Foldable phones used to be a far-flung concept from science fiction, but the latest in foldable smartphones brings the ideas of the future to the here and now. Built with strong aluminum frames and cutting-edge ultra-thin glass that can literally fold in half, these phones will amaze you every single time you open and close them.
Right now, it's nigh impossible to find a more perfect foldable phone than the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 (opens in new tab). When unfolded, it looks similar to the average smartphone, including a sleek and slim chassis with an all-day battery. But, when you're all done and just need to fit it in your jeans pocket, you can fold it in half, and it magically seems to fit just about anywhere.
However, the beauty of the foldables market is that you don't just have to have a "normal" shape phone that folds in half. What if you'd rather have a regular-size phone that unfolds into a tablet instead? Or maybe a book-style foldable makes more sense, giving you two screens instead of one. Either way you fold it, these tremendous foldable phones bring the best parts of the best Android phones (opens in new tab) into neat, versatile packages.
Let's get to unfolding the best foldable phones
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The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 isn't a revolutionary upgrade over its predecessor, but it didn't really need to be, anyway. Samsung slimmed up the frame and the hinge on the Z Flip 4 when compared to the Flip 3. It also shrunk the Flip 4 by a few millimeters but added a few grams to the weight. Why? Because the battery got a 400mAh increase in capacity!
That, combined with the more powerful and more power-efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor inside means the Flip 4 gets better battery life than the Flip 3 could have ever dreamed. It also charges faster than the Flip 3, so if there's a day you need to top up the battery, it will only take 20 minutes or so to get enough power to last.
The Flip 4's refined design includes a hinge that unfolds flatter than the Z Flip 3, which not only makes it feel more like a "normal" phone when it's unfolded, but it also helps reduce the look of the display crease in the middle, as we pointed out in our Galaxy Z Flip 4 review (opens in new tab).
The Flip 4 retains the smaller cover display, which is even more useful these days thanks to a free cover screen app (opens in new tab) that expands the functionality beyond what Samsung provides out of the box. Inside is a gorgeous 120Hz display that's 45% stronger than last year's, and the pre-installed screen protector now has stronger adhesive and a better application to help eliminate peeling over time.
Samsung also upgraded the camera experience, fitting a brighter sensor underneath larger lenses on the back of the phone. That results in faster low-light shots and better overall quality.
Best yet, it's still the same price as the Flip 3, even with all the upgrades. The best Galaxy Z Flip 4 deals (opens in new tab) often take hundreds off the regular price, and you might even be able to get one for free depending on your carrier or the time of the year.
OPPO's best flip phone is out and it's available internationally this time, not just in China. This one borrows the amazing Flexion Hinge technology that made the OPPO Find N and N2 so impressive as it finally gets rid of the display crease. That's a huge deal for foldable phones — especially the smaller flip-style — as it means there's no longer an annoying line in the middle of the display.
OPPO's hardware design is similar to Samsung's but improves upon it in several ways. That Flexion Hinge means the phone actually folds flat when closed — no wedge shape like Samsung's hinge has — and the outer screen is substantially larger than what Samsung's Flip series offers.
While OPPO didn't do much with the outer display out of the box, several third-party apps already allow full use of the screen, just as you can do with the Galaxy Z Flip series. The best part here is that the screen isn't some minuscule thing on the OPPO Find N2 Flip like it is on the Galaxy Z Flip series.
While there's no IP rating for water or dust resistance, OPPO is hoping the above tradeoffs make it more acceptable for everyday use than Samsung's own tradeoffs. Plus, the company has outfitted the Find N2 Flip with 44W charging capabilities which means it charges roughly twice as fast as the Galaxy Z Flip — and it can charge 50% in just 20 minutes which helps eliminate any battery anxiety you might get if you forget to plug it in.
In many ways, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the ultimate Android phone. Its super-charged processor isn't just faster than any you've used before, but it also doesn't get hot while playing games and will still deliver better battery life than last year's Fold 3.
In our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 review (opens in new tab), we noted that getting through a full day's use was no problem at all, and a 20-minute charge will top-up the battery if you happen to run a bit low one day.
Samsung also upgraded the Galaxy Z Fold 4's cameras, giving it the same great camera setup as the Galaxy S22 Plus. Our Galaxy Z Fold 4 camera review (opens in new tab) is proof positive that this phone has a superb camera system that'll regularly have you saying "wow."
On top of that, Samsung added some nifty new multitasking features like a taskbar on the big screen. That makes it feel more like a laptop or tablet rather than a phone, so any app on your phone is just a tap or two away at any time. It also means running multiple apps at once is easier than ever, as you'll just need to drag any icon up from the taskbar to run apps in split screen.
The Fold 4 might still have no S Pen holster, but great Fold 4 S Pen cases (opens in new tab) like the Spigen Thin Fit P will have you forgetting about that problem in no time. Samsung further tightened up the design over the Fold 3, as well, slimming up the hinge, reducing the bezels on both displays, and adjusting the aspect ratio to make the outer display more comfortable to use. It's a fantastic upgrade that will please even the pickiest of power users.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 might be last year's foldable, but it's still extremely capable and now sells for a lower price than ever. Samsung cut the price by hundreds, making it $600 less than the Z Fold 4 on average.
But it's still the same great phone we loved from last year. While the camera isn't as good as the Fold 4's camera, it's still good enough to get the job done and take some seriously great pics. It's also got IPX8 water resistance and S Pen support, as well as the upgraded PET screen protector that's pre-installed on the big foldable display.
Because of the big price drop, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 (opens in new tab) is still a tremendous value that packs a tablet and a phone into one amazing form-factor. This is a great alternative to the Galaxy S22 Ultra (opens in new tab) if you still want S Pen support with an even larger, more tablet-shaped screen. Using the smaller screen is also a joy thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate, which keeps things smooth even when you're just casually browsing.
When you think of a foldable phone, you might think of one smaller screen unfolding to reveal one larger display. But what if your foldable looked more like a book, with a proper cover on the outside, and two separate displays on the inside? That describes the Microsoft Surface Duo 2 (opens in new tab), the sequel to Microsoft's first major Android phone.
The dual-screened approach actually enables you to be a bit more productive, as you can move apps between the two screens instead of tiling them on one large display. The inner edge of both screens curves inward, waterfall style, and create a sort of "hinge display" Microsoft calls the Glance Display. This is great for seeing when you receive a text, a phone call, checking the battery level, or any other missed notifications.
Microsoft also added in support for the Surface Slim Pen 1 or 2, making the Surface Duo 2 feel more like a digital notebook than most other foldables. The cameras on the back have been significantly improved over the original Surface Duo, but the giant camera hump also means the Duo 2 won't fold flat when you fold those displays backward. It's not a deal-breaker but it's definitely something folks might miss from the first iteration.
Bottom line
While there are only a few foldable phones available outside of China, the options available are pretty impressive. There's little doubt that the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is the foldable that makes the most sense for most people, as it packs a giant screen into a foldable, pocket-friendly form factor.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is Samsung's most premium foldable, featuring an even larger, tablet-like display inside, and a nearly standard-sized smartphone screen on the outside. It's the most powerful foldable phone you'll find in most regions of the world, and Samsung's world-class software and camera experience make it the most feature-rich foldable on the list.
We've recently removed Motorola's 2020 RAZR folding phone because of its age and the fact that Motorola is readying a proper premium follow-up likely called the RAZR+ 2023 (opens in new tab). This phone folds up in a classic RAZR clamshell form factor and looks to sport a full-sized outer display, giving it a leg-up on the competition. Plus, it's got the latest silicon and some great-looking cameras on the body, which should put Motorola in a good competitive position in the foldable market.
