Wired has refreshed its running list of the best folding phones for 2026, and the picks say a lot about how fast this category has matured. The Galaxy Z Fold8, Apple's first-ever iPhone Duo, and Motorola's Razr Ultra all made the cut, each pulling the format in a different direction.
Samsung's $1,900 Z Fold8 gets singled out for proportions that finally feel settled. It's shorter and wider than past Fold models, according to Wired, and the inner crease is less noticeable than before. The 5.5-inch outer screen runs a 10:16 aspect ratio that avoids the letterboxing older Folds were known for, while the inner 7.6-inch display is roomy enough for three apps side by side. A Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip handles the multitasking, and the 4,800mAh battery, Samsung's first using silicon-carbon cell chemistry, delivered five to six hours of screen-on time in Wired's testing. Camera-wise, the Fold8 sticks with a 50-megapixel main and 50-megapixel ultrawide pair, a step down from the pricier Fold8 Ultra's 200-megapixel sensor and 3x telephoto. That Ultra model runs $200 more, at $2,100.
Apple's iPhone Duo arrives as the company's first folding phone and, per Wired, it's an unusually confident debut. The hinge and build quality drew praise, and a nanotexture finish on the inner display all but hides the crease when open. The phone is heavier than the Fold8, at 254 grams against 201 grams, and it carries the usual first-generation foldable compromises: no Face ID, with Touch ID moved into the side power button, and no telephoto lens, just 48-megapixel main and ultrawide cameras. Wired's testers reported roughly 40 percent battery left after a typical day of use. New software tricks tailored to the hinge include Kid Cue for grabbing a child's attention during photos, Smart Take for group shots framed automatically, and an expanded StandBy mode that uses the cover screen as a bedside display. Apple Pencil support is expected to follow later this month. The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999.
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