Our Experts CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. What to Consider iOS or Android If your family and friends are on Apple services like iMessage and FaceTime, stick with an iPhone. If you’ve been deep on Samsung, stay on Android.
Know that switching between the two has never been easier. Size Phones are big in general with the smallest ones having a 6.1-inch screen and large models topping out at 6.
8 inches. That makes visiting a store and trying a phone out before you buy it quite important. Cameras Phone cameras have gotten better over the past five years.
Don’t be fooled by how many cameras a phone has; more is not necessarily better. Software support Phone makers promise varying lengths of long-term software and security support ranging from just one year to as many as seven. These updates not only ensure you get many of the latest features but also keep your phone secure.
Our Picks CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. What to Consider iOS or Android If your family and friends are on Apple services like iMessage and FaceTime, stick with an iPhone. If you’ve been deep on Samsung, stay on Android.
Know that switching between the two has never been easier. Size Phones are big in general with the smallest ones having a 6.1-inch screen and large models topping out at 6.
8 inches. That makes visiting a store and trying a phone out before you buy it quite important. Cameras Phone cameras have gotten better over the past five years.
Don’t be fooled by how many cameras a phone has; more is not necessarily better. Software support Phone makers promise varying lengths of long-term software and security support ranging from just one year to as many as seven. These updates not only ensure you get many of the latest features but also keep your phone secure.
The Motorola Razr Plus (2024) and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 are among the newest clamshell-style foldable phones . Modern flip phones with folding screens have been around for over four years now and they're better built, more durable and even more affordable than ever. The new Motorola Razr (2024) starts at $700 before discounts.
These new flip phones have larger cover displays, ranging from 4 inches on the Razr Plus to 3.4 inches on the Z Flip 6. Motorola even lets you run pretty much any Android app you want on the outer screen, too.
The clamshell phones have better cameras, and aside from folding in half are just like using a regular candy bar-style phone. Even better, last year's models, like the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Motorola Razr Plus (2023) and Oppo's Find N3 Flip , can be found at steep discounts. If you're considering buying a flip phone in 2024, there are a lot of options to navigate.
But we tested and reviewed everything on this list to help you find the best foldable flip phone for you. What is the best flip phone for most people? The Motorola Razr Plus (2024) is CNET's top flip phone pick. It was a close call between it and Samsung's new and more expensive Galaxy Z Flip 6.
There's a lot to enjoy in the Razr Plus, like the larger cover screen, which I found myself using a lot of the time, the long battery life, fast charging and improved cameras. The new model is certified to survive temporary dunking, with an IPX8 rating that means it can be immersed under 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes.
The 2024 Razr Plus is an absolute delight to use and will no doubt appeal to fans looking for something more unique and fashionable than the standard rectangular slabs offered by Apple and Samsung. Best flip phones of 2024 When I consider the Motorola Razr Plus on its own terms, it's outstanding. And perhaps more importantly, it's a delight to use.
The 4-inch cover screen makes the Razr feel like two phones in one. You can use pretty much any app on the outer display, as well as respond to messages, watch videos, make video calls and even play games – all without opening up the Razr Plus. Add to that a long battery life, fast charging, improved cameras and an IPX8 rating that certifies that the Razr Plus will survive temporary dunking and you realize just how much value Motorola has poured into its flagship foldable.
Its $1,000 price is steep, but you're getting one of the best clamshell style foldables you can buy. For better or worse, Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 6 foldable is packed with AI. It can take a rough sketch and turn it into artwork or help me have a conversation in French or Korean despite my only knowing a few words of either language.
The new autofocus/autozoom feature lets you prop the phone in a half-open position and the Z Flip 6 will automatically zoom in or out (switching between the main and ultrawide cameras) to get a photo that best suits the moment. Samsung's latest clamshell style foldable has a new 50-megapixel main camera; a smaller hinge and crease; a larger battery and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3. But all this comes at a higher starting price: $1,099, which makes it hard to appreciate the Galaxy Z Flip 6 for the absolute great phone that it is.
The 2024 Motorola Razr is an impressive example of a foldable phone that doesn't break the bank. Yes, you'll have to make some compromises when it comes to camera quality (shots aren't quite as remarkable as what you'll get on the – pricier – Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 or Motorola Razr Plus, for instance, and night mode isn't great), but you'll still generally get high-quality images on both the rear and internal cameras. The phone also has great battery life (it can last for over a day and a half), and that crease in the internal display is hardly noticeable when you're using your phone like usual; I could barely see it when watching videos or scrolling through photos and apps.
The biggest selling point, though, is that 3.6-inch cover screen, which is convenient for quickly replying to a text, pulling up the camera and controlling your music. You can also take advantage of fun Moto features like gesture selfie, which automatically snaps your photo after you show your palm, and auto smile capture, which takes a picture when everyone in the frame is smiling.
But the coolest feature, in my opinion, is External Display Preview mode, which shows a preview of the photo you're snapping using the cover screen. It's a prime example of how the 2024 Razr serves as a practical device that effectively utilizes both displays. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 was the biggest leap forward Samsung's flip phone had seen when it launched in 2023.
Samsung significantly expanded the size of the cover screen located on the outside of the device, meaning you can look up directions, take photos and send messages without opening the phone. It's this, combined with the Z Flip's solid battery life and sturdy design, that makes it a top pick. The Z Flip 5 was our favorite flip phone in 2023, but there are still some drawbacks to be aware of.
Not all apps work natively on the front screen as they do on the Motorola Razr Plus. At $1,000, it's still expensive for a phone without a telephoto camera. The newer Z Flip 6 costs even more.
Though the Z Flip 5 can often be found on discount. Read our Galaxy Z Flip 5 review. In 2024, you can find the Motorola Razr Plus (2023) often discounted -- we've seen it as low as $600 which makes it a fantastic value.
The Razr Plus raised the bar for what a flip phone should be when it released in 2023. The 3.6-inch cover screen allows you to use almost any app without opening the phone, plus battery life is long enough to get you through a busy day.
It's also thinner than the Galaxy Z Flip 5, which could make it the ideal choice for those who prioritize portability in a phone. The Razr Plus (2023) is worth considering if you prefer a thinner design and want to use more apps on the phone's front screen without much extra fuss. The Razr Plus is a great choice for those who care about compactness above all else.
Read our Motorola Razr Plus review . Factors to consider when buying a flip phone Don't discount the midrange: Features of last year's flagships always trickle down to this year's midrange handsets. You can get a great phone that does almost everything that a premium phone can do for a fraction of the price.
Google's Pixel 8 Pro packs a great zoom camera, but the base Pixel 8 has most of the same key specs and comes at a more reasonable price. If you're trying to save a few bucks, you shouldn't be considering a flip phone. Devices like the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Motorola Razr Plus are priced like high-end premium phones, although Motorola plans to release a cheaper Razr this year.
Shop the sales: Look for deep discounts and promo deals around major holidays, especially Amazon's Prime Day and Black Friday. Find out what your grace period is in case you need a quick return or exchange. Last year's phones: They can often be a great deal, too.
Wait for this year's launch to get last year's phone for less, when stores and carriers may be trying to offload their existing stock. Keep in mind you'll miss out on the spacious cover screens found on the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Razr Plus by going for last year's models. Hold the phone in hand at a store first: You may love or hate the way it looks and feels in person.
This is especially important for flip phones and other foldable devices, particularly if it's your first time using one. The right time to buy a new phone Knowing when to upgrade your phone largely depends on the age and condition of your current device as well as your budget. It's also a good idea to plan your upgrades in line with new models launching, if possible.
Samsung is also rumored to be working on a cheaper Galaxy Z Flip model that could cost around $400 to $500. That's according to a leak posted on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, by an account with the handle @Tech_Reve . T.
M. Roh, the president and head of Samsung's mobile experience division, told CNET that offering a foldable phone for less than $1,000 is still a major challenge. "And given the materials cost today .
.. it is probably not going to be easy for us to offer a less than $1,000 foldable in the very near future," Roh said.
"But we will keep trying." If there is a cheaper foldable phone in the works at Samsung, it could debut alongside the company's pricier models. Samsung also tends to launch cheaper A-series and FE-series phones separately from its flagship phones.
Most companies typically release new products around the same time every year, although launch cycles aren't always annual. Here's when Samsung, Motorola and Oppo launched their flip phones in 2023/2024, which could provide a hint at when they may launch future models. Flip phone launches How we test phones The Galaxy Z Flip 4 (left), Galaxy Z Flip 5 (center) and Motorola Razr Plus (right) We test every phone in real-world scenarios, focusing on its features, design, performance, cameras, battery life and overall value.
We document our findings in an initial review that is periodically updated when there are new software updates, or to compare it against new phones from competitors such as Apple, Samsung, Google and OnePlus. Below is our methodology for testing smartphones in general, which also applies to flip phones. Photography is a major focus for most phones, so we take pictures and videos of various subjects in multiple settings and lighting scenarios.
We try out any new camera modes, such as the revamped Action mode on the iPhone 15 line, or the Magic Editor photo tool that launched with the Google Pixel 8 series. Taking a photo with the Galaxy Z Flip 5. Battery testing is conducted in a variety of ways.
We assess how long a phone lasts during a typical day of use and note how it performs during more focused sessions of video calls, media streaming and gaming. We also conduct a video playback test, as a simple, replicable measure of pure battery life, which isn't always included in the initial review but is sometimes added later in an update. We use benchmarking apps to measure each phone's performance, alongside our own anecdotal experiences using the phone for our review.
Of note are how graphics and animations look. Are they smooth? Or do they lag or stutter? We also look at how quickly the phone switches between horizontal and vertical orientations, and how fast the camera app opens and is ready to take a photo. We perform processor-heavy tasks like editing photos, exporting videos and playing games.
We evaluate whether a newer version of a particular phone includes enough features to make it worth upgrading from older models. Read more: How we test phones Flip phone FAQs Yes, new foldable flip phones from Samsung, Motorola and Oppo support 5G networks. Samsung began offering 5G on its flip phone back in 2020 with the second edition of the Galaxy Z Flip, which launched in August of that year.
Yes, but there are important compromises to consider. Foldable phones offer benefits you can't get with a regular phone, such as a larger screen that fits in your pocket more easily, and the ability to take hands-free photos without a tripod. These phones are also more fragile than your average smartphone since they have hinges, which enable them to fold, and not all are rated for dust resistance.
They also have noticeable creases running across their internal displays. You can also usually find better cameras on nonfoldable phones. All of today's phones pack some kind of camera setup on the back, with most packing multiple ones like ultrawide or telephoto zooms.
More expensive phones, like the iPhone 15 Pro, use larger image sensors, better-quality lenses and image stabilization that let in more light, capturing detailed images with beautiful colors in daylight and at night. Typically, the more you pay, the better quality you'll get, with the most advanced features being reserved for the most expensive flagships. Most smartphones -- even those at the top end -- should be able to deliver a full day of mixed use on a single charge.
That means you should have a bit of juice left at the end of your day, but you should expect to give it a full charge when you plug it in next to your bed at night. Most phones tend to come with a minimum of 128GB of storage, which is a good amount for apps, games and locally stored music. It's important to think about what you'll be doing with your phone.
If you want to download and play a lot of games, then consider opting for a higher-capacity version..
