Best foldable phones of 2026: Galaxy Z Fold 8, Fold 8 Ultra, Pixel 11 Pro Fold or iPhone Duo?

Key figures

The picks at a glance

Galaxy Z Fold 8: the best choice for most people

Samsung split its Fold in two this year, and TechRadar even calls the pricier Ultra the less interesting of the two. The Fold 8 has a wider, passport-like shape, with a 5.5-inch cover screen and a 7.6-inch inner screen in a 4:3 format.

• Weight: at 201 g and 9.7 mm folded, it is the lightest of the four foldables in this guide.
• Battery: its 4,800 mAh battery lasted 12 h 19 min in Tom's Guide's test, and 45 W charging reached 70 % in 30 minutes.
• Screens: Tom's Guide praises the anti-reflective coating and a crease that is much less noticeable.
• Limits: no telephoto camera (two 50 MP lenses only), no dust resistance (IP48), and no S Pen or Flex View.

Tom's Guide gives it an Editor's Choice and calls it the best Android foldable for most people.

Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: the most complete foldable

The Ultra keeps the classic tall format with an 8-inch inner screen and a 6.5-inch cover screen. TechRadar calls it "the best folding phone on the market right now".

• Cameras: a 200 MP main camera, a 50 MP ultrawide and a 10 MP 3x telephoto, with better image processing than before.
• Battery: 5,000 mAh, with about 12.5 hours of mixed use in TechRadar's testing.
• Design: 215 g and 8.9 mm folded, with a crease TechRadar finds almost invisible.
• Support: seven years of OS and security updates.
• Limits: IP48 only, a camera bump that stops it lying flat, and no S Pen support.

Read our Galaxy Z Fold 8 analysis for more on both Samsung models.

Pixel 11 Pro Fold: tough, but heavier

Google's foldable costs the same as the Fold 8 and is the only one of the three on sale with IP68 protection. TechRadar gives it 4/5 and calls it "a generally excellent update", lighter and thinner than the Pixel 10 Pro Fold.

• Screens: 6.5-inch cover and 8-inch inner displays, both rated at 3,600 nits.
• Cameras: a 48 MP main camera and a 10.8 MP 5x telephoto. TechRadar sees it as the clear camera winner against the Fold 8, but behind the Ultra.
• Battery: 4,806 mAh, with 30 W wired and 25 W wireless charging.
• Limits: at 239 g and 10.1 mm folded, it is heavier and thicker than both Samsungs, and TechRadar sees too little new for Pixel 10 Pro Fold owners.

iPhone Duo: not on sale yet

Apple announced its first foldable on 9 September. It has not been released: pre-orders open on 16 October and sales start on 23 October, from $1,999 (256 GB) up to $3,199 (2 TB). No full independent review has been published yet, only short hands-on sessions.

• Confirmed by Apple: a 7.6-inch inner screen, a 5.4-inch cover screen, the A20 Pro chip, IP68, Touch ID in the side button, and two 48 MP rear cameras, with 2x "optical-quality" zoom from the main sensor rather than a dedicated telephoto lens. Apple Pencil support arrives later this year.
• First impressions: after a few minutes with it, Android Authority found the crease invisible head-on and the hinge able to hold any angle, but noted a matte inner screen with slightly "washed out" colours and multitasking limited to two apps.
• Weight: 9to5Google points out that at 254 g and 11.3 mm folded, it is heavier and thicker than its Android rivals.

Read our iPhone Duo first impressions for more.

Verdict

For most people, the Galaxy Z Fold 8 is the foldable to buy: light, wide and well reviewed, as long as you can live without a telephoto lens and full dust protection. If you want the best cameras and the biggest screen, the Fold 8 Ultra is worth its extra $200. The Pixel 11 Pro Fold makes sense if durability and Google's software matter most and you accept the weight. iPhone users should wait for full, independent iPhone Duo reviews before spending $1,999.

This article analyses reviews and early impressions published by other outlets, in our own words. RealDigitalTech did not test these foldable phones itself.