Foldables may be the most exciting innovation in phones since Apple’s iPhone. Thanks to improvements to durability, display quality, and battery life, the best foldable phones, such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and OnePlus Open, are just as worthy of recommendation as standard slab handsets.
Based on the dozens of devices we’ve tried and tested at ZDNET, it’s safe to say that consumers today have more choices than ever, whether they want a foldable that expands into a tablet or a book-style foldable. Our top picks include a Samsung foldable phone, Motorla Razr foldables, and the cheapest foldable phone you can buy.
What is the best foldable phone right now?
ZDNET has tested and reviewed every single mass-market foldable during the past year, and the devices below represent the best of the best. Our pick for the best foldable phone overall is the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, a handset that personifies the company’s user-first industrial design and burdenless mentality in software experience. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold has the thinnest design of any foldable in the US market, and its cameras reign supreme amongst all the competitors we’ve tested.
Also: The best flip phones available today: They’re back and better than ever
Best foldable phones in 2025
While the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 forges ahead with better design and productivity features, the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the best foldable phone going into the rest of 2025, thanks to its user-friendly form factor and market-leading camera system. Google took the traditional smartphone route when refining the outer display of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, opting for a shorter and wider panel than Samsung’s taller approach.
Review: Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold
Naturally, all the content you’re used to consuming, like video streaming and social media, is portrayed in a familiar manner; nothing feels disorienting or cropped out. While the foldable doesn’t match its Pixel Pro sibling spec-for-spec, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold truly shines and more than makes up for the “inferior” camera system in long exposure shots and selfies, thanks to its self-standing nature.
The Pixel 9 Pro Fold also succeeds the previous model with a more capable Google Tensor G4 chipset, Google AI features like Pixel Screenshots, Reimagine, and Gemini Live, and a lighter form factor for a more comfortable user experience. All in all, Google made modifications to nearly all the right places with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, enough to make it a sleeper hit that is now at the top of our ranking list.
Google Pixel 9 Fold tech specs: Processor: Google Tensor G4 | Display sizes: 6.3-inch exterior and 8-inch interior | RAM/Storage: 16GB with 256GB or 512GB | Battery: 4,650mAh | Camera: 48MP wide, 10.8MP ultrawide, 10.8MP telephoto, and 10MP front | Price: Starting at $1,799
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With Chinese phone maker Oppo having released several foldable phones throughout the years, it was only a matter of time before its sister company, OnePlus, would unveil one of its own — bringing about some much-needed competition in the US market.
With the Open, OnePlus has not only undercut the price of Samsung’s and Google’s competing models but also introduced some useful features we’ve yet seen in the product category. For example, the OnePlus Open is one of the lightest foldables in the North American market, matching that of the Galaxy Z Fold 6. It also supports 67W fast charging, a much quicker rate than the 25W to 45W standards on competing handsets.
Review: OnePlus Open
Perhaps more importantly, the OnePlus introduced Open Canvas, a multitasking feature that lets you glide between several app windows for a seamless multitasking experience. This alone makes usability on the larger inner display much more intuitive than what I’ve seen on the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Pixel 9 Pro Fold. While the camera system falls short compared to the Pixel, it’s still very capable, with a triple-lens configuration helmed by a 48MP sensor that captures vivid and sharp imagery throughout various lighting conditions.
The well-roundedness and aggressive pricing make this one of the top-contending foldables in 2025. All eyes are very much on Open 2, which is expected to launch later this year.
OnePlus Open tech specs: Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 | Display sizes: 6.3-inch exterior and 7.8-inch interior | RAM/Storage: 16GB with 512GB | Battery: 4,805mAh | Camera: 48MP wide, 48MP ultrawide, 64MP telephoto, and 32MP front | Price: Starting at $1,699
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Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold went tooth and nail for the top spot on this list, but key feature advantages put the latter ahead. Still, the Z Fold 6 remains a formidable option for foldable shoppers in 2025 thanks to its more refined and durable design, productivity-inducing software, and undervalued after-sales support.
Review: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
The Z Fold 6 features a capable Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, which has proven to yield better on-device and hybrid-based AI capabilities, including Samsung’s Sketch-to-Image feature, Interpreter Mode, Composer, and more. Samsung also upgraded the hinge with the latest model, making the Fold notably thinner and lighter yet still durable enough to withstand 200,000 bends — maybe more — throughout its lifespan.
Thanks to a brighter 2,600-nit display and a crease that’s a little less noticeable when open, “the Z Fold 6’s 7.6-inch screen is a near-perfect canvas for watching movies, playing games, and getting work done,” I mentioned in my review. It’s unfortunate that Samsung didn’t upgrade the cameras or charging speeds all that much with the latest generation; otherwise, it would’ve given the Pixel 9 Pro Fold even more of a run for its money.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 tech specs: Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 | Display sizes: 6.2-inch exterior and 7.6-inch interior | RAM/Storage: 12GB with 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB | Battery: 4,400mAh | Camera: 50MP wide, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto, and 10MP front | Price: Starting at $1,899
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Deciding on the best flip-style foldable phone also came down to the wire, with Motorola’s Razr Plus (2024) just scraping by Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 6. I went hands-on with both devices last summer and was left impressed by both, but I ultimately sided with the Motorola because it lets you do more with the outer display.
Review: Motorola Razr Plus (2024)
Not only is the outer display on the Razr Plus an impressive 3.6-inch panel, but the software supports virtually any app you throw at it, meaning you can browse the web, play games, scroll TikTok, and do other mobile tasks without ever needing to flip open the device. Samsung’s platform is more limited in this regard.
The under-the-hood upgrades last year were also quite meaningful, such as the Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chip optimized for AI workloads, the 12GB of RAM, and the larger 4,000mAh battery that can be charged wired or wirelessly. And those vibrant colorways, when paired with textured back covers, make these phones all the more memorable.
Motorola Razr Plus (2024) tech specs: Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 | Display sizes: 4-inch exterior and 6.9-inch interior | RAM/Storage: 8GB/12GB with 256GB | Battery: 4,000mAh | Camera: 50MP wide, 50MP telephoto, and 32MP front | Price: Starting at $999
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When the market is competitive, both manufacturers and consumers are winners. Case in point: No one, including myself, expected the $699 Motorola Razr to be as good as it is.
Review: Motorola Razr Plus
In some ways, the standard Razr model yields a better experience than the more expensive Plus variant, with a larger 4,200mAh battery and ultrawide lens that allows for more flexible shooting styles. ZDNET’s Max Buondonno tested the Razr and also commended its variety of cover designs, citing, “The Koala Gray version I have comes with a vegan suede material, while the Beach Sand and Spritz Orange (a.k.a. the best color) have vegan leather.”
Under the hood is a weaker but still passable MediaTek Dimensity 7300X chipset, with Moto’s minimalist approach to Android. There are a few gesture-based perks, like twisting your wrist to prompt the camera or doing a chopping motion to turn on the flashlight, and the front screen is just as customizable as the one on the Razr Plus.
Motorola Razr (2024) tech specs: Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 7300X | Display sizes: 3.6-inch exterior and 6.9-inch interior | RAM/Storage: 8GB with 256GB | Battery: 4,200mAh | Camera: 50MP wide, 13MP ultrawide, and 32MP front | Price: Starting at $699
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The best foldable phone is the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, which offers the most complete mobile experience with 16GB of RAM, up to 512GB of storage, a Tensor G4 chip, a 4,650mAh battery, and more. Just as important, the device is slated to receive seven years of operating system and security updates.
Foldable phone | Price | Display | Camera |
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold | $1,799 | 6.3-inch and 8-inch | 12MP wide, 12MP ultrawide, 12MP telephoto, 10MP front |
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 | $1,899 | 6.2-inch and 7.6-inch | 50MP wide, 12MP ultrawide, 10MP telephoto, 10MP front |
OnePlus Open | $1,699 | 6.3-inch and 7.8-inch | 48MP wide, 64MP ultrawide, 48MP telephoto, 20MP front |
Motorola Razr Plus (2024) | $999 | 4-inch and 6.9-inch | 50MP wide, 50MP telephoto, 32MP front |
Motorola Razr (2024) | $699 | 3.6-inch and 6.9-inch | 50MP wide, 13MP ultrawide, 32MP front |
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To help you decide, see below for the key reasons to buy each of ZDNET’s top foldable phone picks.
Choose this foldable phone… | If you want… |
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold | The best foldable phone right now, with an S-class camera system in a foldable form factor. Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold nails the large-screen build and excels with AI-powered camera features. |
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 | The most refined, industry-backed foldable that money can buy. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 also supports S Pen stylus inputs and seven years of OS updates. |
OnePlus Open | Market-leading fast charging with a price to beat. It’s also the lightest tablet-style foldable in the US. |
Motorola Razr Plus (2024) | The best flipping foldable on the market, with a highly personalizable 4-inch outer display and a 4,000mAh battery. |
Motorola Razr (2024) | A foldable for less. If you can live with its compromises, the $699 Motorola Razr is, without question, the most accessible device of its kind. |
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The process of making our phone selections includes real-world testing and researching about the phones for weeks, consulting with colleagues, industry experts, and analysts who also have hands-on experience with the smartphones, and then selecting the best from all the available choices.
Ultimately, we weigh in the following aspects when curating this list:
- Design: Currently, foldable phones come in two designs: regular phones that unfold into tablets, and ones that flip inward to become more pocketable. The best-designed foldables are practical to use, require a moderate learning curve at most, and should have a burdenless hand feel.
- Software optimization: A foldable phone relies on more than just the standard software features of a traditional handset; it needs specialized tools and services built for larger (and smaller) displays.
- Durability: The best foldable phone can take a beating, whether that’s in the form of waist-high drops or pouring rain. Every device on this list is either certified IPX8 or IP52 or has been tested to meet above-average durability standards.
- Value: It’s difficult to ignore how expensive foldables can be, so price-to-performance is something we deeply consider when evaluating devices. We also factor in carrier store promotions, trade-in deals, and other offers.
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ZDNET’s review team spends upwards of a year testing the ins and outs of every major phone release, evaluating the day-to-day performance, camera quality, battery life and endurance, and special features. Here’s a breakdown of every factor we consider before we make recommendations:
- Design and ergonomics: How good a phone looks and feels plays a big role in many users’ buying journeys, so we consider these aspects heavily when testing.
- Performance: Several factors affect a phone’s performance, including LTE/5G signal, battery life, and background tasks. Therefore, we typically begin our evaluations with a fully charged handset, with all background tasks closed, and with as stable of a mobile connection as possible.
- Camera quality: ZDNET tests phone cameras by capturing hundreds of photos and videos of various subjects and in various lighting conditions. We also compare the output to that of older models.
- Battery life and charging: It’s also important for us to evaluate how long phones last under light, moderate, and heavy usage, how long they take to recharge, and how they do it (wired, wireless, or both).
- Special features: These features distinguish tested devices from a bustling smartphone market and hopefully bring added value to users, not the opposite.
- Pricing and availability: Beyond budget considerations, we also note if a phone is available in the US or only internationally.
For a more extensive breakdown, check out our comprehensive phone testing methodology page.
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It’s the question everyone’s been asking since the very first foldable was launched back in 2019: will Apple release a foldable iPhone? While the company has yet to unveil any plans of making one, and the rumor mill has been rather slow in that regard, it would not be surprising if there’s a team within Cupertino already building one out.
Also: Why foldable phones are still so expensive, according to analysts
And, as is often the case with consumer technology, once Apple is comfortable enough to release a mass-market foldable phone, we can expect there to be a drop in prices, as manufacturers scramble to compete in value. The latest rumors point to a release as soon as in 2026.
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The best foldable phones listed above strike the perfect balance of design, functionality, and innovation. If you’re still on the fence, here are some alternatives to consider.
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