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Most foldables these days are durable, protected from the elements, powerful and some even have great cameras. And yes, that crease right in the middle has almost disappeared.
There is one choice you have to make, though, as the category has split in two: do you want a foldable that looks like a regular phone and opens into an almost perfect square, or would you rather have a foldable that is shorter and wider than a traditional smartphone but that opens into a wide rectangle?
We, at PhoneArena, have tested all recent foldable phones, so here is a breakdown of the pros and cons you get with each one.
Samsung has hit a home run with the Galaxy Z Fold 8 | Image by PhoneArena
Why did I pick it?
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is an excellent foldable phone, and one of the key reasons for that is its stumpy form factor. The wallet-style foldable form factor is arguably quite intriguing right now, given that the iPhone Ultra will be announced in early September 2026, so just about any manufacturer will take a crack at beating Apple in this novel category.
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Well, Samsung was one of the first to do that, and honestly, the execution is just about perfect. We get high-end specs, and a lovely design language that combines Samsung's extensive know-how in the foldable phone niche with the latest trends, like a zero-wedge body and no physical display crease.
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 masterfully pairs a 16:10 outer display with a 4:3 inner screen, making this one perfect for a wide amount of activities, like multimedia consumption and gaming, but also productivity, too.
The only relative downside here is the merely dual-camera system, which only covers the basics and doesn't offer an exceptional photo- or video-taking experience, but foldables were never about the camera anyway.
Who is it for?
The Fold 8 is great if you mostly use it unfolded, but it's a bit of a compromise when you are using the shorter and wider cover screen.
For a limited time, Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra can be yours with a generous $300 price cut, no trade-in required. If those savings don't sound compelling enough, trade in an eligible phone to save up to $800.
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is Samsung's first foldable phone with a passport design. Right now, you can grab it with an $800 discount when you trade in an eligible device in good condition. Alternatively, you can grab $200 in Samsung Credit, redeemable toward accessories or other Galaxy devices.
The iPhone Duo is the first and only foldable iPhone, there are just no alternatives.
But not everyone should buy it, especially in light of early reports of screens cracking due to an issue with the hinge.
If we assume those issues are ironed out, the iPhone Duo runs on a familiar, but tweaked iOS version. It has delightful animations and an intuitive interface, and battery life is also solid.
The major issues are just the sheer weight and thickness, which feel excessive, and the lack of a telephoto camera on a $2,000 phone.
Who’s It For?
The iPhone Duo is great for those deep in the Apple ecosystem and technology nerds who love playing around with new form factors.
Its durability issues with the cracked displays, however, make it a cautionary tale, and it's probably not the most practical choice for average users due to its high price.
Key specs
A20 Pro chipset
7.6-inch 120Hz OLED inner display
5.4-inch 120Hz OLED outer display
IP68 water and dust resistance
4,883 mAh battery
60W wired charging
25W MagSafe
iPhone Duo: now up to $1,200 off
$22
23
$55
56
$33 off (60%)
Apple's first-ever foldable phone has finally arrived. The high-end device features a passport-style build and packs a powerful A20 Pro chip. Grab yours at AT&T and save up to $1,200 when you provide an eligible device trade-in and grab a qualifying plan.
One UI 9 is refined and packed with useful functionality
What we don't like
The zoom camera is not impressive for an ultra phone
No S Pen support
Image by PhoneArena
Why did I pick it?
The Fold 8 Ultra is excellent: it looks almost like a traditional smartphone, so you can hardly tell by the thickness or the weight that you are dealing with a foldable.
The tapered sides make opening and closing it much easier, which is important.
The performance is also great thanks to the top-tier Snapdragon chipset inside, and Samsung's One UI software is feature rich as usual.
Who’s It For?
The Fold 8 Ultra is the most refined foldable on the market and Samsung is the company with the best reliability score too.
Key specs
Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy
8.0-inch inner screen
6.5-inch cover screen
4,800 mAh battery
Three cameras, including a telephoto one
IP48 water and dust resistance
5,000 mAh battery
45W wired charging
Seven years of software support
Grab the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra for $300 off
$1799
99
$2099
99
$300 off (14%)
For a limited time, Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra can be yours with a generous $300 price cut, no trade-in required. If those savings don't sound compelling enough, trade in an eligible phone to save up to $800.
The Galaxy Z Fold 8 is Samsung's first foldable phone with a passport design. Right now, you can grab it with an $800 discount when you trade in an eligible device in good condition. Alternatively, you can grab $200 in Samsung Credit, redeemable toward accessories or other Galaxy devices.
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold will last you long. | Image by PhoneArena
Why did I pick it?
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold earns the durability crown because it features full IP68 water and dust resistance, which is a big milestone for the form factor.
Yes, most foldables can survive splashes, but what scares every foldable owner is the dust part. The new hinge mechanism that Google has engineered allows the phone to achieve this certification and level of protection.
One thing I love about the Pro Fold is its cover 6.5-inch display. It is wider than on most other book-like foldables, which makes it easier to use. What's more, the main foldable display gets super bright, so it's easier to use in bright conditions.
Performance is one area where Google's Pixel phones are severely behind their competition, and that's no different with the Pixel Pro Fold. The Tensor processor’s limits are mostly unnoticeable during regular use, but you start to feel them when using more demanding apps.
Battery life is also not quite amazing. Our battery tests gave an estimated battery life below the average for a large foldable.
Still, if durability is your number one concern, this is the safest foldable right now.
Who’s It For?
The Pixel 11 Pro Fold will feel right at home if you are coming from a regular phone, at least when it comes to the software. Google has done a remarkable job with adapting Android on its foldable phones, and that helps them feel just like a regular Pixel. Of course, if you value dust resistance, it is also a great pick for you.
Key specs
Tensor G6 (3nm)
8-inch 120Hz OLED inner display
6.5-inch 120Hz OLED outer display
IP68 water and dust resistance
4,750 mAh battery
30W wired charging
25W Qi2 wireless charging with magnetic alignment
Seven years of OS and security updates
Pixel 11 Pro Fold: buy at Amazon
The new Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold gives you a refined foldable experience with the familiar form factor. The device gives you an excellent Android experience. Right now, it's available at Amazon at its full price.
The Huawei Mate X7 is the foldable king when it comes to battery life and charging. | Image by PhoneArena
Why did I pick it?
Battery life used to be a weak spot for large foldables, but the Mate X7 proves that’s no longer universally true. Its 5,600 mAh battery delivers endurance that rivals traditional slab flagships.
That massive battery resulted in 7 hours and 11 minutes of estimated battery life during our tests. Of course, that's still not as good as some of the latest non-foldable phones, but it is leagues ahead of the competition as far as foldable phones go.
To make things even better, the Mate X7 comes with superfast charging speeds. It has 66W wired charging that gets it to 79% in just 30 minutes, with a full charge taking only 43 minutes. The wireless charging is also quick, reaching up to 50W, which is still rare in this category.
But the battery life and charging speeds are not the only things the Mate X7 has going for it. It also came with improved durability with an IP58 and IP59, as well as reinforced Kunlun glass. It genuinely feels like one of the more robust foldables I’ve handled.
Kunlun is a reinforced ultra-thin glass layer, which is far more resilient than what was used on early-generation foldables. Under normal daily use, cracking is extremely unlikely unless you apply sharp pressure or trap debris in the hinge.
Of course, there are trade-offs too. The software experience and the performance are sub-par. There's no native support for Google apps and services, and the Kirin 9030 chipset can't match the Snapdragon silicon coming from Qualcomm.
Who’s It For?
If battery life is your top priority and you’re comfortable using microG or other Google workarounds, this is the foldable to get.
The Oppo Find N5 blends luxury design with leading performance | Image by PhoneArena
Why did I pick it?
The Oppo Find N5 debuted earlier in 2025 and quickly set a new bar for foldable photography. It combines Oppo’s elegant industrial design with one of the most capable triple-camera systems ever put in a foldable, earning the highest camera score of any foldable in our tests.
Unlike many foldables that still treat cameras as secondary hardware, the Find N5 feels like a true flagship camera that just happens to fold. The 50 MP main sensor, 50 MP 3x telephoto and 8 MP ultrawide delivered consistently natural and well-balanced photos. In our tests, the Find N5 leaned toward realistic tones and restrained processing, which is a welcome sight given the often oversaturated results from competitors.
The Find N5 felt like the most mature camera experience in day-to-day use. Shots of landscapes, portraits, and low-light city scenes all came out with reliable exposure and detail, even when switching between lenses. Video was steady and natural-looking, making it a dependable all-rounder.
Yes, availability is limited outside Asia, and in the U.S. it’s virtually impossible to buy one through carriers. But for those who can get it, the Oppo Find N5 is the best choice if your priority is camera quality on a foldable. It proves that you don’t need to sacrifice great image quality to enjoy the foldable form factor.
Who’s It For?
The Oppo Find N5 is for people who want the absolute best hardware design in the foldable world, with no compromises on display quality or performance. If availability in your region isn’t an issue, it’s the most polished foldable you can buy in 2025.
The Galaxy Z TriFold is Samsung's latest endeavor in the foldable phone market. | Image by Samsung
Why did I pick it?
The TriFold is about screen size. Well, that, and Samsung's ambition. While the phone hasn't come out yet, we got to play around with it in December 2025, and it was an interesting experience.
Unfolded, it gives you roughly a 10-inch-class display, which is easily entering into tablet territory. Multitasking on this thing feels genuinely different from traditional foldables.
Yes, it’s thicker when folded, that's to be expected. But Samsung’s One UI multitasking is miles ahead in polish compared to Huawei’s tri-fold alternative (Mate XT was the first tri-fold), especially in the US and Europe.
And unlike Huawei, Samsung gives you seven years of updates and full Google services.
This is not a mass-market device, of course, but it’s the most practical large tri-fold option for US buyers at the moment.
Who’s It For?
Early adopters. Productivity-focused users. People who want a tablet that folds into a pocket and don’t mind the thickness trade-off.
The Razr Fold has the potential to shake things up in the foldable phones market. | Image by Motorola
Why did I pick it?
For years, Motorola dominated the flip-phone market with the Razr, but it wasn't until MWC 2026 that they finally scaled that expertise into a book-style flagship. The Motorola Razr Fold is a statement piece, directly challenging the dominance of the Galaxy Z Fold series. And it fixes the two biggest complaints of the category: battery life and thickness.
At under 10mm when closed, it feels more like a standard smartphone in your pocket than a folding tablet. Motorola managed to cram a giant 6,000mAh silicon-carbon battery into this frame, which honestly puts rivals like Samsung to shame. When you unfold it, you're met with a huge 8.1-inch screen, perfect for multitasking.
Who’s it For?
The Razr Fold is built for power users who value battery life and fast charging. It's also for those who want a device that fits into a slim pocket. While the flip-style Razrs are more about style and fun, the Razr Fold is more about the big screen and productivity.
Motorola Razr Fold Key Specs:
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 5 (3nm architecture)
Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 8 feels like the Flip that was always meant to be. | Image by PhoneArena
Why did I pick it?
The Flip 8 is the Samsung flip phone perfected.
While the Flip 7 had the large cover screen that we missed, the Flip 8 adds much needed refinement with little touches like tapered sides that make opening it much easier. It's also lighter and thinner.
One UI remains the most mature multitasking system in the foldable space, with reliable split-screen, floating windows, and DeX support. For productivity, Samsung is still comfortably in the lead.
Of course, another benefit—just like with other Samsung phones—is the seven years of OS updates, making the Z Flip a safe long-term purchase.
Who’s It For?
Buy the Galaxy Flip 8 if you want the most compact and lightweight flip phone that will continue getting new software updates for years to come.
The Galaxy Z Flip 8 is now available at the official store. It features an improved build and offers a fantastic foldable experience. You can now get it with a $400 maximum discount, but you'd have to trade in an eligible device in good condition.
The Razr Ultra comes with reliable battery life and super fast charging. | Image by PhoneArena
Why did I pick it?
The Razr Ultra dominates where most foldables usually struggle: battery life and charging speed. Besides the Huawei Mate X7, the Razr Ultra is the best on that front.
The phone managed to squeeze out around 7 hours and 15 minutes in our battery life tests with its 4,700 mAh battery.
Making those results even better is the fact that you can charge the Razr Ultra to 80% in just 30 minutes thanks to its 68W wired charging (full charge in 43 minutes). It also comes with fast wireless charging that can reach 30W, which is double Samsung’s speed on the Z Flip 7.
Another major strength with the Razr Ultra is the Snapdragon 8 Elite, which will get you far better sustained performance than the Exynos 2500 inside the Z Flip 7.
The downside with the Motorola Razr Ultra is that it costs a bit more than the Z Flip 7, coming in at $1,300. It also comes with shorter software support, scheduled to get only 3 years of major Android OS upgrades and 4 years of security updates.
Who’s It For?
The Razr Ultra might not be the best flip phone on our list, but it's definitely not far from that position. If you want to use the main display less, the cover screen on the Razr allows you to use apps more easily, which would only improve its already stellar battery life. It is also a great pick if you value fast battery top-ups.
The Motorola Razr Ultra is still available at the official store, and you can now save $700 on the 1TB variant in several colors. On top of the discount, you grab a free pair of the Moto Buds 2 Plus, saving you an extra $99.99.
The Razr Ultra (2025) is also available at Amazon. Right now, you can buy the model in Pantone Scarab for less than $800. That's practically $600 off its original price, though Amazon has lowered its MSRP, so the promo won't appear as great as it actually is.
There are three main types of foldables right now, and all of them serve their own unique purpose.
Book-style foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Pixel 10 Pro Fold open horizontally into a shape similar to a small tablet. These are built for multitasking, reading, watching content, and productivity. If you want a phone that can double as a mini iPad, this is the category.
Flip phones like the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Motorola Razr Ultra fold vertically into a compact square. These foldables are meant to be as portable as possible. They give you the power of a regular flagship phone in a smaller footprint, with the cover screen becoming increasingly useful.
Tri-fold devices like the Galaxy Z TriFold push the concept further by unfolding into near 10-inch tablet territory. These are still early-adopter devices, but they show where the category is heading.
How Durable Are Foldables Now?
They’re significantly better than they were just a few years ago.
The Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the first foldable with full IP68 dust and water resistance, which removes one of the biggest long-term durability concerns for foldables. The Huawei Mate X7 adds IP58 + IP59 protection and reinforced materials.
The folding screens themselves are also tougher. Manufacturers now use reinforced ultra-thin glass protective layers over the flexible display, which makes the screen more resistant to everyday wear and helps reduce the visibility of the crease over time.
Are they as durable as a traditional non-foldable phone? Far from it. There are still more moving parts involved and more weak points that can result in the phone snapping under pressure. But in 2026, foldables no longer feel like the fragile experiments they used to be. With somewhat careful care, they hold up well over time.
How Big Are Foldables Compared to Regular Phones?
When folded, most book-style foldables are now surprisingly manageable.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7, for example, is 8.9 mm thick when folded and weighs 215 g. That’s close enough to a regular flagship that it no longer feels like a brick in your pocket.
Flip phones are even more pocket-friendly because they fold into a compact square.
Of course, while unfolded, book-style foldables become twice as big as a regular phone, but that's the point. When they are closed, though, they are far more practical than early generations.
What’s It Like to Use a Foldable Phone Daily?
After the novelty wears off, the most significant difference is your options.
With a book-style foldable, I found myself reading more long-form content and watching more videos without reaching for a tablet. Multitasking is also so much easier, and apps that utilize the larger display, like Adobe's Lightroom for example, are a pleasure to use.
With a flip phone the experience is different. It's more about convenience, and I also think it is a lot about using your phone less. The ability to check notifications, reply to messages, or control music without fully opening the device becomes second nature and helps you avoid the traps of modern social media apps.
What About the Crease?
The crease is still there, but recent advancements are hinting that it might soon disappear.
But even with current foldable phones, the crease is much less distracting than it used to be. On devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Oppo Find N5, it fades into the background after a few days of use. The same goes for the Motorola's Razr series.
The thing about the crease is that, after a few hours, you stop noticing it. As long as there is no direct light hitting the phone's display, it is hardly noticeable, if at all.
Which Is Better: Fold or Flip?
It depends entirely on what you want. Do you want a larger screen to watch movies and work with productivity apps, or do you want a phone that will be less physically and mentally distracting?
If you care about multitasking, productivity, reading, and media consumption, book-style folds are the better choice.
If you care about compactness, style, and one-handed use, flip phones are more up your alley.
Another difference to consider is the price. Flip phones are cheaper than large foldables in most cases, making them a lot more accessible.
How we test phones
We put every foldable through the same lab and real-world process:
Battery: Three standardized runs: scripted web browsing, YouTube streaming, and 3D gaming. All of these are done at 200-lux ambient light and calibrated screen brightness, a fixed refresh (60/120Hz as applicable), with a fresh install, and identical network conditions. We publish each result plus a general estimated battery life score.
Display: Calibrated colorimeter for peak/typical brightness, color error (∆E), gamma, and reflectance. Crease visibility is evaluated side-by-side under matched lighting.
Performance: Synthetic benchmarks plus a 30-minute sustained load to assess throttling and chassis temperatures (logged at multiple points).
Camera: Controlled scene chart (artificial lighting, identical subjects and angles).
Ergonomics: At least three days of daily carry per device, noting pocket feel, one-hand reach on the cover screen, hinge stability at multiple angles, and comfort.
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Victor, a seasoned mobile technology expert, has spent over a decade at PhoneArena, exploring the depths of mobile photography and reviewing hundreds of smartphones across Android and iOS ecosystems. His passion for technology, coupled with his extensive knowledge of smartphone cameras and battery life, has positioned him as a leading voice in the mobile tech industry.
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