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The best flip phones in 2024

The best flip phones in 2024

Compact and diverse, the best flip phones in 2024 have come a long way from the clamshell devices popularized in the early 00s. These days, some of the biggest names on the market, like Samsung, Oppo, and Motorola, are competing to bring you the best flippable handset, featuring top-notch interior and exterior displays, near-invisible hinges, and performance comparable with industry-leading devices.

But which is the best flip phone for you? Well, that’s where we come in. In this guide, we dive into the top options to suit users of all kinds, from the best on the market to the best budget option. However, before we start, it’s worth noting that flip phones often aren’t the best for gamers. So, if you spend a lot of time on Honkai Star Rail or Marvel Snap, you might want to check out our list of the best gaming phones instead.

Why you can trust our advice ✔ At Pocket Tactics, our experts spend days testing games, phones, tech, and services. We always share honest opinions to help you buy the best. Find out how we test.

Here are the best flip phones in 2024:

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6

The best flip phone

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6 specifications:

Inner display 6.7-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2X (2640 x 1080 pixels)
Cover display 3.4-inch super AMOLED (720 x 748 pixels)
Battery 4,000 mAh
Chipset Snapdragon 8 Gen 3
RAM 12GB
Storage 256GB / 512GB
Reasons to buy

  • Large outer screen
  • Better battery
  • Compact

Unsurprisingly, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 is an improvement on the Flip 5, with a better chipset and no visible gaps for dust or debris to mess up your expensive device. It’s sleek and elegant, looking exactly like what you expect a flip phone to look like in the year 2024.

Better still, the cameras on the Flip 6 give you plenty of bang for your buck in terms of quality, with AI technology on board that makes even low-light photos worthy of your social media channels. There’s also plenty of storage, with the choice between 256GB or 512GB on offer, giving you plenty of space for games, pictures, and whatever else.

The Flip 6 is a bit on the pricey side, but you do get very worthwhile components for the price including a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, improving graphics and video performance. Plus, the color options are pleasing to the eye in blue, yellow, mint, and silver shadow.

Best runner-up flip phone

Oppo Find N3 Flip specifications:

Inner display 120Hz 6.8-inch LTPO AMOLED (1080 x 2520 pixels)
Cover display 3.26 inch AMOLED (382 x 720 pixels)
Battery 4,300 mAh
Chipset Mediatek Dimensity 9200
RAM 12GB
Storage 256GB / 512GB
Reasons to buy

  • No gap when folded
  • Minimal crease
  • Brilliant chipset
Reasons to avoid

  • No wireless charging
  • Expensive in US

If it weren’t for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, the Oppo Find N3 Flip would be at the top of this list, but it’s a very close call. Thanks to its Mediatek Dimensity 9200 chipset, 120Hz 6.8-inch AMOLED screen, and an almost unnoticeable screen crease, this phone looks great and runs like a dream.

The 4,300mAh battery is also the biggest on our list and features fast charging, but not wireless charging. This gives you over a day of moderate use, but this will obviously decline faster if you’re playing games or streaming TV shows and movies on the device.

It’s a little more expensive than the Flip4 and comes in cream gold, misty pink, and sleek black. We recommend this device if you’re not into Samsung devices or just want something a little different from the crowd. We have an Oppo Find N3 Flip review if you need a little more convincing.

The best mid-range flip phone

Nubia Flip 5G specifications:

Inner display 6.9-inch 120Hz OLED (1188 x 2790 pixels)
Outer display 1.43-inch OLED (466 x 466 pixels)
Battery 4,310 mAh
Chipset Snapdragon 7 Gen 1
RAM 8GB / 12GB
Storage 256GB / 512GB
Reasons to buy

  • Affordable
  • Stellar display
  • Rapid charging
Reasons to avoid

  • Middling camera
  • Visible crease

Here’s an option that you might not have heard of; the Nubia Flip 5G. When we first picked up on rumors about this phone in early 2024, we couldn’t believe it – an Android flip phone for less than $500. Obviously, we had to try it out, and while it’s not perfect, our testing found a solid device that is a viable alternative to the more expensive Samsung, Oppo, and Motorola equivalents.

The best thing about the Flip 5G is the design. It looks and feels as premium as the more high-end flip phones. The hardware isn’t quite as impressive, with its Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chipset a little dated in 2024, but it’s still capable of running daily tasks and a bit of casual gaming. Just don’t expect more demanding titles like Honkai Star Rail or Diablo Immortal to run at anything better than the lowest possible graphics settings on this thing.

Unfortunately, there are a couple of more serious drawbacks to this affordable alternative form-factor device. The cameras just aren’t as good as the Z Flip 5, or even Z Flip 4 for that matter, and though the pictures we took while testing are social media worthy, they’re not of the quality you might expect from a $500 phone. The on-screen crease is also a little more noticeable than we’d like, which isn’t a problem exclusive to the Nubia Flip 5G, but it’s more pronounced than we’ve seen on other entries on this list. If you want the full details, see our Nubia Flip 5G review.

The best of the last generation

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 specifications:

Inner display 6.7-inch 120Hz AMOLED (1080 x 2640)
Cover display 3.4-inch 60Hz AMOLED (720 x 748)
Battery 3,700 mAh
Chipset Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
RAM 8GB
Storage 256-512GB
Reasons to buy

  • Great performance
  • Attractive design
  • Improved battery
  • Very compact
Reasons to avoid

  • Unimpressive camera
  • Visible crease

Sure, the Flip 6 is great, but it’s also still quite expensive, so the Flip 5 is worth looking at if you’re on the hunt for something a little more affordable. It features a 6.7-inch main screen with a small 3.4-inch screen (sized up from the Flip 4’s 1.9-inch screen) on the front for notifications. Sleek and compact, it also fits nicely into your pocket in a way some bigger phones don’t.

The Flip 5 has a 3700mAh battery which is relatively small compared to standard non-flip phones. However, while it’s the same size battery as its predecessor, it gets about an hour and a half more use than the Flip 4 from our testing. In fact, while your mileage will vary depending on how you use your phone, we found that with a micture of texting, podcasts, photos, and a little bit of casual gaming, we only had to charge it every night, without needing to top it up throughout the day.

Then there are the cameras. You can flip the phone slightly so that it sits at a 90-degree angle and use the front screen to see a preview of the picture you’re taking from the more powerful back camera, which is a neat gimmick. Unfortunately, neither the front nor back cameras are all that impressive, as is often the case with flip phones. However, beyond a lack of detail, Samsung’s clever features do a decent job in a variety of situations, and we found the selfie camera to be more than good enough.

Most of the flip phones on our list are fairly closely matched, so your choice may simply come down to aesthetics and colorways. The Flip 5 comes in Mint, Graphite, Cream, Lavendar, Gray, Blue, Green, and Yellow, which is a lovely large selection. It features nice polished rails, a simple color on the screenless side of the outside, and its screens are vivid and beautiful. Unfortunately, the crease is quite visible on this one, and the hinge feels quite mechanical, but that’s another issue quite common with flip phones.

Overall, the Samsung Flip 5 is a neat little device that offers some welcome (though not major) improvements over its predecessor. If you’d like to know more, head over to our details Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 review. Alternatively, you can check out our list of the best Samsung phones for more options.

Motorola Razr Plus

A stylish flip phone

Motorola Razr Plus specifications:

Inner display 165Hz 6.9-inch LTPO AMOLED (1080 x 2640 pixels)
Cover display 3.6-inch AMOLED (1056 x 1066 pixels)
Battery 3,800 mAh
Chipset Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
RAM 8GB / 12GB
Storage 256GB / 512GB
Reasons to buy

  • Large outer screen
  • Minimal crease
  • Small gap when closed
Reasons to avoid

  • Older chipset
  • Durability concerns

The first thing you’ll notice about the Razr Plus is its large 3.6″ external screen that takes up almost the entire front of the device when folded. This screen is pretty impressive – it even wraps around the two camera lenses on the phone – with a 120Hz refresh rate that allows you to view notifications, take selfies, and run apps.

Moving on from the exterior, the Razr Plus features a slightly older Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, this will run most games smoothly, but won’t stay competitive with the upcoming foldables announced at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2023. Its main screen is 6.9” and has an impressive 165Hz refresh rate – a first for any current flip phone.

The cameras aren’t too much to write home about, you’re able to take some decent snaps with the 13Mp ultrawide lens on the main camera as long as you’re not in low light. Then there’s the front camera, it can take some nice selfies but won’t blow you away with its quality.

Finally, thinking about price and aesthetics, the Razr Plus is reasonably priced against its competitor’s RRP, however, you’ll probably find better deals on the other flip phones in this list due to their age. Meanwhile, it also comes in infinite black, glacier blue, and my personal favorite choice viva magenta.

Alcatel Go Flip 4

The best budget option

Alcatel Go Flip 4 specifications:

Inner display 2.8 inch (240 x 320 pixels)
Battery 1,850 mAh
Chipset QM215 Snapdragon 215
RAM 512MB
Storage 4GB
Reasons to buy

  • Very low price
  • Great battery life
Reasons to avoid

  • Poor camera
  • Lack of features

Remember the old-school flip phones? The Alcatel Go Flip is an old-school flip phone. Can it play games? No. Can it take great pictures? No. Is it incredibly cheap and cheerful? Yes. It might be your grandma’s style of flip phone, but it’s a flip phone nonetheless.

This phone is obviously the cheapest on our list and comes in midnight blue. We recommend the Alcatel Go Flip 4 for slightly older folks who just want to keep in touch with their family and friends with ease.

Kyocera DuraXV Extreme

The best rugged option

Kyocera DuraXV Extreme specifications:

Inner display 2.6 inch (240 x 320 pixels)
Battery 1,770 mAh
Chipset Qualcomm 215 (28 nm)
RAM 2GB
Storage 16GB
Reasons to buy

  • Water and dust proof
  • Good price
Reasons to avoid

  • Poor camera
  • Low-res screen

If you’re after a basic device that will survive more than a few drops, the Kyocera DuraXV Extreme is the mobile phone for you. It may not feature the mod-cons of some of the other phones on our list, but if you’re after something sturdy that makes the calls you need and sends the texts you want, look no further.

The device is resistant to dust and water immersion and is advertised as holding strong to shocks, drops, vibration, and extreme weather conditions. It also features programmable buttons so you can make the phone work how you want it to.

K688 Hello Kitty phone

The best girlboss option

K688 Hello Kitty phone specifications:

Display 1.77-inch
Battery 1,200 mAh
RAM 32MB
Storage 64MB

This last entry is for all the girlbosses out there. If you want a sassy Hello Kitty phone that lets you slam the clam on your haters in the highest fashion, I think this is the phone for you. Surprisingly the K688 Hello Kitty phone has a camera, but it’s, unsurprisingly, particularly low-quality.

You won’t find any of your new-fangled apps here, but you can put an SD Card in and use it as an MP3 player, make calls, send text messages, and even calculate things on an adorable calculator.

It comes in white and pink and is definitely a bit of a silly gimmick that we don’t recommend for anyone serious about tech. However, if you want something cheap to take to a festival or perhaps give to your kid as their first phone, this nifty little kitty could do the trick.

How we chose the best flip phones

One of the first things we looked at when choosing the best flip phones is the interior and exterior screens, the overall durability, battery capacity, chipset performance, memory capacity, and RAM, to ensure you the smoothest performance. Then there’s the cost, and how well each device stands up against its competitors in the same price bracket.

We also take into account the camera’s lenses and ability to take detailed pictures and videos in high and low light. Finally, there’s the style – flip phones are often chosen as the device for people who value certain colorways and looks.

Those are the main points that help us decide which phones to recommend, but there’s no right or wrong answer. Pick the phone you like best! And, if you can, head into a store to try them out for yourself and get a feel for their flippy capabilities. Beyond that, if you’re curious about how we decide which phones get the top marks, be sure to check out our how we test breakdown.

What’s the difference between a flip phone and a foldable phone?

The difference between a flip phone and a foldable phone is a little complex, as while a flip phone counts as a foldable, it doesn’t work the other way around. Put simply, a flip phone flips up, while a foldable phone flips out. However, some use the general ‘foldable’ term to describe both, as they technically both fold. Confusing? Yes, we think so too, but unfortunately, we’re not quite influential enough to change terminologies.

Outside of terminologies and form factors, the big difference between flip phones and foldable phones is the price point. Foldable phones are very expensive, with devices like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Honor Magic V2 both going for well over $1,000. Flip phones are expensive too but tend to be somewhere between the mid-range and flagship pricing at around $800-$1,000. So, if you want to try out an alternative form factor, the flip phone is the more affordable way to go, especially with cheaper devices like the Nubia Flip 5G arriving on the market.

Are people going back to flip phones?

Flip phones are certainly seeing a surge of popularity now, but not quite in the way you may remember them. Modern flip phones are a far cry from the clamshell designs of the past – they’re now sleek LCD and OLED screens that look just like any other smartphone when unfolded, but with the extra bonus of being able to fold them down to a much smaller size for convenience. Many flip phones also boast a front-facing screen when folded, allowing you to check all sorts of things (from the time to notifications) without having to fold your phone out.

However, with these modern flip phones gaining quite a lot of popularity over the last few years, traditional clamshell flip phones have also seen a bit of resurgence, though mostly in a more nostalgic, novel sense. While these early 00s-style flip phones can’t compete with modern-day devices in terms of features and functionality, they are fun pieces of kit that have become trendy in their own right. They’re also a brilliant option for those less tech-savvy who want a simple device that allows them to keep in contact with others through calls and text without all the extra bells and whistles.

Are flip phones worth it?

We know what you’re thinking – are any of these flip phones actually good? Are they really worth it? Well, as with any other device, that entirely depends on you and what you value in a smartphone.

Flip phones offer a lot of convenience if you prefer more compact designs. Their ability to fold down means that they can fit into most pockets and bags, and their front facing screens often mean that you can complete simple tasks such as answering a call or checking the time without having to open them. This is also convenient if you’re scared of scratching your main screen, as you’re a lot less likely to get scratches and scrapes on a flip phone’s inner screen while folded.

Additionally, with the colossal leaps in technology over the past few years, many flip phones can now keep up with some of the leading devices on the market, boasting beautiful, crisp displays, competitive performance, solid cameras, and decent battery life.

However, as with many ‘phones with a gimmick’, flip phones do have their flaws. Firstly, there’s the crease. While some manufacturers have managed to master this, it’s inevitable that all flip phones will develop a noticeable crease in the screen after a certain amount of wear. Some even come with a noticeable crease and hinges right out of the box, meaning you can feel and/or see a line across the middle of your screen whenever you open it. This may not be an issue for some users, while it can be very annoying for others, so it entirely depends on whether that’s something you could live with.

Similarly, flip phones are often either more expensive, or compromise on certain features that standard smartphones in the same price range may offer. You are paying for the foldability here, so if that isn’t your biggest priority, you may be able to get more bang for your buck with a regular smartphone.

In short, yes, there are some brilliant flip phones on the market, and we highlight the best ones in this guide. Just keep in mind that the functionality may come at a cost, and it’s up to personal preference whether that cost is worth it for you.

Changed your mind about flip phones? No problem, we can also recommend some of the best rugged phones, the best 5G phones, and the best 4G phones.

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