Best foldable phone 2024: next-gen phones reviewed and rated

Smartphones that transform into sizeable tablets used to be pure sci-fi… but now bendable screens are our tech reality. Besides the obvious wow factor, these book-style foldables offer innovative flexibility that could change the way you use your mobile – while also packing in hardware to rival the best smartphones with more traditional form factors.

Think folding phones are just a hinged gimmick? Think again. The best foldable phones are about as versatile as handsets get, even if they almost exclusively come at prices that make regular flagships look cheap. We’ve tested them all to work out which is best, and highlighted the upcoming foldable models to look out for.

Maybe you’d prefer a more compact clamshell foldable? Read all about the best flip phones here.

The best foldable phones you can buy today:

1. OnePlus Open

The OnePlus Open didn’t quite come out of nowhere; sister brand Oppo, which is on its third-gen foldable now, lent a hand with the hardware. Yet the Open still managed to school much bigger companies with a simply brilliant form factor, clever multitasking software that makes the most of that large internal screen, and a trio of cameras more capable than almost any other book-style folding phone.

A Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU, sizeable amount of internal storage, and plenty of RAM make this a potent handset, and battery life is also very good for a foldable. Wired and wireless charging are faster than anything Google or Samsung offers, and OnePlus has even managed to undercut both the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Pixel Fold on price. It’s comfortably the best folding phone money can buy today.

OnePlus only brought the Open to a few select territories. The Oppo Find N3 is mechanically identical, so is a fine alternative if you live in a country where Oppo still reigns supreme.

• Read more: OnePlus Open review

2. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5

The Z Fold 5 fixed a lot of the flaws we saw on Samsung’s previous folding Galaxy. While it stays visually similar to its predecessor, the Z Fold 5 completely eliminates that pesky hinge gap, making it sturdier and more stylish. The outer screen is still very tall and skinny, though, which won’t please everyone.

Productivity features inspired by desktop PCs including an in-app taskbar make side-by-side multitasking effortless on the sharp, bright inner screen. Samsung has also managed to hide the crease more effectively – though it’s still there if you go hunting for it.

A Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 CPU delivers predictably impressive performance and better power efficiency, which helps squeeze more life out of the 4400mAh battery. Camera hardware stayed the same as the previous generation, so foldable rivals now have the edge – especially on zoom. Samsung’s image processing remains very easy on the eye, though, and low-light results are really rather great.

• Read more: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 review

3. Honor Magic V2

This is the phone that proved foldables didn’t have to be portly. The Magic V2 is a svelte 9.9mm thick when folded, and a 231g takes up as little space in your pocket as any non-folding flagship. It unfolds to a barely-there 4.7mm, yet still finds room inside for a top-tier Snapdragon chipset, trio of very capable rear cameras, and a 5000mAh battery that lasts longer than every other foldable I’ve tested to date.

Honor’s software isn’t quite as slick as its main rivals’ and the firm needs to do better when it comes to update commitments. It undercuts more recognisable names like Samsung, but not by a huge amount. Ultimately that makes it a great foldable, rather than the greatest – but size-wise it’s still the handset to beat.

• Read more: Honor Magic V2 review

4. Google Pixel Fold

Google’s first foldable brought a more compact design than we were used to, and stepped up the form factor’s photography game. It also introduced a more optimised version of Android that took full advantage of the internal display, while retaining the functionality of a regular phone once folded.

Battery life and charging speeds are weak points, with it often unable to last a full day in our testing. More troublesome was the fact it launched between Pixel phone generations: it lacked some of the advanced photography capabilities found in the Pixel 7 Pro, which cost half the price, and was quickly eclipsed in several areas by the newer Pixel 8 Pro – which was also cheaper. It’s something Google is largely expected to put right with the second-gen model.

• Read more: Google Pixel Fold review

What other folding phones are available?

Western audiences don’t have a huge selection of foldable phones to choose from, but it’s a different story in Asia. These are the most recent ones worth talking about:

The Vivo X Fold3 Pro went global in June 2024, making it one of the easier ‘forbidden fruit foldables’ to get hold of if you don’t mind a grey import. It goes big on photography, with

Xiaomi might have a big presence in Europe, but the Mix Fold 3 remains China-only for now. It’s super-slim, lasts an impressively long time per charge, and takes wonderful photos. The region-specific software could be a headache for anyone wanting to import one, though, and there’s no IP rating for water resistance.

Huawei has the Mate X5, an ultra-slim foldable with a trio of rear camera lenses, including a periscope telephoto – which is still rare in this category. It’s well-made and has stunning screens. But while the firm is banned from using Western hardware or software, there’s little incentive to release it outside of China.

Finally the Tecno Phantom V Fold is the most affordable book-style foldable around. MediaTek power and a set of rear cameras that are merely decent show how the firm managed to keep costs in check, as does the slightly thicker build. But it does well to keep its screen crease subtle, and you can’t argue with the price.

Upcoming foldable phones

Want to wait and see what the next generation of foldable phones bring to the table? These models should all arrive within the next twelve months.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 is due to land in early July. It looks set to bring a slightly revised design, less skinny outer screen, and the usual generational hardware upgrades. AI will also feature heavily on the software side. Don’t expect major camera upgrades, though, and it’ll surely be among the most expensive foldables on sale.

We don’t yet know whether Google will call its second-gen foldable the Pixel Fold 2 or the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold. All will be revealed in August, when the firm will launch it as part of the Pixel 9 smartphone series. It’ll likely share hardware, including a Tensor G4 chipset, and the design should see a big overhaul to better compete with sleeker rivals.

The Honor Magic V3 should debut in China around September time, but won’t see a global release until early 2025. It will surely be among the slimmest foldables, just like its predecessor, only now with faster hardware and even better cameras.

OnePlus should announce the Open 2 towards the end of 2024, alongside the Oppo Find N4. Both should see improved innards, cleverer cameras and some AI software upgrades.

• Related: Best camera phones – smartphone cameras for perfect shots tested

Tom Morgan-Freelander Deputy Editor

About

A tech addict from about the age of three (seriously, he's got the VHS tapes to prove it), Tom's been writing about gadgets, games and everything in between for the past decade, with a slight diversion into the world of automotive in between. As Deputy Editor, Tom keeps the website ticking along, jam-packed with the hottest gadget news and reviews.  When he's not on the road attending launch events, you can usually find him scouring the web for the latest news, to feed Stuff readers' insatiable appetite for tech.

Areas of expertise

Smartphones/tablets/computing, cameras, home cinema, automotive, virtual reality, gaming