Should I Buy a Folding Phone?
A cell phone that can fold and unfold isn’t a new concept. It wasn’t all that long ago that nearly everyone had a flip phone where the top half of the phone flipped up to reveal the keys underneath. This design was nearly ubiquitous across the mobile phone world, with BlackBerry being the most notable exception.
Then, after the iPhone ushered in the era of smartphones, the standard look of the phones changed to a rectangular slab of glass and plastic or metal. While revolutionary for the time, as we’ve gotten busier and nearly every aspect of our lives has moved into the digital space, this form factor has become limiting.
That’s why foldables are an intriguing proposition for many. With the portability of a phone and the functionality of a tablet all in one device, a foldable phone can be a productivity powerhouse. There’s also a lot to be said for having a large-screen phone that lets you do all the typical smartphone tasks you’re used to while folding up to half its size.
But foldable phones aren’t for everyone. They are still extremely pricey, and the extra functionality may be overkill for some people. But if you could benefit from being more productive no matter where you are, they are worth a look.
Pros
- ✓ Easy to use with one hand
- ✓ Most affordable folding phone
- ✓ Great specs
Cons
- ✗ There is a visible crease
The Samsung Galaxy Flip 4 takes the foldable phone concept in a new direction. While many foldable phones shut like a book, the Z Flip 4 instead folds shut top to bottom like the folding phones of yesteryear.
Our sister site Review Geek called it “the best foldable phone for most people” and it’s not hard to see why. The fourth iteration of the Flip is mostly a refinement of what was already a great device. What makes the Flip 4 unique in the world of foldables is that once folded, it’s very compact and fits easily into almost any pocket.
And that’s exactly what Samsung was going for with the Flip 4. The company wanted a foldable that combined the novelty of a folding screen with a tinge of nostalgia and a more affordable price point. When unfolded, the Flip 4 doesn’t look all that different from a non-foldable Samsung phone, either, making it a good entry point for the new type of phone.
At $999, it’s not exactly cheap, but for specs like a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, an impressive camera system, plus a folding screen, it’s worth the premium price tag.
Best Foldable Phone Overall
Samsung Galaxy Flip 4
The Samsung Galaxy Flip 4 is a great folding phone that packs powerful specs at an affordable price. It’s vertical folding style makes it easy to use and offers a bit of nostalgia too.
Pros
- ✓ Premium design
- ✓ Great performance
- ✓ Backed by Samsung
Cons
- ✗ Expensive
- ✗ The crease is noticeable
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the latest version of Samsung’s top-of-the-line foldable smartphone. It pairs the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor with 8GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. The Fold 4 has the best cameras you can find on any smartphone, and the great battery life means you can snap pictures all day without worry.
Of course, all this power and extra screen space come at a cost. Starting at $1,799, the Fold 4 is certainly not cheap, and it’s near twice the price of the Flip 4. But if you need the portability of a phone with the power of bigger devices such as a tablet, the Fold 4 is worth the premium.
While not a huge improvement over the Galaxy Z Fold 3, the Z Fold 4 software brings the biggest improvements, with our sister site Review Geek noting how the new features bring even more productivity this year.
A new taskbar makes accessing and adding apps easy, while the square-ish screen allows you to open two apps side-by-side—though the screen might be a bit too narrow to do that with some apps. Combine that with the Fold 4’s cutting-edge hardware, and you have a powerful productivity device.
The biggest factor to consider, then, is if you need that much productivity in your phone. With the high price tag, the Fold 4 can be worth the cost of admission for those that can use it, but for those looking to simply dip their toes into the foldable phone world, there are other options.
Best Foldable Phone Experience
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the best premium all-around foldable experience you can buy today. It’s got great hardware and top-of-the-line cameras backed by one of the best software update guarantees in the industry.
Pros
- ✓ Useful external screen
- ✓ Affordable for a folding phone
- ✓ Flagship level specs
The original Motorola Razr came out in 2006, and when it was released it was one of the most popular phones around. Now, Motorola has brought the Razr name back in a big way by making it a foldable phone.
But while the first foldable Razr was the first of its form factor, it was pretty underwhelming. It felt as though Motorola was relying too heavily on Razr nostalgia to sell the foldable, instead of working on perfecting the new technology.
Fast forward to today, and the third generation of the foldable Razr is now on the market, and it’s a big improvement over previous Razr models. With the 2022 Razr model, you get a more modern design, a larger internal screen, a high-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, and many more hardware improvements.
The price is also significantly lower than its predecessor at around $890, and while it initially launched only in China, Motorola recently made it available to buy in Europe as well. While not technically released in the US yet, it’s easy to pick up a European model and insert a GSM-compatible SIM card so that you can try the new model for yourself.
Best Flip Foldable Phone
Motorola Razr 2022
The newest version of Motorola’s iconic Razr folding phone fixes most of the issues with the previous model and brings the price to a much more acceptable place.
Best Foldable Form Factor: Oppo Find N
Pros
- ✓ Best form factor for a large foldable
- ✓ Great hardware
Cons
- ✗ Only available in China
Released in China in December 2021, The Oppo Find N has a similar form factor to the Galaxy Z Fold 4. However, Oppo’s foldable opts for a smaller and more square footprint than the Samsung competitor.
Despite the smaller form factor, Oppo still packed impressive hardware specs, including a Snapdragon 888 processor, up to 12GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage.
What makes the Find N unique is that it’s much more manageable in your hand than many of its competitors. Yes, it still unfolds to a large 7-inch screen, but when folded, it has about the same size as an iPhone 13 Mini. The ability to still have a big screen but not be cumbersome to carry around when folded is a big point in Oppo’s favor.
But the Oppo Find N is not officially available outside of China at the time of this writing. If you want to give the foldable a try, however, you can purchase the phone off eBay.
Best Foldable Form Factor
Oppo Find N
The Oppo Find N is a smaller form factor than other folding phones making it a bit more useable, for those who can find one.
Another Great Foldable Experience: Xiaomi Mix Fold 2
Pros
- ✓ Absolute best folding phone on the market
- ✓ Beautiful hardware
- ✓ Thin and light
Cons
- ✗ Only available in China
The Xiaomi Mix Fold 2, much like the Find N and latest Razr, it’s not available to buy in the US officially. You can pick up the foldable on second-hand sites like eBay, however, and if you want to get a taste of some of the best that the foldable world has to offer, you may want to consider it.
Those who have had a chance to review the Mix Fold 2 were impressed by how thin and light it was while still packing flagship-level specs. This Xiaomi foldable has a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, 12GB of RAM, up to 1TB of storage, and impressive cameras.
But there is truly no overstating how thin the Mix Fold 2 is. It’s a lot thinner than the clunky Galaxy Fold 4, and when folded up, its width and thickness are barely above a typical smartphone.
Most people outside of China will never get to use this phone (unless you go the eBay route), but the Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 is a great example of what is possible with foldable phones today.
Another Great Foldable Phone Experience
Xiaomi Mix Fold 2
The Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 is the pinnacle of folding phone technology. It’s thin, light, and packs top-of-the-line specs.
