There was a time when the classic flip phone was the first thing that came to mind when you thought of a cell phone — before the smartphone era ushered in the rectangular glass, metal, and plastic slabs we’ve come to know and love. Nevertheless, the venerable flip design lives on not only in classic feature phones, but it’s also making a comeback in modern smartphones that have reimagined the concept to create powerful devices with fun and compact designs. As such, keeping track of the best flip phones in 2023 makes more sense than you may think!
The feature flip phones of today still hark back to their pre-smartphone counterparts, focusing on basics like calls and texting while providing battery life that’s measured in days instead of hours. They’re reasonably priced, very pocketable, offer much more durability, and make a great option if traditional voice calls are your primary reason for carrying a cell phone.
However, there’s also good news for folks who want the best of both worlds — the more compact size a flip phone offers with the powerful features of a modern smartphone. New designs such as Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Motorola’s Razr Plus meld the concept of classic flip phones with gorgeous touchscreens and all the power that Android has to offer. Whether you just want something cheap and compact for making calls or you’re looking for a productivity powerhouse, one of the best flip phones on our list will have you covered.
Joe Maring / Digital Trends
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5
The best flip phone overall
Pros
- No more gap when folded shut
- Extremely well-built
- Hinge feels outstanding
- Much more useful cover screen
- Fantastic performance
- Good and dependable cameras
- 5 years of updates
Cons
- The crease is still there
- Mediocre battery life
- Cover screen requires lots of tweaking
Why you should buy this: It’s one of the most powerful Android smartphones on the market in a unique, durable, and fun package.
Who it’s for: Anyone who wants a capable, pocket-sized flip phone.
Why we chose the Galaxy Z Flip 5: Samsung has been hitting it out of the park with its Galaxy Z Flip series, and this year’s Flip 5 takes everything that was great about its predecessor and makes it even better, refining the design and user experience in small but meaningful ways.
The Galaxy Z Flip 5 takes what was already a nearly flawless combination of design, performance, and durability and takes it up a notch. The new Flex Hinge is now close to perfect — an important feature in a phone that you’ll be flipping open and shut several dozen times a day — and the build quality is even more solid, with Gorilla Glass Victus 2 on the screens, Samsung’s Armor Aluminum frame on the outside, and sturdy, precision-engineered buttons.
On the inside, you get a 6.7-inch AMOLED 2X display with a resolution of 2640 x 1080 pixels and a 120Hz refresh rate that’s brighter than ever, so you’ll have no problem seeing it outdoors. However, you won’t need to worry about that nearly as often since the Z Flip 5 now boasts an expansive 3.4-inch Super AMOLED 720 x 748-pixel cover screen that can show you almost everything you’ll need to see at a glance. It’s so big, in fact, that you can run full Android apps on the Flip 5 cover screen … after a bit of tweaking, that is.
However, there’s more to the Galaxy Z Flip 5 than just it’s fun design. Samsung has packed in the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset that powers the rest of its flagship 2023 smartphone lineup, which means you’re getting the performance of a Galaxy S23 Ultra in a much more compact package.
The camera system can’t compare to the S23 Ultra, of course, but it’s no slouch, with a pair of 12-megapixel (MP) wide and ultrawide cameras on the outside plus a 10MP selfie camera on the main display. Sadly, you don’t get a telephoto camera, but the Flip 5 sort of makes up for that with some cool features. Flex Mode, for example, lets you sit the half-folded phone up at a right angle, with one app opened in the top half of the screen and a control panel opened at the bottom. There’s also FlexCam, which lets you take hands-free selfies using the main camera and cover screen.
With the most powerful smartphone processor on the market today, a great camera experience, and fantastic build quality, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5 easily retains its predecessor’s crown as the best premium folding smartphone for most people in 2023.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5
The best flip phone overall
Joe Maring/Digital Trends
Motorola Razr Plus
The best flip phone runner-up
Pros
- Viva Magenta color looks incredible
- Water and dust resistance
- Game-changing cover screen
- Super-minimal display crease
- Excellent performance
- Lovely software experience
Cons
- Mediocre cameras
- One-day battery life
- Wired charging capped at 30W
Why you should buy this: An excellent cover screen, top-notch performance, and a collection of vivid colors make this a solid choice for those who prefer an alternative to the world of Samsung devices.
Who it’s for: Folks who want a flip phone with a fun and whimsical design that also offers a clean and versatile software experience and are willing to make a few trade-offs on the camera side to get it.
Why we chose the Motorola Razr Plus: The Motorola Razr Plus features a stunning design, with a Viva Magenta version that looks downright gorgeous, plus a color-matched vegan leather finish on the back, but it doesn’t stop there.
With a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 inside — Qualcomm’s premium late-2022 mobile platform — it easily holds its own against nearly any other flagship smartphone on the market when it comes to performance, and it also offers one of the cleanest and most effortless software experiences you’ll find outside of Google’s “pure Android” Pixel phones, making it a joy to use.
Motorola has also pulled out all the stops in giving the Razr Plus an incredible cover screen experience, putting in a 3.6-inch pOLED HDR10+ display with a 1066 x 1056-pixel resolution and a 144Hz refresh rate. That’s enough to watch movies and play games if you’re willing to squint a bit, and unlike Samsung’s Z Fip 5 cover screen, Motorola lets you run any Android app on it without the need to jump through complicated hoops. It’s the best cover screen you can get in a foldable right now in size, quality, and versatility.
Flip open the Razr Plus and you’ll find a 6.9-inch pOLED display with a resolution of 2640 x 1080 pixels, 1,400 nits of peak brightness, HDR10+ support, and an impressive 165Hz refresh rate. Plus, while middle-of-the-screen creases are an inevitable price to pay in foldable smartphones right now, Motorola has somehow done a great job in making the Razr Plus crease much less noticeable than the competition.
Unfortunately, the Razr Plus falls down a bit it in the camera department. While the camera specs are impressive on paper — you get a 12MP primary and 13MP ultrawide duo on the outside and 32MP selfie on the inside — the results you’ll get aren’t nearly as consistent as other smartphones in its class, proving the megapixels aren’t everything.
It’s not a bad camera system, but you’re definitely making some tradeoffs here, and there’s no doubt the Galaxy Z Flip 5 will give you more confidence that every photo will turn out great. However, if getting the very best possible photos from your smartphone is your top priority, you may need to stick with traditional flagships like the Galaxy S23 Ultra, as it’s hard to find any flip phone that can compete with the best camera phones.
Motorola Razr Plus
The best flip phone runner-up
Andy Boxall / Digital Trends
Motorola Razr (2023)
The best value flip phone
Pros
- Lightweight and compact
- Camera is great for social media
- Fast battery charging
- Cute Moo character brightens up the cover screen
- Dust and water resistance
Cons
- No always-on screen
- Slow wireless charging
- Can get warm when pushed hard
Why you should buy this: It’s simply the most affordable foldable smartphone on the market, with an expansive and vibrant inside screen, solid performance, and a great selection of fun colors that are all available in tactile vegan leather that feels great in the hand.
Who it’s for: Folks who want an affordable and compact flip phone with a fun design and a full array of smartphone features.
Why we chose the Motorola Razr (2023): While it may seem odd to call a $700 smartphone a budget model, that’s precisely where Motorola’s new 2023 Razr comes in among foldable smartphones. In a category that typically starts in the four-figure range, $700 is a breath of fresh air, and it’s not hard to find it on sale for even less — especially during Black Friday season.
Not surprisingly, Motorola has cut a few corners to get here, but it’s managed to cut mostly the right ones. Fans of the company’s iconic Razr design may lament the new look, but it reflects a move in a more modern direction. It brings over most of what’s great about its pricier sibling and even adds a few nice twists of its own. For instance, you get four fun colors to choose from, all of which come in the grippy vegan leather finish that’s only found in the Viva Magenta Razr Plus.
The biggest compromise in the Razr (2023) is the cover screen, which drops to a 1.5-inch affair that lacks always-on capabilities and isn’t useful for showing much more than notifications, tiles, and some admittedly cute animations. This means you don’t get very useful previews for taking selfies with the main camera, and perhaps more importantly, you’ll be flipping the Razr open more often than you may like.
The good news is that Motorola hasn’t held back anything for the inside screen; when you do flip the Razr open, you’ll be met by the same gorgeous 6.9-inch 144Hz pOLED panel found on the Razr Plus. Motorola has even packed a slightly bigger battery into the Razr (2023), which should hopefully make up for using the inside screen more frequently.
In an unusual twist, the Razr (2023) actually has a higher megapixel count for its main camera than the Razr Plus, with a 64MP shooter joined by a 13MP ultrawide camera. It does a reasonably good job of producing vivid photos in the right lighting conditions, but the results are a bit inconsistent, and it especially suffers with motion in lowlight situations. For the most part, Motorola’s phones have never led the pack in their camera systems, and the Razr (2023) is no exception here. Still, it’s more than fine for casual snapshots to share on social media.
The Razr (2023) also packs in a Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 chip. That’s an older midrange chip that won’t set any speed records for gaming or heavy multitasking, but it’s more than enough for everyday tasks, and everything feels snappy and responsive. It’s an appropriate chip for a phone in this class and certainly more reasonable than Motorola’s use of a similar midrange chip — the Snapdragon 765G — in its 2020 Razr 5G at twice the price. It also helps that Motorola sticks with a fairly clean Android 13 experience; Motorola’s My UX is layered on top, but it’s there mostly to handle the Razr’s unique hardware and otherwise stays out of the way as much as possible.
Motorola Razr (2023)
The best value flip phone
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Alcatel Go Flip 3
The best basic flip phone
Pros
- Feature phone
- Simple to use
- 4G LTE compatibility
Cons
- No smart features
- Weak camera
Why you should buy this: No-nonsense service at a reasonable price.
Who it’s for: People who want the basics with a splash of style will love the popular model.
Why we chose the Alcatel Go Flip 3: As one of the most popular flip-phone models, the Alcatel Go Flip 3 offers an easy-to-use interface and intuitive keypad design for dialing and navigation. Powered by KaiOS, and sporting a 4G LTE connection, you can use this phone for email, calendar, web surfing, and, of course, calling and texting. It has a quad-core processor, built-in GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, and comes with 4GB of storage that can be expanded up to 32GB by adding your own SD card. There’s a 2.8-inch display, as well as an external display that lets you preview incoming calls, notifications, and messages. The battery provides about 17 days of standby time, with eight hours of talk time. It has a 2-megapixel camera you can use to capture still images and 720p HD video. All of this comes encased in a neat clamshell body. It’s available for Boost Mobile, T-Mobile, and AT&T.
Alcatel Go Flip 3
The best basic flip phone
Image used with permission by copyright holder
LG B470 Flip Phone
The best pre-paid flip phone
Cons
- No smart features or apps
Why you should buy this: No-frills, prepaid flip phone does the job and provides long battery life.
Who it’s for: AT&T customers who want a basic, low-cost, prepaid, easy flip phone.
Why we chose the LG B470: If you’re looking for a flip phone with a few appealing extras, there’s the LG B470 prepaid basic flip phone, offering a 1.3MP camera with zoom and customizable effects and built-in Bluetooth. It can even download and play multimedia files like video and music. The outer 0.98-inch display is monochrome, which helps extend its week-long battery life and lets you instantly read texts without having to actually flip it open. A colorful 2.2-inch main display is accompanied by an enhanced audio mode that augments high frequencies. A text-to-speech feature reads texts aloud, a benefit for folks with vision issues. It works on AT&T.
LG B470 Flip Phone
The best pre-paid flip phone
Jitterbug
Jitterbug Flip2 Cell Phone for Seniors
The best flip phone for seniors
Pros
- Great for seniors
- Easy to use
- Amazon Alexa
Cons
- Still limited in smart features
Why you should buy this: This easy-to-use phone delivers all the services needed for the elderly, infirm, or tech newcomers.
Who it’s for: This phone is designed for and directly appeals to older folks who may need medical services and those who are not technical.
Why we chose the Jitterbug Flip2 Cell Phone for Seniors: Heavily advertised and promoted as the preferred phone for seniors, the Jitterbug Flip2 has numerous features that appeal to all cellphone newcomers and people who prefer a simpler, more limited device. The Flip2 sports a large screen, big buttons, a powerful speaker, a simple list-based menu, and Amazon Alexa to make navigating the phone and placing calls a breeze.
It’s been developed in partnership with Lively, so it won’t work on other carriers, but the companion service provides a number of nice extras, including a dedicated urgent response button to summon help in an emergency, plus access to doctors, nurses, and caregiver tools. It has U.S.-based live customer service with no long-term contracts, so you can change plans anytime. Select from a minutes plan and Health & Safety Package — unlimited talk and text cost $20 per month. Lively has also teamed up with Lyft to provide a car service where an operator can help schedule a ride, day or night. It comes in gray or red.
Jitterbug Flip2 Cell Phone for Seniors
The best flip phone for seniors
Kyocera
Kyocera DuraXE Epic
The best rugged flip phone
Pros
- Durable and strong
- Big, easy to press buttons
- Waterproof
Cons
- Limited internal storage
- Weak camera
Why you should buy this: Kyocera is an old hand in the cell phone arena and offers a small yet mighty flip phone to accompany you on your journeys to work or play.
Who it’s for: Folks who want a small, pocketable phone that can withstand rigorous conditions.
Why we chose the Kyocera DuraXE Epic: A rugged flip phone that can survive some tough environments, Kyocera’s DuraXE Epic for AT&T promises to keep your connection live and easy to hear. This hardy specimen is military-grade waterproof, dustproof, shockproof, and can withstand drops onto solid concrete from a height of five feet. Its chamfered corners and reinforced hinge provide the ultimate protection and durability. It has 16GB of internal storage with a MicroSD card slot that allows you to add up to 512GB more capacity. Recessed sides and textured panels provide a secure grip, while loud 100+dB front-facing speakers deliver clear sound with dual-mic noise cancellation for noisy surroundings. You get over nine hours of talk and 16 and 18 days of standby time, as well as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
Kyocera DuraXE Epic
The best rugged flip phone
Image used with permission by copyright holder
ZTE Cymbal Z-320 Flip Phone
The best cheap flip phone
Pros
- Good price
- FM radio
- Simple feature phone
Cons
- Weak camera
- No smart features
Why you should buy this: This is a basic phone that covers all the bases at a reasonable price.
Who it’s for: Anyone looking for a good performing flip phone that won’t break their bank account.
Why we chose the ZTE Cymbal Z-320 Flip Phone: A moderately-priced, compact flipper, the ZTE Cymbal Z-320, unlocked and LTE-enabled, has some cool features. Start with a 2.8-inch main display and 1-inch external OLED display and pile on a modest 2MP camera and camcorder for the pocketable basics, accompanied by Bluetooth 4.1 and FM radio. It’s easy to use — the phone’s large buttons facilitate swift, accurate texting. When it comes to yakking, you get up to 15.5 hours of talk time and 195 hours of standby time.
ZTE Cymbal Z-320 Flip Phone
The best cheap flip phone
Frequently Asked Questions
Why buy a flip phone?
Long battery life is one of the biggest advantages of a traditional flip phone. While most smartphones need to hit the charger every night, the battery on a feature phone can last for a week or longer without a charge. Since they don’t need to show as much information or play high-definition movies and games, flip phones can use smaller and more durable screens than their all-glass smartphone counterparts. This makes them ideal for folks who want to ensure they can stay connected on long trips or work in remote areas under challenging conditions.
If you’re truly old school and believe phones should strictly be for making calls and not surfing Facebook, then a feature flip phone is for you. You’ll be able to focus on your call instead of spending time and battery life on social media apps or games. When you’re not on a call, your flip phone stays mainly offline and hidden from location services, beacons, and spyware. Plus, most flip phones don’t store or send personal data, so most hackers won’t bother with them compared to the wealth of data found in smartphones.
If you’re concerned with phone call quality, don’t worry — a good flip phone will give you a perfectly clear call experience. Some include Bluetooth capabilities so that you can use wireless earbuds and headsets with them. More traditional flip phones are especially loved by older customers because they don’t have to learn how to navigate through all of the different features, options, and pesky touch and swipe screen controls; most flip phones use traditional buttons to make calls and write messages.
However, there’s a whole new generation of flip phones that will appeal to folks with more modern tastes, adapting powerful Android smartphones into a novel folding form factor with dual screens and catchy designs. These latest flip phones are full-featured smartphones in a more compact package, making them ideal for the smallest pant or shirt pocket. Battery life may be a bit shorter than what you’re used to in modern flagships, as the more compact size leaves less room for larger batteries. The foldable design is still novel and something that’s appealing to a younger generation who weren’t around the first time flip phones like the Motorola Razr hit the market. Modern flip phones like Samsung’s Z Flip 4 also come in a wide array of colors to attract younger buyers.
Ultimately, the novelty of the folding form factor is as good a reason as any to choose a flip phone, but by buying one of the latest releases, you’re also getting excellent specs too, and while Motorola has tried its hand at reinventing its classic Razr design, it’s Samsung that’s clearly leading the folding phone revolution.
Which flip phones are best for older people?
If you’re an older customer looking for an easy-to-use phone — or you’re buying a flip phone for an older family member — we recommend the Jitterbug Flip2, although any of the flip feature phones on our list should be relatively easy to set up and use. The Jitterbug Flip2 has a large, bright screen, a generous keypad, an earpiece that works with hearing aids, and a dedicated button to summon emergency help or car rides, a flashlight, and a camera.
What’s the best flip smartphone?
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5is, hands-down, the best flip-style smartphone on the market right now. Samsung has slowly been revolutionizing the flip smartphone market, and it’s come of age over the last couple of years. The 2021 Galaxy Z Flip 3 was already an impressive piece of kit, and its successors have taken that great design and run with it, adding faster chips, improved battery life with faster charging, and some nice design refinements.
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