Best Foldable Phones in 2025: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold, Z Flip, Moto Razr, Pixel Fold

Yahoo

26-02-2025

The foldables 'fad' may have come and gone, but folding phones have more than proven their worth as reliable and adaptable devices. They can change the way we interact with our all-important smartphones, such as using a flip phone's cover screen instead of opening it every time or multi-window productivity on large-screen foldables. Samsung and Motorola still dominate the foldable space here in the U.S. with years of Samsung's hardware refinements and Motorola's price-shaving. Even relative newcomer Google has made enormous leaps between its first Pixel Fold and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold.
Folding phones come in two main varieties for now: candy bar, book-style phones, which open up like a book to become larger, tablet-size devices (like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5) and flip-style phones, which fold in half to become smaller and more pocketable (like the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Moto Razr series). Because of the still-recent technology, all foldables are more expensive than their regular smartphone equivalents, making them a luxury option. But if you're looking to turn heads when you whip out your foldable display and bend your phone in half, they're worth looking into. Here are our picks for the best foldable phones available now.
Most models on this list have newer models, but with the higher prices of foldables, newer isn't always the best value. If you are looking for a clamshell or 'hamburger' style foldable, I also highly recommend checking out our guide to the best flip phones, which showcases the current and previous-generation Motorola Razr and Samsung Z Flip lineups. You can also read our reviews for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold if you're looking for the latest phone-to-tablet or 'hot dog' style folding phones. Oppo has also just released the new Oppo Find N5, but that phone won't be coming to the United States.
So far, Samsung's Galaxy Z line has the lead with the most iterations of folding phones with its two foldable designs -- the book-style folding tablet Galaxy Z Fold series and flip-phone-like Z Flip series -- but it's no longer the only company with skin in the game.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 sits at the top of our list of best foldable phones, largely because it has an approachable price for a foldable. At $1,000, it is still expensive, but we believe it packs a lot for that price. The design and build quality feel sturdy, the software is polished, and the Z Flip gets four years of Android version support. On top of it all, the clamshell form factor and large cover screen make it one of the most portable and fun phones you can own.
Look for sales: Look for sales and deals close to major shopping holidays like Presidents Day, Amazon's Prime Day and Black Friday.
Consider last year's models: When a new phone gets launched, stores and carriers discount their older phones to sell off existing stock. Samsung's new foldables tend to launch around the beginning of August and new Razrs tend to arrive in June. Google traditionally launched new phones in October, but the Pixel 9 Pro Fold launched in September 2024.
See the phone in person: It's worth going to a store and trying out a potential phone. You may love or hate the way it looks and feels.
Budget for a case: Foldable phones sold today are more durable than phones from even a few years ago, but it still might be a good idea to protect your phone with a case to keep it in tip-top shape. A screen protector for the outer screen is also well worth considering.
We test every phone in real-world scenarios, focusing on its features, design, performance, cameras, battery life and overall value. We document our findings in an initial review that is periodically updated when there are new software updates, or to compare it against new phones from competitors such as Apple, Samsung, Google and OnePlus.
Photography
Photography is a major focus for most phones these days, so we take pictures and videos of various subjects in a variety of settings and lighting scenarios. We try out any new camera modes, such as ProRes Log video that debuted with the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max or the Magic Editor photo tool that launched with the Google Pixel 8 series.
Battery life
Battery testing is conducted in a variety of ways. We assess how long a phone lasts during a typical day of use and note how it performs during more focused sessions of video calls, media streaming and gaming. We also conduct a video playback test, as a simple, replicable measure of pure battery life, which isn't always included in the initial review but sometimes added later in an update.
Performance measuring
We use benchmarking apps to measure each phone's performance, alongside our own anecdotal experiences using the phone for our review. Most noteworthy is how graphics and animations look. Are they smooth? Do they lag or stutter? We also look at how quickly the phone switches between horizontal and vertical orientations, and how fast the camera app opens and is ready to take a photo.