Foldable phones had a big year in 2025, and iPhone Fold’s arrival in 2026 could bring even bigger things

If phones feel a little stale to you, you need to pay more attention to the world of foldable phones.

It's a place where the best devices regularly change, and aren't simply the updated version of last year's model. It's where you can see rough edges of the experience sanded off over rapid iterations, and in different ways depending on the brand. These devices are still far too expensive, and the durability isn't certain over long periods, but if you miss the diversity of smartphones that we used to have, this is where the action is.

2025 has been an especially exciting year for foldables. Samsung reclaimed the throne it's not held securely in some time, Motorola offered more models than ever before, and big, wild innovations are still being made by the big Chinese foldable brands. And 2026 doesn't look like it'll give us a break, with new models likely to make even more upgrades, and the rumored entry of Apple into the foldable space.

So, as the end of the year approaches, it’s time to look both forward and backward at foldable phones. Join me to revisit the highlights of the year, and to investigate what we could be about to see in 2026.

Samsung

Korea's finest had a great year with its foldables. After years of lagging behind, the Galaxy Z Fold 7 finally caught up with the standard set by Chinese manufacturers. The Galaxy Z Flip 7 also saw a considerable set of upgrades, which is why it's managed to snag the top spot on our best foldables list. Plus, there was the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE — maybe it's best we forget about that one.

And just before 2025 could close out, Samsung also announced the Galaxy Z TriFold is real and will be coming to the U.S. (although not the U.K. *sob*) in 2026. Given that the only other triple-folding phone on the market right now is made by Huawei, it's a category that Samsung effectively has to itself in Western markets — now, all we need to see is who is willing to spend so much to own one.

Rumors for next year's Galaxy foldables aren't flowing at full force yet, but there are already a few exciting ones. The Galaxy Z Fold 8, as we assume it will be called, has been tipped to receive a less noticeable display crease, a larger and more rectangular display, possibly upgraded cameras and, at long last, a larger battery and faster charging. Even the Z Flip 8 could get a substantial change in the form of a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip, which would be a U-turn after Samsung moved the Z Flip 7 to Exynos silicon instead.

While Samsung may not have any massive "wow" moments ready for us with its 2026 foldables like it had this year, the future still looks bright for the father of folding phones.

Motorola

Perhaps the other dominant brand for folding phones in the Western world, Motorola, had a good year, too.

The Razr 2025 and Razr Ultra 2025 proved that the company can make compelling foldables at diverse price points, even if the Galaxy Z Flip 7 still wins out for overall quality. We also can't forget about the Razr Plus 2025, which is still a good phone - just not quite as excellent as its cheaper and more expensive siblings.

Moto could be in for a big 2026, though. It's rumored to be debuting its first book-style foldable early next year, which will hopefully add another global competitor to the Galaxy Z Fold series. Between that and the assumed raft of upgrades that we'll see given to the existing Razr line-up, it's clear that Samsung can't take its foot off the gas if it wants to keep its lead in either the clamshell or book-style foldable categories.

Google

While Google as a whole may be focusing more heavily than ever on its AI products, its hardware division has still been plugging away at its phone offerings, including its third-gen foldable, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which it launched this year.

While its Pixel qualities like photography processing, bright displays and AI features help it stand out against its rivals, its thicker-than-average profile and lower-powered chipset mean it's not quite as much of a standout. Even though it's cheaper than the average book-style foldable, the $200 discount compared to Samsung's offering is not that significant when you're already spending close to two grand.

There are no big rumors on the horizon about 2026's Google foldables yet, though we assume we'll get a Pixel 11 Pro Fold by next fall at the latest. Fingers crossed, Google has a big revamp in store; otherwise, it could be the new Samsung in terms of producing good foldable phones that lack much of an edge over competitors.

Oppo, Honor and others

For the true cutting edge in foldable phone tech, we need to look to China. While OnePlus let us down by still not releasing a sequel to the OnePlus Open for the second year running, those of us outside the U.S. got the Oppo Find N5 - an exceptional foldable phone with which to start the year, and one that shows that when we finally do get a OnePlus Open 2, it should be another exceptional device.

Through the rest of 2025, we saw the Honor Magic V5, an excellent foldable in its own right (just don't talk about its dimensions). And while I never got to try them out, the Vivo X Fold5, Honor Magic V Flip 2 and Huawei Pura X

Even if these phones aren't sold where you can buy them, the pressure they exert on the brands that do sell in your region is important. These foldables are full of good ideas, such as silicon-carbon batteries, more compact but still flagship-worthy camera systems, and new form factors like the Pura X's wallet-like shape that bridges the gap between clamshell and book-style foldables.

And that's just the hardware - these phones also come with imaginative software features beyond just adding Gemini or other genAI powers to existing apps, like remote control for your Windows PC or Mac, or deepfake video call detection abilities.

No doubt, even more is in store for 2026, and I can’t wait to try out what these companies cook up next for their foldables. Even if they're not up for purchase in the U.S., and therefore can't make it onto our best phone guides, seeing what's possible in the foldable phone space shows us what we should be asking of the brands that we can buy foldables from.

Apple

2025 has been much like the ones that came before in terms of foldable phones for Apple: no folding hardware to report - unless you're talking about MacBooks, or AirPods cases. But that could all change in 2026, as this may finally be the year that the iPhone Fold crosses the line from well-reported rumor to purchasable reality.

The rumor mill is claiming big things about the iPhone Fold: it'll have a big battery, it'll solve the display crease problem for good and have a capable under-display camera. It could also cost a whole lot of money, but as an iPhone, it's got the power of years' worth of established quality and desirability to encourage users to switch despite the cost.

If Apple gets things right, this could be the start of a golden age for foldable phones, with Samsung, Google and the rest forced to catch up to whatever standards the iPhone Fold sets. But that's only assuming that all the rumors turn out in Apple's favor, something we can only wait to find out.

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