Foldable phones are becoming more prevalent as a serious consideration for the average consumer, but up until now, it has been mostly Samsung leading the charge. There have been a ton of different foldables debuting in Asian and European markets, but the competition in North America hasn't been up to par — that is, until now. After a slew of early summer releases, Samsung now has serious threats to its big and small foldables coming from Google, Motorola, and OnePlus. The question is, are those challenges enough to dethrone Samsung as the foldable leader in North America?

Regardless of which phone you go for, these releases are good news for buyers looking to ditch their great traditional phones for fun foldable ones. To help you navigate this relatively new product category, we've rounded up the best options below.

Our favorite foldable phones in 2023

OnePlus Open in black half open floating
OnePlus Open
Best large foldable

Excellent Oppo tech with software designed for North America

The OnePlus Open is a first-generation foldable that excels thanks to tech from Oppo. There are two great LTPO 3.0 displays, a main camera featuring a new Sony sensor, and a 64MP periscope zoom lens, and it's powered by the flagship Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.

Pros
  • Best display on a foldable
  • Great camera hardware, even with occasional processing hiccups
  • Excellent multitasking tools
Cons
  • Flat frame has slightly rough edges
  • Main camera takes in too much light
  • Still expensive despite undercutting competitors

The OnePlus Open features a cover screen that has the most similar aspect ratio to a traditional phone of any foldable we've seen. It's 20:9, and it forms a nearly perfect square on the inside when unfolded. The screen also has a less noticeable crease and less reflective display overall compared to the competition.

The display technology is advanced, too, featuring two LTPO 3.0 panels that can vary between 1Hz and 120Hz refresh rates. The cover screen is a 6.3-inch panel, and the main screen is a 7.8-inch display, with both displays hitting 2,800-nit peak brightness. The Open's hinge isn't as versatile as the Z Fold 5 and doesn't feel as sturdy. Another disappointment is the Open's IPX4 rating, which only protects against water splashes or rain.

Performance is great on the Open, with Oxygen OS running atop Android 13. It's worth noting that Android 14 is out, so technically, the OnePlus Open is behind. Hardware is top of the line with the OnePlus Open, which sports the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor and 16GB of RAM. That means it scores high on benchmarks, handles daily performance well, and even passed 3DMark's 20-minute Extreme Stress Test. As far as battery life goes, it lasts a full 14-hour day with regular use with some battery left to spare.

That leaves the camera system, which includes five total cameras. The main camera is a great 48MP sensor that uses an all-new Sony LYTIA T808 hardware that features pixel-stacking technology. There's also a 64MP periscope zoom lens and a 48MP ultra-wide lens. All that adds up to make the OnePlus Open the folding phone with the best camera system. There are still reasons to choose alternatives, but the OnePlus Open is the best foldable for most people.

Galaxy Z Fold 5 render
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
Runner-up

A less flashy but more well-rounded pick

Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a further refinement of the Z Fold lineup. The smartphone looks similar to past Z Fold iterations, featuring a 7.6-inch main screen and a tall cover screen. On the inside, it's powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip and a 4,400mAh battery. 

You can score up to $750 off with trade-ins at Samsung.com.

Pros
  • New hinge finally folds flat
  • Large screen excellent for reading and media
  • Great multitasking software
Cons
  • Narrow outer display can be tricky to use
  • Still features a noticeable crease
  • Expensive and very similar to Z Fold 4

Considering that the Z Fold 5 only has a few differences from the last-generation Z Fold 4, it's easy to see that Samsung's foldable doesn't have the best hardware overall. So, for most readers, the Z Fold 5 is an extremely well-rounded foldable. Although the OnePlus Open is our favorite overall, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 has quality-of-life features like wireless charging and IPX8 water resistance that some readers might find necessary.

When in doubt, the Z Fold 5 will perform like the prior Z Fold 4, although there are a few new features and tweaks included. Most notable is the new Flex Hinge, which uses a waterdrop design. This allows the Z Fold 5 to fold completely shut, which makes the phone thinner and also gives it a durability advantage. Less dust and debris can find their way between the two screens, making the design more apt to stand the test of time.

The other main advantage of the Z Fold 5 is the chip upgrade, as the new foldable now includes Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip. The last Z Fold 4 featured a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip, and our head-to-head tests revealed that the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 platform beats out the older version in benchmarks.

As for the display, camera system, and software, it's all much of the same. The new Z Fold 5 is still a great option for most people, but if you own the Z Fold 4, there's probably no reason to upgrade to the Z Fold 5.

New Project-17
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5
Best clamshell foldable

For when you want a foldable in your pocket

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is the latest compact foldable from Samsung, offering a flexible 6.7-inch internal display, a 3.4-inch external display, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, and much more.

You can score up to $600 off with trade-ins at Samsung.com.

Pros
  • Same great hinge design as the Z Fold 5
  • Expanded cover screen
  • Excellent for selfies
Cons
  • Subpar battery life
  • No zoom lens

Samsung took a few cues from other brands in designing the new Galaxy Z Flip 5 with an expanded cover display. It's easily the most important upgrade when compared to the Z Flip 4, as we discovered in our hands-on with the device. You'll now find a 3.4-inch cover display on the Flip 5, which is still smaller than the one on the Motorola Razr+. Only a few apps are supported on the cover screen at launch, but you'll be able to add app support yourself with minor tweaks. Even with the expanded app support, the operating system doesn't perform the same on the cover screen as it does on the main screen. This is a noticeable downside to using the Z Flip 5 over the Razr+.

Like the new Z Fold 5, the smaller Z Flip 5 brings the Flex Hinge and the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy platform. It's also Samsung's smallest foldable ever, measuring 0.59 inches thick folded and 0.27 inches unfolded. It's also significantly thinner than the last-generation Z Flip 4, which had a thickness of 0.67 inches. The Flex Hinge also brings a no-gap form factor when shut and protection against dust and debris.

The Z Flip 5 is a great foldable phone, and choosing between this device and the Razr+ can be a toss-up. If you're looking for the most polished experience and don't need unrestricted access to the cover screen, the Z Flip 5 is probably the way to go.

Porcelain Google Pixel Fold on transparent background.
Google Pixel Fold
Best book-style foldable

Google's foldable is a good start, with a few compromises

The Google Pixel Fold is a feature-rich device with a compact form factor, flagship hardware, impressive cameras, and a phenomenal software experience. It also has one of our favorite form factors on a foldable, being the most similar to a book of the options.

Pros
  • Fantastic size in any shape
  • Best photography experience in a foldable
  • Useful multitasking features
Cons
  • Android still needs some improvements for larger screens
  • Many third-party apps aren't optimized
  • Battery life is just OK

The Google Pixel Fold features a form factor that is a lot like European and Asian foldables, and that's a good thing. It has a wider and shorter outer display that feels a lot like a traditional smartphone and measures up to 5.8 inches. When it's time to unfold the Pixel Fold, you'll notice that the hinge is extremely stiff and hard to open with one hand. As numerous people who have tried the Pixel Fold have mentioned, it's not easy to reach that complete 180 degrees.

The Google Pixel Fold is powered by a Tensor G2 chip that has a few flaws. Most noticeable is the chip's thermal management, which isn't great and makes Pixel phones get hot to the touch at times. However, it's still a solid SoC in daily use and offers a slew of machine learning and artificial intelligence features. Plus, it adds 12GB LPDDR5 RAM and storage configurations of either 256 or 512GB.

If you like to take great photos, you'll be happy to know that the Google Pixel Fold has the best computational photography features of any folding phone. This foldable features a 48MP f/1.7 PD main camera with OIS and CLAF, a 10.8MP f/2.2 ultrawide camera with a 121.1-degree field of view with lens correction, and a 10.8MP f/3.05 telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom and 20x Super Res Zoom support. On the inside, there's a 9.5MP selfie camera on the inner screen that has a hole-punch cutout, so it'll probably beat the under-display camera on the Galaxy Z Fold 4.

The Google Pixel Fold is a first-generation product, so it obviously was going to have flaws. If you like Google's software and want a book-style foldable, it might be worth giving the Pixel Fold a try.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3
Large foldable on a budget

A good alternative if you find the Fold 5 too pricey

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 SoC and offers a stunning foldable display. It's not the best on the market, but foldables are typically expensive, so this is one of the cheapest options.

Pros
  • Still very capable in 2023
  • Much cheaper than Fold 5
  • Overall display resolution and refresh rate as good Fold 5's
Cons
  • Cameras are noticeably weaker than Fold 5's
  • The hinge is not as sturdy as Fold 5's
  • Hard to find new

If you are really interested in the Galaxy Z Fold 5 but find its $1,799 starting price too much to bear, you can consider the older Fold 3, which can be had now for around $800-$900 on Amazon or less than $1,000 at Best Buy if you don't mind buying a used device.

The Fold 3, even in 2023, is still an excellent foldable phone, and unless you're a picky photographer, it doesn't fall that short of the Galaxy Z Fold 5. The displays are almost the same specs-wise (the Fold 5's screen is just a bit wider), and the hinge mechanism is also similar. The speakers, S Pen support, and software are virtually identical. The only tangible difference is in the chipset — the Fold 3 runs on the almost two-year-old Snapdragon 888 — and the aforementioned cameras. I don't think the older Qualcomm chip matters much, as it's still plenty powerful even today. But the trio of 12MP cameras in the Fold are a bit long in the tooth and don't grab crisp night shots.

For some people, a weaker camera is worth compromising to save up to $1,000 and still get an excellent, highly polished foldable experience. The Fold 3 is worth a look if the price is the only thing keeping you from getting a Fold 5. However, with the Z Fold 4 coming down in price with the release of the Z Fold 5, that might be a better budget option for some. It's retailing for as low as $1,300 at Samsung, and you can get it for even less than that with a trade-in. If you're willing to spend a few extra hundred dollars, the Z Fold 4 is a great choice available for less than a Z Fold 5. But the Z Fold 3 can be had for the same price as a traditional flagship, which makes it the best budget option available.

A render of the front and back of the Moto Razr+ in Viva magenta colorway.
Motorola Razr+ 2023
Small foldable alternative

The best cover screen on the market

Motorola Razr+ (2023) is a clamshell foldable phone with a large 1:1 3.6-inch outside screen that allows the user to get a lot done without unfolding the phone.

Pros
  • Large outside screen lets you do a lot without unfolding
  • Bright, vivid main display with 165Hz refresh rate
  • Sleek and compact
Cons
  • Cameras resort to night mode too often
  • Battery life just good, not great

After choosing not to sell last year's Motorola Razr (2022) in the U.S., Motorola made a triumphant return to North America with the Motorola Razr+. It has a 3.6-inch, 144Hz OLED display on the outside that is virtually unrestricted and finally makes the most of that exterior space. On the inside, you get a massive 6.9-inch OLED panel that features a 165Hz refresh rate. But the Razr+ will have a taller aspect ratio than most phones. Paired with the cover display that is the best of any clamshell foldable, the screens on the Motorola Razr+ are easily the most appealing part of this foldable phone.

The Razr+ isn't as impressive when it comes to performance, at least on paper. It packs a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, which was a year old at the time the Motorola Razr+ was released in June 2023. This chip is more than powerful enough for daily use, but more concerning is that the phone uses the UFS 3.1 instead of the latest 4.0 standard for storage. You do get other benefits, though, like fast charging and a 3,800 mAh battery. The cameras on the Motorola Razr+ are passable but otherwise unimpressive. A key caveat of foldable phones is that the cover screen does let you take selfies with the main camera array, which is great for people who take a lot of selfies. Plus, the adjustable hinge means the Razr+ essentially functions as a tripod that's always with you.

If you can live with Motorola's software and design language — which largely resembles Google's stock Android — the Razr+ is the best clamshell foldable you can buy right now. At around $1,000, it's competitively priced as well.

Best foldable phones: The final word

Although some of the best folding phones were limited to Asian markets in the past, the braintrust of OnePlus and Oppo has now brought that tech to North America. The OnePlus Open is the best folding phone we've tested overall, but it lacks a few key features like wireless charging and IPX8 water resistance. For that reason, there's still a case to be made for the Galaxy Z Fold 5 or the Pixel Fold to be your next foldable. In the small foldable market, the Z Flip 5 and Motorola Razr+ are similarly great. Whichever you prefer, the presence of this many flagship foldables in North America is great for competition.

Galaxy Z Fold 5 render
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
Best foldable overall

Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 5 is a further refinement of the Z Fold lineup. The smartphone looks similar to past Z Fold iterations, featuring a 7.6-inch main screen and a tall cover screen. On the inside, it's powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip and a 4,400mAh battery. 

You can score up to $750 off with trade-ins at Samsung.com.