I pushed the latest foldables from Samsung, Motorola and Honor into a no‑mercy battle royale and there was one clear winner

The last couple of months have seen the arrival of some seriously high-profile book-style foldable devices, with brands like Samsung, Motorola and Honor looking to set the standard before the imminent release of Apple’s first foldable, which some expect will be called iPhone Ultra.

I’ve got the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, the Honor Magic V6 and the Motorola Razr Fold lined up for testing — three of the most premium foldables of the year, each aiming for the same spotlight. They all promise big screens, big versatility and big leaps forward, but once you start living with them, the differences come into focus fast.

I’m putting them through the same tests: design, cameras, battery life, multitasking and everyday use. By the end, one of these foldables will stand out as the clear winner — not because of hype, but because it genuinely earns the spot.

Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Razr Fold vs Magic V6: Design

In terms of design, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 feels like it’s finally cracked the code on what a book‑style foldable should be, though its short‑and‑wide design won’t be for everyone. Closed, it measures 153.5 x 68.1 x 12.1mm, which makes it noticeably shorter than most slab phones but still basically as wide as a Galaxy S26 Ultra. That width gives the cover screen a more natural feel for typing and scrolling, even if the squat shape takes a day or two to get used to.

At 201g, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the lightest in its class, and when you pair that with sharp, squared‑off corners, it makes the device feel significantly more modern than the other two foldables in this face‑off. As for its hinge, it opens with a clean, confident motion and unfolds almost perfectly flat. On top of that, Samsung’s titanium plate and gapless micro‑perforated display stack have drastically minimised the crease — you can still feel it if you go looking for it, but visually it’s so faint that you forget it’s there within minutes. Combined with a new anti‑reflective coating, the Z Fold 8’s main display looks more like a single sheet of glass than a foldable screen. For me, it’s the first time a foldable has felt this seamless.

Motorola’s Razr Fold takes a very different path, leaning into toughness rather than elegance. It’s noticeably heavier at 243 grams, and you feel that extra weight the moment you pick it up, but it’s the kind of heft that makes the phone seem more durable. It boasts a titanium inner plate, stainless steel hinge and Gorilla Glass Ceramic 3, all contributing to a chassis that feels reinforced in a way most foldables don’t. Even when opened, the Razr Fold stays impressively thin at 4.55mm, though its crease is far more noticeable than on the Galaxy Z Fold 8.

The Razr Fold's hinge doesn’t have the snappy, almost playful motion of the Galaxy Z Fold 8 — it’s firmer, more deliberate, built to hold its position rather than glide. And while the Razr Fold technically shares the same IP48/IP49 protection class as Samsung, its overall construction feels more rugged and less fragile. It’s not the most stylish or pocket‑friendly design, but it’s the one that gives you the most confidence that it’ll survive being used like a normal phone rather than a delicate gadget.

Meanwhile, Honor’s Magic V6 sits somewhere in the middle. It’s clean, understated, and very thin — 8.75mm closed, 4mm open — and while the huge round camera array keeps it from looking as sleek as Samsung’s device, it still feels more balanced than the Razr Fold. Its “Super Steel” hinge is nicely engineered, and its use of anti‑reflective silicon nitride layers gives both displays a soft, matte look that’s easy on the eyes. The crease is 44% shallower than its predecessor, the Magic V5, though it's still fairly noticeable, both in look and feel. It's also between its competitors in terms of heft, weighing in at 219 grams.

In terms of visual appeal, the white Magic V6 I'm testing is clean but a little clinical — especially compared to the red vegan leather version shown in our hands‑on review. In other words, it’s sleek, but also a little boring. That said, there’s one element of the Magic V6’s design that genuinely stands above its competitors: it’s the only foldable in this face-off that offers stylus support. Better still, it reportedly works on both the inner and outer displays. I wasn’t able to test this myself, but it’s sure to be a major selling point for anyone still frustrated that Samsung removed the feature from its Fold lineup. It also boasts an IP68/IP69 dust and water resistance rating, putting it ahead of its competitors in that regard.

Line all three up, and the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the only one that nails every practical design metric at once: thinness, weight, hinge feel, crease reduction and pocketability. It’s the foldable that feels the most polished and the most effortless to live with day‑to‑day — not because it’s flashy, but because it finally behaves like a normal phone when you want it to, and a big screen when you need it.

WINNER: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

Runner-up: Honor Magic V6

Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Razr Fold vs Magic V6: Cameras

Given that all three foldables are premium devices, it’s not surprising that they can all take good photos. That said, one consistently delivered great snaps in my testing. Samsung plays it safe, Motorola pushes ahead in ways I didn’t expect, and Honor lands somewhere in the middle — but which one takes the photography crown?

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 delivers a camera experience that feels familiar but polished. The two 50MP rear cameras produce rich colors and excellent dynamic range, and the upgraded ultrawide is noticeably sharper than last year’s model. Low‑light photos also come out brighter and sharper, with better control over noise and blown‑out highlights. The only real drawback is zoom — without a telephoto lens, detail drops off quickly once you push past 4x, making the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra a better option for those who value that more.

The Motorola Razr Fold is the one that genuinely surprised me. Its triple‑50MP setup produces crisp, vibrant photos with far more texture than I expected, and the 3x optical telephoto instantly gives it an edge over the other two. Motorola’s Super Zoom Pro also works better than I anticipated, keeping long‑range shots surprisingly clean. Low‑light performance is strong as well, with balanced exposures that avoid Samsung’s occasional brightness push.

Honor’s Magic V6 sits somewhere between the other two. The hardware is strong — a 50MP main, 50MP ultrawide and a 64MP periscope telephoto with 3x optical zoom — and Honor’s AiMAGE Color Engine generally produces natural, accurate colours. The telephoto lens gives the V6 decent reach, but the tuning doesn’t feel quite as confident as Samsung’s or as punchy as Motorola’s. I also noticed a bit of artificial “sweetening” in portrait shots, with skin smoothing that’s more aggressive than I’d prefer. It’s a capable camera system, just not the standout feature of the phone.

Across all three, the Razr Fold still comes out on top. Honor’s 64MP periscope telephoto gives the Magic V6 real reach, and Samsung remains strong in dynamic range and low‑light, but Motorola’s results are consistently sharper, cleaner and more confident across every scenario. It’s the foldable I’d reach for if cameras matter most.

WINNER: Motorola Razr Fold

Runner-up: Honor Magic V6

Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Razr Fold vs Magic V6: Battery life

Battery life is one of the biggest practical differences among these three foldables. All of them can comfortably last a day, but how much they have left at bedtime varies. Samsung finally feels reliable, Motorola pushes endurance further than anyone else, and Honor’s huge battery delivers surprisingly strong results in my own testing.

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the most balanced of the bunch. The move to a 4,800 mAh silicon‑carbon battery pays off: in Tom’s Guide’s 5G web‑surfing test, it lasted 12 hours and 19 minutes, a solid jump from the Fold 7’s 10:44. In day‑to‑day use, I could get through a full day of email, photos and music and still end up around the 50% mark. Charging is faster too — 70% in 30 minutes — and unlike the others, you can hit those speeds with any standard fast-charging adapter you’ll find on Amazon, not a proprietary brick.

The Motorola Razr Fold is the endurance monster. Motorola fits a 6,000 mAh battery inside a body that doesn’t feel any heavier, and the results are wild. Tom’s Guide measured 14 hours and 44 minutes, the best battery life of any book‑style foldable they’ve tested. Charging is equally impressive: 42% in 15 minutes and 75% in 30 minutes with 80W wired charging — but you’ll need either Motorola’s 80W TurboPower charger, which isn’t included in the box in Australia and which I don’t have access to, or a super fast charging adapter (100w or above, according to online users) to reach those headline numbers.

Honor’s Magic V6 goes even bigger in capacity with a 6,600 mAh silicon‑carbon battery, the largest of any foldable right now. Tom’s Guide hasn’t run its full battery test yet, but in my own PCMark Work 3.0 battery test, the V6 lasted just under 14 hours, putting it right in line with Motorola’s excellent endurance. It also supports 80W wired and 66W wireless charging, though you’ll need Honor‑approved chargers to reach those peak speeds. It’s a genuinely long‑lasting device, and the huge battery pays off.

Across all three, the Razr Fold still feels like the endurance king thanks to its combination of runtime and charging speed. Samsung delivers dependable all‑day life with faster top‑ups on standard chargers, and Honor’s massive battery gives it impressive stamina, but the Razr Fold is the foldable I’d trust most when I’m away from a charger.

WINNER: Motorola Razr Fold

Runner-up: Honor Magic V6

Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Razr Fold vs Magic V6: Multitasking

When it comes to multitasking, what really separates these three foldables isn’t the size of their screens — it’s the software experience. Samsung is the only one that feels like it’s been iterating on multitasking for years, and the Z Fold 8 is a testament to that. The moment you open two apps side‑by‑side, everything snaps into place with a kind of smoothness that the Razr Fold and Magic V6 don’t quite match.

On the Galaxy Z Fold 8, multitasking feels natural. The wider 4:3 inner display gives apps room to breathe, but it’s Samsung’s software polish that makes the difference. Dragging an app into split‑screen is instant, resizing windows is smooth, and the new AI‑powered suggestions — like the Calendar icon that appears when someone messages you about plans — make it feel like the phone is really helping you get work done. It’s the only foldable here where running multiple apps at once feels like a core part of the experience rather than a feature buried in menus. Admittedly, the added height of the Z Fold 8 Ultra makes it better suited to running three or more apps at once, but for two apps side‑by‑side, the Z Fold 8 is brilliant.

Motorola’s Razr Fold is fast, and the Snapdragon 8 Elite keeps everything responsive, but the multitasking tools aren’t as refined. Split‑screen works and is perfectly usable, but the narrower layout and simpler window controls make it feel more like a phone doing its best rather than a device designed around productivity. It’s great for quick side‑by‑side tasks, but it doesn’t encourage deeper multitasking the way Samsung does.

Honor’s Magic V6 gives you plenty of screen real estate, and its floating windows and split‑screen options are capable, but the software doesn’t feel as cohesive. Some apps don’t adapt as cleanly, and the workflow lacks the small quality‑of‑life touches that make Samsung’s approach feel effortless. It’s powerful, but not as intuitive.

Across all three, Samsung is the multitasking standout. Motorola is fast but less flexible, and Honor has the space but not the same polish. If you want a foldable that genuinely feels built for productivity, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the one that performed best for me.

WINNER: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

Runner-up: Motorola Razr Fold

Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs Razr Fold vs Magic V6: Everyday use

Of the three foldables tested here, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 felt the most natural for me to use on a day-to-day basis. It boasts a level of refinement that can only come from several generations of folding devices. The outer display is finally wide enough that you can stay there for most tasks without feeling cramped, and the anti‑reflective coating makes both screens easier to view outdoors. At this stage, you could say that Samsung’s approach to foldables feels predictable, but that’s not a bad thing — it just means that the learning curve that comes with using a foldable is a thing of the past. Apps typically behave how you expect them to, gestures feel natural, and the whole device has a rock-solid level of polish that makes it feel like a normal phone that happens to unfold into something bigger. And though I resisted its new dimensions at first, the Z Fold 8’s passport-like shape and slim design place the device in a perfect sweet spot for both pocketability and unfolded use.

The Razr Fold is the next best in everyday use. It’s light, easy to carry, and Motorola’s outer display is genuinely helpful for quick interactions. The software stays out of your way, and the phone feels relaxed in a way Samsung’s more structured approach doesn’t. It’s not quite as polished — every now and then an app won’t scale perfectly, or a layout will feel a bit tight — but most of the time it’s a pleasure to use.

Honor’s Magic V6 is a different story. The hardware is great, but the software often feels like it’s borrowing ideas from iOS, which can make everyday use feel a little unfamiliar if you’ve spent years inside Android’s usual rhythms. Some gestures behave differently than you expect, certain menus have that Apple‑style rounded translucency, and a few system animations lean more toward looking pretty than helping you get somewhere faster. None of this is inherently flawed — it’s just a different approach — but it can feel slightly awkward until you adjust.

OVERALL WINNER: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8

Runner-up: Motorola Razr Fold

Of the three, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 feels the most natural in everyday use. The Razr Fold is a strong second thanks to its great camera system and friendly, durable design, while the Magic V6 is powerful but feels better suited to fans of Apple’s software. If you want a foldable that behaves like a great phone first and a big screen second, Samsung is the one that gets it right.

Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Subscribe to Tom's Guide on YouTube and follow us on TikTok.

More from Tom’s Guide

• Galaxy Z Fold 8 vs. Fold 8 Ultra camera zoom test: Don't spend the extra $200 until you see this
• This is the Pixel 11 Pro Fold — and this is when pre-orders officially start
• I asked Siri AI and Gemini a series of increasingly bizarre questions to see how they responded —here's what happened