The Android ecosystem is all about choice. While iPhone owners have a smaller pool of new devices to pick from when it’s time to upgrade, there’s a wider range of choices on Android. Some Android phones even fold in half! Imagine.

On the flip side, all that choice can make for some hard decisions. Here’s where I’d like to help; I’ve tested a whole boatload of recent Android phones, and I think there are some real winners in the current batch. It’s all a matter of what you’re looking for, what you’re comfortable spending, and what your definition of a “reasonably sized phone” is. (I have my own, personally.)

As you sift through the options, you’ll almost certainly come across tech’s favorite buzzphrase of the moment: AI. Generally speaking, AI has yet to really impress me on a phone. The Pixel 9 series has some potentially useful features, like a Screenshots app that uses AI to tag relevant info in metadata, and Galaxy devices can translate a phone call for you in real time. These things are nothing to sneeze at! But none of it feels like the platform shift that the big tech companies keep promising. Best not to put too much stock in any company’s AI claims just yet.

If you live in the US, I have some bad news about the Android market, though. For complicated reasons having to do with “capitalism” and “geopolitics,” we don’t get nearly as many of the options as you’ll find in Asia and Europe — brands like Huawei, Xiaomi, Honor, and Oppo just aren’t available here. I’ve limited this guide to the devices I’ve personally tested in depth; thus, it is a fairly US-centric set of recommendations. 

With that in mind, it’s also worth acknowledging that most people in the US get their phones “for free” from their wireless carrier. If you can manage it, buying a phone unlocked will give you the most flexibility and freedom if you end up wanting to change carriers in the near future. Phone manufacturers also offer financing and trade-in deals to make payment more manageable. But if you’re happy with your carrier and the free phone on offer is the one you really want, by all means, take the free phone. Just make sure you understand the terms, especially if you need to change plans to cash in on the deal. 

However you go about it, you have some fantastic options for your next Android phone.

The best Android phone overall

Screen: 6.3-inch 1080p 120Hz OLED / Processor: Tensor G4 / Cameras: 50-megapixel f/1.7 main with OIS, 48-megapixel ultrawide, 10.5-megapixel selfie / Battery: 4,700mAh / Charging: 27W wired, 15W wireless (with Pixel Stand 2) / Weather resistance: IP68

Google’s hardware is better than ever, and the whole Pixel 9 lineup feels just as polished as anything you’d get from Samsung or Apple. But at $799 (and often less than that), the basic Pixel 9 is in a particularly appealing position, and if you don’t need a telephoto camera or the biggest screen, then this is the Android phone to get.

The Pixel 9 comes with some significant quality-of-life improvements like a faster fingerprint scanner for unlocking the phone. The camera is as reliable as ever, and if you’re into AI photo editing tricks, boy does this phone have ‘em. There’s a new Screenshots app that acts as a place to store all of the information that would otherwise be lost at sea in your camera roll, and it uses AI to parse information out and make it searchable. Kinda handy.

Even without AI, this is an excellent phone. It’s also designed to go the distance, with seven years of promised OS updates, which very likely means you’ll outgrow the phone before Google stops supporting it. Its potential for long-term value and the quality of the hardware make it an easy recommendation for anyone who just wants a nice Android phone that works.

Read my full Google Pixel 9 review.

The best maximalist phone

Screen: 6.9-inch 1440p 120Hz OLED / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite / Cameras: 200-megapixel main with OIS, 50-megapixel 5x telephoto with OIS, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 50-megapixel ultrawide, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: 5,000mAh / Charging: 45W wired, 15W wireless (Qi2 Ready) / Weather resistance: IP68

There’s still no phone quite like the Ultra. The Galaxy S25 Ultra is Samsung’s latest answer to the question, “What if your phone had all of the features?” It’s equipped with two telephoto cameras, a built-in stylus, and a big, bright screen. Good luck finding that combination in another phone. Related: this is one of the most expensive slab-style phones you can buy.

The newest edition of the Ultra comes with rounded corners and flat edges, making it more comfortable in your hand. But if you’re looking for significant year-over-year improvements to the Ultra formula outside of that, well, you won’t find much. Samsung’s focus has been on software features, which is to say AI features. But AI on Galaxy phones remains a mixed bag — it’s certainly not the paradigm shift Samsung wants us to think the S25 series represents.

All of that puts the Ultra in a place of slightly less distinction than previous versions. The biggest updates are software features available to the rest of the S25 series. The Ultra looks and feels more like other Galaxy phones this time around, too. More than ever, it’s hard to understand what Samsung means when it calls this phone “Ultra.” Still, it’s your best choice for a feature-packed Android phone — even if it’s not quite as ultra as it once was.

Read my full Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra review.

The best Android phone that isn’t huge

Screen: 6.2-inch 2340 x 1080 120Hz OLED / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite / Cameras: 50-megapixel main with OIS, 12-megapixel ultrawide, 10-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 12-megapixel selfie / Battery: 4,000mAh / Charging: 25W wired, 15W wireless (Qi2 Ready) / Weather-resistance rating: IP68

Most people like a big phone, and I get that. I do. If you want a big Android phone, you have plenty of options in front of you. But some of us like a smaller phone — something that (kind of) fits in your pocket, or feels more comfortable in your hand. For us, there is but one option on Android: the Samsung Galaxy S25.

That’s the regular S25, not the Plus, which is a fine big phone. But the standard S25 is basically the last of its kind: a full-featured phone with a 6.2-inch screen. It’s not small, but it’s not huge, and we’ll have to take what we can get. And it’s a darn good phone that keeps up with the bigger devices in all the important ways: the battery goes all day, it comes with plenty of RAM, and it even has a real telephoto lens — not something you get on a basic, 6.1-inch phone on, say, iOS.

The Galaxy S25 isn’t just a good, small-ish phone by default. It’s reliable, durable, and comes with the promise of seven years of OS updates. It’s not my pick for the overall best Android phone because Samsung software can be a bit much, but if you’re comfortable in the Samsung ecosystem and you just want a phone that fits in your dang pocket, then this is the one to go with.

Read my full Samsung Galaxy S25 review.

The best lightweight big phone

Screen: 6.7-inch 1440p 120Hz LTPO OLED / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite / Cameras: 200-megapixel f/1.7 main camera with OIS, 12-megapixel f/2.2 ultrawide, 12-megapixel f/2.2 selfie / Battery: 3,900mAh / Charging: 25W wired, 15W wireless (Qi2 Ready) / Weather-resistance rating: IP68

Big phones have a tendency to, well, look and feel big. The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, on the other hand, is different. Thanks to its slim, lightweight design, the device provides a welcome reprieve from the countless chunky, heavy alternatives. It’s thinner and lighter than the Galaxy S25 Plus, making it the big phone you can actually slide into your pocket or evening bag without it protruding out.

So, what’s the catch? The S25 Edge’s battery life is fine. Not great, not terrible, but somewhere straight down the middle. To be fair, it held up admirably during a particularly strenuous workday, one complete with hours of screen time, mobile hotspotting, and live blogging, making it to bedtime with battery to spare. It also lacks a dedicated telephoto lens, though it does feature the same 200-megapixel main camera found in the S25 Ultra.

Even with those compromises, the S25 Edge is a very capable phone that offers similar performance and durability to other devices in the S25 lineup. You’ll just have to be a little more aware of battery life as the day goes on; however, unless you’re frequently streaming video or playing graphics-intensive games throughout the day, the noticeably thinner, lighter design offers a nice change of pace.

Read our Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge review.

The best phone if you hate waiting for your phone to charge

Screen: 6.82-inch 1440p 120Hz LTPO OLED / Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite / Cameras: 50-megapixel f/1.6 main with OIS, 50-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 50-megapixel f/2.0 ultrawide, 32-megapixel selfie / Battery: 6,000mAh / Charging: 80W wired, 50W wireless / Weather-resistance rating: IP68 and IP69

There are plenty of good reasons to consider the OnePlus 13. It has a big, beautiful screen, and costs a hundred bucks less than the Galaxy S25 Plus. Its dust and water resistance is so strong you could practically use the phone in a hurricane without consequences. And its camera system is much improved year over year, particularly when it comes to low-light portraiture. But there’s one standout reason to consider the 13: impatience.

The OnePlus 13 offers enough battery stamina to get through two days of moderate use on a single charge — and that’s with plenty of power-draining features enabled, including the always-on display. If you’re thriftier with your charge, it could even go beyond that. Forgot to charge overnight? No big deal; you can probably just charge it up on night two. Charging is also relatively fast, and in the US, the phone comes with an 80W wired charger in the box. So even if you do need a midday top-off, you’ll be able to get hours of charge in a matter of minutes. No other flagship phone offers that kind of charging (or not charging) flexibility.

Read my full OnePlus 13 review.

The best foldable phone

Screen: 8-inch, 1968p, 120Hz OLED inner screen; 6.5-inch, 1080p, 120Hz OLED cover screen / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite / Cameras: 200-megapixel f/1.7 main with OIS; 10-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS; 12-megapixel ultrawide; 10-megapixel selfie (cover screen); 10-megapixel inner selfie camera / Battery: 4,400mAh / Charging: 25W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless / Weather resistance: IP48

Does anyone truly need a folding phone? Probably not, especially one as expensive as the Galaxy Z Fold 7. But there’s no question that it’s the nicest book-style foldable we’ve used to date. Instead of the long and narrow form factor of older Fold series devices, Samsung reworked the Fold 7’s proportions to feature an outer screen with a 21:9 aspect ratio. The change — along with a thinner frame — makes the device feel more like a standard slab-style device than ever.

Open the Fold 7 up, and you get a spacious inner display that’s perfect for multitasking and gaming. Being able to watch YouTube videos on one half of the screen and take notes in the other half is incredibly useful. That said, the hinge can feel stiff when opening the phone, almost like you’re prying it open. The Fold 7 also features one of the largest camera bumps we’ve encountered in a phone, making the device sit crooked on flat surfaces. That’s one of the compromises you make with such a thin foldable.

Meanwhile, factors like outer screen sharpness, camera system quality, durability, and battery life all fall short of what you get from the more affordable Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. That said, if you’re looking for something more than a traditional slab-style device, you won’t find a better, more luxurious foldable.

Read our full Galaxy Z Fold 7 review.

Other Android phones worth considering

There are many more great Android devices that weren’t covered here, and a few are worth calling out that didn’t quite make the cut for a recommendation.

• The OnePlus Open is also another good book-style foldable option. It’s thin and light, and the software includes some thoughtful approaches to multitasking — a crucial part of the folding phone experience. But it won’t be supported with software updates for as long as the Pixel 9 Pro Fold or the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Read our review.
• Speaking of OnePlus, the company also recently launched the OnePlus 13R, a midrange phone with a big 6.78-inch OLED display and enough battery life to carry you through two full days on a single charge. That said, the $599 handset lacks wireless charging and full water resistance, both of which can be found on other budget-friendly phones for less. Read our review.
• The Google Pixel 9A comes with some small but important updates over the 8A, including more robust water resistance and a slightly bigger, brighter screen. Better yet, those improvements don’t come with a price bump. With seven years of OS updates included, that’s a strong ROI. Read our review.
• The Nothing Phone 3 is billed by the brand as its “first true flagship phone,” with a $799 starting price that competes directly with the iPhone 16, Galaxy S25, and Pixel 9. It boasts a 6.67-inch OLED display, a generous 5,150mAh capacity battery, and a Snapdragon 8S Gen 4 chipset, which is on the lower end of the flagship spectrum. It also looks different from previous Nothing devices. Instead of the iconic light strips on the back that glow and flash, the Nothing 3 features a small dot-matrix LED display that can show pictures and icons. Read our review.
• The Galaxy Z Flip 7 is Samsung’s other new foldable device. Unlike previous Flip series devices, the company’s latest flip phone ditches the file folder-shaped look for a 4.1-inch, edge-to-edge display that wraps around the cameras. The larger screen is a joy to use, making it much easier to quickly respond to texts and manage full apps. While the design is a big upgrade, the device still offers no protection against fine particles like dust or sand, raising concerns about how the device will hold up over time. Read our review.
• The Pixel 9 Pro Fold was our previous pick for the best foldable phone, and it remains a great option for anyone looking to jump into the foldable market. Like the Z Fold 7, it offers a more slab-style form factor when it’s closed and a spacious inner screen when it’s open. As great as it is, the 9 Pro Fold has a slightly downgraded camera system compared to other Pixel 9 devices. There’s also no formal dust resistance, so even a small amount of dust has the potential to cause significant damage to the hinge. Read our review.

What’s coming next

• Google’s Pixel 10 series — which will likely include a regular Pixel 10, a Pro, a Pro XL, and a Pro Fold — is expected to be shown off at a Made by Google event on August 20th. Google’s next-gen flagships have been heavily leaked at this point, and the base model is expected to join the Pro options with three cameras (including a telephoto lens). The new Pro models, meanwhile, will distinguish themselves with an upgraded Tensor G5 chipset and more advanced AI features while retaining a near-identical design. Google may also reveal a completely dust-proof Pixel 10 Pro Fold.

Update, August 8th: Updated pricing / availability and added the Galaxy Z Fold 7 as our pick for “the best foldable phone”. Brandon Russell also contributed to this post.

It's the flip phone paradox: if you want to be more mindful about your mobile device usage, you need more screen, not less.

I know. But I swear it's true: with a bigger cover screen, you get more than just a new way to check notifications. You can actually get shit done. Things that are annoying or even impossible to do on a smartwatch, like sending a text or reading an email, are the perfect candidates for a larger-but-still-small screen. Best of all, you can avoid opening the phone altogether, which is a win for attention spans everywhere.

That's what makes the $1,099.99 Flip 7 kind of a big deal. It finally offers a proper edge-to-edge …

Read the full story at The Verge.

A foldable phone isn’t for the faint of heart. They’re generally heavier, pricier, and have less capable cameras than a standard slab-style phone. And while they’re far less fragile than when they first debuted, foldables are still susceptible to the kind of damage a regular smartphone can shrug off. You really don’t want any dust getting in that hinge. But if you’re an adventurous sort of gadget lover, then a folding phone is a rewarding investment. 

There are basically two kinds of foldables at the moment — the kind that fold like books and the ones that fold clamshell style, like your old flip phone. Here’s how I think of it: a book-style foldable is like a phone plus a tablet, and a flip-style foldable is a phone plus a smartwatch. The book foldables provide an outer screen for all your regular phone needs, and then a tablet-like inner screen when you want, well, more screen. Flip phones come with a smaller secondary display on the outer panel that’s useful for checking information quickly. When you need to do regular phone stuff, you unfold it.

So while they all fit in one category of folding tech, they’re suited to two very different kinds of people — someone who wants even more phone with their phone and someone who wants to be fully immersed a little less. Whichever category you fit into, you’d be wise to get the manufacturer’s extended warranty with your purchase; fixes can be expensive, and you won’t be able to walk into just any phone repair shop to get them. If you don’t opt for the warranty, you’ll want to be sure you can comfortably afford to replace your phone in the event of a sudden sand-related catastrophe. Death can come swiftly to a folding screen.

If I haven’t scared you off by this point, then you’re probably the kind of person who will have a heck of a good time with a foldable. I’ve used every phone under the sun, and folding phones are some of my favorite gadgets. Run four apps at once! Prop it up like a tiny laptop! Hold it like a camcorder when you shoot video! There are tons of possibilities, and the thrill you get when you fold your phone shut never fully wears off.

Best book-style foldable

Screen: 8-inch, 1968p, 120Hz OLED inner screen; 6.5-inch, 1080p, 120Hz OLED cover screen / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite / Cameras: 200-megapixel f/1.7 main with OIS; 10-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS; 12-megapixel ultrawide; 10-megapixel selfie (cover screen); 10-megapixel inner selfie camera / Battery: 4,400mAh / Charging: 25W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless / Weather-resistance rating: IP48

The Galaxy Z Fold 7 is the foldable we’ve been waiting for Samsung to create. Unlike the long and narrow form factor of previous Z Fold devices, the Z Fold 7 boasts a more familiar 21:9 aspect ratio, making it feel much less unwieldy to use. At just 8.9mm thick, it’s nearly as slim as standard slab-style devices and doesn’t feel bulky in your pocket. Open it up, and you get a spacious inner display that’s perfect for multitasking, gaming, or simply enjoying more screen real estate. It will even last a day with moderate use, which is relatively good for a folding phone.

The Z Fold 7, however, isn’t without its shortcomings. Notably, its starting price of $1,999 is a huge reminder that this is a luxury device, not a practical choice for everyone. The outer display also has a lower resolution than the screen found in the more affordable Galaxy S25 Ultra, and the camera bump is quite large, resulting in a slight wobble when the phone is placed on flat surfaces. That said, the camera system is top-notch, highlighted by a 200-megapixel lens that performs well in low-light scenarios.

It was going to take a lot to unseat the Pixel 9 Pro Fold as our favorite book-style foldable, but the Z Fold 7 has done just that. The hardware is stunning, and the reworked proportions make it feel much nicer to use. Still, issues like long-term durability remain a concern, while the $1,999 price tag places it out of reach for most.

Read our full Galaxy Z Fold 7 review.

Best flip-style foldable

Screen: 6.9-inch, 1080p, 120Hz OLED inner screen; 4.1-inch, 948p, OLED cover screen / Processor: Samsung Exynos 2500 / Cameras: 50-megapixel f/1.8 main with OIS; 12-megapixel ultrawide; 10-megapixel selfie (inner screen) / Battery: 4,300mAh / Charging: 25W wired, 15W wireless, 4.5W reverse wireless / Weather-resistance rating: IP48

The latest Galaxy Z Flip may not be as fun as the newest Razr Ultra, but it does offer a few new tricks. Samsung ditched the old file-folder cover screen in favor of a glorious, 4.1-inch edge-to-edge panel that wraps around the cameras. The extra real estate means you have more room to quickly respond to messages or perform any task that doesn’t require you to open your phone (and risk getting lost in a digital rabbit hole).

In addition to the larger cover screen, the Flip 7 offers a couple of other thoughtful updates. It’s thinner than its predecessor and features a bigger 4,300mAh battery, which is a step up from the 4,000mAh battery found in the last-gen Flip 6. The camera system remains unchanged from last year’s model, too, though that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The 50-megapixel main shooter still produces great images, and you get all the versatility the flip form factor has to offer, including the ability to easily take selfies using the rear camera.

Despite some welcome changes, the Flip 7 carries the same IP48 rating as last year’s model, which means long-term durability against fine dust particles remains a concern. However, Samsung offers a great warranty and repair program, along with seven years of OS and security updates. The Flip 7 isn’t perfect, but it’s the most powerful and polished version yet — just don’t drop it while lounging on the beach.

Read our full Galaxy Z Flip 7 review.

The most fun foldable

Screen: 7-inch 1224p OLED 165Hz inner screen; 4-inch 1080p OLED 165Hz outer screen / Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite / Cameras: 50-megapixel f/1.8 main with OIS; 50-megapixel f/2.0 ultrawide; 50-megapixel f/2.0 selfie / Battery: 4,700mAh / Charging: 68W wired, 30W wireless / Weather-resistance rating: IP48

The Razr Ultra is the newest and most advanced member of Motorola’s foldable lineup. Compared to the Razr Plus, it boasts a higher-resolution inner screen, Qualcomm’s most powerful mobile processor, double the storage space, and an upgraded selfie camera. The device is also one of the best-looking phones you can buy — the gold-bronze chassis and wooden back panel lend the Ultra a real elegance. When every phone tends to look the same — even in the foldable market — the Razr Ultra stands out in a crowd, which only adds to its charm.

Beyond its appearance, the Ultra is just plain fun to use. The 4-inch outer screen covers almost the entire front of the phone, making it perfect for checking notifications, responding to messages, and taking quick actions such as hailing an Uber. The titanium hinge is also an upgrade over the stainless steel found in the Razr Plus. While the Ultra is enjoyable, it can’t overcome the gripes we’ve had with previous Motorola foldables, like inconsistent camera processing. Meanwhile, Motorola is only promising three OS upgrades and four years of security updates, which is on the shorter side considering the $1,300 retail price.

Read our full Razr Ultra (2025) review.

The best battery life in a foldable

Screen: 8.12-inch, 2248p, 120Hz OLED inner screen; 6.62-inch, 1140p, 120Hz OLED outer screen size/ Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Cameras: 50-megapixel f/1.9 main with OIS, 50-megapixel 3x telephoto with OIS, 8-megapixel ultrawide, 8-megapixel selfie cameras (inner and outer) / Battery: 5,600mAh / Charging: 80W wired, 50W wireless / Weather-resistance rating: IPX8/IPX9

Let’s get the bad news out of the way first: if you live in the US or Europe, you can’t buy the Oppo Find N5. That rules out, well, a lot of us. But if you live in China, Singapore, or any of the other Asian countries Oppo included in its so-called “global” release, then you’re in luck: you can pick up one of the world’s thinnest book-style folding phones, and the rest of us are all very jealous of you.

The Find N5 isn’t all about thinness, either. Its Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset is highly capable, the phone is fully water-resistant, and battery life is excellent. It utilizes silicon-carbon battery technology to accommodate a large (by foldable standards) 5,600mAh battery, which easily holds up after a long day of heavy use. What’s even more impressive is that, like the aforementioned Z Fold 7, the Find N5 is still barely thicker than a standard slab-style phone and only slightly heavier. That matters when you’re using the phone via the cover screen for long periods of time or stashing it in the side pocket of your yoga pants. When a foldable is only about as heavy and bulky as a regular phone, using the inner screen feels like getting away with something fantastic — not a benefit you have to make many other sacrifices for. Oppo delivers this in spades, and I just wish more of us could… find it.

Read our full Oppo Find N5 review.

Other foldables to consider

• The OnePlus Open strikes a great balance in its form factor and offers a clever UI for multitasking that has won plenty of fans since it debuted. But the phone lacks wireless charging and full water resistance — it’s only splash-resistant — and OnePlus’ software support policy isn’t as strong as Google’s and Samsung’s. Read our review.
• The Huawei Mate XT gets an honorable mention for its sheer wow factor alone. The “trifold” phone — as it’s been dubbed — contains three screen segments and two hinges, putting it in a category of its own right now. It’s only available in China and a few other countries that don’t include the US or the UK, and it’s monstrously expensive at €3,499. But it’s cool as heck and may be a sign of things to come from other manufacturers. Read our hands-on impressions.
• The Motorola Razr Plus 2025 is new to the scene, replacing last year’s model. Although the two devices look identical, there are a few notable changes. The biggest difference is that the Razr Plus 2025 now features a titanium hinge, rather than stainless steel, promising better durability and a less noticeable crease when the device is open. Additionally, the Razr Plus 2025 offers IP48 dust and water resistance, whereas last year’s model featured an IPX8 rating. While we haven’t tested the newest model, it appears to be a solid alternative to the Ultra.
• The standard Motorola Razr 2025 is a more affordable entry point into the world of foldables, starting at $699. The Razr 2025 offers improved performance, battery life, and durability — the kind of bumps we expect year after year. It boasts a smaller cover screen compared to the Razr Plus and Ultra, but still offers a spacious 6.9-inch internal display. We haven’t tested the Razr 2025 yet, but its relatively budget-friendly price is a good option for jumping into the foldable market.
• The Pixel 9 Pro Fold is an impressive sophomore effort from Google, offering an ideal form factor that’s a joy to use. When folded, the outer screen matches the dimensions of a regular phone, and the inner screen can get nice and bright outdoors. The whole package is also light enough that it sometimes doesn’t feel like you’re holding a foldable, though it does suffer from a slightly downgraded camera system compared to its slab-style siblings. There’s also no formal dust resistance, so long-term durability remains a concern. Read our review.

What’s coming next

• Google has an event scheduled for August 20th, where we’re expecting to learn more about the upcoming Google Pixel 10 series. The company has already given us a glimpse at the standard Pixel 10 ahead of the launch event, but we’re still waiting for information about a new foldable. Rumors suggest Google is gearing up to release the Pixel 10 Pro Fold, which could feature an IP68 rating, addressing a common concern about long-term durability in the foldable space.

Update, August 12th: Adjusted pricing / availability and added the Galaxy Z Flip 7 as the best flip-style foldable. Brandon Russell also contributed to this post.

The forthcoming Galaxy Z Fold 7 is Samsung’s thinnest foldable yet. Our own Allison Johnson just published her full review ahead of the phone’s launch on July 25th, and while there’s certainly no denying it’s a spendy device, know that various carriers and retailers are offering a host of preorder incentives, many of which will expire at launch.

Although the Z Fold 7 isn’t miles ahead of last-gen Z Fold 6 in terms of performance, it measures just 8.9mm thick when folded, making it look and feel like something of a next-gen foldable. The outer screen has also increased in size from 6.3 inches to 6.5 inches, which, when taken into account alongside its thickness, makes the Z Fold 7 feel more akin to a normal phone when folded. Alas, if only it had a “normal phone” price tag instead of an exuberant starting price of $1,999.

That being said, it’s still possible to save on a preorder purchase, or at the very least receive some credit you can then spend on accessories like the Galaxy Watch 8. Whether you plan to shop directly through Samsung, your carrier, or a traditional retailer, here are the biggest promotions along with the key details you’ll want to keep in mind.

You can get up to $1,100 in trade-in credit

The current trade-in savings are big enough to chop the Z Fold 7’s $1,999.99 price tag in half. Ahead of its release on July 25th, Samsung is offering up to $1,000 in credit for the last-gen Z Fold 6 and S25 Ultra — or less, if you’re trading in an older phone. Samsung will give you an instant discount based on the estimated value of your trade-in, which lowers the out-of-pocket cost to $999.99. That’s great, and thankfully, you can get instant trade-in credit even if you’re activating the phone on Verizon or AT&T through Samsung’s site. But that’s not how trade-in credit works if you’re buying directly through carriers.

Carriers across the board are currently offering a $1,100 trade-in credit toward the Z Fold 7, which will be paid back in the form of monthly installments. AT&T will provide $1,100 in credits over 36 months to customers on postpaid unlimited plans who purchase the new phone with an installment plan. As for the phones that AT&T is currently accepting, they include any Galaxy S, Note, and S-series phone, regardless of its age or condition.

Verizon is also offering up to $1,100 in monthly credits over 36 months with an eligible trade-in in “any condition,” although the carrier doesn’t list or even mention any eligible phones. You must also be on an Unlimited Ultimate plan to get that much credit.

T-Mobile is offering up to $1,100 in monthly credits for those auto-paying for a plan that costs $85 or more per month — no trade-in required.

Samsung is offering a lot of bonus credit, with a small catch

If you’re preordering directly through Samsung, you will receive a $50 Samsung credit to use on accessories as an extra perk. Those who aren’t trading in a device will get an extra $300 to spend, totaling $350. However, the credit is “use it or lose it,” so to speak; you’ll forfeit it all if you don’t use it at checkout. So, if you do go this route, you’ll want to pick up a pair of earbuds, a case, a Galaxy Watch 8, etc etc.

Keep in mind that the aforementioned credit is exclusive to Samsung’s online storefront and isn’t available when purchasing the Galaxy Z Fold 7 through a carrier, Best Buy, Amazon, or any other retailer.

Not all carriers are offering a free storage upgrade right now

Some retailers, but not all, are offering the 512GB Z Fold 7 for no extra charge through July 24th. This includes Samsung, T-Mobile, Best Buy, and Amazon, the latter of which is also throwing in a $300 Amazon gift card with each purchase. However, AT&T and Verizon aren’t, at least through their respective sites. They each are offering the 256GB model at the same $1,999 price that you can get the 512GB model for elsewhere. That said, activating the Z Fold 7 via Best Buy will allow you to purchase the 512GB variant for $1,899.99 as a one-time payment (or as a $55.55-a-month payment for 36 months).

I've been using the Galaxy Z Fold 7 for a week, and I've run out of ways to say "It's so nice." It's not essential, or life-changing; it's nice.

It's an understatement, though. Samsung joins the likes of Honor and Oppo in making a folding phone that's almost as thin as a regular phone, and it's a trend with real benefits. Compared to the previous six generations of Samsung folding phones, the Z Fold 7's inner screen feels like a bonus - one that doesn't require the sacrifice of carrying a bigger, bulkier device to get. It is thin. It is luxurious. Also: it is two thousand dollars.

It's so nice. It's two thousand dollars. Somewhere in betwe …

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I don't often get asked about the phones I'm testing when I'm out and about, unless it's a folding phone. Then I usually hear some version of the same thing: "Oh, I thought about getting one of those! But then I just got a [insert slab-style phone name here]." My anecdotal data matches the actual sales figures; there are many more people curious about folding phones than there are buyers of folding phones. Samsung would very much like that to not be the case, and, by all indications, it's about to pull out all the stops at at its Unpacked event on July 9th. But is putting the Ultra name on a folding phone enough?

The weak sales are not for …

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Summer is fast approaching, and that means it won’t be long before we see Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip 7 make its debut. While the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is a top-notch foldable, it also felt like Samsung phoned it in last year. That new model offered mostly modest improvements over the Z Flip 5, […]