Although there’s a lot to love about traditional, candybar-style smartphones, their foldable siblings, which carry a larger screen hidden away, feel like they’re in a league of their own. For certain use cases like working and multitasking, to lining up the perfect selfie, foldables are the better pick for the job, and thanks to the hard work of our expert team, we know which foldables are the best to buy.
Foldables have come a long way since their inception – gone are the days of flimsy hinges that wouldn’t hold up to scrutiny, replaced instead with far sturdier builds that can withstand almost as much as non-foldable phones. If you’re tempted to take the plunge and see what all the fuss is about, then this guide can pair you with the right fold or flip phone to suit your needs.
When it comes to choosing a foldable phone in 2026, there are four form factors to choose from, each built with a specific use case in mind. Flip phones, like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip line, are ideal for taking selfies and video, as the bottom half of the phone can act like a stand. Their smaller external screens, by design, promote a more mindful approach to using your phone as you can access key apps quickly without falling into a pattern of doomscrolling.
Book-style foldables, on the other hand, can be found in both tall and squat varieties, with the Z Fold 7 and the Huawei Pura X Max being great examples of the former and latter, respectively. Taller foldables are perfect for multitasking, as you can have two apps open side by side on their internal screens, so productivity users will get on well here. The more squat variety (which is also rumoured to be used for the upcoming iPhone Ultra) is better suited for entertainment, as the internal display takes on a wider format that feels more natural for streaming and gaming.
There are also trifolding folds, such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Trifold, but this is still quite a niche form factor and hasn’t made its way to the mainstream yet. We imagine that more brands will hop on the bandwagon down the line.
No matter which type takes your fancy, our experts have put in the work to make sure that you don’t spend your hard-earned cash on a dud. With that in mind, here are the latest foldables that we recommend above all others. If you decide that foldables just aren’t for you, then we also have guides to the best phones, the best mid-range phones and the best budget phones.
Best flip and foldable phone reviews
1. Motorola Razr Fold – Best Overall
?quality=50&strip=all" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> Pros
- Appealingly tactile design
- Strong camera set-up
- Big, bright screens
- Good battery life & fast charging
Cons
- Relatively bulky
- Stylus could be better implemented
- Performance isn’t cutting-edge
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.
Read our full
Motorola Razr Fold review
2. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 – Runner-up Book-style Foldable
Pros
- Incredibly slim and lightweight
- Upgraded cameras
- Less noticeable crease
- Excellent software
Cons
- No S Pen support
- No battery or charging upgrades
- Can throttle while gaming
Samsung may have been the first company to really go all-in on the book-style foldable concept, but we’d argue that the Galaxy Z Fold 7 represents the first time the manufacturer has been able to truly deliver on the idea of having a large, tablet-like device that can fit in your pocket. As great as previous Galaxy Z Folds have been, the Fold 7 is just so slim that it’s almost on a whole other level.
When opened up, the Z Fold 7 is only 4.2mm thick, but it’s the fact that it’s 8.9mm thick when folded that makes all the difference. We are finally at that point where keeping a foldable phone on your person doesn’t feel all that different to having a traditional candy-bar style smartphone in your pocket, and that’s a huge win.
Even with the slimmer frame, Samsung has made sure to invest just as much time with the durability of the whole thing, moving the Z Fold 7 over to the more robust Advanced Armor Aluminium for the chassis, and Gorilla Glass Ceramic 2 for the display. Given that you’re getting seven years of updates with the phone, it’s nice to know that it can go the distance.
Cameras have been a bit hit-and-miss on previous Fold phones but there’s more good news to be found here too. There are still three rear-facing sensors but now they’re led by the massively upgraded 200Mp main camera (the same one from the S25 Ultra) and it’s able to capture jaw-dropping shots with plenty of colour.
Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7?
Those who want the perfect combination of style, software, cameras and support in one foldable phone.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7: Further considerations
It’s still one of the priciest phones out there, and there’s no shortage of cheaper alternatives either. The Z Fold 8 is likely to arrive in July 2026.
Read our full
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 review
3. Honor Magic V6 – Best Slim Book-Style Foldable
?quality=50&strip=all" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> Pros
- Lovely slim design
- Big bright displays
- Superb cameras
- Cool software features
Cons
- Pricey
- MagicOS can be frustrating at times
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.
Read our full
Honor Magic V6 review
4. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 – Best Flip Phone
Pros
- Superb cover screenÂ
- Great internal displayÂ
- Excellent main rear cameraÂ
- Top-tier software experienceÂ
- Seven years of updates
Cons
- Battery life could be betterÂ
- Painfully slow 25W chargingÂ
- Still no telephoto camera
Just like with its Z Fold series, there was a moment in time when Samsung had given up quite a bit of ground to the competition, leaving us all wondering whether or not the tech giant could ever catch up again. Thankfully, those concerns are a thing of the past, cemented by the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7.
The most obvious leap forward you’ll spot, particularly against the Z Flip 6, is the total revamp of the cover screen. Now with a proper end-to-end 4.1-inch panel, the exterior display can be used without it feeling like a compromised experience, so you can respond to messages, check for directions and more, all without ever touching the interior display.
Speaking of which, the internal screen has been given a slight size increase, bumping to 6.9-inches. Having such a tall display readily available in a compact form also makes the Z Flip 7 great for catching up on the latest movies or TV shows on the go.
It would be nice to see Samsung bump up not just the battery life but also the charging speeds in a successor, but it’s a minor gripe against what is overall an outstanding flip phone that’s bolstered by Samsung’s highly refined software and long-term promise of updates.
Who should buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7?
Anyone who wants to have their phone for the long-haul, with tons of promised software updates.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7: Further considerations
The battery life is instantly better by Motorola’s flip phones, and you can buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE for less. It won’t be long before the Z Flip 8 is unveiled either.
Read our full
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 review
5. Motorola Razr 60 Ultra – Best Flip Phone Design
?quality=50&strip=all" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> Pros
- Stunning, robust designÂ
- Gorgeous displaysÂ
- Top-tier performanceÂ
- Excellent battery lifeÂ
- Useful cover screen
Cons
- No telephoto cameraÂ
- Only four years of updatesÂ
- Expensive
While the competition is closer than ever thanks to the significant leaps made by the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, the Moto Razr 60 Ultra is still one of the best flip phones you can buy right now, with an experience that’ll leave you wanting for very little.
You’ve probably already spotted as much from the included picture, but the Razr 60 Ultra is one stylish handset. While there are a few colourways available, the ‘Mountain Trail’ option that features a wood finish is just too good to pass on. It’s the type of aesthetic that’ll have your friends bubbling with envy as they wonder why their own phone doesn’t look quite so slick.
Turn on the phone and the experience just gets even better as you’re greeted with a bright and colourful 4-inch AMOLED display. While Samsung may have adopted the same end-to-end style, it still looks great on Motorola’s device and its usability saves you from having to constantly open the phone when you want to quickly dive into an app.
Having a Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset under the hood is a huge boon, as everything loads up quickly and the experience of scrolling through menus and settings feels buttery smooth. It is a shame that you don’t get quite as long an update cycle as you do with Samsung, but the trade-off can be worth it to those who prefer having a longer battery life.
Who should buy the Motorola Razr 60 Ultra?
Heavy users who need a great battery life to get them through the day.
Motorola Razr 60 Ultra: Further considerations
With only four years of updates promised, the longevity pales in comparison to what Samsung provides.
Read our full
Motorola Razr 60 Ultra review
6. Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold – Best Software
?quality=50&strip=all" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> Pros
- The first IP68-rated foldable
- Bigger battery
- Brighter screens
- Pixelsnap magnets built in
- Decent performance
Cons
- Not as quick as Snapdragon-powered rivals
- Cameras could use an upgrade
- Relatively chunky
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.
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
The Tensor G5 can’t keep up with foldable phones powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite.
Read our full
Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold review
7. Xiaomi Mix Flip – Best Cameras/Battery Combo
?quality=50&strip=all" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /> Pros
- Decent battery life for a flip phone
- Good photos with the right lighting
- Swift performance
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