Top book-style and clamshell foldables

Samsung may have been the first company to truly bring new-age flip phones to the masses, but it’s Motorola that’s taken the torch and run with it, emboldening the concept with key areas of innovation that have culminated thus far in the outstanding Motorola Razr 60 Ultra.

The key headline here is that both the internal and external displays have been given several upgrades. For starters, the internal display is now slightly bigger, moving from 6.9-inches to 7-inches, so you have more space than ever to help make gaming and watching films feel even more immersive.

The brightness of that internal display has also shot up to 4500nits, making it easier than ever to use outdoors against direct sunlight. The 4-inch external display hasn’t been left behind either, with that also seeing a brightness boost, going from 2400nits to now 3000nits, which really goes a long way towards making the more compact screen pop.

Even with those screen upgrades in tow, Motorola hasn’t forgotten about the one thing that should always be the focus of any foldable device: durability. Thankfully the company has introduced a new titanium-infused hinge which not only feels more sturdy than before, it has also allowed the phone to now carry an IP48 dust and water resistance rating, which significantly outperforms the IPX8 rating of the Razr 50 Ultra.

Powering all of this is the super fast Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, which has a sizeable 16GB RAM to lean on for everyday operations. You won’t have any issues playing the latest games here, and with 512GB storage as standard, you won’t be running out of room where apps are concerned either.

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The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 marks a genuine leap forward for Samsung’s book-style foldable, finally delivering the ultra-slim, lightweight design many have been waiting for.

Shedding much of the bulk and weight of its predecessors, the 4.2mm-thick Fold 7 is now among the thinnest foldables around, and at 215g, it’s both lighter than the book-style competition and even the Galaxy S25 Ultra. It makes it a joy to handle, and it’s almost unnoticeable in the pocket as a result.

Samsung has also nailed the usability of both displays this year. The wider 6.5-inch cover screen is genuinely practical for everyday tasks, while the 8-inch internal panel feels more solid with a way less intrusive crease. Both screens are bright, vibrant and ideal for everything from gaming to multitasking.

Camera performance is another highlight, with the main 200MP sensor borrowed from the S25 Ultra delivering sharp, detailed shots that put the Fold 7 on par with regular bar phones. General performance is equally impressive, thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Elite and up to 16GB of RAM.

Battery life and charging remain the main drawbacks with a 4400mAh cell and 25W charging falling far behind rivals. Still, for most users, the Fold 7 will comfortably last a day, and the overall package is compelling enough to make it the standout book-style foldable of 2025.

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The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 takes the crown for the best design in the foldable space, with a slimmer, lighter build and a hinge that feels both robust and satisfyingly smooth.

The new 4.1-inch cover screen finally makes the Flip genuinely useful when closed, and the wider 6.9-inch internal screen is a joy to use, with a less noticeable crease and a more comfortable aspect ratio for typing and media. 

Powered by the Exynos 2500, the Flip 7 delivers fast, reliable performance for everyday tasks, and the 4300mAh battery is the biggest yet in a Flip, easily lasting a full day as a result.

Camera performance has also been improved, with more natural colours and solid results in most conditions, though the lack of a zoom lens remains a limitation.

The software, meanwhile, is packed with features and offers seven years of updates, but the cover screen experience still trails behind Motorola’s Razr 60 Ultra in terms of flexibility and ease of use.

Still, if you want a foldable that nails the basics and looks fantastic doing it, the Z Flip 7 is a great choice. 

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If you want a foldable but are concerned about its durability, then the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is an easy recommendation. Not only does it sport a thick frame that feels reassuringly sturdy in hand, but it’s the first foldable with an IP68 rating.

In addition, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold benefits from a new dual-layer protection over the display and a redesigned hinge which, according to Google, can handle up to 10 years’worth of folding and unfolding.

Otherwise, its 6.4-inch OLED cover display is brilliant for quick uses, thanks to its convenient aspect ratio that makes quickly replying to messages, following a route on Google Maps or operating the camera easy without needing you to open the phone up. 

Even so, the main draw is undoubtedly the eight-inch square OLED panel which is great to use and offers a vibrant picture quality. Sure, you will have to overlook the visible crease, but it’s still a great display for streaming, gaming and multitasking between apps too. 

The Pixel series has a reputation for being among the best camera phones, and although the Pixel 10 Pro Fold might not be as impressive as the Pixel 10 Pro XL, it still performs admirably. While its 48MP main lens is supported by measly 10.8MP telephoto and 10.5MP ultrawide lenses, the 10 Pro Fold can still take a good shot in most conditions. 

Powering the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is Google’s Tensor G5 chip, which although doesn’t achieve particularly high benchmarking scores, still performs well in everyday use – and especially when running Google’s AI toolkit. In fact, arguably one of the reasons to opt for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is its range of AI features from Magic Editor and Camera Coach for photography, to Live Translate and the use of Gemini.

Like the rest of the Pixel 10 series, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold’s battery life is decent enough as it should comfortably see you through a day’s use. Charging speeds aren’t particularly fast, with 30W support, but it’s enough to see a 50% charge in about 30 minutes. 

If you want to finally embrace a foldable smartphone but worry about its longevity, then the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold is a brilliant choice.

Building upon the already excellent foundations of the Honor Magic V3, the V5 doesn’t just take Honor’s foldable range to a new level, it elevates the market as a whole to show just how far the engineering in this sector has come. This is the phone that other foldables will be emulating for quite some time to come.

The biggest boon with the Magic V5 is just how sleek the whole thing is. With the slimmest version being just 8.8mm thick and weighing only 217g, it honestly doesn’t feel like you’re carrying a foldable phone as it’s barely that much bigger than a standard candy-bar style phone. That lightweight frame also makes it easy to use when unfolded, as it never leads to fatigue of holding the device as you enjoy the benefits of the larger display.

Speaking of displays, while the outer display is near identical to the one from the V3, the interior 7.95-inch panel has been given a serious spec boost to pack the same 5000 nits peak brightness as the outer display. This degree of parity between the two screens now means that you’re getting a top-shelf experience regardless of which one you’re looking at.

Also helping the phone to stand out against its closest competitors is the use of the super fast Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset which doesn’t just allow the device to blitz through tasks such as writing up emails or scrolling through social media – it also enables a superior gaming experience too. We were able to get through a couple of rounds of Call of Duty Mobile running with impressive levels of performance, which is only made all the more immersive when you play on the larger display.

Maybe what is most perplexing about the Honor Magic V5 is that, in spite of its super slim frame and all of the tech that’s been crammed in here from the flagship level chipset to the versatile camera array, it still manages to bring the heat where battery life is concerned. With a massive 5820mAh cell that uses silicon carbon technology, the Magic V5 can last for up to two days at a time, so you never have to worry about serious battery drain when running intensive apps.