Folding phones are no longer a niche experiment. In its updated October 2026 buying guide, Wired names the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 the best folding phone overall, adds Apple's iPhone Duo as its favorite folding iPhone, and keeps Motorola's Razr Ultra and Razr (2026) as the top flip and budget picks. The list is a clear sign the format has grown from a curiosity into a real segment with options at very different prices.
Wired's writers argue the category is genuinely practical rather than a gimmick: book-style foldables expand your multitasking space on the go, while flip models bring back the small-phone feel. With Apple now in the market, the question for buyers has shifted from whether foldables are worth it to which hinge style suits them.
Best folding phones 2026: the Wired picks
Wired's top four cover the main shapes and budgets, from a near-tablet book fold to a compact flip. Prices are in US dollars as listed by the publication.
The Galaxy Z Fold8 is described as shorter and wider than earlier Z Folds, with a noticeably less visible crease, a 7.6-inch inner screen and a 5.5-inch outer display. It runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 and packs Samsung's first silicon-carbon battery at 4,800 mAh. Its cameras are a 50-megapixel main and 50-megapixel ultrawide, plus two 10-megapixel selfie cameras. Wired says it weighs 201 grams and delivered five to six hours of screen-on time. The step-up Fold8 Ultra adds a 200-megapixel main camera and a 10-megapixel telephoto with 3x optical zoom for $200 more.
Apple's iPhone Duo is called an astonishingly good debut, with a graceful hinge, a nanotexture finish that nearly hides the crease and excellent battery life — around 40 percent left after a typical day. It is heavy at 254 grams, drops Face ID for a Touch ID power button and has no telephoto, relying on 48-megapixel main and ultrawide cameras. Apple Pencil support is promised later in the month, alongside modes like Kid Cue and Smart Take.
Motorola's Razr Ultra (2026) is pitched as the most fashionable phone on sale, offered with Alcantara or sustainable wood backs, an IP48 rating, a titanium-reinforced hinge and Gorilla Glass. The standard Razr (2026) takes the budget slot.
