By Nick Gelling
Product Test Journalist | Kaipūrongo Whakamātautau Hautaonga
Foldables might feel nostalgic, but there’s nothing retro about them. Their bendable displays are a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stale phone market. They’re not without downsides, but they also have real advantages over standard slab-shaped smartphones.
Flip phones evoke memories of the pre-iPhone days, but with a modern twist. The new style flip phone looks like a regular smartphone but has a flexible screen that bends in half horizontally to close.
Other foldable phones open like a book, with a vertical fold line. They’re basically small tablets that close to the size of a regular phone.
A few brands have released flip and foldable phones, but Samsung is the leader – it’s up to its seventh generation in both its Flip and Fold series. Apple hasn’t released one yet, though there are rumours of an ‘iPhone Fold’ coming later in 2026.
What’s good about flip phones and foldables
They have excellent screen-to-size ratio
Flip phones fold down to a small square that fits easily in a pocket. When we chatted about them at an appliance store, the salesperson said they’re popular with tradespeople because they stay in the pocket better.
Vertically folding phones can be chunky because they’re like two standard phones stacked. But, compared with carrying around a tablet, they’re still very efficient with space.
They all have a secondary front screen
If unfolding your phone every time you want to check it sounds annoying, you’ll be grateful for the outer screen. This smaller display is on the front of the phone when it’s folded. It lets you quickly complete simple tasks, like reading notifications or checking the time.
They can take better selfies
A phone’s rear camera always takes better quality photos. But we all use the front camera to shoot selfies so we can see how we look on the screen. With a flip or foldable phone, you can use the rear camera for selfies and check yourself out on the secondary screen.
They’re surprisingly durable
The durability of flip and foldable phones got off to a rocky start, it’s true. However, our testing shows they’ve become more durable as the technology has matured – with one notable exception.
They allow you to multitask
A foldable phone lets you have two apps open at one time – one on either side of the fold. This means you can easily look at two things at once. That’s never really been practical on a mobile phone before now.
What’s bad about flip phones and foldables
They have a shorter battery life
Flip and foldable phones have poor battery life. Among all the phones we review, foldables tend to earn lower battery scores.
Because the phones bend in half and batteries can’t bend, there is less battery space available. This forces engineers to use smaller batteries with less capacity.
They’re heavier
Some vertical folding models are very heavy compared with other smartphones. However, they are getting lighter. Samsung’s latest Fold7 weighs 25g less than the Fold6 and is now no heavier than, for example, a Galaxy S25 Ultra.
They’re expensive
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 launched at an eye-watering $3,249 and has now been discounted to about $2,600. If you’re considering getting a foldable phone to double up as a tablet, think again. Buying a separate phone and older tablet might be more cost effective.
However, flip phones are similar in price to an iPhone or Galaxy S. So, if you’re looking at that end of the market, they’re a real option.
