The best foldable phones to buy in 2024
Now that Google has announced its new foldable phone, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, we finally have official information for what are probably all of the heavy hitters in this segment for 2024. That said, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold won't come to stores until sometime in September, so there will still be a bit more time until we get to test it and give you our honest opinion on it.
Of course, Samsung has already released Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6, while Motorola was first to enter the flip phone scene with the Razr Plus, which is better than its competition in more ways than one.
The only big announcement in this segment that's left is the OnePlus Open 2, but rumours are saying we will have to wait until 2025 to see the successor.
So, given that these are most likely the best foldable phones we will see for 2024, which one should you go for? The good news is that there's enough variety to fit all kinds of needs, so let's see what your options are.
Our summarized list of the best foldable phones at the moment:
- OnePlus Open—the best camera system on a foldable phone
- Motorola Razr Plus—the flip phone with that's better at being a flip phone
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6—the safe choice
- Motorola Razr (2024)—the main benefits of a foldable phone but for a much lower price
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6—a flip phone with flagship-level performance
Jump to:
- Are foldable phones worth the extra cost
- Are foldable phones durable enough
- Is battery life affected in foldable phones
- Are there any differences between foldable and traditional phones camera quality
OnePlus Open
The best camera system on a foldable phone
OnePlus took the foldable phone market by surprise with its first foldable phone, the OnePlus Open. Not only is it super slim and very lightweight for this form factor, but it also comes with arguably the best cameras on a foldable phone so far, even compared to newer devices from this year.
OnePlus used new tech to achieve this feat, more specifically with the main 48MP camera that manages to achieve levels of image quality comparable to those seen on Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra! The 64MP 3X telephoto camera is also very impressive, including the 6X sensor crop that it is used for.
On top of all of this, you get fast 67W charging, good battery life, great performance and thermal management, as well as some pretty awesome displays. OnePlus truly impressed us with this one.
Read more: OnePlus Open
Motorola Razr Plus (2024)
The flip phone with that's better at being a flip phone
Last year motorola did great things with the first Razr Plus, which was a huge step toward the company's goal at competing with the best in that market. But with the new Razr Plus (2024) Motorola truly outdid itself, and in many ways this flip foldable is better than its main competition, the Galaxy Z Flip 6.
For starters, it has a significantly larger cover display, which not only gives it a more modern look, but is also much more practical for quick access to settings or applications. On the topic of displays, the inner one on the Razr Plus (2024) has a barely visible crease, which is something other handsets still struggle with.
Motorola also did some good work on this generation's hinge, which is now sturdier and has less of a wobble compared to the OG Razr Plus.
What the Motorola Razr Plus (2024) is not so good at is performance, and that includes not only chip performance, but also camera performance. In both those areas, the new Razr Plus is average, giving way to Samsung's Z Flip 6.
Read more: Motorola Razr Plus (2024) review
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6
The safe choice
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is your safest bet when choosing a book-like foldable phone. Of course, you would first have to be okay with the absurdly high price of $1900, but if you are, you get to enjoy a nice balance of features and specs, with a very sturdy and premium design, a stellar display quality, and great software support (7 years).
The crease of the inner display has been reduced compared to last year's generation, but keep in mind that it is still visible, especially once you open and close the phone a few times. The cover display, which has slightly increased in size, is somewhat more comfortable, but still doesn't quite hit the sweet spot.
The new Z Fold 6 also comes with much improved battery life compared to the previous model, although charging remains rather slow at 25W.
Read more: Galaxy Z Fold 6 review
Motorola Razr (2024)
The main benefits of a foldable phone but for a much lower price
The new Razr (2024) from Motorola is a much better bang for your buck deal compared to last year's model. Why? Because this year the regular Razr gets a big cover screen that you can use in a variety of ways!
Adding more to the good news is that the improved hinge of the more expensive Razr Plus (2024) also makes an appearance on the regular Razr. The battery life is also better than before, and so is the camera quality.
The main appeal of the regular Razr (2024), though, is that it comes in at just $700 and even goes for less than that pretty often. This is the perfect phone for you to try the flip foldable form factor without spending a dime.
The downsides are that the performance is not amazing, but you won't notice that for the most part as the phone still runs pretty smooth. The other thing is that you get only 3 years of Android updates, but the likelihood is that by the time 3 years have passed you would be looking at upgrading or switching to another phone.
Read more: Motorola Razr (2024) review
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6
A flip phone with flagship-level performance
While the Galaxy Z Flip 6 does not have as impressive of a cover display like the Razr Plus this year, and a significantly more visible crease on the main display, it wins when it comes to flagship performance. That includes not only the impressive Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 inside (same as with other Samsung flagships this year), but also the camera system that tends to offer better image quality.
It's hinge is very smooth and easy to operate, and the Z Flip 6 is probably the most durable flip phone you will find on the market right now, thanks to some design improvements from Samsung.
Unlike its main competition, the Z Flip 6 also comes with 7 years of software support, so you can feel safe and assured that it will get the latest software features and security patches for a long time, probably much longer than you plan to keep it.
Read more: Galaxy Z Flip 6 review
Are foldable phones worth the extra cost?
Well, nowadays it is the big book-like foldable phones that actually cost more than your regular flagship phone. Whether that extra cost is worth the money depends on what you want to use that phone for. If can make use of the additional productivity that this form factor allows, then yes, it might be worth the cost. In all other cases, however, we would venture to say that you are better off with something like a Galaxy Ultra from Samsung, or any equivalent from another manufacturer.
- They are usually much more expensive than a regular high-end flagship
- They tend to weigh more
- They are not as durable
- They can very rarely match the camera performance of regular flaghsips
- There is a display crease where the screen folds
On the other end of the spectrum are flip phones, which have become more affordable, with the best example being this year's Razr (2024) from Motorola. For a starting price of just $700 you get many benefits of this form factor, such as a more compact body and the ability to control much of the phone functionality without having to open it. Still, you get the usual downsides of a foldable phone when you buy a flip foldable, which is less space for good camera hardware and lower durability.
Are foldable phones durable enough?
The foldable tech has been improving in the last couple of years. Foldable smartphones were somewhat fragile in the beginning. Now things have changed and current foldable phones are way more durable. For the Z Fold 4, Samsung promises the device is durable enough to survive a minimum of 200,000 folds – more or less 5 years if you fold and unfold it 100 times a day. Americans check their phones on average 344 times per day, according to a survey by Reviews.org on smartphone usage for 2022. That's around 122,000 checks a year. But checking doesn't mean interacting with it – you can check the outer screen of the Samsung foldable for notifications, texting, or even a brief scroll through social media, without ever unfolding the phone.
The moral of the story – a foldable phone like the Z Flip 4 and the Z Fold 4 should survive for around five years of regular usage. Good enough for today's standards.
Is battery life affected in foldables phones?
Yes, battery life seems to be a bit lower than regular flagship phones. When comparing a foldable phone to regular flagship devices, we see some differences in the battery department, including when pinning them against the best Android phones. As you may know, we at PhoneArena perform extensive tests for all the phones we review. Check the table below to see for yourself what the battery life results for foldable phones vs regular phones are.
Are there any differences between foldable and traditional phones' camera quality?
It depends on which foldable vs which traditional phone. The camera has no interaction whatsoever with the folding mechanism, and is like any other smartphone camera. If it has a higher megapixel count and better features, image processing and color calibration, it will be better no matter if it's on a foldable phone or a standard smartphone. The only thing is that some folding phones may lack the space for a periscope lens or some other special lens though. If we talk about selfies, some foldable phones like the Z Fold 4 can deliver even better results given the fact that you can use the phone's rear camera to take a selfie.
Also check out: The best phones to buy right now
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