The Best Foldable Phones 2023
Flip and foldable devices provide a smartphone experience that’s incredibly unique, echoing the transformable phone of yesteryear. We’ve detailed the most exciting flip handsets, but it’s time to change focus and highlight the best foldable phones you can buy, taking a look at their design, visuals, performance, and more.
Alongside the phones below, there are many more options to choose from in our contract and refurbished ranges.
Google Pixel Fold
The Pixel Fold is Google’s first ever foldable phone, and how they have hit the ground running. Lessons have been learned from other foldable releases, leading to a handset of exceptional quality and performance.
It all starts with how well Google have pulled off the foldable form factor. Our review closely examined the Pixel Fold’s premium build quality and design, including the barely perceptible crease where the phone folds over. This praise is echoed here; the Pixel Fold is a wonderful phone to use. Every inch has been tailored to provide maximum comfort and durability, particularly when the phone is unfolded.
When the Pixel Fold is used in its main screen mode, you’re treated to a stunning 7.6” OLED display, with excellent brightness levels and pixel density. With a screen of this size, you can use the Pixel Fold as a tablet hybrid, opening it up to read a book or watch a film, without the need for multiple devices.
This versatility extends to the powerful 5.8” front screen. In this mode, the Pixel Fold can be used much like a traditional smartphone, albeit a very high-quality one. The beauty of this handset is having the ability to switch between these different forms with ease, lending a level of freedom that other devices can’t offer.
There’s also a fantastic camera array on the Pixel Fold, as you would expect from a phone in the Pixel range. Front and centre is a 48MP main camera, which on its own is capable of capturing photos with immense clarity; add into the mix Google’s potent and effective image processing software, though, and you end up with one of the top smartphone cameras around.
The Pixel Fold is undoubtedly a standard-setter in the folding phone market. If you’ve been looking for a device that encapsulates the best of what this technology can offer, this is it.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
Google isn’t the only brand pushing the foldable phones market forward. Samsung were one of the earliest adopters of foldable tech, and the Galaxy Z Fold 4 marked one of their best releases yet.
We found ourselves loving specific refinements that only Samsung can offer, such as S Pen stylus support to make notes and highlight documents easily. These features really shine on the Fold 4’s huge 7.6” AMOLED unfolded display, with the extensive screen space offering a large canvas on which to use the S Pen.
The front screen is no slouch either. At 6.2”, it’s one of the bigger external displays in the foldable phone space, and is also a beautiful, crisp AMOLED panel. It is on the narrow side, however, so this screen is more suited to quickly checking things like messages, social media or the news.#
Another standout highlight of the Z Fold 4 has to be its superb performance, courtesy of the fast Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset. Games, films and productivity tasks stood no chance against this level of processing power, helping the Fold 4 power through them with minimal lag or stutter.
Samsung have done a great job packing the Galaxy series’ trademark features into a foldable form factor. For fans of existing Galaxy handsets, or those wanting to get into the range for the first time, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is an exciting option.
Honor Magic Vs
Honor have developed a reputation in the smartphone world for combining performance with affordability. This philosophy rings true with the Honor Magic Vs, one of the best value foldable phones around.
Immediately apparent as soon as you hold the Magic Vs, is how comfortable it is to use in folded or unfolded mode. Weighing in at 267g, this handset is neither too heavy or too light, making it a breeze to check messages or read an e-book seamlessly.
Both screens are beautiful OLED panels with rounded edges, giving the entire phone a sleek look from top to bottom. Colour balance on each screen is also excellent, providing a vivid and detailed output across a wide range of mediums, be it games, films or streaming videos.
Whilst perhaps not the first name that comes to mind when choosing a new phone, the Honor Magic Vs shouldn’t be underestimated. With an affordable price range and great functionality, this handset is a sneaky contender for the best foldable phone crown.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
The older Galaxy Z handsets still have a lot to offer for anyone seeking a foldable phone. One of the most durable and feature-packed options is the Galaxy Z Fold 3, which marked the debut of S Pen stylus support on Samsung’s foldable devices.
The Z Fold 3’s superb durability is in large part thanks to Samsung’s Ultra Thin Glass technology, which enables the device to fold under greater pressure. As a result, you can have full confidence that when using the Z Fold 3, it can handle the many folding motions put to it.
You’re also getting a foldable phone with superb water resistance. The IPX8 rating means the Z Fold 3 tackles any low-level submersion without damage.
Galaxy phones often impress, but this is a display worth admiring in person. Unfolding it reveals a remarkable 7.6” behemoth screen, with a 120Hz refresh rate and AMOLED-panel technology underneath. The Ultra Thin Glass screen makes every pixel look pristine, and we found ourselves marvelling at its ability to render games and videos in exquisite detail. Knowing you’re holding one of the toughest folding phones too, makes this a winner.
If one of our picks for the best foldable phone interests you, you might be wondering what to then do about your existing data. Fear not, as our smartphone experts have you covered with our step-by-step guide to transferring it across to your new device.