Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
As we enter the last quarter of 2025, it’s safe to say that this has been a big year for folding phones. Motorola’s Razr lineup, and specifically the Razr Ultra, set a new standard for flip phone foldables. The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is the most exciting Samsung foldable we’ve seen in years, while the Flip 7 introduced long-overdue cover screen upgrades. And with its industry-first IP68 rating and built-in magnets, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold made a statement, too.
When you consider that all of these phones were released in the United States, it makes you think that — finally — folding phones are not only becoming more mainstream in the country, but that the innovation for them hasn’t died either.
While that may be true, so is the fact that, despite how great a year 2025 was for US foldables, Americans are still missing out.
Are you happy with the state of US folding phones? 84 votes Yes 21 % No 79 %
The Samsung W26 is the latest reminder of the foldable inequality
Samsung
We got a clear reminder of this just yesterday when Samsung announced its newest folding phone: the Samsung W26. For all intents and purposes, the W26 is a souped-up version of the Galaxy Z Fold 7, and it’s only available in China.
The W26 has the same ultra-thin design as the Fold 7, but it upgrades it with two truly stunning colors, including black and red options with gold accents. The W26 also has satellite calling (something the Fold 7 lacks) and 16GB of RAM for both the 512GB and 1TB models. As a reminder, the 512GB Fold 7 only has 12GB of RAM.
In addition to the nicer design, expanded satellite connectivity, and boosted horsepower, the W26 also comes with more accessories. Where the Z Fold 7 includes nothing more than a USB-C cable in its retail box, the W26 gives you a charging cable, a 25W charging adapter, and a Kevlar case.
Samsung is asking CNY 16,999 for the W26, which comes out to over $2,300. On the one hand, I think most people would agree that some extra colors, more RAM, satellite calling, and a couple of extra accessories aren’t worth an additional $300 over the $2,000 Z Fold 7. But at the same time, it doesn’t feel amazing that just three months after the Fold 7 was announced, Samsung already has a better version of it — and one you can’t buy.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 Special Edition
If you recall, Samsung did something similar last year with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 Special Edition. Just a few months after the Fold 6 was released, the Special Edition version launched in South Korea (and later in China) with a thinner and lighter body, a much better primary camera, and a flashier design. The regular Fold 6 was a well-received foldable, but Samsung quickly proved it could make the phone a lot better — just so long as none of us in the US had a chance to buy it.
It’s frustrating that, for two years straight, Samsung has kept its best and most technically capable folding phones out of most people’s hands. The Z Fold 7 is still phenomenal, but the W26 is now Samsung’s best overall foldable. And even if you wanted to buy it, you simply don’t have the option to.
Americans are missing out on so much more
Paul Jones / Android Authority
While Samsung is releasing good folding phones in the US, reserving its best ones for other markets, other companies are launching foldables exclusively in countries without a US presence. There are different reasons for this for all of the brands I’m about to mention, but the main thing I want to focus on is how many folding phones we’re truly missing out on.
One example is the OPPO Find N5. It’s just as thin as the Galaxy Z Fold 7 while featuring some notable advantages over Samsung’s phone — such as a virtually nonexistent crease, outstanding battery life, and 80W charging that would make Samsung blush. The HONOR Magic V5 and vivo X Fold 5 also launched this year as Z Fold competitors, and their absence in the US is felt. Vivo’s phone, in particular, gives the Z Fold 7 a run for its money with a monstrous 6,000mAh battery and better durability.
And it hasn’t just been Z Fold alternatives that the US has missed out on. The China-only HUAWEI Pura X looks like a small flip phone when folded shut, but opens up to reveal a tablet-like 16:10 inner display — easily one of the most unique foldables we’ve seen all year. Even more annoying, impressive tri-fold foldables like the HUAWEI Mate XT and TECNO Phantom Ultimate G Fold also have no presence in the US, and likely never will.
Have we had good folding phones in the US this year? Absolutely. But we’re simultaneously missing out on some of the most innovative and most powerful foldables ever, and once you realize that, it’s hard to ignore.
Getting the short end of the stick
Hadlee Simons / Android Authority
When I say in the headline that Americans are getting the “worst folding phones,” I don’t mean that handsets like the Z Fold 7, Razr Ultra, or Pixel 10 Pro Fold are bad. However, as is evident by the Samsung W26 and all of the other foldables mentioned above, we are getting the worst phones comparatively.
The Samsung W26 is the best version of the Z Fold 7. The OPPO Find N5 and vivo X Fold 5 handily beat the Z Fold and Pixel Fold in crucial areas. HUAWEI’s Pura X and Mate XT are rethinking foldable form factors in ways US folding phones simply can’t replicate.
It’s not that our options for folding phones in the US are bad, but compared to what other parts of the world have access to, there’s no doubt we drew the short end of the foldable stick. And the kicker here is that none of this is likely to change any time soon.
OPPO, HUAWEI, HONOR, and vivo don’t have any US presence and likely never will. Samsung might launch its own tri-fold in the United States, though there’s still uncertainty about that happening. Motorola and Google’s presence in the US foldable market is good competition for Samsung, but we need more than just three brands accounting for all the folding phones in the country.
As a technology lover, I’m glad that phones like the Samsung W26 and those other non-US foldables exist — and I hope all of those companies keep making them. But as someone who lives in the US and would love the opportunity to buy any of them for myself, I can’t help but feel left out.
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