Foldable Phones in 2025: Are They Finally Worth It?
After years of promising but flawed foldables, 2025 might be the year the form factor actually makes sense. We've used four of them to find out.
I've been skeptical of foldable phones for years. The crease bothered me. The durability question kept me up at night. The price tags made me laugh. Then I spent three months alternating between four different foldables, and something shifted.
The Crease Problem Is... Mostly Solved?
On the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and OnePlus Open 2, the crease is noticeably shallower than on first-generation devices. I still feel it with my fingertip when scrolling deliberately. But during normal use — reading articles, watching videos, using apps — I genuinely forget it's there after the first day. My wife, who was firmly in the 'I will never buy a phone with a crease' camp, spent two days with my Z Fold 6 and quietly admitted it wasn't as bad as she expected.
The Durability Question
I've dropped the OnePlus Open 2 twice. Once on hardwood, once on pavement. Both times I picked it up with my heart in my throat. Both times it was fine. The hinge mechanisms have gotten substantially more robust — IPX8 water resistance is now standard on flagship foldables, which would have been unthinkable two years ago.
Who Should Buy One?
Anyone who reads a lot on their phone. Anyone who uses their phone as a laptop replacement while traveling. Content creators who edit photos and video on mobile. The real-estate agent or consultant who needs to show documents and contracts on a larger screen without pulling out a tablet. The list of people who'd genuinely benefit is longer than the skeptics think.
