It's already been a big year for folding phones. We most recently saw the release of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7, which both brought major upgrades to the world's most popular series of foldables. There have also been some quality releases from Motorola on the flip phone front, with the annual update to the brand's revived Razr series. And though not available worldwide, the Oppo Find N5 stunned us during our review testing.
There's plenty more to look forward to as well: Google has confirmed that a Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold is on the way to follow up its iconic Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, and we're still hearing rumors of a Samsung tri-fold phone and foldable iPhone waiting somewhere over the horizon.
However, some phone makers have taken a slight step back from this cutting-edge corner of the industry. OnePlus has declared that it won't be releasing a OnePlus Open 2 this year, which is a shame considering how much we loved the original.
If you're in the market for a new folding phone, or simply curious to find out the best you can get, keep reading for a list of the best folding phones. If you're after something a little more conventional, our lists of the best phones and best Android phones have got you covered.
The best foldable phones
Here are our top picks for the best foldable, the best flip phone, and the best choice for folks looking for a bargain
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 sets a new standard for tablet-style folding devices. It's got beautiful, wider displays, a truly flagship camera system, and class-leading internals. Samsung has also slimmed the Galaxy Z Fold 7 down to an impressive 4.1mm when unfolded – the only downside is the high price.
The OnePlus Open was the most affordable foldable phone when it launched in October 2023, and now it costs even less while still holding its own. If you can afford it, the new Apex Edition in Crimson is one of the prettiest phones we've ever seen.
The Galaxy Z Flip 7 is the best flip phone Samsung has ever made, and our pick for the best on the market – its 4.1-inch cover display is finally edge-to-edge, wrapping around the dual camera system. Inside, the 6.9-inch main display remains as beautiful to look at as it is easy to use.
Motorola has continued its hot streak by releasing another sleek and stylish flagship, the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025. As well as a 165hz 4-inch cover screen and beautiful 6.9-inch folding display, the Razr Ultra 2025 comes in a variety of gorgeous finishes, including a unique wood-panel effect.
Though incredibly hard to get a hold of in most Western markets, the Oppo Find N5 has found its way onto our list thanks to its forward-thinking design, immense hardware power, and slim build. It's the folding phone of the future, just don't bank on being able to buy one (unless you're in Australia).
Read more below
Pros
- The thinnest and lightest Z Fold phone yet
- 200MP main camera
- Unexpectedly useful AI integration
Cons
- No 5x zoom
- No S Pen support
- So expensive
As TechRadar's Mobile Computing Staff Writer, I write about all the latest folding phones and the technology that powers them. I previously used the OnePlus Open as my daily driver and have tested a handful of other folding devices, so I know what makes a great folding phone experience.
The best folding phone in 2025
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Here you'll find write-ups and specs for each of the best folding phones that appear in our list. We've tested each of these models and published full reviews, so you know our list is based on real-world use and expert experience.
The best foldable phone
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 takes the world's most popular booklet-style folding phone to new heights. After a few years of iterative upgrades, Samsung really pulled out all the stops with the Galaxy Z Fold 7: bigger displays, more hardware power, and a new thin and light design.
Let's start with the screens: the Galaxy Z Fold 7 is physically taller and wider than its predecessor, which means both of its displays have been made a bit larger. Its cover display is now a 6.5-inch panel in a more useable 21:9 aspect ratio, while the main display now measures 8 inches diagonally.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is also the first folding phone to sport a truly flagship-class camera system. Its 200MP main camera has the same ultra-high resolution sensor as the Galaxy S25 Ultra and Galaxy S25 Edge, and it also packs a telephoto and ultra-wide camera for flexibility. No other folding phone camera system comes close.
Underneath those beautiful displays, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy chipset, the best chipset for Android phones. It also has 12GB or 16GB of RAM, depending on configuration, and 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of storage. The only drawback is the price – the Galaxy Z Fold 7 starts at a hefty $1,999.99 / £1,799 / AU$2,899.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 review
The best bargain foldable phone
The OnePlus Open gives us everything we want in a foldable phone that we weren't getting before. It has great cameras, especially for portraits and selfies. It also has the best design of any big foldable phone, especially if you're willing to pay a bit more for the OnePlus Open Apex edition, which comes in a Crimson Shadow Color and includes 1TB of storage inside. .
In classic OnePlus fashion, the OnePlus Open is a flagship killer, so you get great specs, especially when it comes to the phone's performance and the great displays, inside and out. You also get a cool design, all for a lower price than most competitors. Don't be scared off by the phone's price tag, OnePlus is making it easy to get an even bigger discount if you have any phone to trade.
The OnePlus Open admittedly comes with some compromises that you won't find on a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. It isn't water resistant, while Samsung's phone can take a dunk under water. Its also a little lighter on productivity and AI features, which the Galaxy Z Fold 7 has an abundance of.
That doesn't matter, because the OnePlus Open is built so well; while it's not really 'thin' anymore compared to the competition, in day-to-day use, the OnePlus Open still feels perfect. If you want a tablet foldable phone for less, there's only one to consider.
Read our full OnePlus Open review
The best flip phone
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 is, as you might expect, the best flip phone Samsung has ever made. As is the case with its big cousin, the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 breaks the pattern of iterative upgrades, and stands toe-to-toe with competition from Motorola and imports from Xiaomi and Oppo.
The most noticeable of the phone's features is the true edge-to-edge cover display, meaning the phone now looks as remarkable closed as it does unfolded. It's loaded with even more AI than last year's model, with access to Samsung's own Bixby as well as Google Gemini, and comes pre-loaded with One UI 8, based on Android 16.
As ever, though, the Galaxy Z Flip 6's true strength is in its design and build quality. No other flip phone feels as solid or stays as rigid when partially open, which makes setting the phone up to take photos or watch videos feel effortless. That cover screen has the thinnest bezel on any Galaxy phone, and the color options are vibrant and varied.
It's not a perfect phone – performance could be better, and battery life is just okay – but when it comes to flip phones, you won't find an experience that's more refined or more heavily loaded with features.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 review
The best cover display
Of all the phones on this list, the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 is the one most dedicated to standing out. Amongst its quirky visual choices, the Razr Ultra 2025 has a simply gorgeous cover display. It's almost as large as the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7's cover screen and has a higher resolution and peak brightness, making it easier to use the cover display outdoors or for simple mobile tasks.
This stylish flip phone is more than its cover display, though – the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 is as impressive when it comes to performance as it is in its design. The phone is powered by the class-leading Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset and 16GB of RAM, which is more pure horsepower than the Galaxy Z Flip 7 gives you.
And how about those color options? The Razr Ultra 2025 is the only phone I've seen this year that has actual wood panelling as one of its aesthetic options – there's also an Alcantara fabric option and some vibrant Pantone-branded colors.
Like all Motorola phones, the Razr Ultra 2025 runs a near-stock version of Android with very little bloatware. It's a clean, intuitive experience, whether you find yourself leaning towards its excellent cover screen or (also wonderful) 7-inch inner display.
Read our full Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 review
The best import foldable
The Oppo Find N5 is a marvel of engineering and a generational step forwards for the folding phone category – unfortunately, it's also very hard to buy - it's totally absent from the US, UK, and Europe. It's coming to Australia, but we don't have official pricing yet.
So, we won't include the Oppo Find N5 in our rankings, but we had to give it a mention thanks to its futuristic design and immense hardware power.
As our review liberally mentions, the Oppo Find N5 is the thinnest tablet foldable phone in the world, and the thinnest folding phone after the tri-fold Huawei Mate XT. It's just 4.21mm thin when unfolded, thinner than an iPad Pro, and 8.93mm folded, which is just barely thicker than an iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Somehow that's still enough space for a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, 16GB of RAM, and a class-leading 5,600mAh battery. It also weighs about as much as a typical slab flagship, so it's easy to forget you're using a folding phone at all, at least until you open its massive inner display.
Oppo wasn't content to just make the world's thinnest book-style foldable, and so equipped the Find N5 with the largest displays found on a phone of this type. With an immersive 8.12-inch inner display and 6.62-inch cover screen, the Oppo Find N5 makes any video, article, or game look fantastic, building on the great screens found on the OnePlus Open (the previous-generation Find N3 in all but name). It's also water resistant, with a titanium hinge that's far more durable than prior models.
There are some drawbacks – the Find N5's cameras have been downgraded to allow for a slimmer profile, there's no dust resistance, and there are a few software bugs to iron out – but the "wow" factor of holding such a powerful, beautiful, slim device never fades. It's a shame the Find N5 isn't coming to more territories, because this is a phone that puts up a very strong fight against the competition.
Read our full Oppo Find N5 review
How to choose the best foldable phone for you
First decide if you want a foldable phone that opens into a larger tablet display, or a foldable phone that folds into a smaller clamshell device. We have picks for both options.
A tablet foldable phone gives you an outer display that is a little smaller than a normal smartphone, though phone makers are trending towards wider and larger cover screens. The inner display on a modern tablet-style foldable is typically between 7 and 8 inches.
A flip foldable phone gives you an inner display that is larger than most smartphones. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 has a 7-inch foldable display, while an iPhone 16 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch display.
How we test the best foldable phones
We've only included phones on this list that we've thoroughly tested, and our testing regiment is deep and detailed. We test every aspect of a phone that you might use from day-to-day, then we dive deeper to discover all of the hidden features.
We test phones for battery life and charging, speed and performance, and especially for camera capabilities. We make sure that phones deliver on their manufacturer's promise. If it says a phone can charge in 30 minutes, we break out the stopwatch.
We've seen every phone around, so we have a good idea of how each model stacks up to one another. We know what you're getting, no matter what you pay. We make sure the phones deliver what we'd expect for the cost.
Once we're done, we don't stop. We keep updating our reviews as we learn more, and as the phones are updated. Our reviews are always fresh, so check back before you buy to make sure you're getting the latest opinion on the best phones you can buy.
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