Four years into its existence, foldable phones are no longer niche devices that only extreme enthusiasts with deep pockets would consider. Foldables have become more durable, less bulky, lower in price, and are starting to pop up in the hands of more real users around the world. Most of the push has been thanks to Samsung, which has had a global monopoly on the foldable scene, but 2023 is starting to see competition also make foldables available to key international markets. Oppo and Honor each launched foldables for the UK and European markets, while Tecno is about to sell one in India.

When we consider Google's rumored foldable on the way and a promise from OnePlus that it too will have a foldable later this year, the foldable scene is going to keep growing. If you're in the market for a new phone, and you're ready to make the switch from a conventional slab phone to a foldable, we here at XDA are here to help.

Our favorite foldable phones in 2023

Let it be known that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 isn't necessarily the most impressive piece of hardware in the foldable space right now. Xiaomi's Mix Fold 2 is significantly thinner, and Vivo's X Fold has a better, larger camera sensor. But both of those phones only sell in China, and their software is not as well optimized as Samsung's. And so, for most readers, the best overall foldable is the Galaxy Z Fold 4. It's not just because you can buy this much easier than you could a Xiaomi foldable, but also because the Z Fold 4 is just more polished.

The Fold 4 took everything that was great about the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and 3 and added further polish and refinement. The first thing Samsung did was shave a few millimeters off the somewhat bulky hinge so it no longer protrudes from the side as much when folded. Then Samsung gave those few millimeters to the display so that the Fold 4 can offer a larger screen without increasing physical dimensions. This size increase is mostly horizontal, giving the Fold 4's outside "Cover Display" a bit more room to breathe compared to the cramped screens of years past. It sounds minor — but the difference is noticeable, making typing on the Fold 4's outside screen better than before.

Samsung also gave the Fold 4 some significant camera upgrades. Last year’s Fold 3 used a dated camera system that was nowhere near flagship territory. This year, the Fold 4 upgrades to the same system used in the non-Ultra Galaxy S22, with a 50MP main camera with a large (for a foldable) 1/1.56-inch image sensor and a 3X telephoto zoom lens that’s much better than the mediocre zoom lens in previous Folds. While this camera system still isn't the absolute best of the best — it is close enough that they can be called flagship sensors.

The Fold 4 also brings back all the great features established in previous Folds, including a sturdy hinge that can stay in place mid-fold (Samsung calls this “Flex Mode") and IPX8 water resistance plus S-Pen support. No other foldable on the market offers all three of these things right now. Throw in the aforementioned intuitive software that's excellent for multitasking, and the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is still the best overall and most polished foldable phone around.

If you are really interested in the Galaxy Z Fold 4 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 $1,080 at Best Buy if you want a physical retailer. There is also no shortage of second-hand options, which would be priced even lower.

The Fold 3, even in 2023, is still an excellent foldable phone, and unless you're a picky photographer, doesn't fall that short of the Galaxy Z Fold 4. The displays are almost the same specs-wise (the Fold 4'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 doesn't grab as crisp night shots as the Fold 4.

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 4.

While large foldables like the phones above are essentially tablets that can fold into a smaller smartphone-sized form factor, there are these clamshell ones that are smartphones that fold up into a compact little square no bigger than a stack of coasters or a wallet. If you find your pockets constantly cramped due to slab smartphones being too big, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 will be music to your ears. Measuring just 84.9 x 71.9 x 17mm when folded, the Galaxy Z Flip 4 should fit into not just pants pockets (both men's and women's) but even the smaller breast pockets in jackets or button-down shirts. It's also petite enough to fit into most women's purses. Unfold the device, and you have a vivid 6.7-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate; close it up, and the 1.9-inch screen allows you to keep up to date with notifications. Performance is no issue thanks to the Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 and 8GB of RAM. The new Qualcomm chip is very battery efficient, but battery life is still below par due to the small 3,700 mAh cell.

Samsung also improved the software for the outer “Cover Display,” allowing users to open any app on the smaller 1.9-inch display. Sure, some apps will look silly in the cramped space, but other apps will benefit from it. You can, for example, scroll through your Spotify playlist directly from the outside screen. Overall, the Flip 4 is an iterative refinement to already an excellent small foldable.

The Oppo Find N2 Flip is a clamshell foldable that, in several key areas, makes the Flip 4 look outdated. The display crease in the Find N2 Flip is far less noticeable, and with a 50MP main camera with a 1/1.56-inch sensor size, its main camera is a whole tier above what the Flip 4's offering. The Find N2 Flip's outside screen and battery size are also much larger than the Flip 4's.

But it still sits behind the Flip 4 on this list because the latter is more polished. Samsung's software is more optimized for Western users, including better built-in support with Google apps. The Flip 4 also has an official IP water resistance rating, while the Oppo Find N2 Flip does not (however, Oppo claims the phone is actually IPX4 splash resistant. Opp just didn't spring for the official certification. One more problem is the Find N2 Flip doesn't sell in North America, and even Europe and Asia rollout varies from region to region.

Still, if you're someone who values screen and camera performance above all else, and you can buy this phone where you live, the Find N2 Flip is an enticing alternative to the Flip 4. In many ways, the Find N2 Flip's hardware feels half a generation ahead, but if you factor in the entire package, including software, then the Flip 4 still edges it out.

Best Foldable Phones: The final say

In an alternate reality where Chinese brands aren't limiting some of their best products to China market only, this list would be twice in length, and this conclusion would be hotly contested. But alas, there are a half dozen very capable foldable phones we had to leave off this list due to their lack of availability. In this particular field of internationally available foldables, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is easily the most capable foldable phone right now. As much as clamshell foldables are fun to use, large foldables are still the devices that transform what it means to use a smartphone. With the Fold 4, almost all productivity tasks are made easier than on a normal phone. And if you're concerned about durability, I'd say don't worry: I personally have used every generation of the Fold daily for at least a year each, and none of them have suffered serious damage. I even dropped the Fold 3 three times, and the device works fine.