TOP 5 BEST FOLDABLE PHONES OF 2025

TOP 5 BEST FOLDABLE PHONES OF 2025

These are currently the greatest foldable phones available.


(Image credit: Wirecutter)

Since I’ve been writing about phones for a while, I must admit that I’m constantly amazed by the advancements made in foldable phones in recent years. They may have begun as a bit of a gimmick, but in recent years, their quality has skyrocketed.

There are a growing number of models available, which makes this enhancement more of a double-edged sword. Finding the ideal gadget for you and knowing what to look for in the first place may become more difficult as a result. But after reviewing and testing each of these phones, the Tom’s Guide phones team and I have concluded that the small details are what truly make a great foldable phone.

To assist you choose the best option for you, I’ve collated all of my reviews as well as those of my colleagues.

Table of Contents
THE QUICK LIST

BEST OVERALL

1. OnePlus Open

MOST FEATURES

2. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6

BEST VALUE

3. Motorola Razr 2024

BEST DISPLAY

4. Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold

BEST CAMERA

5. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6



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The OnePlus Open, our favorite foldable overall, has several great features that we hope the OnePlus Open 2 will replicate. According to my review, the OnePlus Open should serve as “a wakeup call for everyone.” Given that this is OnePlus’ first attempt at a foldable phone, it’s quite convincing that it sets the standard for all upcoming foldable phones.

OnePlus made an effort to include as many features as possible in this device, including some really good cameras. The OnePlus Open Apex Edition is an option if you want to take things a step further. The Apex Edition has more storage than the base model and offers some really cool AI cutout capabilities that allow you to create stickers from any picture you take.

Whichever model you choose, the phone has all the features you could possibly need. Both versions have the same thin and light design, the opportunity for a decent trade-in deal, and Dynamic Open Canvas multitasking or simply outstanding battery life (which is great while watching series on some of the finest streaming sites). No phone is flawless, though, as the camera isn’t very good in low light and the absence of wireless charging may turn off some users.


(Image Credit: Android central)

When it comes to folding phones, Samsung is arguably the most well-known manufacturer and is skilled at what it does. This is never more evident than with the Galaxy Z Fold 6, our most feature-rich foldable phone, which builds and enhances the previous Galaxy Z Fold 5. Mark Spoonauer, editor-in-chief of TG Global, gave the phone a lot of excellent reviews, highlighting its new design, robustness, and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 CPU.

Although the cameras are essentially the same as the previous model, there is a discernible variation in the actual image quality, which may cause some disappointment.We can observe a noticeable improvement in quality if we compare the 200 photos we took with the Z Fold 6 and the Z Fold 4. Even if you might not purchase a foldable camera, it’s undoubtedly a feature you’d like to see.

Additionally, I can’t discuss a new Samsung phone without bringing up the Sketch To Image tool and other Galaxy AI features. With the Samsung Notes app, you can sketch anything you want, and the Galaxy AI will transform it into anything from a 3D cartoon to water art. According to Mark, the outcomes are “pretty frickin’ impressive.”

Additionally, I’ve been attempting to utilize the Galaxy Z Fold 6 as a laptop substitute for a considerable amount of time. It’s the closest thing we have to it, despite its flaws.


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Motorola may not be as powerful as it once was, but it is still capable of producing high-quality phones at competitive prices. This is seen in the Motorola Razr 2024, which is unquestionably our best-value phone and has been improved in every way over the previous Razr. According to our review, the larger screen was brighter and had a lot more capability than the previous one.

Note that the Motorola Razr 2024 comes in two different versions, both of which are covered in this article. This foldable’s ability to balance functionality and price is what sets it apart from its larger relative.For as cheap as $699, the 50MP camera, 13MP ultrawide, and design are all excellent deals. I mentioned in my 200-photo comparison of the Razr Plus 2024 and Razr 2024 that, even if the Plus forgoes the ultrawide camera in favor of a telephoto one, it still offers superior photography performance.

That alone would be more than plenty for a low-cost phone, but the exceptional battery life and unexpectedly quick performance add even more. As I mentioned in my review of the Motorola Razr 2024, even the Galaxy Z Fold 6 “faces a tough competitor.”However, there are some drawbacks, such as a lack of an ultrawide camera, which some people may find unappealing, and less software support than other Samsung smartphones.


(Image Credit: Yahoo)

Despite Google’s new weird naming standards, the quality of their folding game has significantly improved with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which follows the Pixel Fold. The larger and brighter 8-inch main display is the primary reason the Pixel 9 Pro Fold made it onto this list, but there are many more features to enjoy as well. The phone’s display was by far the greatest of all the foldables we tested in the TG lab. But there are other things about the phone that I adore as well.I praised the longer battery life, robust design, and plethora of AI features that set the Pixel 9 Pro Fold apart from the competition in my review. Even if it’s a really good phone, there are a few problems, including the Tensor G4’s mediocre performance, which, to be honest, the typical user wouldn’t notice in daily usage.

In addition, I can’t stress enough how bright the screen is. The screen could achieve 2,319 nits when we tested it. Normally, I would anticipate that a phone with this brightness would have a very short power life.But the phone lasted 11 hours and 36 minutes when we tried it, which is more than enough time to watch or play everything you want.

The fact that my colleague Richard Priday took more than 250 pictures with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 6 is even more amazing; this proved to be a victory for Google’s foldable phone.


(Image Credit: My home)

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 marks Samsung’s second entry in our guide. There are many reasons to adore this tiny gadget, starting with its size. When folded, the Z Flip 6 is compact because it folds horizontally across the middle, much like any other phone. For you, it could be enough, but there’s a little more to get excited about.

In my assessment of the Galaxy Z Flip 6, I commended the phone’s general speed as well as its superb low-light photography performance and overall robust build.The change from a 12MP primary camera to a new 50MP primary sensor was without a doubt my greatest compliment. It can imitate a 2x zoom and provides brighter images. It easily prevailed in our 200-photo comparison between the Motorola Razr Plus (2024) and the Galaxy Z Flip 6.

Naturally, we must also highlight the Galaxy’s AI features, which are nonetheless rather remarkable even though they lack some of the Fold’s AI capabilities. Last but not least, this is without a doubt the flip foldable with the greatest camera possibilities. With the AI included, taking and editing pictures and films is a dream come true.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A FOLDABLE PHONE

You should think about what a foldable phone can achieve for you that a regular phone cannot before purchasing one. The majority of foldables still cost $1,000 or more, with the exception of the Motorola Razr, which retails for $699. You could be better off with a phablet or one of the other top large phones we’ve tested unless you absolutely need the extra screen space.

However, if you truly believe that a foldable phone can increase your productivity, be sure to consider the design of the gadget. We panned early foldable phones because of their peculiar designs, such as the Galaxy Fold and the first Motorola Razr. However, with the 2020 Galaxy Z Fold 2, Samsung made several significant adjustments that increased the phone’s resilience to daily use, and these efforts have continued with later generations. For its most recent foldables, such as the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5, Samsung worked on a lighter, smaller hinge after making the Galaxy Z Fold 3 water-resistant.

The bigger internal screen and a secondary screen, typically located on the outside of the device, are the two screens to take into account while purchasing a foldable phone. Find out if the external screen is only there for alerts and a few other functions, or if you can run entire programs on it.When you open the handset, the app you’re using on the cover screen will be waiting for you. Does the screen offer something similar to Samsung’s continuity feature?

Aside from size, which is important since you want to make sure a closed foldable phone is portable, you’re evaluating it based on many of the same standards you use to evaluate regular phones. This covers the camera, CPU, and—most importantly—the battery life. After all, a foldable phone typically has several screens that need to be kept charged.

HOW WE TEST FOLDABLE PHONE

In the same manner that we evaluate any smartphone, we test for the top foldable phones. (For a more thorough description of our procedure, see our look at how Tom’s Guide reviews and tests cellphones.) To assess graphics performance, we run lab testing using artificial benchmarks like Geekbench 5 and 3DMark Wild Life Unlimited. Additionally, we use the Adobe Premiere Rush program to transcode a real-world video on each phone and timing the outcome.

We conduct laboratory tests to measure the brightness of the panel (in nits) and the color gamut (DCI-P3) of each screen in order to assess the quality of a phone’s display. Higher numbers are preferable in certain situations. Each panel’s color accuracy is also evaluated using a Delta-E rating, where a score of 0 indicates perfect color accuracy and lower values indicate improved color accuracy.

FAQ

Is purchasing a foldable phone worthwhile?

It all depends on your typical usage and the features you want in a device. In terms of communication, foldable phones are largely no different from other gadgets; they can still make and receive calls and send texts just like regular phones. But the bigger display and the opportunities it offers are what make them strong. Therefore, it might be a good investment if you enjoy watching a lot of films or reading on your phone, but the cost might put off the typical user. Flip phones are a little more complex because their internal displays are typically the same size as those of regular phones.Their ability to be small is what makes them strong, so if you’re looking for a space-saving device with all the latest features, this is the one for you.

Do creases still appear on foldable phones?

The crease is just a feature of any gadget with a flexible screen, particularly Samsung phones. But they’re not nearly as obvious as many claim. In my experience, the crease doesn’t actually hinder daily use and is only noticeable in very certain situations.

Compared to other phones, are foldable phones less durable?

There’s a widespread misperception that foldable phones are prone to overbending and breaking; I know I was once worried about that. However, the hinges are made so that breaking the phone in half will really require pushing, making it impossible to do it accidentally. However, because the flexible inner displays are composed of softer materials, they are more prone to break than a regular smartphone screen. For this reason, when you are not actively using your phone, keep it folded up.

Can a foldable phone’s hinge sustain damage easily?

The phone won’t likely break in two, but debris can get stuck in the hinge, making the folding operation more difficult and possibly causing irreversible harm. Modern hinges, however, are better made and therefore far less prone to break or become damaged with normal use. Many makers claim that their foldable phones can survive millions of folds in total before breaking, which is more than you’ll probably do while using the phone.


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