Technologies
Best Flip Phone of 2024
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5 is our top choice, but Motorola and Oppo also launched worthwhile flip phones in 2024.
Why You Can Trust CNET
Flip phones were everywhere in the early 2000s, and they’re coming back in a big way thanks to companies like Samsung, Motorola and Oppo.
Modern flip phones have been around for a few years, but they took a leap forward in 2024. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Motorola Razr Plus gained larger screens than their predecessors, making them more useful when closed. Oppo’s Find N3 Flip has an additional camera among other improvements.
While expensive and generally more fragile than standard phones, flip phones provide some benefits you can’t get with regular devices. They fit more easily in your pocket and are more manageable to use with one hand when closed. You can also prop them up by folding them halfway, which makes it possible to take a photo or view the screen without having to hold the device. They also have a distinct design that makes them stand out from other smartphones.
However, if you don’t care about those factors, you should consider one of the cheaper, nonfoldable devices listed in our best phones guide. If you’re considering buying a flip phone in 2024, here are your best options.
What is the best flip phone for most people?
The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is CNET’s top flip phone pick for 2024. It was a close call between Samsung’s new flip phone and the similarly priced Motorola Razr Plus. But Samsung’s design feels more sturdy, the camera takes more colorful photos and the company provides Android version updates for a longer period of time compared to Motorola, making it our favorite choice. Samsung also has a history of rolling out new features to its phones over time through updates to its One UI software, giving it another advantage.
Best flip phones of 2024
The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is the biggest leap forward Samsung’s flip phone has seen in years. Samsung has significantly expanded the size of the cover screen located on the outside of the device, meaning you can look up directions, take photos and send messages without opening the phone. It’s this, combined with the Z Flip’s solid battery life and sturdy design, that makes it a top pick.
The Z Flip 5 may be our favorite flip phone, but there are still some drawbacks to be aware of. At $1,000, it’s still expensive for a phone without a telephoto camera. And not all apps work natively on the front screen as they do on the Motorola Razr Plus. Read our Galaxy Z Flip 5 review.
Pros:
- Big cover screen is fun to use
- New hinge eliminates the gap when closed
- Solid battery life
- More storage in base model
Cons:
- Expensive
- Not all apps work on the cover screen natively
- Apps don’t transition from main screen to cover screen
- Minimal camera updates
Best compact flip phone
Motorola Razr Plus
The Motorola Razr Plus raised the bar for what a flip phone should be in 2023. Its 3.6-inch cover screen allows you to use almost any app without opening the phone, plus battery life is long enough to get you through a busy day. It’s also thinner than the Galaxy Z Flip 5, which could make it the ideal choice for those who prioritize portability in a phone.
While I recommend the Galaxy Z Flip 5 as the best flip phone overall, the Razr Plus is worth considering if you prefer a thinner design and want to use more apps on the phone’s front screen without much extra fuss. The Razr Plus felt more fragile than the Z Flip 5 during my testing, but it’s certainly thinner, making it a great choice for those who care about compactness above all else. Read our Motorola Razr Plus review.
Pros:
- Large, useful cover screen
- Crease is barely visible
- Thin design
- Good battery life
- Fun photography features like photo previews
Cons:
- Not as many Android updates as Samsung
- Flex View feels limited
- Front screen gathers fingerprint smudges easily
- $1,000 is still expensive
Best flip phone with a telephoto camera
Oppo Find N3 Flip
Oppo’s Find N3 Flip phone is unique for two reasons: It has a telephoto camera and a vertical cover screen, unlike the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Motorola Razr Plus. That could make the Find N3 Flip an ideal choice for those who want closer zoom shots, although this phone also shines for its fast performance, stylish design and speedy charging. The crease on the interior screen is also impressively subtle. That said, there are some downsides to be aware of. The Find N3 Flip lacks wireless charging, and you’ll only be able to buy it in certain markets, which doesn’t include the US. Read our review of the Find N3 Flip.
Pros:
- Cover screen supports Google Calendar, Gmail and other third-party apps
- Addition of a telephoto lens
- Improved durability IPX4 rating
Cons:
- Obvious branding
- Raised edges of cover screen
- No wireless charging
Here’s a sampling of apps you can use on the cover screen of the Find N3 Flip.
Best foldable for budget buyers
Motorola Razr 2023
The Motorola Razr 2023 is the most affordable, widely released foldable phone with a $700 price tag, notably below the $1,000 prices of clamshell foldables like the Razr Plus and Samsung Galaxy Flip 5. Motorola made some obvious compromises for affordability, like losing its competitors’ full-front screen for a small 1.5-inch thumbnail-size external display.
Less obvious are more painful shortfalls: three years of Android OS updates and 128GB of nonexpandable storage (you’ll have to rely on cloud storage if you go over). If you can stomach those compromises, the Razr 2023 is a great phone with a svelte design, large 6.9-inch internal display and sharp 64-megapixel main camera (the less said about its other ultrawide lens, the better). It’s a phone that suits a specific niche: Folks who want to try out foldables for a few years, but don’t want to shell out a lot of money if they’re still iffy on whether this «flexible display» thing will take off.
Pros:
- Solid and svelte build quality
- Great main camera
- Fun foldable functionality
- Good price
Cons:
- 128GB onboard storage is limited
- Outer screen is very small
- 3 years of OS updates is less than competitors
How to buy a new phone
Know what you care about most: Is it screen size? Camera quality? Battery life? This will help narrow down your choices. If you’re interested in a foldable phone, design and screen size should be more important to you than camera quality
Don’t discount the midrange: Features of last year’s flagships always trickle down to this year’s midrange handsets.You can get a great phone that does almost everything that a premium phone can do for a fraction of the price. Google’s Pixel 7 Pro packs a great zoom camera, but the base Pixel 7 has most of the same key specs and comes at a more reasonable price. But if you’re trying to save a few bucks, you shouldn’t be considering a flip phone. Devices like the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Motorola Razr Plus are priced like high-end premium phones, although Motorola plans to release a cheaper Razr this year.
Shop the sales: Look for deep discounts and promo deals around major holidays, especially Amazon’s Prime Day and Black Friday. And find out what your grace period is in case you need a quick return or exchange.
Last year’s phones: They can often be a great deal, too. Wait for this year’s launch to get last year’s phone for less, when stores and carriers may be trying to offload their existing stock. However, keep in mind you’ll miss out on the spacious cover screens found on the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Razr Plus by going for last year’s models.
Hold the phone in hand at a store first: You may love or hate the way it looks and feels in person. This is especially important for flip phones and other foldable devices, particularly if it’s your first time using one.
Check if you’re already invested: Have you already bought a lot of iPhone apps and iTunes movies? Stick with an iPhone if you still want access to them. Likewise, if you’ve invested in loads of Android apps, you’ll want to stay on that side of the fence. Otherwise, it’s simple enough to switch platforms. However, those interested in flip phones only have Android devices to choose from for now.
Buy a case and screen protector: You’ll protect your phone from costly damage, and will increase the phone’s resale or trade-in value for when you’re ready to move on.
The right time to buy a new phone
Knowing when to upgrade your phone largely depends on the age and condition of your current device as well as your budget. But it’s also a good idea to plan your upgrades in accordance with when new models are launching, if possible. After all, you might not want to buy the Galaxy Z Flip 5 a week before the Galaxy Z Flip 6 launches.
Samsung is also rumored to be working on a cheaper Galaxy Z Flip model that could cost around $400 to $500. That’s according to a leak posted on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, by an account with the handle @Tech_Reve. T.M. Roh, the president and head of Samsung’s mobile experience division, told CNET in July that offering a foldable phone for less than $1,000 is still a major challenge.
«And given the materials cost today … it is probably not going to be easy for us to offer a less than $1,000 foldable in the very near future,» Roh said. «But we will keep trying.»
However, if there is a cheaper foldable phone in the works at Samsung, it could debut alongside the company’s pricier models. Samsung also tends to launch cheaper A-series and FE-series phones separately from its flagship phones, though.
Most companies typically release new products around the same time every year, although launch cycles aren’t always annual. Here’s when Samsung, Motorola and Oppo launched their flip phones in 2023, which could provide a hint at when they may launch future models in 2024 and beyond.
Flip phone launches in 2023
| Phone | Release month |
|---|---|
| Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 | August (general availability) |
| Motorola Razr Plus | June |
| Motorola Razr | October |
| Oppo Find N3 Flip | October (global launch) |
How we test phones
We test every phone in real-world scenarios, focusing on its features, design, performance, cameras, battery life and overall value. We document our findings in an initial review that is periodically updated when there are new software updates, or to compare it against new phones from competitors such as Apple, Samsung, Google and OnePlus. Below is our methodology for testing smartphones in general, which also applies to flip phones.
Photography
Photography is a major focus for most phones these days, so we take pictures and videos of various subjects in a variety of settings and lighting scenarios. We try out any new camera modes, such as Action mode that debuted with the iPhone 14 line, or the Unblur photo tool that launched with the Google Pixel 7 series.
Battery life
Battery testing is conducted in a variety of ways. We assess how long a phone lasts during a typical day of use and note how it performs during more focused sessions of video calls, media streaming and gaming. We also conduct a video playback test, as a simple, replicable measure of pure battery life, which isn’t always included in the initial review but sometimes added later in an update.
Performance measuring
We use benchmarking apps to measure each phone’s performance, alongside our own anecdotal experiences using the phone for our review. Of note are how graphics and animations look. Are they smooth? Or do they lag or stutter? We also look at how quickly the phone switches between horizontal and vertical orientations, and how fast the camera app opens and is ready to take a photo.
We perform processor-heavy tasks like editing photos, exporting videos and playing games. We evaluate whether a newer version of a particular phone includes enough features to make it worth upgrading from older models.
Read more: How we test phones
Flip phone FAQs
Technologies
Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for May 25, #448
Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 448 for May 25.
Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.
Today’s NYT Strands puzzle plays on something many people do this time of year. Not me — though I probably should. If you need hints and answers, read on.
I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.
If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.
Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far
Hint for today’s Strands puzzle
Today’s Strands theme is: Get out the dust buster!
If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Sweep out the corners.
Clue words to unlock in-game hints
Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints, but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:
- PORT, RUNT, BEAD, GALE, LAID, DIAL, DALE, LINE, TUNE, TUNES, RUNG, TREE.
Answers for today’s Strands puzzle
These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you’ve got all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:
- SELL, LABEL, DONATE, DECLUTTER, REORGANIZE
Today’s Strands spangram
Today’s Strands spangram is SPRINGCLEANING. To find it, start with the S that’s four letters down on the first row on the left, and wind up and back.
Technologies
Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for May 25, #1436
Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle No. 1,436 for May 25.
Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.
Today’s Wordle puzzle includes a fairly rare letter in its fourth spot, so maybe guess a starter word that you don’t usually think to try. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.
Today’s Wordle hints
Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.
Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats
Today’s Wordle answer has no repeated letters.
Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels
There is one vowel in today’s Wordle answer.
Wordle hint No. 3: First letter
Today’s Wordle answer begins with the letter G.
Wordle hint No. 4: Lawbreaker
Today’s Wordle answer relates to crime.
Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning
Today’s Wordle answer can refer to a petty swindle.
TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER
Today’s Wordle answer is GRIFT.
Yesterday’s Wordle answer
Yesterday’s Wordle answer, May 24, No. 1435 was SUEDE.
Recent Wordle answers
May 20, No. 1431: BORNE
May 21, No. 1432: ALARM
May 22, No. 1433: FOLIO
May 23, No. 1434: SHUCK
Technologies
I Won’t Travel Without Apple AirTags, and a 4-Pack Is Down to $75 for Memorial Day
I trust Apple’s trackers to keep all my luggage safe, and this Memorial Day deal at Amazon and Best Buy gives me the perfect excuse to buy more.
I knew something was amiss as I stood at the baggage carousel after my return flight from Paris and my fellow passengers collected their bags one by one. My trusty rolling suitcase was nowhere to be seen. But I knew there was no reason to panic. Before handing over my suitcase at check-in at the Charles de Gaulle airport, I had tucked a sophisticated little tracking device into it. So, with just a few taps on my iPhone, I could see that my bag had apparently never left Paris. (Merde!)
Over the years, I’ve come to depend on Apple’s AirTags to keep track of just about all my easy-to-lose valuables. They’re not only good for luggage, I also use them to track wallets, bikes, keys and even my car. I tell everyone who will listen that you can never have too many of these handy devices. That’s why it’s worth taking advantage of the Memorial Day sales at both Amazon and Best Buy that slash the price of a four-pack of AirTags down to $75.
Here’s how the Apple AirTag that was in my suitcase on that fateful trip works. It uses an ingenious method of tracking itself, detecting its location from nearby iPhones and using them to anonymously piggyback the coordinates to a secure server where I could look it up on my iPhone. Until just a few years ago, this would have seemed like a scene straight out of a spy movie.
Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.
Instead of wondering if my belongings were stuck on an abandoned luggage cart or strewn across the tarmac, I could see in almost real time that my suitcase was still chilling at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. I was able to calmly tell the airline my bag didn’t make the flight, and it made arrangements to have it delivered to me a few days later.
Apple AirTags are all about peace of mind
By itself, an AirTag isn’t much. A 1.26-inch smooth round puck that looks like a glossy white breath mint, it sinks to the bottom of a bag or dangles from a key chain (with a compatible key ring, sold separately). It’s meant to disappear.
Activating the AirTag was a simple process of pairing with my iPhone. And then, because it obviously doesn’t really do anything out of the box, I forgot about it.
But the next time I couldn’t find my keys? Sorcery. My iPhone didn’t just tell me they were somewhere nearby — it walked me directly to them, thanks to the AirTag’s built-in Ultra Wideband chip. Suddenly, all that time I’d spent retracing my steps and overturning couch cushions in the past felt like ancient history.
Now I have AirTags in or attached to every significant item I’d want to keep track of: My everyday laptop bag, my camera backpack, the suitcase I use most when traveling, my key chain, my car and a smaller sling bag I take on walks. I can pull up the Find My app on any of my Apple devices (or sign in to iCloud on any web browser) and see where my items are and the last time the AirTags registered their locations.
AirTags aren’t just for my everyday items. People I know in the movie business tell me that AirTags are tossed into nearly every bag and Pelican crate, not solely to ensure that the valuable equipment inside doesn’t walk away but to quickly differentiate equipment amid similar looking containers. Some of my friends also attach AirTags to their pets’ collars (though experts say there are better ways to track pets).
AirTags are also useful for things that you want to keep close by
Being able to detect my luggage a continent away provided a sense of relief, to be sure. But at the local level, my AirTags will also trigger an alert when I get too far away from them. For example, if I accidentally forget my camera bag in the car when I stop somewhere for lunch, a Find My notification appears telling me I’ve left it behind. It works the same for newer AirPods models as well.
Sharing is now a big part of AirTag tracking
My family has two cars, and I wanted to be able to track them both. But it used to be inconvenient to pair the AirTag in the car my wife drives to her iPhone (and the one in my car to my iPhone).
To guard against unwanted tracking, an AirTag will notify nearby iPhones of its existence, so whenever I drove my wife’s car without her in it, I got a notification that an AirTag was traveling with me. (If the owner is near the AirTag, the alert does not appear.)
However, ever since the release of iOS 17, AirTags are shareable, which solves this problem. I shared my AirTag with my wife, and she with me, so regardless of which car I’m driving, I can find it more easily in a crowded parking lot without getting constant, unnecessary alerts.
A new feature to AirTags that arrived with iOS 18.2 is the ability to temporarily share an AirTag’s location with someone I trust. In my luggage example above, if the suitcase was in the airport with me, but the airport’s staff hadn’t yet been able to locate it (not uncommon during peak travel times), I could share its location with an attendant who could quickly retrieve it from areas inaccessible to the public.
Apple AirTag specs
- Diameter: 1.26 inches (31.9 mm)
- Height: 0.31 inches (8 mm)
- Weight: 0.39 ounces (11 g)
- Splash, water and dust resistance: Rated IP67 (maximum depth of 1 meter up to 30 minutes)
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0
- Battery: Replaceable CR2032 coin cell battery
The only minor annoyance about AirTags
An AirTag includes Bluetooth, the U1 Ultra Wideband chip and an NFC chip to share basic details when it’s in Lost Mode. That’s all powered by a CR2032 coin cell battery, which in my experience lasts roughly a year before I need to replace it.
I get notified when a battery is starting to get low, although there’s no gauge to see how much is left until it goes into the red. And it’s easy to change batteries. But my small fleet of AirTags means I need to swap multiple ones each year. I buy them in packs of 20 that I slowly work through.
AirTags also make great gifts
Apple AirTags consistently appear in our gift guides throughout the year because you can always find another use for one. They’re often reduced in price when sold in packs of four. And there’s an ever-growing ecosystem of ways to mount them, from sturdy vaults that adhere to a car to discrete fabric holders that will keep your favorite classic bomber jacket from flying away. Whenever I show someone how I use AirTags on a bag or keychain, I kind of wish I had a pocket of AirTags to hand out because once someone sees how it works, they’re sold.
Looking to save on more things that’ll make your life easier? Check out our roundup of all the best early Memorial Day deals going on now.
When will this deal expire?
We don’t know how long this deal will last, but it’s a limited-time offer so it could expire at any time. We expect the discount will probably continue through Memorial Day, but there’s no guarantee. We recommend placing your order sooner rather than later if you want to purchase the AirTags at this low price.
-
Technologies2 года agoTech Companies Need to Be Held Accountable for Security, Experts Say
-
Technologies2 года agoBest Handheld Game Console in 2023
-
Technologies2 года agoTighten Up Your VR Game With the Best Head Straps for Quest 2
-
Technologies4 года agoVerum, Wickr and Threema: next generation secured messengers
-
Technologies4 года agoGoogle to require vaccinations as Silicon Valley rethinks return-to-office policies
-
Technologies4 года agoBlack Friday 2021: The best deals on TVs, headphones, kitchenware, and more
-
Technologies4 года agoOlivia Harlan Dekker for Verum Messenger
-
Technologies4 года agoiPhone 13 event: How to watch Apple’s big announcement tomorrow