Foldable phones, defined—and our clear top pick
A foldable phone is a premium smartphone with a flexible display that opens like a book or a clamshell, giving you both a compact outer screen and a larger inner screen for multitasking, media, and productivity in a single device, at a price that rivals or exceeds high‑end slab phones while demanding stronger durability, long‑term reliability, and refined software to be worthwhile.
If you are going to buy a foldable book‑style phone right now, you should buy the Motorola Razr Fold. It is the most convincing mix of hardware, battery life, cameras, and value, and it is the one experts recommend to most people over other book‑style foldables. Its triple 50MP camera system delivers the kind of colorful, high‑contrast photos people expect from a premium device, and its 6,000mAh silicon‑carbon battery can stretch into a second day of use, which directly addresses one of the biggest complaints about earlier foldables. However, the market is changing fast, and at most you may only need to wait a couple of months for discounts and new launches to reshape the entire foldable segment.
The 3–5 checks every foldable buyer must make
Foldables are no longer a niche experiment; they are a crowded, competitive segment with many brands chasing the same buyers. That choice is good, but it raises the bar for what counts as a good buy. Before you spend near‑luxury money on a folding phone, you should apply a tougher checklist than you would for a standard flagship. Paying nearly USD 2,000 (approx. RM9,200) for a phone means you should get the absolute best hardware a company can offer, not a compromise.
- Durability: Each generation must show a clear leap in hinge strength, crease reduction, and screen protection to justify the risk.
- Display quality and utility: The inner screen needs to be more than a gimmick; it should make multitasking and media meaningfully better.
- Battery and longevity: With large inner screens, anything less than all‑day endurance undermines the whole form factor.
- Software maturity: Foldables demand polished multitasking, app continuity, and long update support, not half‑finished experiments.
- Timing and value: With brands rolling out frequent discounts and new models, buying at launch can be the worst value.
Motorola Razr Fold review: the best book‑style foldable to buy
The Motorola Razr Fold is the current benchmark book‑style foldable for most people, and it is the one I recommend first. According to one long‑term reviewer, “Motorola hit all the right notes to make a high‑quality foldable, and it’s the one I recommend to most people.” Its design balances a textured back that feels secure without a case with solid in‑hand comfort, even if its 243g weight is noticeable. The triple 50MP camera setup means you no longer have to accept second‑tier cameras on a foldable; instead, you get saturated, high‑contrast photos that are ideal for social sharing, plus a surprisingly useful 3x telephoto.
The standout spec is the 6,000mAh silicon‑carbon battery, which can carry you into a second day on a single charge—crucial when you want to enjoy the inner display without battery anxiety. Razr Fold owners also get a promise of seven years of software upgrades, a significant pledge from a brand that historically lagged on updates. That said, Motorola’s software record is mixed; security patches have slipped in the past, and major Android upgrades can be slow. On price, Motorola’s pattern of aggressive discounting matters: last year’s Razr Ultra dropped from USD 1,300 (approx. RM5,980) to USD 800 (approx. RM3,680) for the 1TB model within months, with deep trade‑in sweeteners. Expect similar cuts here, which is why buying at full launch price is rarely wise.
Who is it for? If you want the best overall book‑style foldable today, the Razr Fold is for you. It suits power users who run many apps side‑by‑side, people who care about strong cameras on a foldable, and anyone who hates worrying about battery life. Content creators and stylus users gain extra value because this is described as the best and only book‑style option with a strong stylus story in markets where it is sold. The main reasons to skip are if you demand spotless software update discipline, want to wait for even lighter hardware, or prefer to buy only once heavier discounts land—something Motorola’s history suggests is very likely.
Pixel 10 Pro Fold comparison: who should still buy Google’s foldable?
The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold is not a bad phone; it is a refined third‑generation foldable with a clear target audience. It combines a 6.4‑inch front display with an 8‑inch folding inner display, giving you two capable viewing options. With the Tensor G5 chipset, 16GB of RAM, and fast UFS 4.0 storage, it matches the performance of the Pixel 10 Pro XL while adding a triple camera setup, powerful on‑device AI features, wireless charging, and an IP68 rating. For fans of Google’s software and AI tools, that combination remains attractive.
In camera terms, the Razr Fold edges ahead as the better point‑and‑shoot option with punchy, social‑ready images, while the Pixel 10 Pro Fold keeps a lead in low‑light thanks to Night Sight. If you shoot a lot after dark, the Pixel still delivers. However, the Pixel foldable line faces an uncomfortable value question. A clean interface on a folding display is no longer a unique selling point; it is expected, and hardware now matters more. Critically, Google has been accused of failing to move the needle on key hardware areas like battery size, camera sensors, and display innovation, especially compared to the non‑folding Pixel flagships.
This is where pricing and expectations clash. When you pay near USD 2,000 (approx. RM9,200) for a foldable, you should not accept smaller batteries, minimal camera upgrades, and barely thinner designs compared to cheaper slab phones. Yet that is the criticism levelled at Google’s foldables today. If software‑first experiences and Google’s camera tuning matter more to you than sheer hardware advantage, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is still a solid choice. But if you measure value in hardware terms—battery, durability, and camera sensors—the “hardware math” can fail to add up against both the Razr Fold and Google’s own standard Pixel line.
Is a foldable phone worth it now—or should you wait?
The biggest remaining question for this foldable phone buying guide is not which device to buy, but when to buy one. Foldables have moved from rare curiosities to a mature field where multiple brands, including Motorola, Google, Samsung, and others, compete at a rapid cadence. That pace alone changes the value equation. We are on the cusp of new launches and major discounts that could quickly outdate today’s models, even if they are excellent on their own merits.
You should know that experts explicitly warn that buying a foldable right now could be a mistake, with as little as two months separating you from a very different foldable landscape. New Razr Fold discounts are likely within weeks, and new competing foldables are scheduled to be announced around the same window. Meanwhile, rivals are addressing traditional pain points like screen creases, camera quality, and battery capacity with each new generation. In this context, the Motorola Razr Fold is the best book‑style foldable to buy if you must purchase today, while the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is a niche choice for dedicated Pixel fans. For everyone else, waiting a short time for the next wave of hardware and discounts is the smarter financial decision.
- Buy the Motorola Razr Fold if you want the best all‑round book‑style foldable available today with top‑tier cameras and battery life.
- Skip the Motorola Razr Fold if you are not willing to tolerate Motorola’s mixed record on fast, consistent software updates.
- Buy the Motorola Razr Fold if you are a power user, content creator, or stylus user who needs a large inner display and strong hardware.
- Skip the Motorola Razr Fold if you can wait a few months for likely heavy discounts that will significantly improve its value.
- Buy the Pixel 10 Pro Fold if you are invested in Google’s software, AI features, and low‑light camera performance and want them on a folding screen.
- Skip the Pixel 10 Pro Fold if you expect hardware that clearly outclasses non‑folding Pixel flagships in cameras, battery, and display quality.
- Buy the Motorola Razr Fold if you care most about hardware value per dollar, including long battery life and a strong camera set on a foldable.
- Skip the Pixel 10 Pro Fold if you are sensitive to paying near‑ultra‑premium prices for what critics see as smaller battery, minimal camera upgrades, and limited hardware progress.
