Top folding phones we’ve tested and reviewed

When all things are considered, we think the best foldable phone currently on the market is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3. It’s widely available in multiple markets, including the USA, packs enough features to make it worth the price and fixes just about all the issues we previously had with foldable phones – notably their delicate nature.

This particular foldable follows the clamshell design. It doesn’t use its foldable display to give you a larger, tablet-like screen (if you want this, get the Z Fold 3) instead it offers a regular 6.7-inch panel that folds in half to give a much smaller, pocketable device when not in use. It’s an inventive way of cramming a comfortable to read screen into a phone that easily fits in a back pocket or a small handbag.

The Galaxy Z Flip 3 isn’t the fastest, most feature-rich phone around – but that’s beside the point. You’re buying this for its unique design, retro flip phone charm and because it offers all the basics done well. The Snapdragon 888 chipset with 5G support is capable; the screen is smooth and the battery life just about makes it through the day.

Importantly, Samsung has toughened this up a lot when compared to its predecessor. There’s Gorilla Glass Victus protecting the front, and what Samsung calls ‘Armor’ aluminium protecting the sides and the clever hinge mechanism.

Arguably the biggest durability improvement over the Flip 2 is the IPX8 rating. That ‘X’ portion means it’s not resistant to dust, but the ‘8’ means it’s finally water resistant – the first foldable (along with the Z Fold 3) to pack this feature. We didn’t notice any issues with the durability of the phone during our review period, something we couldn’t always say about other folding phones.

The clamshell design might seem like a novelty, but it does have its uses. We feel It offers protection to the inner display and there’s space on the lid for a handy panel that can alert you to notifications without making you properly interact with the phone. This was one of our reviewer’s favourite elements of the phone.

Reviewer: Max Parker

Full Review: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 review

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is a more elaborate folding phone than the Z Flip 3. We’d recommend this to someone who loves the latest tech and wants a futuristic device that’ll get people talking and asking questions.

While the Galaxy Z Flip 3 harks back to a simpler time, the Z Fold 3 is all about looking to the future. The outer screen is there for the basics: knocking out a WhatsApp, finding the pub in Google Maps or skipping songs. When you want to do bigger tasks, the phone folds out to give a larger internal screen ideal for YouTube videos and browsing. It certainly takes some adjustment and makes for a thicker phone, but there’s no denying the outcome is intriguing.

The Z Fold 3 does beat the Flip in a few ways. It has a better camera array, longer battery life and a stronger display. It retains the Flip’s durability enhancements too, with an IPX8 rating, strong metal sides and Gorilla Glass Victus. Samsung has come a long way since the original Fold was launched and subsequently delayed due to numerous issues with the build quality.

The inner 7.6-inch display has a smooth 120Hz refresh rate and this makes it a fine choice for gamers. Pair a Bluetooth controller and we think you’d be hard-pressed to found a better mobile gaming solution.

The cameras are up there with the P50 Pocket as the best we’ve seen on a foldable, producing clear images in various conditions. We were less impressed with the under-display camera though, with this churning out blurry selfies.

Reviewer: Alastair Stevenson

Full Review: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 review

The Huawei P50 Pocket follows a similar blueprint to the Z Flip 3, using its foldable screen as a way of recreating a classic clamshell-style phone. Huawei’s entry isn’t as durable as Samsung’s and it lacks Google apps (we’ll delve deeper into this later) along with 5G but it does have a very good camera, excellent display and a lovely design.

As is often the case with Huawei’s phones, the camera here is king. Our reviewer found Images were very good, packing in plenty of detail without adding too much post-processing. Colours remain natural and vivid.

We also prefer the internal screen here to the one on the Samsung Z Flip 3, mostly down to the lack of a really obvious crease across the middle. Our reviewer commented on how immersive the 6.9-inch OLED screen was, especially when watching media.

Sadly this phone does have a big issue, and that’s the lack of Google apps and no access to the Play Store. If you rely on Docs, Gmail and other big apps you’ll struggle here. It’s a shame, and Huawei’s own app alternatives still can’t quite match up with quality or quantity. Availability is an issue too, so you might have find innovative ways of finding this phone if you want to buy it.

Reviewer: Peter Phelps

Full review Review: Huawei P50 Pocket review