Oppo Find N2 Flip
An excellent candy bar foldable with a big outer screen
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
Samsung’s smaller foldable, now cheaper
Foldable phones have been with us for years now, and though I’ve found them disappointing at times, their clever bendable displays offer a futuristic experience that stands out from regular phones. The market for folding phones is dominated by Samsung, with its Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 offering different folding forms to tempt you to part with your cash. But Samsung isn’t the only company in the game.
Google recently took the wraps off its first foldable, the Pixel Fold. We’ve yet to properly put it through its paces, though, so you won’t see it on this list at the moment. But if you’re keen on a foldable, it’s worth holding on to your cash to see whether Google’s is worth buying.Â
Motorola has launched a refreshed version of its folding Razr flip phone, and then there are folding phones from Honor and Oppo, which we really like — but though they’re excellent options for people in Europe, there aren’t any plans for either phone to officially go on sale in the US. There’s still no sign of a folding iPhone. Sorry, Apple fans.Â
The folding phones we do have come in two main varieties; candy bar phones that open up to become larger, tablet-size foldable devices (like the Galaxy Z Fold 4) or candy bar phones that fold in half to become smaller and more pocketable (like the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Moto Razr 2022). Because of the still recent technology, all foldables are more expensive than their regular smartphone equivalents, but if you’re looking to turn heads when you whip out your foldable display and bend your phone in half, they’re worth investigating.Â
Here, then, are our picks for the best foldable phones available to buy now.
Usually priced at $1,800 (yikes!), the Galaxy Z Fold 4 still costs substantially more than your average phone. But the latest version of Samsung’s book-style foldable is filled with small improvements that add up to a much more pleasant overall experience. The hinge is thinner, the device is lighter and the cover screen is wider, making it feel more natural to use as a phone when closed. That’s on top of other routine upgrades like a better camera that’s similar to the Galaxy S22’s and a new processor. Our reviewer Patrick Holland called it his “favorite Android tablet.”
With a candy bar form that folds down on itself to become a smaller square, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 offers a much more compact footprint than the Z Fold 4. It makes it easier to slide into a tight pocket when not in use, but it still folds out to offer a sizeable 6.7-inch display when you need it.
Motorola Razr (2022)
Fresh update to a solid foldable
We reviewed the previous Motorola Razr phone back in 2020 and we liked its slick design and folding mechanism. The phone was given a fresh update in 2022 with updated internals, a fresh camera system and a bigger display.
The Oppo Find N2 Flip’s standout feature is its massive outer display, which at 3.26 inches, dwarfs the cover screens on both the Galaxy Z Flip 4 or Moto Razr. It gives loads of room to properly see incoming notifications or other information, meaning you don’t need to unfold your phone every time you want to check something.
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 3 isn’t the most recent version, but the arrival of the Z Flip 4 meant a discount on the existing Z Flip 3. Starting at $600, the Flip 3 slices a hefty chunk off its original $900 asking price. This 2021 model packs features such as 5G connectivity, a potent processor and an aluminum chassis that feels sturdy.
While the 2020 Moto Razr 5G might have been replaced with a fresh 2022 model (see above), the existing model has had its price slashed to all-time-low levels. You can pick it up directly from Motorola for only $600, which is a huge saving over its original $1,400 asking price and makes it the cheapest foldable phone you can buy right now.
Source: CNET
