Best foldable smartphones

Flips and folds of all types and prices.

- ANYRON COPEMAN

In recent years, innovation might've slowed when it comes to regular smartphones, but foldables continue to improve at a rapid rate. Since Samsung launched the original Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold in 2020, dozens of different companies have experimented with versions of their own, creating devices that offer some extra benefits compared to standard smartphones.

In the case of the modern flip phone, the folding screen enables large handsets to become much more compact, giving you at-a-glance information via a smaller cover screen. Meanwhile, book-style foldables aim to replace both your phone and tablet, with a regular-sized device that opens horizontally to reveal a much larger screen inside.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST FOLDABLE PHONE

Unlike the process of picking the best candy-bar style phone for your needs, foldable phones have quite a few extra considerations in mind. Thankfully, we're now at a point where durability, across the board, is at a fairly high standard but it’s still worth keeping an eye on the IP rating of a foldable phone in question.

If you see an official IP68 or IP69 rating then you can rest assured that the phone will be well protected from water and dust as you go about your day.

Beyond durability, battery life is an absolutely crucial component. Given that foldable phones often have to power screens that are much larger than the norm, there’s going to be an obvious knock on longevity.

Our battery tests provide the best information possible for understanding exactly how long you can use a foldable phone for until it needs a top-up, and how long the charging process takes thereafter.

Battery life and durability are the most crucial features when it comes to foldable phones, but once you're satisfied with the results on hand, it's worth seeing how well optimised the software is to handle the foldable format.