, it’s difficult to see how a wider, tablet-like inner screen would improve things. However, all of that melts away the moment you pick it up and appreciate what a marvel of engineering it actually is.

With a passport-style 16:10 outer display, the Z Fold 8 is very compact, but the unique form factor feels great in the hand, particularly as you don’t have to contort your thumb to reach the corners. Open the phone up though and you’re greeted with a stunning 4:3 inner display which, although not quite as well optimised for productivity, is a far better option for entertainment. You can enjoy a bit of streaming here without the massive black bars that appear with taller foldables, while games make full use of the wider display.

Even though we’ve seen this design before, notably with the Huawei Pura X Max, what separates the Fold 8 from the crowd is availability and One UI. Samsung’s Android overlay continues to improve with each iteration, and it’s now right up there with Google’s stock Android as the best software experience available outside of Apple’s ecosystem. With the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 under the hood, everything ran smoothly in our tests, particularly when having multiple apps open at one time.

The 4800mAh battery does a decent job of getting you through the day, and the 45W wired charging is surprisingly speedy, even managing to outpace the Honor Magic V6 which tops out at 80W. Although Samsung’s computational processing does help to make pictures look vibrant and saturated with colour, the lack of any telephoto lens is a shame, particularly when you consider the phone’s £1,699/$1,899 starting price.

Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8?

Entertainment-heavy users who want a widescreen foldable experience in their pocket.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8: Further consideration

Taller book-style foldables are better suited for productivity, gaming and one-handed use when closed.

It took a long time for Apple to finally come to market with its own foldable phone, but for the most part, the wait was worth it as the iPhone Duo is one of the strongest first-generation handsets we’ve ever tested. By waiting out its closest competitors, Apple has managed to leapfrog a lot of the issues that once plagued the first foldables out of the gate, notably on the durability front as this is a very well-built piece of tech.

The phone itself carries a tough, titanium frame and there’s a sturdiness to the hinge that instils confidence the moment you start playing around with it. It’s all very impressive, and it does go some way towards justifying the outrageous price tag that comes with the iPhone Duo. Apple has also understood just how important software optimisations are when it comes to the foldable experience.

iOS has been beautifully adapted to make the most of this new form factor, right down to the animations which are nothing short of stunning. The simple act of opening the phone to see the inner display feels like more of a monumental event because of the software design. Apple’s own-brand apps have also been tweaked, so the likes of Apple TV really make the most of the extra space for on-screen controls.

Because this is a first-generation product however, the majority of third-party apps are not yet optimised in quite the same way, so it’ll be a while before the user experience is quite as seamless as with other iPhones. There are a few caveats too, with just two rear-facing cameras and a complete lack of Face ID, meaning that Touch ID has made a return for unlocking the phone and confirming payments. Still, for any initial issues, this is an amazing phone that’s sure to please any Apple fan who’s been holding out.

Who should buy the iPhone Duo?

Apple fans who want a larger display for productivity or watching entertainment.

iPhone Duo: Further considerations

You’ll find a more robust camera system on the iPhone 18 Pro.

The Honor Magic V5 felt like the wake-up call that the wider foldables industry needed in order to see what could be done with the form factor. It was slim, had a genuine multi-day battery life under the right conditions and it also packed a camera system that didn’t feel inferior on the flagship stage. The phone set a mighty high bar to cross, and although things haven’t changed too much in its successor, the Honor Magic V6 is still an amazing device that’s well worth your attention.

What wows us even now is how slim the V6 is, honestly feeling like a regular phone when stowed away in your pocket. When closed, the phone is just 8.75mm thick when folded, and 4mm thin when unfolded (this jumps ever so slightly to 9mm and 4.1mm respectively for the non-white models). It’s a stunning piece of engineering, and it’s now more durable than before with an official IP69 certification for better water and dust resistance.

Honor phones always excel when it comes to their displays, and that’s no different here. The outer display has now moved up to a higher 6000 nits of brightness which is simply dazzling to the eyes when out and about, and it makes the process of lining up a shot in broad daylight so much easier. The internal 7.95-inch display is capped at 5000 nits, but it’s still wonderful to look at, and it’s the perfect size for side-by-side multitasking for productivity users.

The new Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset also helps with making sure that power users have all they need to avoid any sense of slowdown, and that means that high-end games run well here too. What holds the phone back from trouncing the likes of Motorola and Samsung is the lacklustre nature of Honor’s MagicOS overlay, which is just a bit too cumbersome for our liking. Still, for all that you get elsewhere, it’s easy enough to adapt to MagicOS’s quirks over time.

Who should buy the Honor Magic V6?

Power users who want a slim foldable that really goes the distance on battery life and performance.

Honor Magic V6: Further considerations

MagicOS just pales in comparison to Samsung’s One UI, so you’ll find a better software experience elsewhere.

Given just how many changes were made with the Z Flip 7, particularly in opening up the outer display from the windowed iteration of old to an end-to-end panel, it probably shouldn’t be too surprising that the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 is a slightly more iterative update than its predecessor, but it’s still a great flip phone worth checking out.

As is the case with previous Z Flips, this latest model benefits from Samsung’s excellent One UI Android overlay which offers up a ton of customisation, not to mention seven years of updates from the time of launch so you’re getting excellent long-term value for money. What’s more, Samsung has now expanded the capabilities of the outer display so it’s more useful for everyday tasks than ever.

Admittedly, it does take a bit of tinkering through Samsung’s Good Lock app, but with a minimal amount of effort, you can access full-sized apps on the outer display so if you need a quick look at Google Maps or WhatsApp, then you have that freedom here without needing to open the phone.

Something that’s also worth mentioning is that, despite the fact that it uses the same-sized 4300mAh cell, the newer Exynos 2600 chipset is far better optmised to make the most of that battery. You can get through a fairly taxing day without needing to reach for a power bank, which is always great for peace of mind.

Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8?

Samsung fans who want access to One UI but in a compact form factor.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8: Further considerations

It’s not a massive update on the Z Flip 7, which is now cheaper.

The Razr 60 Ultra cemented itself as one of our favourite flip phones upon release, showing yet again how Motorola has largely taken the flip concept out of Samsung’s hands and run with it to create something truly memorable. This clearly isn’t lost on the brand as the new Motorola Razr 70 Ultra sits comfortably in the headstart attained by its predecessor, presenting far more of a refinement than a generational leap.

The phone isn’t completely without upgrades however, as there is now a larger 5,000mAh battery onboard. From our testing, we found that you can subject the phone to a fairly gruelling day with plenty of app downloads and playing around with the camera, and you’ll still get to the end of the day without any sense of battery anxiety, which is more than can be said for Samsung’s Z Flip range. Plus, when you do need to top it up, there’s fast 68W wired charging to lean on.

Although the main camera is still set at 50Mp, Motorola has switched it up with a much improved LOFIC lens which adds up to six times the dynamic range. Of course, something like that is tricky to quantify but we did notice superb results when testing the camera in the daytime. Things can look a touch saturated, but this does tend to lead to the type of shot that will catch someone’s attention on social media.

The front screen functionality remains as one of the key reasons to buy a Motorola flip phone, as it offers up so much more functionality than what Samsung provides. You can dive into all of your apps via this display, but the fact that it is more compact means you’re less likely to doomscroll and instead focus on the task at hand. The only thing we would really change about this phone is Motorola AI, which is just disappointing on almost every level and doesn’t match Galaxy AI or Google Gemini/Gemini Intelligence.

Who should buy the Motorola Razr 70 Ultra?

Heavier users who need a sizeable battery in their flip phone.

Motorola Razr 70 Ultra: Further considerations

It’s so similar to the Razr 60 Ultra which can now be found for less.

Google had a tough time with its first-generation foldable but managed to steady the ship with the rather excellent Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which is still worth considering as you can no doubt find it for less now that the Pixel 10 Pro Fold has hit the scene. If you do prefer having the latest tech, however then there’s lots to like about Google’s newest foldable, not least its massive jump forward in durability.

Long-term durability has always been a concern for adopters of any foldable tech, and Google has made sure to assuage those fears by beefing up the 10 Pro Fold with an official IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. In fact, Google’s device is the first foldable of its kind to have this rating, with the dust proofing being the important way it now beats rivals.

Across the board, there have been some great quality of life upgrades, including a larger 5015mAh battery and a higher peak brightness of 3000 nits on both displays. It’s not quite the 5000 nits reached by the Honor Magic V5, but it makes a big difference. Even more appreciated is the new Pixelsnap feature which allows the phone to use MagSafe-style accessories, including most of the ones originally designed for iPhones.

As we’ve come to expect from Pixel phones nowadays, the new Tensor G5 chipset, while solid in its own right, just can’t quite match the performance of competing processors like the Snapdragon 8 Elite. It’s less of an issue during everyday use but it can seriously hamper gaming, so if you are the type of person who likes to get in a few rounds of Call of Duty Mobile in their lunch hour, then you’re better off with one of Honor or Samsung’s foldables.

While the newer Pixel 11 Pro Fold is available, that phone doesn’t constitute enough of an upgrade for it to become our go-to recommendation over the 10 Pro Fold, which can now be found for less.

Who should buy the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold?

Fans of stock Android and Google’s AI features, durability, as well as magnetic wireless charging and accessories.

Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold: Further considerations

It’s not the most powerful or light, plus the Pixel 11 Pro Fold now on the scene.

While not the massive overhaul that some Razr 50 fans might have been hoping for, the Motorola Razr 60 is still a fantastic foldable phone and one that is crucially a great deal more affordable than its closest Samsung rival. What’s more, now that the Razr 70 has hit the scene, the Razr 60 can now be found for even less, making it a true bargain.

The Razr 60 isn’t just a reskinned Razr 50, as there are two key upgrades this time that are sure to appeal to flip phone users in search of a new device: a larger battery and better durability. Going from 4200mAh to 4500mAh, the Razr 60’s battery is now able to get through a fairly heavy day of use and still have a decent amount of juice left in the tank.

Given that durability has long been a point of contention with foldable phones of all sizes and variations, now having an official IP48 rating ensures that the Razr 60 can do a far better job at withstanding dust particles, which, over time, can wreak havoc with a foldable crease. Again, these aren’t major upgrades but niceties to have for added peace of mind.

Just like before, you’re still getting the massive 3.4-inch external display, which offers up enough space to easily interact with apps at a moment’s notice. If you want to do something more involved, like watch a bit of Netflix, then the 6.9-inch interior display, with a 1080 x 2640 resolution, 3000 nits of peak brightness and 120Hz refresh rate can get the job done.

Who should buy the Motorola Razr 60?

Flip phone fans who want excellent value for money at the checkout.

Motorola Razr 60: Further considerations:

You’ll get longer software support by opting for a newer phone.

It took quite a while for Samsung to finally meet the competition head-on and release a more budget-friendly alternative within its Z Flip range, but the wait was most certainly worth it as the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE presents quite the value proposition. Even though it has a lower price tag of £849 (affordable within the context of flip phones), the Flip 7 FE is still a premium device.

The big allure here as to why you might buy the Flip 7 FE over a competing device from Motorola is that Samsung promises seven years of software and security updates from the time of launch, giving you the freedom to use the 7 FE well into the future. If you’re the type of person who likes to hold on to a phone for an extended period of time then this is a huge win.

You’re also getting a gorgeous 6.7-inch AMOLED internal display which boasts the same degree of colour vibrancy and brightness that Samsung’s phones are known for. Pair that with the detail rich 50Mp main camera sensor and you have plenty of space to edit your photos either manually or with a bit of help from Galaxy AI.

The only major letdown is that the 3.4-inch outer display feels far less functional than the almost end-to-end displays found on the most recent Motorola Razr phones, or even the full-fat Galaxy Z Flip 7. Still, it’s a reasonable trade-off for the lower price tag, plus Samsung provides a much cleaner version of Android than what you’ll find with the competition.

Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE?

Samsung fans on a budget who still want to hop on board the foldable bandwagon.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE: Further considerations

The outer display just isn’t up to scratch with what the latest Motorola Razr phones provide.

It might seem odd at first glance to see a previous-gen pick on this list, but given just how expensive phones are becoming, particularly in the world of foldables, we think it makes sense to draw attention to the phones that are no longer new but are still great performers in 2026. To that end, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 fits the bill perfectly.

With a full seven years of promised software and security updates from the time of launch, the Z Fold 7 has plenty of life left in it as it’s only been superseded by a single generation thus far, with the newer (and more expensive) Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra taking its spot. Because the phone continues to receive updates, it boasts a ton of great software features found in One UI, which is already one of the better Android overlays out there for how well it works with the foldable form factor.

This was the phone that finally did away with that feeling of camera compromise that previous Z Folds were burdened with, as it boasts the same 200Mp main camera that was originally brought to market on the Galaxy S25 Ultra. With that beefier sensor in tow, the Fold 7 can take some of the best-looking shots we’ve ever seen from a foldable, and all that detail means that you can crop in without the end result looking like a blurry mess.

The phone is also still very lightweight and slim in the hand, so it doesn’t feel like anything other than a cutting-edge device, and that sentiment continues thanks to the largely hidden crease that runs down the centre of the 8-inch inner display. It’s just a great foldable phone, and the ability to pick it up for a lot less than it originally went for at launch, just makes it even better.

Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7?

Bargain hunters who want a discounted yet feature-packed foldable.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: Further considerations

The overall camera system doesn’t quite match that of Honor’s Magic range.