Joe Maring / Android Authority
More than any previous year, 2026 is likely to be the biggest yet for foldable phones. Samsung is set to release the Galaxy Z TriFold, Motorola is launching its first book-style foldable with the Razr Fold, and — most importantly — Apple is expected to finally debut its long-awaited iPhone Fold. This is the big moment the foldable industry has been waiting for, and if you haven’t bought a foldable yet, there’s a good chance 2026 will be the year that finally happens. At least for some people.
I’ve dabbled with and tested various foldables throughout my career, and as interesting as I think the niche is, I still haven’t bought into it — and I don’t foresee that changing anytime soon. Here’s why.
Do you plan on buying a foldable phone in 2026? 27 votes Yes, and it will be my first foldable! 22 % Yes, to upgrade an older foldable. 7 % No, I already have a foldable and don't need a new one. 11 % No, I'm not interested in foldables. 59 %
Too many spec and feature compromises
Mishaal Rahman / Android Authority
The main appeal of a foldable is, naturally, its folding form factor — whether that’s making a flip phone more pocketable or getting the extra screen real estate of a book-style foldable. Manufacturers have made tremendous progress in delivering those designs while minimizing compromises to the rest of the phone, but compromises do still exist.
The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold is a great example of this. One of the main appeals of a Pixel is the camera, yet to accomodate its folding design, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold has a severely compromised camera setup compared to the non-folding Pixel 10 Pro. Samsung isn’t immune to these trade-offs either. For as much as the Galaxy Z Fold 7 gets right, its battery life and charge speeds are severely behind its non-folding competition.
Foldables require sacrificing other vital specifications to achieve the form factor, and until we reach a point where that’s no longer the case, those trade-offs simply aren’t worth it to me.
Ongoing durability concerns
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