The best foldable phones are not cheap yet, even by phone standards, so we have ranked the best for your attention. The concept has been around for over two years now since the Royole FlexPai debuted at CES 2019 and foldable phones have matured significantly since then, but their price has not significantly dropped.
For instance, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 costs twice as much as the company’s 2020 flagship Samsung Galaxy S21. However, that has to be expected across the board for any device that combines the portability of a regular phone with the advantages of unfolding inner displays that rival tablets for screen real estate, and prices are coming down slightly.
There are clamshell foldables too which are more affordable but also very different. Instead of unfolding with tablet-size screens, they fold up like old-school flip phones, bringing flagship functionality in a much more compact form factor. Because these are so different, we have ranked them separately underneath our foldable phone ranking. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 is among the latest of these, so see how it ranks below.
Fortunately, foldable phones tend to offer top specs that rival the highest end flagship phones, so you are not just paying for the screen. Bear in mind though that the battery life is often a little weaker because of this. With any kind of foldable phone a luxury, it is worth paying attention to this roundup so you can find exactly what you need from the best foldable phones.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is not only the best foldable phone yet, it is the first that we can fully recommend with no caveats – assuming you can stomach the price.
With a more durable design and water resistance, this is finally a foldable phone that is as resilient as we would hope for the money, and thanks to its S Pen stylus support, you can make the most of its big 7.6-inch display.
As much as this is still an expensive phone, it is also actually slightly cheaper than its predecessor was at launch, and it is packed full of power, as you would hope.
The cameras are far from class-leading, even if one of them is hidden under the display, and this isn’t a big enough upgrade to be worth buying if you already own the Galaxy Z Fold 2, but otherwise there’s little to complain about here – this isn’t just the best foldable, it’s among the best phones, period.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 review
SPECIFICATIONS
Release date: August 2021
Weight: 271g
Dimensions: 158.2 x 67.1 x 14.4-16mm / 158.2 x 128.1 x 6.4mm
OS: Android 11
Screen size: 6.2-inch / 7.6-inch
Resolution: 2268 x 832 / 2208 x 1768
CPU: Snapdragon 888
RAM: 12GB
Storage: 256GB / 512GB
Battery: 4,400mAh
Rear camera: 12MP + 12MP + 12MP
Front camera: 10MP / 4MP
Pros
S Pen support – finally
More durable design
Cons
Still very expensive
Cameras could be better
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 is the successor to the Samsung Galaxy Fold, fixing its shortcomings and expanding on its design features. The Z Fold 2 is an ‘innie’ foldable, with an external display for basic tasks and an interior full display that is exposed when unfolded flat.
This secondary external screen has been seriously upgraded from the awkwardly small one on the outside of the original Fold, with a 6.2-inch display on the new foldable that extends from edge to edge. This makes the Galaxy Z Fold 2 look a lot like a conventional (albeit chunky) smartphone when it is folded shut. The inner screen unfolds to 7.6 inches, and both displays have a punch-hole camera for a
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 has flagship specs: a Snapdragon 865 Plus chipset, 12GB of RAM, starting 256GB of storage (sadly not expandable), a 4,500mAh battery, and 5G support. You will pay for the privilege, though: the foldable starts at $1,999 / £1,799 / AU$2,999 (about UAE 7,300).
SPECIFICATIONS
Release date: September 2020
Weight: 282g
Dimensions: 159.2 x 68 x 16.8mm / 159.2 x 128.2 x 6.9mm
OS: Android 10
Screen size: 6.2-inch / 7.6-inch
Resolution: 2260 x 816 / 2208 x 1768
CPU: Snapdragon 865 Plus
RAM: 12GB
Storage: 256GB
Battery: 4,500mAh
Rear camera: 12MP + 12MP + 12MP
Front camera: 10MP / 10MP
Pros
Edge-to-edge front display
Expansive inner screen
Cons
Expensive
Not many apps use full-unfolded screen
Huawei Mate Xs
The Huawei Mate Xs is Huawei’s successor to the Huawei Mate X, and it’s an upgrade in a number of ways, resulting in a more durable device that still has the same excellent core design as the original Mate X. Unfortunately, it doesn’t come with Google apps and services – meaning the Android 10 experience won’t get Google upgrades and improvements, nor does the device have access to standbys like Google Maps.
Given that, the Huawei Mate Xs is still a very impressive device, and an excellent execution of the foldable concept. It is an ‘outie’ foldable, with only a single external screen that is either unfolded flat for an 8-inch tablet-size display or folded closed for a 6.6-inch format.
It is also powerful, with a high-end Kirin 990 chipset, 8GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, a quad-lens camera (led by a 40MP main sensor), a 4,500mAh battery, and a stylish, notch-free design.
Of course, all of this comes at a high price, with the Huawei Mate Xs retailing for £2,299 / AU$3,999 (around $2,750), though it can often now be found for a little less. Being a Huawei device there is unsurprisingly also no US availability, and no access to Google apps on the horizon (unless both companies come to a surprise agreement), but you can still find it online unlocked.
SPECIFICATIONS
Release date: March 2020
Weight: 300g
Dimensions: 161.3 x 78.5 x 11mm / 161.3 x 146.2 x 5.4mm
OS: Android 10
Screen size: 6.6-inch / 8-inch
Resolution: 2480 x 1148 / 2480 x 2200
CPU: Kirin 990 5G
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 512GB
Battery: 4,500mAh
Rear camera: 40MP + 8MP + 16MP + TOF
Front camera: N/A
Pros
Edge-to-edge outer display
Same cameras for rear & selfies
Cons
No Google apps and services
Not sold by many retailers
Samsung Galaxy Fold
The Samsung Galaxy Fold (now renamed the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold) dazzled us during the Samsung Galaxy S10 launch in February 2019, but the world had to wait until April before the South Korean manufacturer allowed the first members of the media to get hands-on with the device.
Initial impressions were good, and despite a high price tag, the slick interface and huge 7.3-inch unfolded screen was impressive – we had the first mainstream foldable in our hands, and it was stunning. However, just as the Galaxy Fold’s April 2019 US release date neared, a number of review units malfunctioned which led Samsung to delay the Galaxy Fold. Some refinements later, the device finally launched to the public later in the year, and it is still a great device over a year later.
The phone’s specs include both a 4.6-inch HD+ Super AMOLED screen on the front and a foldable 7.3-inch QHD Dynamic AMOLED display on the inside; essentially letting you use the device as both a phone and a tablet. That external screen seems limited compared to the edge-to-edge display on the outside of the Z Fold 2, but the original Fold’s screen is still useful for regular tasks.
The device supports three-app multi-tasking and allows you to seamlessly move from one screen to the other, with whatever content you were viewing switching between them as you open or close the larger display.
It has a 4,380mAh battery, 12GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, and a high-end Snapdragon 855 chipset. Cameras? The Galaxy Fold has six: a 16MP lens and a pair of 12MP lenses on the back, a 10MP camera on the front, and a dual-lens 10MP and 8MP pairing on the inside, visible when using the large foldable screen.
The device was not cheap when it launched, with a starting price of $1,980 / £1,800 (around AU$2,760), but that has come down significantly since then.
SPECIFICATIONS
Release date: September 2019
Weight: 263g
Dimensions: 160.9 x 62.9 x 15.5mm / 160.9 x 117.9 x 6.9mm
OS: Android 10
Screen size: 4.6-inch / 7.3-inch
Resolution: 1680 x 720 / 2152 x 1536
CPU: Snapdragon 855
RAM: 12GB
Storage: 512GB
Battery: 4,380mAh
Rear camera: 12MP + 12MP + 16MP
Front camera: 10MP / 10MP + 8MP
Pros
Inner and outer displays
Discounted now
Cons
Durability issues
Not many apps use full-unfolded screen
LG Velvet
The LG Velvet is not technically speaking a folding phone, but its close enough – and it is definitely worth considering if you are in the market for this kind of device. It comes with a dual-screen accessory that doubles the size of the phone display.
That means you can get two apps up side by side, or have touch controls on one screen while a game plays on another, or keep a couple of browser windows in view simultaneously, and so on. The dual-screen case also has a neat little display on the outside as well, for showing key information.
Even without the case, this is a great phone: a 6.8-inch, 1080 x 2460 pixel OLED display, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G CPU, up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, a triple-lens 48MP+8MP+5MP rear camera, 5G and wireless charging are some of the goodies on offer.
SPECIFICATIONS
Release date: 2020, May 15
OS: Android 10, upgradable to Android 11, LG UX
Weight: 180 g
Dimensions: 167.2 mm x 74.1 mm x 7.9 mm (unfolded)
Screen size: 6.8 inches (unfolded)
Resolution: 1080 x 2460 pixels (unfolded)
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G
RAM: 6GB / 8GB
Storage: 128GB
Battery: 4,300 mAh
Rear camera: 48 MP wide + 8 MP ultrawide + 5 MP depth
Front camera: 16 MP
Pros
Stylish handset
Folding is extra
Impressive display
Cons
Slow charging
No telephoto camera, low-res ultra wide
So-so results from the main cam in low light, ultra wide is nearly useless in the dark
Bottom line
When it comes to the limited selection of foldable phones, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is the best of the bunch. It does not offer the same level of durability and value as a normal non-folding smartphone, but that is not what we are evaluating here.
As far as a foldable goes, it offers the best combination of features and quality while limiting the compromises. When it is open, you have a tablet-like canvas for running multiple apps, and when it is shut, you get a relatively familiar (albeit narrow) form factor that is useable in one hand. Now you have an official water-resistance rating along with S Pen compatibility, even if you need to buy a special S Pen to work with the Z Fold 3.
Best Flip Phones in 2021
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